🐝 Cycle Cities Buzz - Are We Building the Right Tools? 🚲

Hi Reader,

We're now just one week away from the end of August.

And with that, we're also getting closer to the end of summer, although, here in Europe, it sometimes feels like the heat has decided to stay with us for a little longer.

For some of you, the high season is still in full swing. For others, things are beginning to slow down.

Either way, September is just around the corner, and there's something else I've been working on over the past few months.

I've reactivated the Cycle Cities blog.

So far, I've mainly been using it to share useful ideas and insights that can help people discover Cycle Cities and understand more about the world of independent bike tour operators.

But I'd like to start bringing your voices into it too.

Over the coming weeks, I'll be reaching out to ya'll with questions about your businesses, your cities, your experiences and the things you've learned along the way.

The idea is simple:

More real operators. More real experiences. More knowledge shared across the network.

So if I drop you an email asking for your thoughts, I hope you'll be up for it!

Symposium News 🤝

One month to go until the Symposium Early Bird rate ends.

If you haven't booked your place yet, don't sleep on it.

Symposium is still a few months away, but the Early Bird deadline will be here before we know it.

If you're planning to join us in Hamburg, now is the time to secure your place and get it out of the way before the season gets busy again.

Secure your spot

Groupwork Gold Nuggets 💛

The New Guard: Future Trends

This week, we're moving to a new table.

Nacho Bonilla, Aritza Alcibar Fradua, Marvin Urmersbach, Helene Szabo Darley and Teresa Vilas Boas are taking on questions about the future of bike tourism — and they're not afraid to challenge some popular assumptions.

Their first question:

What do you think is the most "overrated" trend in bike tourism right now?

The answers were certainly opinionated.

The following content is only visible for the Cycle Cities Members.

Some operators questioned whether gravel, fat and road bikes really add value to a standard 2–4 hour city sightseeing experience, arguing that most guests care more about the experience than the specific type of bike.

Electric scooters were also viewed by some as a short-lived trend, particularly because of regulation and maintenance challenges.

The group was even more critical of free tours, with concerns around overcrowding and the quality of the experience when groups become too large.

And some of the more niche concepts — such as highly specific graffiti or architecture tours — were questioned in favour of well-executed highlights tours that appeal to a broader audience.

Then there's the debate around e-bikes.

Are they unnecessary in flat cities? Or have they become something customers simply expect?

As always, there's no single answer. And that's exactly why these conversations are interesting.

The value isn't necessarily in agreeing with every opinion.

It's in hearing what other operators are seeing in their own markets, and asking whether the same thing is true for your business.

Tool of the Week 🛠️

How to Build a More Profitable Business Without Simply Selling More Tours

Most bike tour operators want more bookings. More bookings usually mean more revenue.

But revenue alone doesn't tell you whether your business is becoming healthier.

You can have a busy month and still make very little money. You can increase bookings while your costs increase even faster. You can also sell more through OTAs while giving away a significant part of your revenue in commissions. Or you can have a popular tour that takes up most of your team's time but generates less profit than a smaller product.

And you can work harder every year without actually improving the business.

This is why, at a certain point, the question needs to change.

Not: "How do we sell more?"

But: "How do we make more from the business we already have?"

Profitability isn't about cutting every possible cost. It's about understanding where your money comes from, where it goes, and which parts of your business create the most value.

This playbook will help you look beyond revenue and start thinking about:

→ Which products are actually profitable

→ Which channels are worth the commission

→ How much each booking really contributes

→ Where your operational capacity is being used

→ Which customers and products create the most value

→ Where small improvements could have the biggest financial impact

You don't need an accounting background, complicated financial software or to analyse every number in your business.

You simply need to start asking better questions.

Download it here

Community — Highlights ➡️

Over the past few months, I've created a lot of resources.

From direct bookings and content creation to partnerships, pricing, customer acquisition, dashboards and now profitability.

The goal has always been the same: to turn the knowledge and experience of this community into something practical that you can actually use in your business.

But now I'd like to ask you something.

Are these tools actually useful to you?

Do you download them?

Do you use them?

Are there particular resources you've found especially valuable?

And, perhaps most importantly:

What should we build next?

I've put together a very short survey to help me understand what's working, what's not, and where we should focus our efforts next.

It should take just a couple of minutes.

TAKE THE CYCLE CITIES RESOURCE SURVEY

Your feedback will help shape the next generation of Cycle Cities tools, so please be honest. If you've downloaded everything but haven't opened a single one, I want to know that too!

We're getting closer to the end of summer, but there's still plenty to learn from the season, and plenty more to build together.

Until next week,

Isabella

Managing Director (Interim)
Cycle Cities 🚲

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