🐝 Cycle Cities Buzz - Building the this together 🚲

Hi Reader,

Over the past few months, we've been building quite a collection of tools for Cycle Cities members.

From direct bookings and customer acquisition to profitability, capacity, pricing, decision-making and Google Business Profile, the library keeps growing.

But there's something I want to emphasize:

These tools aren't being created in isolation.

A lot of them come directly from the questions, challenges and ideas that come up in the community.

We look at what operators are discussing, what problems keep coming up, what information could actually be useful, and then try to turn those conversations into something practical you can use in your own business.

And we're continuing to do that.

So if there's a topic, question or problem you'd like us to turn into a tool, playbook or resource, just write to me.

It doesn't have to be a fully formed idea. If there's something you've been trying to figure out in your business, let me know. It may be useful to other operators too.

Symposium News 🤝

A quick reminder that the Early Bird rate for the Cycle Cities Symposium in Hamburg ends on September 30.

If you're planning to join us, this is the last month to get the Early Bird price.

And if you're already coming to Hamburg, there's one more thing I'd love to hear from you.

Is there a topic you'd like us to discuss at the Symposium?

I'm currently working on the itinerary and we still have a few slots available for talks.

It could be a business challenge you're facing, something you've learned the hard way, a trend you're seeing in your market, or simply a topic you think would be useful for other operators.

If there's something you'd like to hear about — or something you'd like to talk about yourself — send me a message.

Secure your spot

Groupwork Gold Nuggets 💛

The next table: Scaling without losing the experience

We’re moving on to the next table from our Groupwork Gold Nuggets.

This time, the conversation was around High-Volume Hubs — operators managing large fleets and running multiple tours at the same time.

The question was:

How do you maintain a premium guest experience while scaling to 10+ concurrent tours?

The answers were very practical.

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

Keep groups small.
Several operators highlighted strict group limits of around 8–10 guests per guide as a way to protect the quality of the experience, even when running a high volume of tours.

Standardize what needs to be standardized.
A consistent route, guide script and even a single bike model across the fleet can make training and maintenance much easier as the business grows.

Don't send everyone to the same place at the same time.
One interesting solution was to reverse itineraries so different groups start at opposite ends of the city, reducing the risk of having 80+ guests arriving at the same attraction together.

Make large-scale operations visually simple.
Color-coded banners, tickets or vests can help guests quickly identify the right guide when several groups are leaving from the same place.

And one detail I particularly liked:

Think about the neighbors.

One operator shared that they finish tours and do the final applause somewhere away from the shop, reducing the noise and disruption for people living nearby.

Different solutions, but the same underlying idea:

Scaling doesn't necessarily mean making the experience more impersonal. It means building systems that protect the experience as volume increases.

Tool of the Week 🛠️

#16 — Where Should I Invest My Next €500?

This week's tool comes directly from the Ads & Acquisition Survey we ran with members a while ago.

And we decided to take the question one step further.

Instead of asking:

"Which marketing channel is best?"

We ask:

"What does my business need most right now?"

Imagine you have €500 to invest in your business.

Where should it go?

Google Ads?
Social media?
SEO?
Your website?
An OTA?
A new partnership?
Email marketing?
Sales?
Technology?
Something else entirely?

There is no universal answer.

A business with strong organic traffic but poor website conversion has a very different problem from one with excellent conversion but not enough demand.

And if you're already close to capacity, spending another €500 to generate more bookings may not be the best investment at all.

This tool helps you look at your current situation, priorities and goals before deciding where to put your money.

The goal isn't to find the perfect way to spend €500.

It's to make a better investment decision based on your own business.

Download it here

Community — Highlights ➡️

One of the conversations that caught my attention this week started with a simple question from Robert:

Does anyone use Ride with GPS?

Within the conversation, members shared the tools they currently use:

Komoot, Ride with GPS, VoiceMap — and even a completely self-developed solution.

Toomas mentioned that they use both Komoot and Ride with GPS and are considering investing in the Pro package.

And Shayne shared something that says quite a lot about the different ways operators solve the same problem:

They've developed their own system.

That's one of the things I like about these conversations.

There isn't always one "right" answer.

One operator may use an off-the-shelf tool. Another may combine several. Another may decide that building their own solution makes more sense for their business.

The useful part is being able to ask the question, see what others are doing, and learn from their experience before deciding what works for you.

So keep the questions coming.

You never know who in the group has already tried what you're trying to figure out.

See you next week,

Isabella

Managing Director (Interim)
Cycle Cities 🚲

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