Hi Reader,

Before we dive into this week's updates, I want to send a message of support to all our members in cities affected by severe rain storms or protests. We know how difficult and stressful times like these are for you and your teams, please know that the entire Cycle Cities community is standing with you.

We hope that eveyone is safe and that everything improves soon.

Symposium News 🤝

I recently wrote to everyone who has confirmed their attendance with a summary of the confirmed details so far for Hamburg 2027. We have set up the official information hub with all key links, accommodation details, and registration forms to help you plan your trip:

👉 https://cyclecities.tours/hamburg2027/​

Key details at a glance:

• Recommended Hotel: Superbude St. Pauli (located in the vibrant St. Pauli district). You can use group code CycleCities210227 for stays between 21–25 February 2027 to access special rates, which include daily breakfast, VAT, and local tourism taxes.
• Complimentary Bike Rental: All registered guests will be provided with bikes free of charge for the duration of the event, courtesy of our local host, Hamburg City Cycles.
• Quick Links: The hub gives you direct access to the attendee list, topic suggestion forms, the WhatsApp group, registration, and RSVPs for unofficial programs and walking tours.

If you haven’t registered yet, now is the time to do it and secure your spot!

Groupwork Gold Nuggets 💛

For this week’s insights, we are staying with the "fleet masters" group (Julian Zimmermann, Rupert Riedl, Kay Farrell, Martin Riewestahl, Rafael Lima, and Rob Graham), focusing on Maintenance & Hardware.

This question was:

1. Are e-bikes a significant profit-driver or a maintenance liability for you?

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

Tool of the Week 🛠️

If you spend ten minutes in the Cycle Cities WhatsApp group, you’ll quickly hear about the eternal software dilemma: someone finds a new booking engine (like Sweden’s bookspot.io), half the group is curious, and the other half breaks out in a cold sweat.

As one member wisely put it: "You are more likely to change your wife than your bank account."

Switching booking systems, point-of-sale tools, or rental software feels massive because your entire business runs on it. Your calendar, customer data, automated emails, and staff workflows are deeply embedded in your current provider (whether that's FareHarbor or another tool).

When a sleek new tool comes along, or when your current provider raises prices yet again, how do you decide whether it’s worth the headache of moving, or if you're just looking for a distraction from daily operations?

Here is a practical, operator-to-operator framework for evaluating new booking tech without risking your sanity or your summer schedule.

The Software & Booking Engine Evaluation Playbook

How to Evaluate New Tools (Like Bookspot) Without Disrupting Your Entire Operation Out of Panic or Boredom

I’ve also created a dedicated Excel spreadsheet for the members to fill out with information about the tools currently in use, have tested, or discarded, feel free to check the shared resources to add your insights!