Friends and Mechanics
The Swiss cycling scene thrives on passion, craftsmanship, and individual advice. This Amici guide showcases selected bike shops in Zurich, Basel, and Bern – from specialized boutiques and community-oriented stores to workshops for custom bikes and sustainable repairs. An overview of the brands, people, and stories behind modern cycling concepts.
Backyard
Alfred-Escher-Strasse 25, 8002 Zurich
https://www.backyard.ch
Brands: Open, Avona, Santa Cruz, Scott, Ritchey +
Backyard has been part of the Zurich bike scene since 1989. Originating from an MTB community, it became one of the city's first specialized mountain bike shops. Over the years, the product range has expanded and modernized, but the foundation has remained the same: honest advice and a workshop that delivers. The focus is on high-quality mountain bikes, gravel models, and road bikes, as well as selected apparel, accessories, and custom builds. The team provides precise advice, and the workshop works quickly and professionally. The store offers current models and used bikes, often with around 70 new and used bikes, including e-bikes, available at any given time.
Backyard remains close to the scene. Its involvement in Swiss downhill and mountain bike racing is well-known, for example, with the Backyard Racing Factory Team, which supports talent and competes in national and international races. Exchange with media, collaboration on events, and an active community are all part of it.
The workshop focuses on its own customers and selected brands. Direct-delivery bikes are only accepted in exceptional cases. This leaves time for what matters most: bikes that impress on trails, roads, and gravel, and service that delivers on its promises. An influential Zurich bike shop with history, workshop tradition, and a palpable scene character. Come by, get advice, and take a test ride.
Hello Bike
Ankerstrasse 24, 8004 Zurich
https://www.ciaobici.ch
Brands: Arc8, Surly, Sour +
Ciao Bici in Zurich's District 4 stands for authentic bicycle culture: shop in the front, workshop in the back, both under one roof. Since January 2022, operating as Ciao Bici GmbH, with a clear idea: repair, maintain, rethink.
Much of their daily work revolves around service. They take repairs seriously, from quick fixes to thorough maintenance. Sustainability is not just a buzzword, but a core principle: used bikes are carefully reconditioned and given a second life. Those who need parts will find a curated selection of components and accessories. If individuality is desired, they build custom bikes. Brands like Arc8, Sour, and Surly are available, along with their own projects. Frames, wheels, gears, contact points – they assemble them in a way that makes sense for trails, city, or tours.
They openly share their knowledge. In cycling courses, they show how to successfully perform care, maintenance, and small repairs. The team consists of mechanics with industry know-how. Advice is personal, and their connection to the neighborhood is palpable. Ciao Bici is considered a reliable address for solid craftsmanship in the community.
Gorilla
Weinbergstrasse 25, 8001 Zurich
https://gorillabicycles.com
Brands: Gorilla, Campagnolo, Hunt, Gilles Berthod, Zehus, Sturmey Archer +
The story of Gorilla. urban cycling doesn't start with a product, but with an idea: the bicycle as a self-evident means of transport in the city. Inspired by over 150 years of bicycle development and driven by a clear attitude towards urban life, an independent approach to bicycle building has emerged since the late 2000s.
The focus is on reduction. Gorilla develops bicycles that are concentrated on the essentials: clear geometries, durable materials and as little maintenance as possible.
The frames are designed in Switzerland and manufactured together with specialized workshops in Italy. Steel and titanium form the basis for bicycles that not only function, but last for years. The brand is characterized by the idea of understanding the bicycle as a tool for everyday life. Instead of a sporting object, the focus is on movement through the city. Components are consciously reduced and combined in such a way that comfort, seating position and reliability are right for daily use.
Over time, this develops into more than a workshop.
Gorilla becomes a concept where each bike can be built individually. Customers configure their bike themselves, adapted to their riding style and their environment. This creates bicycles that are not only used, but tell their own story. Gorilla combines Swiss quality standards with Italian craftsmanship and a clear attitude towards urban mobility. The result are bicycles that appear reduced, but are well thought out and are used exactly where they belong: in the everyday life of the city.
Scampi Cycles
Binzallee 6, 8055 Zürich
https://www.scampi.cc
Brands: Stelbel, Festka +
Scampi Cicli's first workshop was Njazi Nivokazi's balcony. There, bikes were tinkered with, tested, and discussed. What started as a hobby among friends grew into a project and eventually a bike boutique. The name comes from the question "Het's Campi dra?" (Does it have Campi on it?), and has nothing to do with seafood.
In 2013, polymechanic Michael Buchegger and design engineer Njazi Nivokazi opened their first shop in Zurich's District 4. The workshop and salesroom were located in a confined space. In 2015, they moved to Altstetten. During the Covid years, the focus increasingly shifted from restoring Italian classics to building custom road bikes, for example with frames from Stelbel or Festka. Since May 2025, Scampi Cicli has been located in the Binz district of Zurich.
The focus is on custom builds. Geometry, frame angles, gearing, wheels, and seating position are developed together. This results in road bikes that are precisely tailored to riding style and needs. Scampi Cicli deliberately relies on a curated selection of handmade frames from European manufacturers and on bikes that are ridden for a long time.
Velonaut
Viaduktstrasse 87, 8005 Zurich
https://www.velonauta.ch
Brands: Schindelhauer, Deskinio, Coboc, Urban Arrow, Muli +
At velonauta, it smells of espresso and fresh rubber. The shop in Zurich's historic Viadukt arches is already worth a visit. Those who enter land right in the middle of cycling culture.
Alberto and his team show you bikes that make you want to ride, and honestly tell you what fits and what doesn't. Advice with an eye on everyday life, adventure, and style. They choose accessories to make the ride easier. Bags, lights, locks, meaningful details. They know their brands personally and tell you little stories about them. Almost everything has been ridden, tested, or worn by them. So they know how a saddle feels after 30 minutes, how a hub sounds, or which lock is truly secure. Recommendations come from experience, not from catalogs.
If you like, start with an espresso from the original Bosco lever coffee machine from Naples. Then it's time to look, touch, test ride, laugh. Adjustments are part of the process until the bike is just right. And if someone prefers to browse in peace, that's perfectly fine too. No pressure. With time. With joy in cycling.
Bike Mario
Stauffacherstrasse 66a, 3014 Bern
https://www.velomario.ch
Brands: Salsa Cycles, Rodeo Labs, Surly, Chris King, Omnium +
Velo Mario in Bern stands for bikes with character. A small, exquisite shop that consciously opts against e-bikes and instead focuses on handmade, individually customizable bikes. Operating as Velomario GmbH since 2017, specializing in adventure bikes, cargo, urban, bike fitting, and reliable repairs.
The workshop is large and organized in such a way that everything from quick service to complete builds runs smoothly. Advice is provided with consideration for the route, body, and purpose. Function, comfort, and durability are paramount.
In the assortment: Adventure, Gravel, Road Bike, Fixie, Cargo, and Custom. Ready-made models or frames to order, depending on the project. Brands like Salsa, Surly, All-City, and Chris King, plus the usual components from Shimano and SRAM. Those looking for something special get options instead of clichés. The philosophy is clear. No e-bikes, because a consciously traditional cycling culture is cultivated here. Tailor-made solutions, unique pieces, technology with purpose. In the workshop, individual adjustments, perfect contact points, and harmonious setups are created. Bike fitting is part of the process and not an afterthought.
Behind the name is founder Mario Scandella. The team remains small, passionate, and focused. They know the scene, share knowledge, and inspire special bikes that can stand the test of time outdoors. Velo Mario is an address for all who not only want to ride their bike but also design it. Drop by, get measured, plan, build. Leave with a bike that matches your own opinion.
Voyage Cycling Store
Grenzacherstrasse 10, 4058 Basel
https://www.voyagecyclingstore.ch
Brands: Specialized, BMC, Factor, Open, Schindelhauer, Riese & Müller +
What started in 2011 as a classic fixie shop in a garage is now a modern, individually designed bicycle specialist retailer in Basel: Voyage Cycling Store. Grown out of the scene, built with a lot of their own handiwork, the store at Grenzacherstrasse 10 is a meeting point for people who don't just ride bikes, but live them. Conversations revolve around routes, setups, and small details that make everyday life easier or you faster.
They see themselves as a scene shop with a community. The assortment is broad but curated. The focus is on road bikes, gravel, urban bikes, and e-bikes. In addition, there are brands like BMC, Specialized, Factor, Curve, and Schindelhauer, as well as carefully selected accessories and spare parts. Everything is also available online.
Service is their driving force. The workshop is All Ride certified, prices are transparent, and repairs are quick. Safety checks are free. If you're unsure, you can test a bike before making a decision. Ad hoc cases are made possible because often the bike just needs to roll again today.
Behind the store is Lüscher Velos GmbH. The team consists of active riders, design lovers, and technology enthusiasts. They organize local events and community rides. The in-house Voyage Cycling Club offers rides for road, gravel, cyclocross, time trials, and track. Training camps are created in partnerships, new contacts at the counter. This is how Voyage Cycling continues to grow step by step. A store that comes from the scene and nurtures it. Stop by, talk, try it out, ride along.
