Why Bike Maintenance Decides Whether We Actually Ride
Last May, we started CycleLab.
With a business plan — and a gut feeling.
The kind of gut feeling you get outside, not in a meeting room.
On everyday rides. In conversations with cyclists.
And, very honestly, in bike workshops where you hear a lot of sighing.
Since then, we’ve repaired and serviced bikes for more than 1,000 customers. And almost every single interaction confirms the same simple truth:
People love riding their bikes.
They just don’t love getting them fixed.
The Moment the Bike Stops… So Does the Riding
We hear it all the time.
“I wanted to ride, but the service took weeks.”
“It was more expensive than expected.”
“I didn’t even know where to go.”
And then there’s another, very practical question that comes up surprisingly often:
“How am I even supposed to get my broken bike to the workshop?”
Because let’s be honest — not everyone has a car.
And not every bike fits nicely into a trunk.
Especially not a Stromer.
And then comes the sentence we all know a little too well:
“I’ll take care of it later.”
Later turns into weeks. Weeks turn into months.
And suddenly the bike becomes very good at standing still.
Not because people don’t care — but because maintenance feels like a hurdle instead of a helper.
Turns Out, It’s Not Just a Feeling
What felt like intuition back then is now clearly backed by data.
The Shimano State of the Nation 2026 study shows just how big this issue really is:
121 million people in Europe ride less because of maintenance barriers
7.6 million have stopped cycling altogether — out of frustration, not lack of interest
In Switzerland alone, over 40% of bike owners are affected
👉 You can read the full study here
That’s a lot of bikes that want to be ridden — but aren’t.
Maintenance Is the Unsexy, Crucial Part of Mobility
Bike maintenance isn’t glamorous.
It doesn’t get as much attention as new bikes, tech innovations, or shiny infrastructure.
But here’s the honest truth:
Maintenance decides whether sustainable mobility actually works in everyday life — or not.
If a bike works, you ride it.
If it doesn’t, motivation disappears surprisingly fast.
That’s exactly why we started CycleLab.
Making Bike Service… Surprisingly Easy
At CycleLab, we’re building the simplest bike service in Switzerland.
Not because bikes are complicated — but because servicing them shouldn’t be.
That’s why we didn’t just rethink the workshop — we rethought the way bikes get there in the first place.
If your bike doesn’t work, we pick it up.
We service it.
And we bring it back to you.
No car.
No wrestling an e-bike onto public transport.
No excuses left.
We see it every day: when maintenance is transparent, accessible, and fast, people ride more. Cycling becomes normal again. Not a project. Not a chore. Just something that works.
And yes — sometimes the biggest innovation is simply removing friction.
And if your bike is currently parked because something’s not quite right — here’s the easy part:
👉 Just book your bike in for service.
We’re transparent. And yes — we’re really fast. Promise. 🚲🔧
We fix your bike - so you focus on the ride!