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Sleep and Eat, Europe Sleep: Hotels, B&B, rest stops, wild / free / bush / organized camping, helpful people, rest stops etc.
Eat: Restaurants, markets anywhere to get food.
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Photo by Hendi Kaf, in Cambodia

I haven't been everywhere...
but it's on my list!


Photo by Hendi Kaf,
in Cambodia



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Old 4 Mar 2011
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Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Aussie expat in Switzerland half way RTW
Posts: 611
Thumbs up Switzerland - Cheap Service Center

To the mods, I may have not put this in the right place so please feel free to move it

Ok I agree that Cheap and Switzerland are two words that are rarely if ever seen together in the same sentence. I should know I live here as an expat. The biggest problem with Switzerland is the cost of labour but no I've found a place that has services at fixed prices and a well equiped workshop. In fact today I just walked away having fitted and balanced my front tyre for only 20CHF (~US$20), normally CHF25. Try finding that price anywhere in Europe let alone Switzerland.

So here are the details :

There are currently two shops, Lausanne and Geneva (I went to Lausanne one).
SpeedServices.ch

Av. de Morges 44
1004 Lausanne
Tél. 021/624.48.13
email : lausanne@speedservices.ch

3 rue des Ronzades
1227 Genève
Tél. 022/300.24.64
email : geneve@speedservices.ch


Their website is in several languages including English but the mechanic (in Lausanne) doesn't speak English very well, or at least is reluctant to speak it.

The low down:
I bought my Metzler Tourances online with Pneus Online for a very good price - check it out, there is one for all countries in europe.
PNEUS ONLINE Suisse - Pneus, Pneu, Pneus en ligne, Pneus discount, Pneus pas cher, Pneus auto

I rocked up with just a phone call the day before, tyre in hand, then took my front wheel off myself and handed the mechanic (Philippe a very nice guy) both the front wheel and new tyre, he went to work and in 20mins (with us chatting) he had fitted and balanced the new tyre!

For me the most surprising thing is that service this good and quick is extremely hard to come by in Switzerland. So I was very pleasantly surprised by their willingness to fit me in with such short notice. Thanks Speed Services.

Other services:

They also do a few other services but are not real mechanics, more jack-of-all-trades as they work with all bikes.

Oil change
Air filter
Brake pads
Battery service/change
Spark plugs

I asked about doing your own service and well it's not normal but they guy has a spare lift and said I could use it (at a price per hour which is negotiable) to do more complex stuff like valve adjustments or alternater belt, or whatever else.

For me at least it will save having to do my services on the street.
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