WELCOME!

to Tobi Gessler and his team, the experts for mountain bike journeys in Albania & Western Balkans.

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Is it for me, my level and interests, will it make me smile :-)? Any other questions? We`re happy to make a call or chat with you over whatsapp +355 69 870 57 93 – anytime

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We are of UK + Swiss origin and live since 2013 permanently here in Albania (Tirana). From 2015 onwards we started to offer our bike adventures, and until today we had the pleasure to receive more than 400 guests. And – maybe the most important – we very much love what we do! 🙂 Further down we tell you a little more about our story and background, but here now directly to our

OFFERS 2024:

Basically we offer you 3x different bike journeys with a duration of 6 – 11 days, and those are

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  • TRANS-BALKAN, 10 days from Sarajevo to Tirana (medium level, small groups of min. 5x and max. 8x guests)  On our mountain bike all across the most fascinating countries of the Western Balkans, from rough mountains through lush forests to the blue sea, from Bosnian coffee to Albanian espresso. One large bike journey full of highlights! The detailed program you can find here as a PDF:  Trans-Balkan 2024

May 16 – 26    SOLD OUT/ group is full  But we are planning an additional autumn date, soon to be published here! 

An email to tobi@ride-albania.com for your space/request.

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May 4 – 11    Guaranteed departure & some last free spaces
June 8 – 15    Guaranteed departure 
Sept 21 – 28

We look forward to your email at tobi@ride-albania.com for your space/request

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July 6 – 13
Sept 7 – 14
Oct 5 – 12    ALREADY GUARANTEED DEPARTURE!

Write us an email to tobi@ride-albania.com for your space or question.

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All the above dates exist so that you as an individual guest or couple or also group of 2-4 friends can book your space/spaces in one of our mixed groups of up to 9x riders max. These “mixes” of different participants from different countries so far have turned out to provide a great atmosphere and even lasting friendships. If you bring your own, complete group of at least 5x people we upon request can also try to find your custom date (exclusive for your group) with the above tours. Happy to discuss it.

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We are the Swiss experts in Albania and the Western Balkans for mountain biking. We develop trails and destinations, deliver guide trainings and expertise, and every year we take a limited number of guests on exclusive bike journeys into the Albanian, Kosovarian , Montenegrin and Bosnian mountains.

Mountain biking in the Western Balkans –  thats wild nature with great adventure, an impressive journey back in time into remote villages, locals of charming hospitality, and happy tired evenings in guesthouses with tables full of homemade food. Its the lasting memory of a strong experience for you (and us), and an economic opportunity for these great people in the villages out there. Thats why we like what we do, and its why we do it at all. Exclusive mountain bike tours in Albania & neighbouring countries, with Ride Albania Mountain Biking.

For the latest from out there, see here: https://ride-albania.com/blog/

Company Profile

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Ride Albania Mountain Biking is a legally registered Albanian start-up, based in Tirana Albania. With a background in development cooperation and all kinds of cycling (including several years as a professional cycle messenger), Tobi Gessler decided to start up his business in Albania built on passion: Mountain biking and the beautiful nature, people and culture of rural Albania. Living already two years in this mountainous mediterranean country, the Swiss national and Albanian resident founded the business in August 2015. Ride Albania Mountain Biking is a social and ecological business: While it works for profit to ensure its financial sustainability and growth, its activities directly have a positive social and ecological impact for Albania. Mountain bike tourism brings economical opportunities and income generation to remote rural areas, and at the same time mountain bike tourism increases the motivation of local population as well as tourists to protect and care for the environment. Today Ride Albania Mountain Biking with its passionate and sporty team is ready to guide you through wild Albania or to develop for you the foundations of sustainable rural tourism.

Offers

Ride Albania Mountain Biking offers the following products and services:

  • Professional guided mountain bike tours in Albania, Kosova and Macedonia. Our best selling tour is our one-week small group journey through central Albania. Best selling, but happy to say that its still “small & beautiful”. We don`t like industrial tourism. For other bike adventures in Albania & Kosova, contact us for some ideas matching your time & fitness level, and we`ll create an offer for you. Some of our expertise and based on that our proposals for multi day tours are in central Albania, in the mountains of the southern Albanian coast, and in the northern Albanian alps, including the possibility of combining some of these areas with transfers between them. We also offer some day tours in the surroundings of Tirana, for example the seasonal “Bike`n`Fish”, a great day out over hidden trails to the Adriatic sea, where we know an unspoilt beach for a swim and some fresh grilled fish. As good as it gets. Or a day trip into the mountains of Tirana, where wild trails and rocky environment bring us to our lunch break of grilled meat, fresh spring water and local vegetables, all under the shade of a pergola. After lunch a long downhill… For day tours expect around 100 Euros per person all inclusive, and less if a group.
  • Rental of quality mountain bikes (as part of our guided tours).
  • Development of mountain bike tourism in Albania and the Balkans (e.g. trail and tour development, training of local guides, bike fleet management, promotion services, destination development).

References

Guided mountain bike tours:

2018: Further careful growth together with our existing partners, until end of the season we expect approx. 12x one-week tours and a total of 11o guests which we guide through this unique adventure. This year also brings the start of our new cross-border singletrail week Kosova & Albania.

2017: 7x one week bike-journeys with groups of 6-12 from Germany, Switzerland and Italy. Local partner for BAUMELER Reisen (CH), BIKETEAM Radreisen (CH), and Silvertip Expeditions (A).

2016:  Several  guided bike tours with groups in central, northern and southern Albania, mainly with guests from Switzerland and Germany, and on tours from 3-10 days (mostly for one week)

Development of rural mountain bike tourism in Albania:

Autumn 2017, speakers at Europes largest bike tourism convention, the annual “RIDE-Kongress” in Chur/Switzerland, presenting our expertise: “Foreign aid & development with the mountain bike – the example of Albania”

Summer – autumn 2017, consultancy for the International Union for Conservation of Nature IUCN (funded by UNESCO), development, marking & signposting of 7x mountain bike trails and 2x hiking trails in the protected nature areas of lake Ohrid / Prespa, complete with training of local park rangers in gps usage and trail exploration & marking.

Spring – Autumn 2016, consultancy for the Italian NGO VIS, development of 10x mountain bike trails in the northern Albanian area of Malesi e Madhe, including capacity building for local people on guiding & bike maintenance.

Summer 2016, second phase consultancy for the German development cooperation GIZ, marking & professional signposting of 10x selected mountain bike trails in the southern coastal mountains (Himare / Lugine Vlore).

Winter 2015/16, consultancy for the International Union for Conservation of Nature IUCN (funded by Italian cooperation), development of 14x mountain bike trails in the national parks of Shebenik-Jabllanice and of the Buna river.

Autumn 2015, consultancy for the German development cooperation GIZ, development of 30x mountain bike trails in the southern coastal mountains (Himare / Lugine Vlore), realisation of a promotional brochure with trail descriptions, pictures, length elevation etc.

Partners

Development partners 2017 – caring just as much as we do about the people & culture of rural Albania

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Tour partners 2017 & 18 – together with us bringing foreign tourists & income to rural Albania

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Our bike supplier  – because quality is crucial out there in the mountains

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Our bikes for the seasons 2016, 2017, and 2018 – Trek`s 29er Hardtail “Superfly 5” – world trusted experience

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Testimonials

“The perfect combination of Albanian hospitality and Swiss organisation”,                                                                                                                        said Jürg Gehmlich from Leipzig / Germany at the end of his June 18 tour with us.

DSC07141“A cultural and sporty bike-adventure, right in front of our housedoor, in Albania, close and still so unknown, nearly mysterious.” Thats how the five intensive combined bike and cultural-tours can be described, which I was able to experience with Tobi. A heartful thank you and success with your young and rising start-up business.”

Richard Kamber, Uster, Switzerland

DSC07687“The bike tours with Tobi Gessler in central and southern Albania in April 2016 were a special and impressive experience. Tobi prepared for me and my companion a great program. Nothing was left to chance, but he also always reacted flexibel to our wishes and made changes and adjustments. He`s probably the best authority on Albanian bike trails and has an excellent network. The journey was further improved by Tobi`s excellent Albanian language skills. “Faleminderit”, Tobias!”

Roger Hermann, Fällanden, Switzerland

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“The 5 day bike trip in the mountains of central Albania was amazing. Tobi and Orgest were perfect guides, every day tour was an adventure. Beside the beautiful remote scenery we enjoyed especially the possibility to get in contact with the Albanian traditional culture and the great hospitality of the Albanian people! We highly recommend Tobi’s Biking tours!
Faleminderit and mirupafshim!!!”
Rahel Henn & Raphael Hauser, Zurich, Switzerland

On a bike tour with Ride Albania Mountain Biking. from Ride Albania Mountain Biking on Youtube