CourseLast spots
Guided gravity · bike mechanics
Your bike will not have the last word
MTB and E-Bike mechanics workshops in Orsières, 2 people per session, in our workshop and on your own bike. You leave with a bike that is set up, and with what it takes to keep it that way.
- 2 people per workshop: your hands are on the bike, not your eyes
- On your bike, with your problems, not on a demo frame
- Professional tools provided, and the list of what you actually need
- Length
- 4 h 30 half a day or an evening
- Group
- 2 places per session
- Price
- 135 CHF per person, all in
- Where
- Orsières our workshop
- The bike
- Yours MTB and E-Bike
- Levels
- 2 beginner and intermediate
Why
Three good reasons to get your hands dirty
1
Stop walking home
A snapped chain, a tubeless puncture that will not seal, a bent mech hanger: two hours from the car park, knowing how to fix it changes the end of the day. That is reason number one.
2
Ride a bike that works
Plenty of riders ride on badly set suspension and badly bled brakes without knowing it. A good part of what feels like a lack of skill comes from there.
3
Save on servicing
Bleeding brakes, indexing gears, swapping pads: these are common jobs, and they are billed. Two or three services done yourself pay the workshop back.
2 workshops
What we do
Every workshop runs on your own bike. We strip it, set it up, put it back together, and you leave with a bike in working order.
Beginner
The fixes that save a ride
Everything you need to be able to do to set off without worry and look after your bike from day to day.
- Cleaning and lubricating without damage: what to do, what never to do
- Fixing a puncture, tubeless or tube, out on the trail
- Setting saddle height and the position of levers and shifters
- Checking and tensioning the chain, spotting wear
- Indexing a mech, replacing a broken hanger
- Changing brake pads
- The five-minute check before every ride
- The kit to carry: what earns its place, what is dead weight
135 CHF
2 places per session
Book my place
Intermediate
Set it up and service it yourself
For those who can already fix things and want to understand the settings that change how the bike behaves.
- Suspension: sag, rebound, compression, what each dial really does
- Bleeding hydraulic brakes, start to finish
- Servicing and setting a dropper post
- Replacing a cable and outer, routing a hose
- Headset, bearings, bottom bracket: diagnosing and retightening
- Truing a wheel and checking spoke tension
- E-Bike specifics: servicing, torque, and what you never touch yourself
- Torque and carbon: the torque wrench, why and how
135 CHF
2 places per session
Book my place
A typical session
How it goes
-
1
Looking your bike over
We go over your bike together, list what is fine, what is not, and what you want to learn. The programme adjusts from there.
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2
Shown once, then over to you
Every job is demonstrated once, then you do it on your own bike, with the right tools and the right method. With two of you, everyone has the room and the time.
-
3
Your own problems
That noise you cannot place, that brake that rubs, that fork that dives: we deal with them during the workshop. It is often the most useful part.
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4
Wrap-up and a sheet to take home
We go back over the check points, and you leave with the torque sheet and the list of tools to keep at home and in your pack.
On site
A real workshop, not a kitchen table
The workshops run in our own workshop in Orsières, the one that keeps the rental fleet and the trip bikes running. All the professional tooling is there, and you learn with the right tools before deciding which ones to buy.
- Workstands
- Torque wrenches
- Bleed kits
- Track pump and compressor
- Pin punch and chain tool
- Truing stand
- ShockWiz
Workshop consumables are included. Wear parts you replace during the session and take away with you (pads, cables, bleed oil) are billed at cost.
See the Exo'base
2 sessions scheduled
Upcoming workshops
CourseLast spots
CourseLast spotsDeparture is guaranteed as soon as the group is complete. If a ride does not gather enough participants, it is postponed or refunded: you lose nothing. The format is deliberately tiny: with 2, everyone works on their own bike instead of watching over a shoulder. No date suits you? A private session is set on the date you pick.
Guided gravity
A bike is a thing you can understand
And once you do, you ride better, for longer, and you get home pedalling.
Tailored
No date that suits you?
A two-place format lends itself to a session set to order: we fix it to your date, on what you want to learn.
Private session
On your own, on your date, on your bike and on what you want to learn: preparing for a trip, understanding one specific problem, or going through a second-hand bike from end to end.
From 240 CHF for half a day
Describe what I need
Club or group of friends
Several of you want to learn: we run a session for you, at ours or at your place if there is room, tools included.
On request
Ask for a quote
Tell us what you want to learn
Your bike, your level, and what you would like to be able to do on your own. We come back with a date and a programme.
What our riders say
They ride with Exoride
Thank you Christian for your good humour, your humility and above all for the knowledge of your region! Even in Breton weather you found us beautiful, beautiful lines. And thanks too to the driver, discreet but just as friendly, and who takes good care of our bikes!
Upper Valais outing, perfect weather, pure pleasure. Thanks to Chris and his organisation, everything was superb!
The very best! Insane singletracks, 6,400 m of descent, in a superb atmosphere among riders! Just like Finale, but on Valais soil. Can't wait for the next outing with Chris and Exoride!
Before you book
Frequently asked questions
Do I bring my own bike?
Yes, that is the whole point: we work on your bike, with your setup and your problems. Bring it as it is, clean if you can, but that is not a condition.
Do I need to bring tools?
No, all the tooling is provided. Part of the workshop is exactly about showing you which tools are worth buying and which are not.
What is the difference between beginner and intermediate?
The beginner workshop covers what gets you home and everyday servicing: punctures, chain, mech, pads. The intermediate one goes towards settings and finer work: suspension, brake bleeding, dropper post, bearings. If you have never taken a wheel off, start with the beginner one.
Does it work for E-Bikes?
Yes, both workshops take MTB and E-Bike. The intermediate one also covers E-Bike specifics: torque, faster drivetrain wear, and what you never touch yourself on the motor and battery.
Are parts included?
Workshop consumables are included. If you replace a wear part on your bike and take it away with you, it is billed at cost.
What do I leave with?
A bike that is set up and checked, a torque and check-point sheet, the list of tools to keep at home and in your pack, and enough to do it all again on your own.
From what age?
From 15, with an adult for minors.
What should I wear?
Clothes you do not mind ruining. Chain grease does not wash out.
Guided gravity
2 places per session
A session runs 4 h 30 and costs 135 CHF, on your bike, in our workshop. Payment is made when you book.
Let's stay in touch
Take 5.- towards your first ride
New workshop dates before anyone else, and 5.- of Exo'points when you sign up. One newsletter a month.
They have been with us from the start
The levels, made clear
First tracks
Wide paths, rolling doubletrack, the odd loose rock. MTB without traps, to build pleasure and confidence.
You'll relate if
- comfortable on gravel and forest roads
- the word singletrack intrigues you more than it speaks to you
- you are discovering braking on loose ground
Singletrack bliss
Narrow but flowing trails: moderate roots and rocks, wide switchbacks, a few spots where you pick your line.
You'll relate if
- you ride singletrack regularly and enjoy it
- tight switchbacks still make you dab a foot sometimes
- you brake hard without locking up in the rocks
Technical ground
Rock gardens, steps, tight switchbacks, off-camber: the terrain demands clean lines and active riding.
You'll relate if
- tight switchbacks without dabbing, almost
- 30-40 cm steps do not stop you
- you read the trail several metres ahead
Committed
High mountain, exposed sections, big steps: places where mistakes cost, precise riding is mandatory.
You'll relate if
- you ride what many carry
- exposure does not cloud your judgement
- you stay in control on the steep even when tired
Easy
Short outing, minimal climbing: shuttles or lifts do the work, frequent breaks.
You'll relate if
- 2-3 h out
- under 300 m of climbing
- no training required
On an e-bike, one physical grade lower is often enough: ask us.
Active
Half to full mellow day: we pedal, but the pace leaves time for the view.
You'll relate if
- 3-5 h out
- 300-700 m of climbing
- occasional exercise is enough
On an e-bike, one physical grade lower is often enough: ask us.
Sporty
A proper MTB day: hours in the saddle, real climbing, punchy sections. You need juice, not a palmares.
You'll relate if
- full day, 5-7 h including breaks
- 800-1'200 m of climbing
- regular sport, endurance follows
On an e-bike, one physical grade lower is often enough: ask us.
Enduring
Big days or back-to-backs: climbing stacks up and the pace stays high.
You'll relate if
- 1'500 m+ of climbing, or several days in a row
- regular training
- fast recovery is part of the game
On an e-bike, one physical grade lower is often enough: ask us.
Between two grades? Halves (2.5) exist: aim higher if you are fit, lower if you are coming back.
Not sure? Write to usWe will advise you honestly, even if it means suggesting mellower.See the full page