Surrey bike ride in Alsace – Les Rosalies du Piémont

Do you know the surrey bikes (rosalies in French, also called cuistax in Belgium)? These funny four-wheeled velocipedes, equipped with benches and several pedals, are often found on the seashore. But, good news for families, you can also find surrey bikes in Alsace! It is on the Voie Verte Portes Bonheur, in Boersch exactly, near Obernai and Rosheim, that Cédric has installed the Rosalies du Piémont. I went to test this activity which should amuse both children and adults…

Surrey bikes rental with or without electric assistance in Boersch

You can book online the surrey bike of your choice: electrically assisted or unassisted, for 2 adults and 2 children or for a larger group (4 to 6 adults + 2 children), various options are available. There are also bikes and even an electrically assisted cab bike, ideal for people with reduced mobility and seniors!

Be careful, if you take the option of a surrey bike without electric assistance, expect to really exercise because a surrey bike is far from being light and not easy to move with the strength of your thighs and calves because of the sitting position that you have on it! Let’s just say that it can be a good sports training 😉

You can also choose the duration of the rental: 1 hour or 2 hours, it’s up to you to decide what you prefer for your ride! Boersch being more or less in the middle of the greenway, you can then choose to go in the direction of Rosheim or rather to go up to the belvedere of Saint-Nabor for your stroll. Everything is well explained when you get in, you can then choose according to your desires.

I tested a ride in a surrey bike in Alsace!

I tested a ride in an electrically assisted surrey bike for 2 adults and 2 children. We can fit 3 adults and 2 kids but we may not be super comfortable in my opinion,

The installation on the surrey bike is simple: there is no adjustment, you sit and pedal! Children can also pedal when they are at least 1m40 tall but not before because they will not reach the pedals below this height… On the contrary, for very tall people (like 1m85), you will have to spread your legs slightly to pedal, but my husband tested it and it is still quite manageable for a 2h ride.

Then, it is very easy: the first turn of the pedals is a little difficult but the electric assistance engages then and one moves effortlesslyWe enjoy this strange machine, we admire the landscapes and we are amused by the look of the pedestrians and cyclists we meet, who often find this vehicle quite unusual! It is sure that we do not pass unnoticed 😛

Discover the landscapes of the Voie Verte Portes Bonheur

The landscapes of the Voie Verte Portes Bonheur, the Chemin des Carrières, are very pretty: fields, meadows, vineyards and the small villages of the Alsace Wine Route, with the Vosges mountains in the background. When the route crosses a road, you just have to go down to open and close doors, nothing complicated.

The 2-hour surrey bike ride allowed me to go to Saint-Nabor, where we park the rosalie on a dedicated space before walking up to the Saint-Nabor lookout. It’s worth it, the view is really nice from up there! The descent is also a nice moment because there is really no need to pedal: the surrey bike moves by itself and you even have a great impression of speed, I must admit that it amused me a lot! Nevertheless, you must remain vigilant and always pay attention to other users of the Greenway, of course!

My photos of the rosalie ride