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The cycling tourism market is booming. We've built the playbook.
Active travel in western Europe is growing year on year. Irondeer has spent years perfecting a bike rental, tour, and experience operation in one of Portugal's most visited destinations. Now we're looking for driven partners to replicate that model — in resorts, cities, and coastal destinations across the region.
The Irondeer track record
- Corporate Groups
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50 +
- Star Rating
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5.0
- Years Operating
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3 +
- Bike Models
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12 +
Companies have run their team events with us on the Silver Coast
Average satisfaction score across all tours, rentals, and corporate programs
Building and refining a model that works — in one of Portugal's most visited towns
E-bikes, gravel, MTB, road — a fleet built for every rider and every terrain
Proven in Nazaré. Ready to scale.
Our Nazaré location runs bike rentals, guided coastal tours, e-bike experiences, team building events, and a certified service centre — all under one roof. It's a diversified, year-round revenue model designed to work in any destination with a tourism heartbeat.
Nazaré sits at the intersection of adventure tourism and sustainable travel — two of the fastest-growing segments in European tourism. We've spent three years learning what works, what guests want, and how to deliver it profitably. That knowledge is what we pass on to our franchise partners.
Why this market, and why now.
Active travel is the fastest-growing segment in European tourism. E-bike adoption is reshaping who rides — older guests, families, less-experienced cyclists are now in the addressable market. Premium operators with a refined product are scarce; most rentals are commodity, most tours are generic. Irondeer's playbook is built for the operator who wants to win the premium segment in their city.
What franchise partners receive
Opening an Irondeer location means you're not starting from zero. We hand over everything that took us years to build.
Brand & Identity
Full use of the Irondeer name, visual identity, and brand guidelines — a brand guests already trust.
Operations Playbook
Documented processes for rentals, tours, bookings, and customer service — refined across thousands of interactions.
Bike Supply Chain
Access to our supplier network and preferred pricing on fleet equipment. No cold-calling manufacturers.
Training & Onboarding
Hands-on launch support and staff training from our team. You're operational before your first guest arrives.
Marketing Foundation
Website presence, photography templates, and a social media starter kit. Visibility from day one.
Ongoing Partnership
Regular check-ins, shared learnings across the network, and direct support whenever you need it.
How we compare
Going alone vs. partnering with Irondeer
Most of what makes a cycling business hard is not riding bikes. It is the years of trial and error to get the model right. Here is what you would do alone, and what arrives on day one with us.
Going alone
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Time to launch
Twelve to eighteen months figuring out fleet, suppliers, pricing, and routes from scratch.
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Brand recognition
Cold launch — no trust signals, every guest is your first guest.
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Fleet & supplier pricing
Retail or small-volume rates. Cold-calling manufacturers, no leverage on parts or service contracts.
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Operations playbook
Build your own SOPs through trial and error. Mistakes happen on real guests.
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Marketing reach
Build organic SEO, paid funnels, and content from a blank page.
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Risk underwriting
Every assumption is yours. No comparable business to benchmark against.
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Network learning
You operate alone — your wins and losses stay yours.
With Irondeer
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Time to launch
Four to six months on a documented launch path, with our team alongside you at every step.
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Brand recognition
An established cycling-tourism brand with a refined visual identity guests already trust.
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Fleet & supplier pricing
Preferred network pricing on bikes, parts, and service equipment — including our Elitewheels partnership.
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Operations playbook
A documented operations manual refined across thousands of guest interactions in Nazaré.
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Marketing reach
Website presence, photography templates, social kit, and ongoing referrals from the wider network.
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Risk underwriting
A tested model with multi-year operating data and a partner with skin in your success.
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Network learning
Quarterly partner share-outs, shared playbook updates, and direct peer support.
Who this is for
The Private Investor
You're looking for a hospitality or tourism business with strong growth tailwinds and a tested model. Irondeer gives you a proven playbook, not a blank page.
The Resort or Hotel
Your guests want more than a pool and a restaurant. Add a branded cycling experience that drives revenue and differentiation — without building it from scratch.
The Local Entrepreneur
You know your market. You want to build something real in the outdoor tourism space. We give you the brand, the systems, and the backing to launch with confidence.
Indicative investment & fees
These figures are calibrated to a single Irondeer location with a 12–20 bike fleet, a retail and workshop footprint, and a small launch team. Final numbers are tailored during discovery, based on your market, lease, and fleet sizing.
Line item
Range
What it covers
Frequency
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Initial investment
Range
€120k – €220k
What it covers
Fitout, opening fleet, working capital, training, and launch marketing.
One-off -
Initial franchise fee
Range
€15k – €30k
What it covers
Brand rights, operations playbook, hands-on training, and onboarding support.
One-off -
Royalty
Range
5 – 8%
What it covers
Of gross revenue. Funds ongoing partnership, system updates, and shared infrastructure.
Ongoing -
Brand marketing fund
Range
1 – 2%
What it covers
Of gross revenue. Goes into network-wide marketing, photography, and content.
Ongoing -
Time to operational
Range
4 – 6 months
What it covers
From signed agreement to first paying guest, on a guided launch path.
Timeline -
Initial term
Range
5 + 5 years
What it covers
A five-year initial term with a renewal option, subject to performance and mutual fit.
Term
Indicative ranges, in EUR. Calibrated to a typical western European location. Final figures depend on local lease, fitout, fleet sizing, and currency at signing.
From signed agreement to first guest
A real project plan, not a five-icon 'how it works'. Each phase has clear ownership, deliverables, and a realistic timeframe.
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01Month 1 Together
Discovery & business plan
- Location and catchment analysis tailored to your market.
- Fleet mix recommendation based on terrain, customer profile, and seasonality.
- Year-1 financial model with revenue, cost, and breakeven scenarios.
- Signed partnership agreement and onboarding kickoff.
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02Month 2 Partner-led
Site, lease & permits
- Site shortlist and final selection, with our review on each option.
- Lease negotiation and signing.
- Local permits, licensing, and insurance lined up.
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03Months 3 – 4 Together
Fitout, fleet & brand
- Retail and workshop fitout to brand specification.
- Fleet procured at preferred network pricing, including Elitewheels integration.
- Local website, social channels, and Google Business presence live.
- Photography session for the location, fed into the content library.
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04Month 5 Irondeer-led
Train, systems & soft launch
- On-site staff training across rentals, tours, service, and customer experience.
- Booking, payments, and CRM systems configured and live.
- Soft-launch dry runs with friends-and-family guests to stress-test operations.
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05Month 6 onward Together
Launch & ramp
- Public launch, opening campaign, and first-season marketing push.
- Weekly check-ins through the first season; monthly thereafter.
- Quarterly partner reviews to share what is working across the network.
Markets we're prioritising
Porto
Atlantic coast, Douro Valley wine cycling, and the Camino Português pilgrim route. A premium operator gap between Lisbon and Galicia. Target hubs: Foz, Vila Nova de Gaia, Matosinhos.
Lisbon
Year-round riding climate, the Cascais–Sintra–Arrábida triangle within an hour of the city, Belém riverside as a rental hub, and a deep expat investor pool. Target hubs: Cascais, Belém, Setúbal.
Other markets
Spain, France, Italy, the UK, and the rest of western Europe. If you have a market thesis we haven't published yet, tell us. We are intentionally selective.
What people say about the Irondeer experience
Don't take our word for it — here's what guests say about the product you'd be offering.
Su Bertsch
Wow, am Sonntag mein Ebike in wenigen Minuten repariert. Top Service und unsere Ferien sind gerettet. Danke danke danke
Google
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Rolf Krekel
Today I booked a ride at Irondeer E-Bike Tours. Even if it the forecast said havy rain we startet the Tour and it was great.
We drove through muddy roads but the bikes worked perfectly. Tires gave good grip and we had nice views during the ride. My giude Vasco took good care and the tour was aligned to my skills.
I can highly recommend that company.
High quality bikes in perfect conditions and great giude with many different roads in his portfolio.
Google
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Валентина Соломатина
Отлично покатались, супергид! Велосипеды новенькие,одно удовольствие на таких ездить!
Google
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Ilya Lebid
It was such a great trip by bike. The trip was very exciting and unusual. Vasco showed many amazing views. I should also mention bicycles. They're just great. Bikes are new and modern (Turbo mode is my favorite 😎)! I really recommend it and will come back!
Google
Read full review
Common questions
Everything prospective partners typically ask before getting in touch.
We are actively looking for partners in coastal and inland destinations across Portugal, Spain, France, and beyond. Priority is given to high-tourism areas with existing cycling infrastructure or strong outdoor tourism demand.
No. You need entrepreneurial drive and knowledge of your local market. We provide the cycling expertise, the operational know-how, and the training. Your job is to build the business in your location.
Investment varies by location size, fleet composition, and local requirements. We discuss this openly during the discovery call — there are no hidden numbers and no obligation to proceed after that conversation.
Most locations can be operational within 3–6 months from agreement, depending on fleet delivery timelines, local permits, and infrastructure setup. We have done this before and we guide you through every step.
You are not alone after opening. We stay involved through regular check-ins, shared learnings across the partner network, seasonal guidance, and direct support whenever you need it. The goal is for your location to succeed — that benefits everyone.
Ready to bring Irondeer to your market?
Tell us about yourself and where you are based. We will take it from there — no pitch decks, no pressure. Just a conversation.