Do You Want To Go On An E-Bike Tour?

We’ve been asked the following question numerous times …

I would love to travel around the U.S. on an e-bike! Where do I start?

You’ve come to the right place!

We may be a little biased, but we happen to think that bike touring – and particularly touring by electric bike – is one of the best ways to travel and see a country or even the world. There is something incredibly rewarding about being able to ride along at a speed of 15 miles per hour while still being an active participant in the environment you’re passing through.

You are exposed to places you would never otherwise encounter. You have more opportunities to meet people and make friends. You have a much richer experience all around. And the best thing about it all is that:

• You have limitless possibilities for destinations.
• You don’t need to be Superman or a Tour de France athlete to do it.
• You can turn an idea of a tour into reality within 6 months.

Let’s talk about each aspect separately:

1.  Options, Options – Where Should I Go?

Of course, we’d be delighted if you chose to do a Trans-American Tour of your own, whether by following our route or paving your own! It will certainly be an experience of a lifetime and quite an achievement as well.

However, many other options exist to choose from, depending on the amount of time you have available and how adventurous you’re feeling.

If you’re interested in touring across the United States, Adventure Cycling Association is an excellent resource with which to start. Their Routes and Maps section lists potential tour ideas ranging from two weeks on the road to three months or more.

But the US is not the only option. How about heading off to the Swiss Alps for a week or two? The inn-to-inn routes that dot the countryside make bicycle touring convenient and comfortable.

France, Italy, Austria – all of these countries are incredibly rewarding and interesting for those planning a bike tour. You can accomplish your tour by electric bike independently or join an organized tour and leave all the planning to somebody else.

Of course, on the extreme side of the spectrum, there are folks like Guim Teruel, who has undertaken a three-year trip around the world on an electric bike or Maximilian Semsch, who is using his e-bike to cover 11,250 miles around Australia. Kind of puts our own 4,000 mile trip across the US into perspective!

The bottom line is – you can undertake a bike tour for as short a time as a week or as long as several years – and you can do it anywhere.

2.  I’m Not An Athlete. Don’t I Need to Be In the Best Shape of My Life?

The fact of the matter is that bike touring is popular among folks of all ages and fitness levels. People who tour by bike literally range from 18 to 70 years of age. Since you are the one in control of the e-bike, you can decide just how much riding you’d like to do each day. You can choose to take it leisurely for a couple of hours per day or aim to cover more distance and be willing to spend more time in the saddle.

Of course, a huge plus of traveling on an e-bike is that not only does it allow you to cover more distance and carry more weight with less effort, it also serves as a trusted backup. You don’t have to worry about getting too tired to make it to your pre-determined destination, as the motor is always there to kick in when you need it.

That said, what IS important is your mental preparedness. As part of the adventure you experience in traveling by bike, you also will be more exposed to the elements and have to rely on yourself more when things go wrong. As such, you need to use common sense about your abilities and limitations. It’s equally important that you prepare in advance for your trip and that you realize you will need to be flexible and easy-going to deal with the inevitable unexpected things that will happen on the open road.

3.  It’s A Dream, But Is It Realistic? Can I Really Move From Concept to Realization in 6 Months?

We frequently hear people say that it’s a dream of theirs to tour by bike, but because of one reason or another (e.g., their job, their finances, their physical condition, etc.), they will only be able to do it far in the future (e.g., once they retire, save enough money, get in a better shape, etc.). Somehow that time never seems to come.

The reality is that the most difficult step is actually deciding to undertake a bike tour. Once you make the decision for yourself that you’d like to go forward, all of the other pieces fall into place.

In fact, we believe that anybody can take the idea of a bicycle tour and turn it from a concept into reality within six months. It takes a bit of research, preparation, and training – but it’s absolutely doable.

To help you make this happen, if you are interested in embarking on an e-bike tour – however long or short, whether in the US or abroad – we’ll be happy to share our experience with you and help you along as much as we can.

So, get in touch, tell us what tour you have in mind, and what you see as the biggest roadblocks in making it happen. We’ll help you turn that dream into reality!