Always popular, cycling tours have gotten an extra “charge” in recent years with the addition of electric bikes, allowing guests to ride hills with ease or get a boost to keep up with others.
E-bikes are now available as an option on tours across the globe, from the Green Mountains of Vermont to the Tuscan countryside and Taiwan’s coastline. They’re even making their way off-road and onto trails, taking guests on e-mountain bike tours among the dunes of Namibia and the Alps in Switzerland.
Here are seven bike tours where you can find an electric ride:
E-Bike Taiwan
Art of Bicycle Trips is another tour operator that runs e-bike tours in Taiwan. A special thing about this company is that it also offers dedicated e-bike tours for seniors, in addition to its regular tours. These are a specially handpicked collection of tours that are great for cyclists over 60 years of age, or even for younger cyclists who prefer the comfort of e-bikes over regular bikes.
E-MTB Safari in Namibia
Pedal across vast plains and seas of sand dunes, along dry streambeds and rocky jeep tracks, and past shipwrecks and surf on the Skeleton Coast on H+I Adventures’ new E-MTB Safari in Namibia (see cover image). From the saddle of an e-mountain bike, watch for elephants, giraffes, zebras and oryx, and connecting with local communities along the way.
Biking the Natchez Trace is a cyclist’s dream come true, and why Cycle of Life Adventures offers it four times a year. The ancient path through Tennessee, Alabama and Mississippi began as a wildlife and Native American trail, and has a rich history of use by explorers, trappers and traders, post men and Civil War soldiers. An e-bike will ease the few days where the mileage may seem overwhelming.
Tuscan Countryside
On Tourissimo’s cycling tour of Tuscany, Italy, visit some of the region’s most iconic destinations, from Cortona, the delightful hill town made famous by Frances Mayes in her bestselling novel Under the Tuscan Sun, to the abbeys, thermal springs and wineries in the countryside outside Pienza. Upgrade to an e-bike capable of covering 70 miles on a charge to go the distance.
Alps by E-MTB
Climb mountain passes and descend to lush valleys on H+I Adventures new E-MTB Tour of Switzerland. Riders will put the country’s seamless transport system to use accessing backcountry singletrack and perfectly built flow trails as they traverse the beautiful Graubünden region by e-mountain bike. Refuel with mid-ride rösti, then unwind with a glass of wine and dinner made with local flavours.
Prefer walking in the Alps to cycling? Read Mark Bibby Jackson’s Hiking in the Jungfrau Alps with Sherlock.
Mediterranean Islands Ride
E-bikes are a great option on Ride & Seek Bicycle Adventures epic cycling tour across Corsica, Sardinia and Sicily. Split into three week-long stages, the tour explores the Mediterranean islands’ history, food, architecture and traditions, as well as their strikingly rugged interiors, white beaches and emerald waters.
Ride through more than a dozen covered bridges on a tour of Vermont with Cycle of Life Adventures. This iconic ride passes through Montpelier, Stowe, Middlebury and Woodstock, climbing from river valleys over the Green Mountains. The optional e-bike rental will help flatten out the roads.
E-Bike Taiwan
On Grasshopper Adventures’ Bike Taiwan tour, guests cycle the length of the country from the northern capital, Taipei, to the southern tip. Along the way, they take in the beauty of east Taiwan’s rugged Pacific coast, exotic hot springs and valleys like the stunning Taroko Gorge. Grasshopper is also the first tour operator to offer e-bikes to cyclists in Southeast Asia.
Cover image : E-MTB Namibia – Courtesy of H+I Adventures