After long and careful deliberation you recently plunged head-first into the electric bike world with the purchase of a brand new e-bike.
And how good is it! Not only do you now actually look forward to your daily commute to work, but it didn’t take you long to realise that your old ‘as flat as possible’ route was just plain boring, with a new route incorporating previously avoided-at-all-cost hills now the preferred option.
The result? You are not only fitter than you have ever been, but you find that more and more often that you are leaving your car parked in the garage in favour of your AVE electric bike for trips to the local café, to the beach, to visit friends etc, etc.
In short e-biking has become a way of life; you have become an enthusiastic advocate of your new lifestyle, and in all sincerity you can’t help but feel sorry for non-electrically assisted cyclists who fail to see the e-bike light.
But despite all of the above, you know that there must still be other ways to enjoy your new-found healthy lifestyle.
Then, as was the case for my wife Rachel and I – better known within the e-bike industry as the ‘E-Bike Cycle Tourists’ – you discover e-bike cycle touring.
And what a discovery it is, with a whole new world that combines e-biking with travel and adventure suddenly opening up.
E-Bike Touring is an Addictive Way of Life
Such is the addictive nature of e-bike cycle touring, that what set out to be a left of centre way to help Rachel recover from a debilitating case of acute reactive arthritis, ended up with the E-Bike Cycle Tourists setting a new world e-bike long distance record of 27,800kms for one continuous journey throughout mainland Europe and the UK in 2015/16.
But the story of our trip of a lifetime is for another time.
The point is that with the help of the electrical assistance provided by an e-bike it is possible to set out on your own adventure no matter whether it is for a weekend, a week, for a few months or, as we did on a record-breaking trip, of a year or more.
All it takes is some planning, a sense of adventure and a commitment to make it happen.
With the help of the electrical assistance provided by your e-bike no hill while touring is too steep, no destination is unattainable (as long as you plan your stops along the way for all-important battery recharges) and best of all it is something anyone of even average fitness from 17 to 70-plus years can enjoy.
Gain a Unique E-Bike Perspective of the World
What you very quickly discover when you head out on an e-bike cycle tour is that from the saddle of your bicycle you gain a unique perspective of the world. As you gaze out at the magnificent vistas at the top of yet another hill – that you have climbed with relative ease thanks to your e-bike’s electric assistance – you realise that it is the journey you are on not the destination or how fast you can go that is the real appeal of e-bike cycle touring.
But, like all great ideas it takes time, commitment and money to make it happen. After all, most of us find it hard to get away from the day-to-day commitments associated with our hectic lifestyles for a few hours let alone for days and weeks at a time to be able to complete a bicycle tour.
So what do most people do? They put the idea off to “later in the year”, “next year” or even “sometime in the future”.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. The idea is to start small on an overnight/long weekend escape before using the experience gained to plan a potentially longer tour.
Start Out on a Relatively Short Weekend E-Bike Tour
The best idea for first time e-bike tourers is to gently put your toe into the e-bike cycle touring pond. While a big tour might sound alluring, you can have just as much fun and adventure on a much smaller scale.
Start off on short weekend tours and slowly work towards your ultimate goal. Initially a trip of two to four days is ideal, with three just perfect.
The First Step is to Decide Where to Start and Your Destination
While your home is an obvious place to start, anywhere within an easy commute by car, train or ferry may be better to avoid big city traffic congestion. The secret is to make things simple to help ensure your first few attempts at touring go smoothly.
Prior to heading off pick a quiet traffic-free route that hopefully incorporates lovely scenery, a café for your all-important coffee hit and other tourist attractions. Remember that it is journey, not how fast you can get to your destination that is the real joy of cycle touring, so have your camera at the ready because you will be stopping often.
For a first time cycle tourer a daily range of 40 to 60 kilometres is more than adequate. Most importantly remember that you are e-bike cycle touring and that your bike’s battery has a definitive range that dictates how far you can travel.
If the terrain you are going to traverse is extremely hilly plan to travel no more than 40 to 50 kilometres before recharging, conversely if your route takes you over gently undulating country you can safely travel 60 to 70 kms (using the Bosch e-bike system) before recharging.
That said it is always a good idea to top up your batteries at café and lunch stops as insurance to ensure you reach your final destination without any unexpected dramas. Remember to keep it simple and think ahead and you can’t go wrong.
Pack Light!
The secret of a successful tour is to travel light. Sure, you have the benefit of e-assist, but just remember the more weight you carry the more battery power you will use and all the more that can go wrong.
If you are keen to camp you will need to bring a basic lightweight tent, a small cooker, basic utensils and a lightweight mattress at the least. The more equipment you plan to carry the more you will have to ponder the merits of panniers or a cycle trailer to carry all of your gear.
For first timers, however, it is probably a better idea to stay in guest accommodation in hotels, motels or B&Bs to free you of the need of carrying tents etc.
Clearly there are a few unnegotiable things that you must bring along in your panniers such as a change of clothes, wet weather gear, spare tubes, a bicycle multi tool and some basic bicycle repair knowledge to fix things if you have a mechanical breakdown.
If you are e-biking with a friend or in a group it isn’t necessary for everyone to duplicate the spare parts carried, although it is generally a good idea for more experienced cyclists to carry the heavier items.
Another unnegotiable requirement for all cycle tourists is to bring along adequate food. If you are out in the country convenience stores are few and far between, so make sure you bring adequate supplies of snacks and water.
Sure, the more you take the more it weighs you down both mentally and physically, but if you keep it simple it is hard to go wrong.
What is Best? Old Fashioned Paper Maps or GPS Navigational Devices
If the truth be known it is probably a good idea to use a combination of paper maps and a GPS device to navigate your way from point A to B. Once again remember that your electric bike only has a finite amount of battery power so the last thing you want is to get hopelessly lost and run out of power out in the middle of nowhere. Perish the thought!
While personally I come from the old school and have always relied on paper maps to find my way – even throughout our 27,800km e-bike tour – there is without doubt much merit to be said about using a GPS device.
For shorter tours there are many apps on the market these days that allow you to download your proposed route onto your mobile phone or tablet prior to leaving that work even if you do not have internet coverage.
But if your device for whatever reason runs out of battery power, woe is you if you do not have backup paper maps.
Once again when you start out cycle touring you want a good experience, so plan ahead and you virtually can’t go wrong.
Have Fun
What you will very quickly discover when you go cycle touring is that it is impossible to do everything. As said earlier it is all about the journey, so don’t put pressure on yourself to visit every township, tourist attraction or vantage point along the way.
It is normal to not see and do everything. You are after all out to enjoy an e-bike journey – not to create stress by putting pressure on yourself to see everything along the way. Remember there is always next time, go with the flow and have fun!
In Summary
- Plan well, but be prepared to change your plans if things go wrong or if the weather turns bad.
- Book your overnight accommodation (unless, of course, if you plan to camp in a caravan park).
- Make sure you have adequate maps and/or a GPS device that you are familiar with using.
- Make sure the distances you have set are feasible, especially if anyone in your group is not as fit or is generally slower than you. Also take into account that you will want to stop often to view the sights along the way so as a result it is often better to plan shorter daily distances.
- Carry only what you need. Carry at least two spare tubes and a pump and be sure you know how to change a flat tyre.
- Pick a scenic route as far away from heavy traffic as is possible.
- Remember don’t stress if things do not go to plan. Everything always works out in the end.
- Always carry wet weather clothing. There is nothing more uncomfortable than being soaked to the skin while cycling in cold rain.
- Finally, have FUN and be warned … e-bike cycle touring is incredibly addictive. After a few short tours you will find yourself planning longer and longer tours and before you know it you will be planning to set out on a major tour with the aim to break the E-Bike Cycle Tourists world record mark of 27,800kms.