Do you feel you could easily do a multi-day cycle tour on a standard manual bike and are wondering if you could ride a standard bike instead of an Ebike on our cycle tours?
We used to offer ‘mixed’ bike tours where participants had the choice between a standard bike and an Ebike. These mixed groups turned out to NOT work well for anyone.
It proved almost impossible for standard bike cyclists to keep up with a group of E-Bikers over a distance of 30-50 km. Even though the women who chose a standard bike were usually pretty fit, they still felt rushed. Often, they would cut a break short 'to get a head start' so the others wouldn’t have to wait for them later on. At the same time, our guides had to ask the women with Ebikes to be patient so that the others could catch up. It was frustrating for both groups.
Another issue was that the pace discrepancy often led to a less cohesive group dynamic. On our tours, we value the social experience and camaraderie that comes from cycling together.
The split pace made it difficult for participants to bond, share stories, and enjoy the scenery as a group. This affected the overall enjoyment and the personal touch that we pride ourselves on.
Furthermore, managing the different needs and speeds in a mixed group required more from our guides. They had to constantly juggle between assisting standard bike riders and keeping the Ebikers engaged. This extra challenge meant our guides couldn’t focus as much on providing the personalized experience our tours are known for.
That said, it is of course totally up to each participant to choose HOW MUCH electric power to use.
If you opt for less electric support, you get much more of a workout, but you can still catch up easily by choosing more support when you need to. You might be surprised how much fun an Ebike can be, especially on long straight sections 😉!
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