Ecotopia Biketour is not just about cycling for the sake of it – bicycles are also our sustainable mode of transport to get from one place to another. Although we seem to cover a lot of ground over the months we will be cycling for, you do not need to join the tour for the entire time and people can go at their own pace. It is certainly not a race and some days there will be no cycling at all. On an average cycling day, we will cycle around 50–70 km. In our experience, almost everyone gets used to this after a couple of days. People have joined us who haven’t cycled for 20 years, people who don’t do any sports in their daily lives, people whose physical abilities are impaired due to a recent accident. Everyone has adapted to the cycling after a couple of days, and for many it was a very empowering experience to find out that they can do it! Apart from that, many people have also successfully hitchhiked the daily route (taking their bikes!) when their bike broke down unfixably. Some people have even joined the tour hitchhiking without a bike.
The whole group almost never cycles together, people usually cycle in small groups or on their own and decide based on personal preference how early they want to depart, how fast they want to cycle and how many breaks they want to take. Usually, there is a “tail”, a couple of people who stay behind everyone else and have tools and a first-aid kit with them in case someone gets stuck on the way.
There is also no obligation to be with the group every night – if you need a break, feel free to spend the night somewhere else and take your time to catch up.