Adventure touring on a bike is a great activity. You can pedal off, the breeze on your face, see stunning views and discover new off-the-beaten trail paths and places. Now, with the advent of e-bikes, especially e-mountain bikes, it is possible for more people to enjoy adventure touring.
E-bikes make it easier to cycle further and if you are less experienced at cycling, it makes more places accessible. You do still need to pedal the e-bike and this requires a reasonable level of fitness when riding through rough terrain or on hills, but the extra push of e-power is really helpful.
But what exactly is adventure touring? And how can electric mountain bikes make this experience more accessible? In this blog, discover some helpful tips that make adventure touring even more enjoyable on an e-bike.
What is adventure touring?
Is there an adventure trail nearby? A rough mountain path or a gravel track leading through a forest? Then the stage for adventure touring is set. The concept of heading out into the wild on your e-bike to seek new paths is what adventure touring is all about.
While earlier, it was mainly an activity of motorcycles and those who could ride one, today it has become more accessible to the less-trained public through electric bikes.
One of the major benefits that e-bikes have is that anyone can ride them. With just a little familiarisation with the minimal switches and controls, you’re ready to go.
Adventure touring on these bikes is more enjoyable because you can go at your own pace and with less noise than the engines of a motorcycle.
When you choose an e-bike wisely, it will elevate your adventure touring experience to a whole new level.
8 tips to enhance your e-bike adventure touring experience
Set for a thrilling day out? Read these tips to set a new bar.
1. Pick the Right Bike
It pays to plan ahead. Based on what kind of terrain you would be scaling, try to pick a bike with the e-power to get you there.
While you need to pedal, the electric bike motor should have enough thrust to help you through. For touring on country roads, you wouldn’t need as much power as you would for touring on hill paths.
However, since adventure touring mixes a little of both, your should make your bike selection accordingly.
2. Check the tyres
Normally, when off-roading, thicker tires are recommended for balance, grip and stability. While these would be a bit heavier to handle, they would let you explore without limits instead of threatening to fail.
3. Invest in a Good E-Bike
It goes without saying: Invest in a brand that you know. Reliability and peace of mind are the keys to enjoying adventure touring – and with a bike that stands the test of time, the experience can become memorable for the right reasons.
4. Assess Repairability
When heading out of civilisation on your e-bike, it is important to have a repair kit at hand. Additionally, what most people ignore is the ease of repairability of an e-bike.
Many e-bike models support easy emergency repairs – and you should make sure your bike is one of these. In case of a breakdown, this ensures that you are able to quickly deal with the issue and get on with the ride.
5. Start Simple
Tame your ambition a bit initially so that you get the hang of riding an e-bike on rough terrain. When you start feeling confident, you can navigate some of the tougher routes.
This especially applies to seniors starting adventure touring on electric trikes. You want to be more careful initially before you let loose.
6. Pack Light But Right
Adventure touring may lead you to sleep under the stars and in the middle of a beautiful nowhere, so you want to be prepared for that. Carry only the essentials according to your time of return to base. You’ll need a tent, divvy bag or hammock, a sleeping bag and mat, cooking stove, food, water, rain covers, a first aid kit and insect repellent
You can purchase handy accessories such as bikepacks, and other compact packing solutions to ease out the load.
7. Get Familiar With Maintenance
When you are camping beside a bonfire and recharging for the next day’s tour, your e-bike needs some care, too. Getting the dust and grit out of it, keeping it dry, and, if possible, recharging batteries helps you enjoy your adventure tour better. You can take courses to learn a little bit about it.
8. Most Importantly – A Comfortable Seat!
You don’t want to be bumping in the rough on a seat that doesn’t care for you. Cushioned seat covers, back supports and similar accessories are available easily, so make use of them.
The Gist
E-bikes are a great companion for adventure touring. Not only are they lighter than motorcycles, but they also prove to be easier to handle and tweak as required. When planning your next touring adventure, try an electric bike.
Graeme McLaughlin is the Marketing Head at Evelo, a data nerd and an e-bike enthusiast, who is always excited about testing new bikes. After years of riding and coming from a career in cycle sales, he is still passionate about bicycles. Based in Vancouver, he enjoys riding everything from solo adventures in the mountains to big social night rides.
