It Ain’t Easy
We’ve done a couple of long-distance tours — both over 3,000 km — and a good handful in the 300–500 km range. We tour on on full suspension e-bikes, and while it’s made a world of difference to what we can do and how far we can go, it hasn’t exactly made things easy.
E-bike touring isn’t cheating, it’s adapting, but it comes with its own baggage.
The Pros: Why We Ride Electric
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Hills and Headwinds: E-bikes take the sting out — essential when you’re no longer a spring chicken. Sure, there are a few indestructible old buggers still muscling their way up mountains at 89, and good on them. We trade-off the buzz of high achievement for gratitude for actually making it up the hill.
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More Distance, More Adventure: We’ve gone further and seen more because of the bikes. Routes that would have been too hard, too hilly, or just too long are now within reach.
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No Shame in Assistance: We’re not carrying tents or stoves anymore, and we’re not trying to prove anything. We ride for joy and discovery — not for suffering. If a motor gets us there smiling, that’s a win.
The Cons: What the Brochures Don’t Mention
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You’re Tied to Power: The battery needs a charge every night. That means no wild camping unless you carry a spare (which is heavy and still won’t get you more than a day or two).
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Heavy Chargers, Fewer Freedoms: The charger’s a brick. We’re not hauling cooking gear, so there’s room, but the trade-offs never stop.
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No Flying with Batteries: This one’s absolute. Airlines will not carry your e-bike battery — not in checked luggage, not in the cabin, not in a box of chocolates. You can ship it separately if you’re persistent and cashed up, but even that’s dicey.
- Train travel is getting tighter. Cheap ebike kits badly installed can catch fire and that make train companies as nervous as airlines. Transport for London have recently banned all ebikes on their trains and others will likely follow.
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You Need Accommodation Every Night: And not just any accommodation. You need somewhere with power and somewhere to stash the bikes. Booking.com still doesn’t have a ‘bike-friendly’ filter, and explaining “indoor, secure, preferably not up a flight of stairs” is a conversation we’ve had too many times.
The Real Challenge: Logistics and Lifting
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Weight Matters: An e-bike with panniers isn’t something you casually lift up steps or onto a train platform. We’re at the point where “just hoick it up there” isn’t a realistic option. Gates, stairs, steep ramps — they’re all obstacles now.
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Planning Ahead is Non-Negotiable: Spontaneity takes a hit. We need to know where we’re sleeping, whether there’s power, how steep the access is, and whether someone’s going to have a secure place for our bikes. Not exactly the carefree ramble of years past.
So Why Do It?
Because the alternative is not doing it.
Yes, it’s heavier, more complicated, and demands more planning, but it also means we’re still out there, rolling through towns and over mountain passes, meeting people, seeing new landscapes, and collecting stories. E-bikes haven’t made it effortless — they’ve made it possible. And at our age, that’s everything.