Bike Types Available in Continental Europe
Road Bike
Frame:
|
Titanium with Carbon Fork |
Gearing:
|
3x10: 11-28 cassette and a 30-39-50 crankset
2x11:.1-32 cassette and a 34-50 crankset |
Tires:
|
700x25 |
Made by Nevi, an Italian manufacturer, or Van Nicholas, a Dutch company, both of whom specialize in custom made titanium bikes, these bikes are built for cycle touring, not racing. This means that the longer head tube and fork column, and the slightly shallower head tube angle, will have you sitting pretty for a full day in the saddle yet able to take advantage of all that titanium provides a road bike - stiff, light and nimble.
Hybrid/Flat Bar Road Bike
Frame:
|
Titanium with Carbon Fork |
Gearing:
|
3x10:11-34 cassette and 42-32-24 chainrings |
Tires:
|
700x25 |
Our titanium hybrid bikes are lightweight and optimized for road usage so are essentially a road bike with a flat handle bar. These custom made bikes come in both a standard and mixte (step-through) frame and are a great choice if you prefer low gears (like a mountain bike), a more upright riding position, and easier to reach brake levers. Each component has been carefully selected to create a bike perfect for conquering Mont Ventoux, the hills of Tuscany, or meandering through the Loire Valley.
Mixte Step Through Hybrid
Frame:
|
Titanium with Carbon Fork |
Gearing:
|
3x10: 11-34 cassette and 42-32-24 |
Tires:
|
700x25 |
Sometimes called “women’s bikes” these bikes offer the same componentry as our flat bar road bikes and a step-through frame for shorter people or for those who don't want to swing their leg over a standard frame's top tube. We've mounted another water bottle cage on the handlebar headset so that you can easily access your bottle while riding.
Cannondale and Co-Motion Tandems
We have a few steel Co-Motion and aluminum Cannondale road-style tandems available. Both models come with powerful disk brakes and 27-30 speeds available for tandem enthusiasts who travel with us in Europe. Be sure to book early and we'll reserve you a tandem for your guided bike tour.
E-Bikes
Frame:
|
Heavier frames - please make sure you are comfortable managing up to a 55lb bike. |
Gearing:
|
11-speed drive train, similar to mountain bike gearing. |
Tires:
|
700x40 Schwalbe Energizer Pro - for e-bikes |
We are pleased to offer hybrid style pedelecs (pedals assisted bikes). These bikes feature state of the art technology and are a fantastic option for bicycle travelers who need a little extra push. Although you still have to pedal, the E-bike drive augments your pedaling efforts. For example, when pedaling uphill the ebike motor kicks in with an extra boost to help you climb with considerably less effort. Please note, there is an e-bike surcharge: for 7 to 8 day tours there is $250 fee, and for tours that are 9 days, or longer the fee is $300.
Riding an e-bike is easy and we will offer you instructions at the bike fitting. However we do recommend that you use platform pedals without clipping in or with cages until you are comfortable with the bike. Because of the added weight e-bikes do handle a bit differently than a regular bike. It also might take you a day, or so, to reach maximum efficiency using the pedal assist.
Hybrid Bike: Cuba
Frame:
|
Aluminum with carbon fork. |
Gearing:
|
2x10 with 11 - 34 cassette and 48-34 chainring. |
Tires:
|
700x35 |
In Cuba we will be riding a Trek Fitness bike, similar to a hybrid or flat bar road bike. With a wide ranging cassette and a compact but versatile front crank this light bike has a carbon fork and a light weight aluminum frame. We'll have our rear racks on there as well as cyclometers just as you would expect on any tour in Europe. Bring your saddle and pedals or pick from our selection of seats and flat pedals or half-cage pedals.
Road Bike In Argentina and Chile
Frame:
|
Aluminum frame with carbon fork |
Gearing:
|
50-34 chainrings and a rear cassette 12-28 or 12-27 plus a few 27 speed with 11-32 Cassette and 53-39-30 chainring |
Tires:
|
700x23 |
Merida Road Lite Race 901 and 903 models that come with an aluminum-frame and carbon fork. Built to enjoy some fast road biking with Shimano Tiagra brakes.
Hybrids in Argentina and Chile
Frame:
|
Aluminum frames |
Gearing:
|
24 speeds with mountain bike gearing: 44-32-22 chainrings and a 12-36T cassette |
Tires:
|
Some 700x32 or 700x35 |
Our hybrid fleet is a combination of Schwinn and GT bikes that feature aluminum-frames. The hybrids come with mechanical disk brakes. A small bike weighs approximately 30 lbs.
