Bikestyle Tours. Information for non cyclists.

If you are considering joining one of our tours as a non cyclist it is important you understand a bit about our tours before you make your booking with us. Please read the information below, and if after reading through this information you still aren’t sure then we encourage you to contact us by email or phone to discuss further before committing to a trip.

We are often asked if non cyclists, particularly non cycling partners of cyclists, can travel with us on our cycling tours. The simple answer is yes we do accept non cyclists on most of our cycling tours in Europe, although occasionally we may designate a tour as for cyclists only if we feel it is unsuitable for non cyclists. We accept a maximum of 5 non cyclists on our normal group tours. It can be a great way for a non cyclist to enjoy a holiday with their cycling enthusiast partner. It is important however that the non cyclist does understand a bit about how our tours operate and what the trip will be like for them before committing to the tour.

Our trips are cycling holidays designed around cycling through the some of the most beautiful countries in Europe and experiencing the Grand Tours such as the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia or Vuelta d’Espana. We also take time to experience some of the culture, history and scenic beauty of the areas we visit. As these are cycling holidays the needs of cyclists take priority in the way we plan our tours and our staff are mostly dedicated to looking after their needs. That does not mean that non cyclists are forgotten, but simply that occasionally they need a bit of patience as we may need to alter our plans to suit the needs of the cyclists.

Our tours will often stay in interesting and historic towns and villages, so their is normally a lot for the non cyclist to see and do off the bike in the locations we visit. There will be suggestions in your itinerary of things you may do each day, and where possible we will assist with sightseeing options, although there is no guide that is dedicated to looking after the non cyclists on a daily basis as there may be on a normal European guided tour. Your tour leader will be there to assist you in any way they can during the tour, but remember they will be out riding with the group on most days. For cyclists and non cyclists we may have included some sightseeing options that everyone can enjoy, perhaps a winery or chateau visit, so depending on the tour you choose this can give you the chance to spend more time with your cycling partner.

As our tours are generally following a bike race as it travels around the country it is inevitable we spend some time on the coach (or train in some cases!) travelling from one region to another, and on these days of course the non-cyclists and cyclists are together. During the day it is often possible for the non cyclists to travel in our coach or support van and meet up with the cyclists at a point during their ride. This meeting place is often on the race route or in an interesting town, so there are normally things to see and do for the non cyclist, especially if they have an interest in watching a bike race! We include dinners on a number of nights on each tour, including welcome and farewell dinners. These are a great chance for the whole group to get to know each other off the bike and enjoy each others company.