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The World’s Best Gravel Bike Destinations According to Trek Travel

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Everyone seems to be on the hunt for epic gravel bike rides these days.

The explosion of off-road races and social gravel rides in the past several years, coupled with a wide new group of riders who found biking during the COVID-19 pandemic, added more to the popularity of a segment of cycling that had been firmly set on the periphery of the sport for a long time.

But now that trained eyes have been scouring the globe for this niche gravel bike terrain, it looks like no region, city, or community is without a route that gets riders off paved roads.

But with gravel riding, there is always a chance that the road less traveled has been less traveled for a reason. Sometimes gravel rides tend to dead end into unrideable nothingness or land people on or too near to private property for comfort.

Having a knowledgeable guide to help find the path can make all the difference for those seeking out a new gravel bike adventure, and Trek Travel has been working hard over the past couple of years to carve out a role as that guide.

Trek Travel Trips

Trek Travel has been building cycling vacations for more than 20 years. Historically, most of the brand’s global destinations have catered to road cycling and touring. Now, the brand hosts rides in nearly 40 destinations in nearly 20 countries.

Some of the more popular trips include a cross-country trip from Portland, Ore., to Portland, Maine, and a trip to France that places riders on some of the most iconic climbs of the Tour de France.

This year’s new lineup of gravel bike trips centers on terrain that is more rugged and chunky than the brand’s usual road-centered offerings.

Trek Travel’s global network of guides has narrowed down all the gravel they could get their hands on to a shortlist of six destinations that are among the best in the world.

Green Mountains, Vermont

The Green Mountains of Vermont slice through the picturesque towns of Stowe and Waterbury, offering a healthy mix of bike paths and unpaved roads that connect riders to multiple cities and a variety of cool attractions, including the Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream Factory and the Trapp Family Lodge, of “The Sound of Music” fame.

The mountainous landscape offers challenging climbs and fast, fun descents, along with sweeping views of farmland and foliage.

Whether on gravel or pavement, Vermont offers a lot of elevation to contend with immediately outside of towns. However, it also features a fun causeway over water that requires a small ferry ride to fully cross, architecture sweeping views at every hilltop.

Bentonville, Arkansas: Gravel Bike Hub?

The fact that Bentonville is on a list of cycling trip destinations shouldn’t surprise anyone. The city has become a destination for cyclists in the past several years. However, many Bentonville visitors come to the city for its extensive network of mountain bike trails.

As the town that hosts the Big Sugar Gravel bike race, it’s obvious that Bentonville is a slice of paradise for gravel riders , too.

Bentonville is situated in the Ozark Mountains but is also surrounded by farmland, so Trek Travel guides see it as a perfect spot that can accommodate riders of every skill level.

Amy Davison, one of Trek Travel’s trip designers, said Bentonville is a perfect destination for riders of all skill levels.

“One of the things that I’m most excited about is it’s not as hard as you think it’s gonna be. It’s in the Ozarks, but it’s also surrounded by farmland, and most of the gravel is rolling gravel roads in farmland, so it’s not quite as punchy or hilly as I expected,” Davison said. “I think that will be like the full ticket for absolutely any kind of gravel rider.”

Davison also said the culture of Bentonville provides another big draw.

“It’s just got a vibe that is all about cycling. As soon as you step foot in that town, you feel loved and welcomed and celebrated as a cyclist, and you don’t feel that everywhere you know, and it’s just all over town,” she said. “You see cyclists everywhere you see cycling infrastructure everywhere.”

Trek Travel sets riders up in a hotel just off the town square where riders can hop off the bike and easily explore the Wal-Mart Museum or the Crystal Bridges Art Museum after a long day of riding.

Shenandoah Valley, Virginia

The Shenandoah Valley sits in a bit of a pit between the Blue Ridge and Allegheny Mountains. Trek Travel uses the town of Harrisonburg as a launch pad where riders can jet off into rolling farmland and do some serious climbing.

Davison said Trek Travel connected with a local endurance gravel cyclist who helped design routes in the area. She said the routes in the valley typically involve more mixed terrain, including pavement, as it takes longer to get out into areas with gravel roads. Once there, riders wind rolling farmland, Mennonite communities, and towns that are hundreds of years old.

“It’s lots of farmlands, but also, we’re on the fringe of the mountains, so we get into the National Forest and throw a nice mountain stage at the end of that one to the high point of the state, which will be really cool and set it off a little bit from the other trips.”

Tuscany, Italy: Legendary European Gravel Bike Riding

Tuscany’s gravel is legendary . The Strada Bianche race is named after the white gravel roads in the Crete Senesi south of Siena on which pro riders battle every year. Usually, about a third of that race covers gravel roads.

The region also plays host to the L’Eroica vintage bike festival, on which participants ride on bikes from the ’80s rather than on the latest carbon speed machines of the day.

Davison said the roads of Tuscany also feature challenging hills that connect the northern Chianti region with the southern part of Tuscany.

While the gravel itself may not pose much of a technical challenge, the hills more than make up for it by bringing an added challenge to riders.

Tuscany’s roads are well known, but the culture of food and wine in the region is equally renowned, and riders have plenty of opportunities to sample both.

Girona, Spain: Technical Gravel Bike Terrain

Trek Travel has been running a gravel trip to Girona, Spain , for a while. It previously was the only such trip in the brand’s profile. It also has the distinction of being the ride with the highest degree of technical riding in the gravel bike lineup.

“They’ve got some single-track connectors in there and, in fact, some roads where the van can not follow to provide support,” Davison said. “So to us, we’re going to categorize that as a higher degree of difficulty because that will be different from a regular trip where the van can always follow you. Here they kind of have set points where the van meets everyone, but it definitely has some interesting connectors.”

Aside from single-track connectors, a good bit of the Girona gravel bike scene features sparsely traveled fire roads.

St. Moritz, Switzerland

St. Moritz is a resort town in the Swiss Alps at just under 6,000 feet of elevation. Having hosted the Winter Olympics twice, it’s obvious that there is plenty of extremely challenging terrain in the area to challenge cyclists when the snow melts.

Davison, however, said the idea behind the gravel trip to St. Mortiz was to offer a bit of an easier ride experience in which riders stick to the valleys rather than the frosted peaks that surround them.

She said the valleys around St. Moritz are littered with dirt roads that do not have major technical challenges, along with bike paths surrounded by mammoth peaks of the alps that provide a stunning backdrop all day.

Getting Into Gravel Biking

The new gravel bike offerings from Trek Travel give riders a new way to experience a destination by bike. It can be seriously challenging to find gravel roads and safely traverse them without experience or the ability to bail, especially overseas.

Trek Travel trips feature full support from a chase van, GPS devices, on-bike guides, and a fleet of highly spec’d Trek Checkpoints , so riders don’t have to worry about the hassle of traveling with or shipping their own bikes. Trek Travel guides also hand-pick hotels, restaurants, and off-bike activities to make sure riders get the most out of the region they visit.

“(We’ve seen) the trends of people wanting to buy gravel bikes and kind of get away from traffic in some cases, or just have that little more of a sense of adventure being out in the wilderness, but not necessarily mountain biking,” said Meagan Coates of Trek Travel. “So we decided to develop a bigger collection. I think it’s just kind of dictated by what people are liking to ride and the interest in providing more experiences for folks.”

The beauty of these rides is that they are just out there for anybody to ride, but having the help of a company like Trek Travel makes logistics simple.

Trek Travel offers trips to the destinations above at price points ranging from $1,799 to $3,299.

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Mark Wilson is a freelance journalist for GearJunkie and BikeRumor. Mark has been writing about cycling, climbing, outdoor events and gear for more than a year. Before that, he spent more than a decade as a journalist at major daily newspapers in Texas covering crime, public safety and local government. Mark spent every free moment during that time carving up singletrack and gravel, or climbing with friends and family in Texas, Colorado and Mexico. Based in Texas, Mark is always looking for new trails, crags and gear to help navigate the outdoors. As a new dad, he is particularly interested in learning how to share his love of the outdoors with his son.

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These Are the Best Bike Trips in the World

Where will you ride in 2020?

Every ride has the potential to take you someplace new. And when you devote your vacation days to do nothing but eat, drink, and ride your way around an unfamiliar destination, that experience becomes next level. There’s really no better way to connect with the sights, sounds, and culture of a region than on two wheels.

When it comes to the actual planning, you could DIY, but between transporting gear and scouting routes, lodging, and sustenance, you’re usually better off going with an outfitter that has insider intel and experience with the unique logistics of bike travel.

While there are thousands of outstanding cycling trips to choose from, only some are worthy of a Bicycling Travel Awards designation. Here’s how we determined the winners.

Our well-traveled editors looked at hundreds of bike tour companies from around the world and scrutinized their itineraries for average tour size, traveler reviews, value, custom options, and quality of the rental fleet. We also considered timeless essentials like staff training and logistical expertise that differentiate the best from the rest. We surveyed industry insiders for insight on what’s hot right now—off-the-beaten-​track destinations like Slovenia and Colombia , the wild popularity of gravel riding, and a wider range of self-​guided trips for intrepid or budget-conscious travelers.

Whether you want to ride the iconic climbs of the Tour de France , catch fall foliage in New England , or whoop it up on unspoiled Arizona gravel, these are the absolute-best, unmissable, bucket-list bike trips on the planet. Get out there!

Courtesy REI

Best out-there adventure, rei: vietnam cycling.

This 12-day cultural excursion goes from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi. Daily rides range from 12 to 40 miles, mostly on quiet country roads that traverse lush jungle, rice paddies, shrimp farms, and rustic seaside villages. The schedule is intentionally loose, with plenty of time for local experiences and exotic sites along the way—you can unclip to snorkel in the South China Sea, wander an 8th-century Cham temple, or explore important Vietnam War sites like My Lai. Though the mileage is modest, some burly dirt climbs will make you extra hungry for the rice noodles and other delicacies that magically integrate flavors from France, China, and Thailand. BYO bike or rent a Trek e-bike or hardtail mountain bike. 12 days / 188 to 191 miles / $3,699 REI members ($4,099 nonmembers) / Recreational-plus

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Butterfield & Robinson: Japan Biking Meander along the Sea of Japan on the rustic Noto Peninsula—expect relaxing hot springs, abundant tea ceremonies, and peaceful ancient shrines . 8 days / 193 miles / $9,495 / Recreational-plus

BEST FAMILY TRIP

Western spirit: redwood national park family trip.

Anchored around the world-famous redwood groves in northern California, this excursion offers opportunities for adventure and family bonding that are appropriately larger than life. Much of the riding is on gravel, doubletrack, or car-free roads. Highlights include picnic lunches on seaside bluffs, tidal exploration on remote beaches, swimming in the Smith River, and hikes through the profoundly Instagram-worthy forest. Kids can peel off each day for a cool side activity, giving parents an option to extend their riding. Bring your own bikes or rent from Western Spirit. 5 days / 23 to 75 miles / $1,295 / Recreational

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Backroads: Sweden to Denmark Family Bike Tour Visit castles, fjords, and horse farms; watch the sun set at midnight; and end in one of the greatest cycling cities on earth. 6 days / 33 to 136 miles / $5,499 / Recreational-plus

BEST LATIN AMERICA

Thomson Bike Tours: Trans-Colombia Challenge

Ride the home peaks where many of the world’s top Grand Tour riders—mountain goats like Egan Bernal and Nairo Quintana —honed their talents. You’ll crank out more than 70,000 feet of Andes vertical in eight days of riding. And you’ll walk away with bragging rights after conquering what might be the world’s longest paved climb: the famed Alto de Letras , which rises 10,500 feet over 50 miles. In fact, you’ll do it twice—once from each side. It’s not all hardcore climbing: You’ll pedal through coffee plantations and Andean jungle, and get a taste of cycling-crazy Medellín. If you don’t feel like flying with your bike, rent a Canyon Ultimate CF SL with disc brakes and Di2. 8 days / 567 miles / $3,995 / Advanced

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Trek Travel: Colombia Bike Tour Rides range from 16 to 89 miles with a focus on cultural immersion, including visits to coffee roasters and an avocado plantation (and you still get to climb Alto de Letras). 6 days / 305 miles / $3,399 / Intermediate

BEST FOOD AND WINE

Duvine: best of bordeaux + burgundy.

This luxury trip hits two of the world’s most legendary wine regions. In Bordeaux, spin through vineyards, stop for lunch at a UNESCO World Heritage site, and enjoy VIP tastings at famed producers like Château Mouton Rothschild and Château Lynch-Bages, where you can blend your own wine. Then it’s on to Burgundy, where you’ll dine in the private wine cellar of a grand cru producer, and get private tastings at boutique pinot noir and chardonnay producers. Along the way enjoy five-star accommodations and work up an appetite as you pedal through bucolic villages and 800-year-old castle ruins. The price includes a rental Cannondale, like a Synapse Carbon Pro Disc or Neo e-bike. 8 days / 104 to 148 miles / from $9,995 / Recreational-plus

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Butterfield & Robinson: Napa & Sonoma Luxe Biking Private Private tastings, gourmet meals, and luxury hotels in America’s most famous wine regions. 5 days / 139 miles / $8,695 / Intermediate

BEST HIDDEN EUROPE

Tourissimo + ride & seek bicycle adventures : friuli venezia giulia and slovenia.

This tour-outfitter collaboration takes you to two exotic and distinctive cultures. Meander north from the Adriatic and explore Friuli—known for producing many of Italy’s best white wines—where locals speak their own language. Cross into Slovenia, a darling of travel hot lists for good reason: In the foothills of the Alps, you’ll enjoy rustic meals, quiet and undulating roads, views of verdant valleys and snowcapped mountains, and a culture that’s exotic without being impenetrable. In six days of riding, you’ll cover 195 miles—leaving plenty of time for immersive sightseeing, long lunches, and multisport diversions like river rafting, hiking, and paragliding. BYO bike or choose from a fleet of Bianchi road, hybrid, or e-bikes. 8 days / 195 miles / $4,195 / Recreational-plus

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Eat Sleep Cycle Tour of Ireland’s West Coast Expect rural roads, seaside villages, emerald hills, and more than a few quality pints. 7 days / 300 miles / $2,775 / Intermediate/advanced

BEST MOUNTAIN BIKING

Sacred rides: wild & sacred seattle.

This week of mountain biking and dirt culture features iconic riding in the Cascades wedged between two local mountain bike festivals (close your eyes and conjure up food trucks, a beer garden, and spirited group rides). For the first half of the trip, you’ll stay in a boutique hotel in downtown Seattle , hit farm-to-table restaurants, and ride singletrack in lush woodland. The second act unfolds in the Teanaway Valley on the east side of the Cascades, where the landscape is drier and more exposed, the downhills rip, and the singletrack will test your technical skills. Decamp at a large mountain cabin (with a pool and hot tub) where the culinary vibe is campfire s’mores and BBQ. 2019 Giant Trances are included. 7 days / 154 miles / $2,695 / Intermediate/advanced

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE H+I Adventures: Cairngorms Adventure Scotland Highlands whisky and singletrack in the only Arctic ecosystem in the United Kingdom—keep an eye out for wild reindeer. 8 days / 100 to 115 miles / $1,958 / Intermediate

BEST EUROPEAN BASECAMP

The service course: the grand tour.

There’s something to be said for not having to repack your bag every morning. That’s especially true if your home base is the cycling paradise of Girona, Spain . Owned by retired pro Christian Meier and his wife, Amber, The Service Course offers carefully curated guided rides that will help you understand why so many pros live in this sunny Catalonian gem—empty farm lanes, perfectly twisting climbs, and coastal roads tracing the edge of the turquoise expanse of the Costa Brava. Start each day with an exquisite breakfast at La Fabrica—an eatery owned by the Meiers, and linger over afternoon coffee and pastry at their Espresso Mafia café. You can bring your own bike, but once you examine their rental stable, you might opt to spend your week on a dream bike from OPEN , Argonaut , Speedvagen , or Bastion. The tour includes dinners at some of the city’s best restaurants every night, four-star accommodations, and two massages. 7 days / 258 miles / $3,600 / Advanced

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Eat Sleep Cycle: Classic Climbs of Girona You’re on your own for a few dinners but are otherwise fully supported in this by-cyclists-for-cyclists sampler of the best-known climbs near Girona. 6 days / 283 to 373 miles / $1,532 / Intermediate/advanced

Editors’ Choice Top 10 Favorite Places to Ride in the U.S.

Bentonville, Arkansas

This Ozarks hotspot will surprise you with 40-plus miles of feature-​packed trails, an extensive network of family-friendly greenways, and some of the country’s best undiscovered road riding.

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Sedona, Arizona

Pedal more than 250 miles of swoopy singletrack or endless ribbons of smooth pavement through a rugged red-rock landscape.

Big Sur to Monterey, California

This stretch of the Pacific Coast Highway offers the most magical 28 miles of coastline, with near-constant views of the shimmering Pacific.

Western Colorado

Climb Pikes Peak or Mount Evans, get sendy above the tree­line in Crested Butte, or hit the gravel roads around Steamboat Springs.

Brevard/Asheville, North Carolina

World-class road and mountain biking tucked away in the peaks and valleys of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Hudson Valley, New York

Easily accessible from New York City, the Hudson Valley features rolling terrain, spectacular views, and fuel stops in charming river towns.

Oregon Coast

Prepare to be gobsmacked by sweeping ocean views as you tackle 16,000-plus feet of elevation change along this 340-mile stretch of Highway 101.

The world-renowned Slickrock Trail offers 11 miles of grippy sandstone with natural adrenaline-pumping features, but Moab has hundreds of miles of trails for riders of all levels.

Stokesville, Virginia

Between the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests and the nearby Shenandoah Valley and Blue Ridge Parkway, you’ll find some of the prettiest riding on the East Coast.

Northeast Kingdom, Vermont

Home to Kingdom Trails, one of the country’s most popular purpose-built networks, with more than 100 miles of flowy singletrack.

BEST FOLIAGE

Backroads: vermont to quebec bike tour.

This part of the world gets magical when the stands of oak, birch, and maple turn color in September and October. This six-day cruise, which winds from Burlington, Vermont, up to Montreal, hits an endless procession of classic New England and French-​Canadian highlights: technicolor foliage, covered bridges, cobbled city streets, glacier-carved valleys, small-town antique shops, and craft breweries. Along the way, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to sample such local delicacies as pure maple syrup, homemade sharp cheddar, hot apple cider, and duck foie gras. The mileage isn’t huge, but the terrain is never flat—consider yourself warned before you churn up Smuggler’s Notch. 6 days / 144 to 241 miles / starts at $3,499 / Intermediate

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Pure Adventures: Quebec Bike Tour This self-guided adventure hits a foliage gold mine in late September to early October. 7 days / 175 miles / $1,085 / Intermediate

Grand Tours Project: Ride Every Kilometer of the Giro d’Italia

Here’s your chance to ride each stage of the most atmospheric Grand Tour on the same days the pros do. There will be predawn starts and episodes of existential suffering. But there will also be unforgettable moments—grinding up the legendary climbs of the Dolomites with the tifosi cheering you on, crossing all 21 Giro finish lines, an endless string of sublime coffee breaks, and VIP seating. Count on three weeks of full support and hearty Italian meals. For those who lack the time, fitness, or hubris to tackle the entire thing, you can sign up to ride three to nine stages in the same manner. BYO bike or rent a Bianchi Infinito CV Disc with Ultegra Di2. Roughly 2,200 miles total / Up to 24 days / $13,000 / Advanced

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE The Cyclist’s Menu: Alps Road This journey through the Alps from Italy into France dishes out 35,000 feet of climbing but a lot of memorable meals, too. 8 days / 373 miles / $3,850 / Advanced

Van Gogh Tours: Edam to Amsterdam

This leisurely, self-guided tour through the Netherlands will have you meandering on flat terrain along canals, through charming fishing villages, and into the friendly chaos of Amsterdam. The trip is based in the famous “cheese city” of Edam, where riders who feel comfortable navigating from detailed maps and daily directions are set up with charming hotel accommodations, a daily breakfast buffet, and a sweet Dutch city bike with gears and panniers. There’s plenty of time to linger over coffee, sample witbier from the vibrant Dutch craft beer scene, and eat enough Edam and Gouda to reach a rapturously semi-soft place. 3 days / ~80 miles / $635 / Recreational

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Western Spirit: Bryce to Zion A fully supported trip that visits two iconic national parks and traverses single- and doubletrack in the scenic Southwest. 5 days / 111 miles / $1,495 / Intermediate

BEST PRO-LEVEL TREATMENT

In gamba: portugal—lisbon & the north.

Though In Gamba is known for unparalleled cycling experiences in Italy, there’s no getting around the company’s Portuguese roots—more than 80 percent of the staff come from Portugal, including the founder, João Correia (former pro racer and Bicycling publisher). And this trip—which heads north on quiet roads from Lisbon, through the wine lovers’ Douro Valley, and ends in Port—taps that native brain trust to show riders a side of the country that is at once authentic and luxurious. Everyone gets pro-style perks like a Pinarello Dogma F12 with eTap, daily bike wash , kit laundry, and massage from a real soigneur. And with more than 35,000 feet of climbing on the itinerary, that massage might be a lifesaver. 7 days / 380 miles / $7,950 / Advanced

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE In Gamba: Chianti Classico Nobody does pro-style pampering like In Gamba does, and this is the company’s most classic offering—a unique blend of exquisite riding, food, wine, and atmosphere. 7 days / 262 miles / $4,950+ / Intermediate/advanced

Editors’ Choice Top 10 Favorite Places to Ride Outside the U.S.

Whistler, British Columbia

Epic cross-country trail riding and a world-renowned bike park make this a bucket-list destination for mountain bikers.

Patagonia, Chile

Miles of challenging singletrack around glacial peaks in Torres del Paine National Park attract trail riders from all over the world.

Copenhagen, Denmark

Every rider should visit this cycling-mad city, where eight cycle superhighways connect 19 municipalities in the Capital Region.

Pyrenees, France

Less traveled (and less expensive) than the Alps, with as much Tour de France history.

Tuscany, Italy

Rolling hills, pastoral vistas, a laid-back ethos, and wine—lots of wine.

Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Biking is the preferred way of life here, thanks to an extensive network of cycling tracks.

New Zealand

Karangahake Gorge or Puketapu Loop on the North Island; Roxburgh Gorge or the Great Taste Trail on the South.

Highlights include majestic waterfalls, jagged glacial peaks, and emerald-green valleys—and of course, dramatic fjord vistas nearly everywhere you look.

Andermatt, Switzerland

The epicenter of Transalp MTB routes, with access to eight major Alpine passes, including the Furka, Gotthard, and Grimsel.

Navigate a dramatic 602 miles around the island on Cycle Route No. 1 past deep green rice paddies, tea plantations, and the breathtaking Taroko Gorge.

BEST GRAVEL

The cyclist’s menu: arizona gravel camp.

What do you get when a retired pro mountain biker and a professional chef pair up, hire some gregarious endurance cyclists (like Lael Wilcox ) as guides, and decamp to a tiny town nestled at 4,000 feet near the Mexican border? You get something resembling unpaved paradise—especially since the expansive public lands surrounding aptly named Patagonia, Arizona, are laced with empty gravel roads. Trade stories over farm-to-table meals (think traditional borderlands fare such as mole, Pozole, and fresh street tacos) at the unpretentiously rustic hotel where you’ll stay in downtown Patagonia. And with a pro photographer present, you’ll go home with better-than-Instagram mementos. 5 days / 175 to 250 miles / $2,420 / Recreational-plus

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE DZ Nuthouse Ride with retired racer Dave Zabriskie on secret Malibu gravel. 4 days / Mileage varies / $2,500 / Advanced

BEST RACE-ADJACENT

Trek travel: spring classics ultimate experience.

This 11-day VIP tour in Belgium and northern France is one of the most storied pilgrimages that bike-racing fans can make. After all, the eight days that bridge the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix comprise cycling’s Holy Week. Tackle the short but jarring segments on these bucket-list monuments, like the Paterberg and the Arenberg Forest, then watch Peter Sagan, Philippe Gilbert, and other legends crush the cobbles from exclusive seating on the Kwaremont and the Roubaix velodrome. In between, take in more iconic races and faith-testing rumbles through the stark beauty of Flanders. There will be hard days that you’ll remember for years, but there also will be Trappist beer, crispy pommes frites , and Belgian chocolate. 8 days / 354 to 451 miles / $7,099 / Advanced

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Thomson Bike Tours: Tour de France Alps & Paris KOM Challenge Ride the iconic Alpe d’Huez, Col de la Madeleine, and Col du Galibier, and enjoy VIP access and hospitality along the way. 8 days / 124 to 315 miles / $8,495 / Intermediate/advanced

Editors’ Choice photo credits: Trevor Raab (Bentonville); Scott Markewitz (Sedona, Asheville, Moab, Vermont, Whistler, New Zealand); Jake Szymanski (Big Sur, Oregon Coast, Taiwan); Natalie R. Starr (Western Colorado); Donalrey Nieva (Hudson Valley); Jess Daddio (Stokesville); espiegle/Getty Images (Patagonia); AsianDream/Getty Images (Copenhagen); Augustus Farmer (Pyrenees, Switzerland ); Chiara Redaschi (Tuscany); Atlantide Phototravel/Getty Images (Amsterdam); Lars Schneider (Norway)

PETER FLAX is based in Los Angeles and writes about sports, adventure, and culture; his book Live to Ride: Finding Joy and Meaning on a Bicycle is out in March 2024.

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Teen summer camp –  bike trips for teens ages 11- 18

Trips in europe, canada, and the u.s., small groups and 2 leaders, safely ride on roads and bike paths, overnights at hostels, hotels, and campgrounds, easy, moderate & challenging biking adventures that are 1 –  8 weeks long.

Teen Treks is a non-profit educational travel program promoting personal growth, adventure, and fun through biking and hostelling

Teen Treks is an educational non-profit organization offering teenagers the chance to discover the excitement and fun of bike touring with a bunch of like- minded people, seeing beautiful natural landscapes and world- class cities while gaining independence and travel skills. We help teens find great experiences out on the road and make memories that will last a lifetime.

Visit our About Us page to learn more!

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"Changed my life. It was a great adventure!"

"A Teen Treks trip gives you a sense of independence, as opposed to a summer camp where everything is handed to you. I made new friends and saw new places, all on the power of myself and my bike.”

"A unique way to learn to live away from home, cook, live on a budget, repair mechanical things, interact with new people, see the country… the ultimate college prep."

“Egan loved the trip, I know her group is already talking about next summer. She came home a bit down because she had to leave her new friends. If she had time this summer, she would have squeezed another trip in…”

Get the latest news by following our blog:

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Our day started with delicious wood fired Vermont bagels that Chloe’s mom delivered to us at our campground. Then we set off to bike across the Lake Champlain Causeway on our way to Plattsburgh, NY. We had one major obstacle to overcome though. There is a short gap in the causeway for boats to get […]

Burlington Offered Plenty of Off-bike Fun for NYM Trekkers

Today started with a flat tire (Jaron). After that it was smooth sailing along a very scenic road for the first 10 miles. 3 kids went to the bike shop in Vergennes. It was a very cool little shop with very good prices. The group had to split up for some of these things. We […]

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Trek 920 Review: What’s an adventure bike?

Joining the ever-burgeoning ranks of the ‘adventure bike’, Trek’s 920 aims to rewrite the classic touring rulebook. For a start, it uses a lightweight aluminum frame, the latest in industry thru-axle standards, and sports clearances for 2.2in 29er tires. There’s custom racks and provision for 6 water bottles too. But does this mean it can really go where no touring bike has previously been? Skyler Des Roches takes one to British Colombia to find out…

PUBLISHED Aug 30, 2016

It’s clear on paper that the Trek 920 is a category-confused bike. Is it a drop-bar 29er? A touring bike? A monster-cross or all-road thing? Several companies are calling similar machines “adventure bicycles”. What does that even mean? How does the curious mating of spec and geometry often found in this newly-minted category play out on planet Earth?

While I’ll concede that I don’t think it really matters what particular narrow niche a bike is labeled under, I do think that knowing what a bike does best is extremely useful when shopping. In a world where the word adventure has been appropriated by urban dog-walkers and picnickers, my challenge in reviewing Trek’s answer to the “adventure bike” was to figure out what the hell this bike was for.

From afar, the Trek 920 looks a lot like many of this year’s new breed of gravel or randonneur bikes. But, those bikes are adapted cyclocross or road designs and can usually fit 700x40c tires or more voluminous, but smaller diameter 27.5×2.1” (650Bx53) mountain bike tires. The 920 comes set up with Bontrager Duster Elite 29er wheels, and clearance for up to about 29×2.25” (untested, so this might depend on the tire). Running the stock Bontrager XR1 tires, which measure 29×2.0” (or 700Cx51 if you prefer), there is even space for fenders.

One upside to the bike industry’s new love for the word “adventure” is that it has provided an opportunity for bike manufacturers to break some of the old rules of touring bikes. Gone is the old singular meaning of adventure cycling, the one that meant loading up a small mountain of gear strapped to front and rear racks, just sort of suffering along whatever road, and praying that the equipment would hold up.

These days, adventure means, well, just about anything if you believe the marketing. It’s the hottest thing in cycling, and everyone wants a slice. Adventure biking is being used simultaneously as a category, and an all-encompassing activity. Full-suspension mountain bike – adventure; hardtail – definitely adventure; cross bike – whiskey and adventure; expensive road bike – hella adventurizing. The spirit of adventure never changed, but the old rule book – the one that required 26” wheels, Schwalbe solid rubber tires, rim brakes, drop bars, 36 spoke wheels, square-tapers, leather and steel – has been shown out the back door. It’s rather confusing from a marketing perspective, so it’s perhaps understandable that the 920 would appear so category-confused.

At its core, Trek’s 920 seems to aim to achieve the same thing as those rule-bound classic touring bikes, but freed the Luddite mentality that is becoming less and less necessary for international touring as bikes get more reliable, and a variety of parts more easily available around the world. Its aluminum frame features thru-axles, internal cable-routing, a bent top tube that allows three bottle cages within the front triangle on sizes 56cm and up, braze-ons for front and rear racks (which come included), and bottle cage mounts on each fork leg and below the down tube. That’s a total of six bottle mounts on the frame and fork. The aluminum material is exotic in itself for a touring bike, but it allows for a bike that weighs only 26lbs in size 58cm.

Though a frame will always be the heart of a bike, I’d guess that the 920 is the sort of bike that will almost always be purchased and ridden as a complete package. As such, the stock parts spec will be important to most people looking at this bike.

The 920’s build, with a few exceptions, offers a build spec that will come as a breath of fresh air for cycle tourists: its components, for the most part, are exceedingly well-suited to the unique needs of pedaling a loaded bike. Namely, its mountain bike gearing, powerful brakes, decent tires, and strong racks will mean forgoing some common component swaps made to brand new touring bikes.

• Frame 100 Series Alpha aluminum w/rack + fender mounts
• Fork Trek Adventure alloy disc, 15mm thru-axle
• Rims Bontrager Duster Elite Tubeless Ready
• Hubs 15mm front, 142×12 rear
• Tires Bontrager XR1, 29×2.0″
• Shifters SRAM 500 TT, bar end control, 10 speed
• Front derailleur SRAM X5
• Rear derailleur SRAM X7, Type 2
• Crank SRAM S1000, 42/28T
• Cassette SRAM PG-1030, 11-36, 10 speed
• Chain KMC X10
• Saddle Bontrager Evoke 1.5
• Seatpost Bontrager alloy, 2-bolt head, 27.2mm, 8mm offset
• Handlebar Bontrager Race, VR-C, 31.8mm
• Stem Bontrager Elite, 31.8mm, 7 degree, comes w/ computer & light mounts
• Headset FSA IS-3, 1-1/8″ threadless, sealed cartridge bearings
• Brakeset TRP Hylex hydraulic disc

A highlight reel

• Tubeless ready wheels with asymmetrical spokes (for more even spoke tension).
• Bontrager 29×2.0” XR1 Comp tires: cheap yes, but also pretty ideal for rolling efficiently on gravel and paved surfaces. I was able to run these tires tubeless for duration of the test, even if they’re not a tubeless ready tire.
• 2×10 Sram X7 mountain drivetrain: mountain bike drivetrain on a drop bar bike?! A 42/28 crankset?! Pinch me. This gear range is actually suitable for cycle touring.
• TRP Hylex hydraulic disc brakes: because being able to actually stop a loaded drop bar touring bike is something the world deserves. Unlike mechanical disc brakes, these are set-and-forget, requiring zero maintenance.
• Thru-axles: because if it’s going to have mountain bike wheels, it’d better be able to run common mountain bike wheels. They also surely add a degree of stiffness, stability, and strength to the frame when stressed by heavy loads.
• Custom racks: yup, the 920 comes with front and rear racks designed to mount specifially to this bike, and as far as I can tell, they’re bomber.

There were only a couple of parts that were immediately unimpressive. First, the saddle did not agree at all with my posterior. I guess that’s a matter of personal preference. Second, the stock stem lengths are atrociously out of whack with the bike’s geo. Consider that Specialized’s AWOL has very similar front end geometry, and specs a 70mm stem on the size L. The 58cm Trek reviewed here came with a 110mm fishing pole.

Now, I’m a relatively averagely proportioned 6’2” tall man. I’ve never come across a bike that was offered in 58cm where the correct size for me wasn’t 58cm. I don’t doubt that the stock stem length will work for some folks out there, but I’d have hoped Trek would aim for average. As it was, I immediately swapped to an 85mm stem, and would probably be happier with a 70mm.

Besides that, there are a few spec choices that don’t quite fit with the nature of the bike. They’re not huge detriments, but they add to the category confusion of the Trek 920.

I guess it’s not really fair to be puzzled at the bar-end shifters – I know why they’re there. Reason 1: this is a $2000 drop bar bike with hydraulic disc brakes. They’ve got to cut cost somewhere and bar-cons are a good way to do that. Reason 2: there’s an old notion that bar-end shifters are a good choice for touring. Part of this idea comes from a sort of retro-grouch mentality that says simple is inherently more durable. I disagree, but I’ll get to that. Part of the old appeal of bar-end shifting stems from the flexibility of friction shifting. Bent derailleurs or derailleur hangers can sometimes be limped home with some amount of shifting in friction mode. Alas, while Sram 10 speed allows the mixing of road shifters with mountain drivetrains, those Sram bar-cons cannot be switched to friction mode.

But given the wide tires, thru-axles, hydraulic disc brakes, aluminum frame and tubeless wheels, I’d think the 920 was beyond all that – a 21st century answer to the touring category. Rather than providing any sort of real advantage to reliability, the bar-end shifters just place thin aluminum shift levers in one of the most vulnerable places on a bicycle. If the bike falls over, which is likely to happen at some point if you use front panniers, there’s a real possibility of breaking or bending the shifter lever.

You and I can likely live with all that given the rest of the spec. The real annoyance came when I thought to myself “damn, this bike could almost pass as a real mountain bike. I should turn off on that singletrack right there.” Or maybe it was that all the underbiking I saw the last time I checked that well-known cycling fashion blog. You know, the one where they’re always riding absurdly expensive road bikes on California singletrack.

And even that started out great. It was a blast right up until the first short, punchy climb. I stood up on the pedals, spine curled and hands deep in the back of the drops when cluuunk…instant knee-to shifter contact. Gear 1 to 10 in one second flat. Game over, no more climbing. Those accidental knee-shifts all but prevented me from using this bike as a drop-bar mountain bike.

Given that those shifters and racks are good indicators that Trek may have intended the 920 to fill the role of a classic touring bike (while somewhat extending its utility onto unsealed surfaces) the 28-spoke wheels are also surprising. Sure, 28-spoke wheels are common for all manner of mountain biking these days, including such high wheel-abuse activities as enduro racing. The Bontrager Duster Elite wheelset is built using asymmetrical rims, which provide more even spoke tension, and may allow them to hold their own against higher spoke-count hoops. But, wheels are subject to a lot of abuse when riding corrugated roads with four bursting panniers, as might be expected on a 920. Fortunately, throughout the test, the Bontrager wheels showed no sign of struggling, though I never did ride the bike loaded with more than about 15kg.

With its long 465mm chain stays, its very low 85mm bottom bracket drop, and its high trail fork, the Trek 920 is built for stability above all. Combined with the large wheels, this has the down side of making the bike decidedly not nimble. This is, perhaps, its weakness. It is especially noticeable when the bike plays dual duty as a commuter. Even though my commute times were not noticeably slower than on my positively zippy little 90’s mountain bike-commuter conversion, the 920 felt very slow to accelerate, and far less eager to take 90 degree corners at speed. It made up for time, however, by easily cruising at speeds similar to a road bike.

With a front load, that high-trail fork exacerbates the lack of maneuverability, making it ride as if on rails. This is likely of benefit moving fast on open roads, but I’d advise against riding with a front load bias off-road. Note that, despite the recent resurgence of front loading – a style of touring long popular amongst randonneurs and their low trail bikes – the 920 and the likes of Specialized’s AWOL have very similar trail measurements, and are not actually any more suitable for front-loading off pavement than other bikes. Instead, I found the 920 handled best with a slight rearward weight bias, or close to even front-to-back weight distribution.

Loaded up on smooth back-roads, whether dirt or pavement, this stability plays to its favour. On one lightly-loaded two-night trip, I was able to maintain close to a 25km/h moving average on smooth gravel roads – much higher than my usual plodding pace. Once up to speed, I could sit in the drops and go, and go, and go…I rode 60km of dirt roads in falling snow for lunch with friends, and 60km back along sloppy mud roads in the rain. The next day, 80km before lunch. These are not my usual sorts of backroad riding days, I’m really not that fit.

This efficiency is no doubt one of the few benefits of drop bar bikes for dirt road touring. I find the riding position (after the stem switch) generally more powerful, and less energy-consuming on the 920 than I’m used to. That said, this being a demo bike, I did not have the opportunity to cut the steerer tube to my preferred length. I found the drops often felt too low, while the hoods felt too high. On one trip, I added some aero bars. By rotating between the three riding positions – climb on the hoods, rotate between the drops and aero bars on flats, and descend in the drops – I was able stay comfortable enough.

On rougher roads, such as the crushed rock logging roads found in British Columbia’s more mountainous parts, the efficient road bike-like riding position and incredible stability (lack of maneuverability) ceased to be a benefit. Instead, I found the position made it challenging to effectively absorb rough stretches, even if the bike itself encouraged me to bomb through those parts. After 100km of that sort of road, my back was sore and I was wishing for a flat bar bike. I’m convinced that a flat bar rigid 29er remains the best option over the greatest variety of terrain, even if the drop bar 29ers excel on gravel roads.

Furthermore, the low bottom bracket and bar-end shifters make it very challenging to ride the 920 on even relatively easy singletrack. Perhaps it’s because I’m used to riding modern hard tails on that sort of surface, but between the constant pedal-to-ground and knee-to-shifter strikes, I wasn’t going far on singletrack without getting frustrated. Running 2.3” tires, some of the pedal striking would surely be alleviated, and the bike would undoubtedly tackle singletrack more adeptly.

Aluminum is certainly unfashionable as a material for touring bikes. I think there is a wide notion that the “feel” of steel makes for a smoother, more comfortable ride. That may be so, but 2.0” tires do a lot for a smoother, more comfortable ride. On maintained gravel roads – that is, unsealed roads that may have a good gravel cap and get graded somewhat regularly – the 920 sails. Hitting corrugated corners at cruising speed is totally comfortable. Perhaps some of my soreness on rougher roads could be attributed to the aluminum frame material. But, I think we can really blame that discomfort to the sporty drop bar position and its difficulty dodging bumps when loaded.

• Value for the price – impressive package for sub-$2000
• Comes with good quality front and rear racks
• Finally, a gear range on a touring bike that’s not too tall
• Tire clearance for 2.0” rubber with fenders, or up to 2.3” without
• Bottle bosses for 6 bottles in size 56cm and up, and 5 bottles below
• Hydraulic disc brakes provide plenty of power for stopping a loaded bike
• Surprisingly good tire spec
• Lightweight – 26lb without racks or pedals in size 58cm, 29lbs with racks and pedals.
• Wants to go fast.
• Stock stem length way, way too long for average build
• Bar-end shifters are vulnerable to damage, and impede maneuvering obstacles or climbing out of the saddle
• Stock saddle designed without any reflection on human anatomy
• Long rear end/high-trail fork gives away too much maneuverability for touring stability

​Wrap Up: So what is an adventure bike?

​Think of the Trek 920 as​ an updated ​’classic’ ​touring bike​. It ​offer​s​ the load-carrying abilities ​of racks and panniers ​teamed with​ modern components and materials​, ​​bringing i​t in at ​a ​svelte ​26lb package​ – a relative lightweight in the touring world. ​Though the 29×2” tires ​and its generous clearances ​may ​suggest back​country,​ bikepacking ​inclinations, th​e 920’s super stable geometry​ really shines on paved roads and smooth, non-technical dirt​, the kind of terrain encountered on many of the popular touring routes​. ​Consider ​it more as a ‘Touring Plus​’ bike​. ​But note that while the big tires ​help it ride more comfortably and safely, they don’t necessarily extend the abilities of this machine.

• Model Tested Trek 920 Disc
• Size Tested 58″
• Sizes Available 49,52,54,56,58,61″
• Weight (56cm) 28lbs / 12.7 kg
• Price $1,989.99
• Contact TrekBikes.com
• Recommended Uses Gravel touring, dirt road bikepacking, all-road riding

Rider’s Background

When not on some longer exploratory bikepacking trip, I tend to do my riding on a mountain bike on the steep, technical trails of southwestern British Columbia. Earlier this year, I spent three months finding new bikepacking routes in Chile’s central Andes. Despite my bias toward lighter loads and harder trails, I’ve put in my time riding on pavement with four panniers, and everything in between. I’ll admit a preference toward standard flat handlebars and more upright riding positions for all but the fastest road riding.

Height 6’2” Weight 180lbs Inseam to ground 34.6”

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Welcome to Ride and Seek, a cycling tour operator that doesn’t use the word ‘epic’ lightly when we design our portfolio of Epic Cycling Adventure Tours . Our bike tours help our guests become adventurers, connecting with their tribe along the way. We believe that cycling holidays are the best way to connect with the stunning landscapes we traverse, allowing us to see an incredible range of different countries and cultures on each of our journeys. If you’re not sure where to get started, our Cycling Tours in Europe have the most diverse range of experiences to choose between. If you have any questions, please reach out . Your next great adventure could be only a few clicks away!

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After my 12 years of riding bike tours, I believe Dylan and his guides have the magic formula. Every detail is covered and no request is too large, so all I needed to do was turn the pedals and enjoy the ride. I can’t say enough about the route, food, wine, and accommodations, however, the icing on the cake is their knowledge of the local history and culture. Ted V

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I signed up for Hannibal ride because of the combination of historical story and the cycling adventure. It met all my expectations. Excellently organised and supported in every way. I am a slow rider up hills (the slowest) but there were plenty of opportunities for me to ride at my own pace and I appreciated that flexibility by the guides. Robert R

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Best touring bikes 2024: tourers for adventures on two wheels

Although there are many bikes capable of cycle trips, the best touring bikes remain the optimal tool for longer journeys

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Our pick of the best touring bikes

What to look for in a touring bike.

The allure of the open road is one of cycling’s enduring themes. Touring by bicycle allows for this on a grand scale, travelling for several days, often in far-flung places with all your kit strapped to the bike. Of course, micro-adventures closer to home can be just as much fun and still keep the spirit of adventure alive.

Whether you’re planning an expedition abroad or fancy exploring more local roads in far greater detail, a touring bike is the ideal tool for the job. Designed for cycling long distances in comfort, the bikes should be both stable and reliable in their handling, as well as providing all the mounts you need for pannier racks and bags and mudguards . Self-sufficiency is one of the tenets of cycling touring, so the bikes are usually designed with ease of maintenance in mind, too.

The good news for touring cyclists is that the range of bikes available to cater for their needs has grown substantially in the last few years.

In this guide, we've rounded up the more traditional options. If you're thinking of going off-road, perhaps investigate gravel orientated options in our buying guide here , and if you plan to go quick and travel light, see endurance road bikes here .

There's more on what to look for in a touring bike below - but first, here are our top picks of the best touring bikes.

Genesis Tour de Fer 30 touring bike

Specifications, reasons to buy, reasons to avoid.

This is a bike that's been created exclusively to provide a comfortable and practical ride for a touring cyclist. The Reynolds 725 Heat-Treated Chromoly frame promises a springy ride and an incredibly strong base.

The 160mm rotor mechanical disc brakes are a more modern introduction with a nod to practicality, especially in the wet. Although we’ve found mechanical TRP Spyre brake calipers aren’t quite as powerful or as easy to modulate as a hydraulic brakeset, they are easy to adjust and highly reliable – perfect for a long-distance tour.

A 10-speed Shimano Tiagra drivetrain is about right for a bike at this price point, but in our experience, a 50/39/30 crankset provides gears that are just a bit too big for cycle touring – particularly over hilly terrain. 

But you can always swap this out for a smaller ringed option down the line. We find that with a cassette of 11-34t, going for a granny ring of 26t is generally a good bet.

We’ve always found Schwalbe’s Marathon tyres to be highly puncture resistant and with a good wear rate. In 35c, these are capable of traversing broken roads and tamer gravel, but if you’re planning on spending a large amount of time off road you would want something a bit plumper.

Handily, this bike come with many of the accessories we think are a must. Firstly, mudguards, but also dynamo powered front and rear lights, bottle cages and the Tubus pannier racks front and rear.

Surly Disc Trucker

A spin-off of Surly's much-revered Long Haul Trucker, the Disc Trucker keeps many of the much-loved versatility and can-do attitude, but this time with the addition of mechanical disc brakes and thru-axles – unlike the Genesis Tour de Fer 30 which has disc brakes and QR axles.

Opinion is a little split on thru-axles for touring – if you have any catastrophic issues with your hubs in more remote countries, you're unlikely to be able to find a replacement locally. That said, those kind of hub issues are quite rare and if it does happen you can always get a replacement sent out. For the improved alignment between the rotor and the caliper, we think the benefits outweigh the negatives.

A multitude of braze-on mount means the Disc Trucker is capable of running front and rear bags, full-coverage fenders, two water bottles, a spare spoke and even a pump peg. However, in not coming with these accessories, you will have to factor these into the cost, making the value for money a little less than the Genesis Tour de Fer 30 or the Kona Sutra.

With both 26" and 700c wheel build options available, the Disc Trucker can be as adventurous as you choose. The 26" (in sizes 42-58cm) is capable of taking up to 2.1" tires, while the 700c version (in sizes 56-64cm) has room for up to 42mm tires — both with fenders.

Although touring bikes generally do have a more relaxed position than a typical road bike, designed as they are for comfortably covering long distances, the Disc Trucker does have a particularly high front end. This isn't necessarily a problem, but if you are coming from a road cycling background, you may find just such an elevated position a little uncomfortable 

Made from a CroMoly Steel, the Disc Trucker comes equipped with a Shimano Alivio/Sora drivetrain, with the 48/36/26 triple Alivio crankset and 11-34 9-speed Shimano cassette provides a gearing range we find to be a great balance between top-end speed and low-end winching – particularly if you’re planning on maxing out the rider and kit weight limit of 161kg (355lb).

Kona Sutra All Road touring bike

The gloss black Sutra is made from Kona 's Cromoly steel frame and is kitted out with smooth-rolling Schwalbe Marathon Mondial 700x40c tires on WTB STi23 rims, which are now tubeless-compatible.

The current model has replaced the previous Shimano Deore 3x10 drivetrain with 2x10 chainset from Shimano's GRX gravel range. It's a move that's unlikely to please the touring purists. The 46/30t chainrings are matched with a 11-36t cassette, which sees the bike's gearing range reduced. It should still see you up the steep climbs, just perhaps not in as much comfort as before.

Gone too are the bar-end shifters, replaced with Shimano 10-speed Tiagra road shifters. Again it's quite the change, moving the Sutra from a traditional tourer into a far more modern interpretation. It reduces some of the bike's previous mechanical simplicity, which is appealing if your tours are long and overseas. That said the move to STI levers will appeal if you're used to riding a regular bike.

Another nod to modernity are the TRP disc brakes, which are blend of mechanical and hydraulic, and the frame's thru-axles.

With a Brooks B17 leather saddle, mudguards and a front pannier rack finishing off this tourer, this good-looking bike oozes style.

The leather Brooks saddle does require a bit more care than what you might be used to – it need to be kept covered from heavy rain and needs a semi regular application of cream to keep the leather supple. But by functioning essentially as a hammock, it is exceptionally comfortable and only gets better over time as it moulds to your shape – it wears in, rather than out..

Ridgeback Voyage

Classic styling never goes out of date - and the vintage-looking Voyage has got it by the bucket load, though a redesign means that modern tech has not been overlooked.

The Ridgeback Voyage uses Reynolds 520 tubing for the frame, with a CroMoly steel fork. A rack and full mudguards (fenders) come as standard. 

The Shimano 48/36/26t triple chainset paired with an 11-34 cassette offers a good range of gearing although with relatively large jumps between the gears due to having just nine gears at the rear. 

We don’t find this to be too much of an issue when taking it steady on a cycle tour but would prefer something a little tighter if multiple very high mileage days are planned.

Shifting and braking is taken care of by Shimano's reliable Sora levers and Tektro cantilever rim brakes. The latter certainly help make the Voyage a maintenance-friendly machine - easy to maintain and find replaces for, even in remote locations - although disc brakes may be a preferred choice for all-weather tourers.

Alex rims with a high spoke count are pretty dependable, even if not the flashiest and fitted with 32c Continental Contact tyres, they can handle a little off road, but are best suited to the tarmac.  

Trek 520 disc touring bike

Constructed from Trek's CroMoly steel, the frame has been designed around disc brakes and fitted with a rack and fenders mounts.

The Bontrager Affinity rims are tubeless-ready, which might be worth setting up if you want a bit of a faster ride when commuting. But for long-term touring it’s generally best to stick with inner tubes so as to avoid the added complication of sealant drying out. Bontrager’s 38c H1 hard-case Ultimate tyres offer good puncture resistance themselves.

The drivetrain is a mixture of Shimano parts with Sora shifters. The crankset is a triple, with 48/36/26 tooth chainrings, and the cassette is an 11-36 so you'll have ample gears when the road goes up. TRP Spyre C 2.0 mechanical disc mechanical discs look after stopping.

However, with only nine sprockets on the cassette, the jumps between the gears are a little large, as with the Ridgeback Voyage. But if this does cause you an issue, and if you find yourself not using all of the gears, you could fit a tighter range cassette for smaller jumps.

Like the Genesis Tour de Fer 30, the wheel axles are QR, which can make getting the rotor and caliper aligned properly a little more difficult than with a thru-axle system

The overall weight comes in at 14.26 kg / 31.4 lbs in a size 57, which is lighter than some of the more traditional options.

Cube Travel Pro Trapeze touring bike

Cube offers its Travel Pro tourer in both a traditional crossbar and step-through frame design, with the latter making mounting and dismounting this robust, aluminum bike easy and convenient.

The convenience theme is carried through much of the bike. It's equipped with a Shimano Nexus internal hub gear system and a Gates CDN Belt Drive system which offers super low maintenance compared with a more traditional chain and derailleur system.

With this eight-speed hub, the jumps between the gears is a little larger and the overall range a little lower than you can get with a derailleur system, and it's not quite as efficient. But that said, if you're planning on taking it steady on your cycle tour, those points are pretty immaterial compared to the benefit of much lower maintenance.  

There's plenty of clearance for extra-wide tires and the wheels are currently wrapped in Schwalbe's Marathon Almotion 29x2.15in rubber.

Finishing off this functional tourer are full-length fenders, an adjustable CUBE stand Pro kickstand, a Knog Oi bell, lights (front and rear), and a semi-integrated carrier for pannier bags; these features will have you covered for any adventure.

Salsa Marrakesh

The Marrakesh is designed to take you touring wherever you wish — including a trip around the world if necessary. The frame is built from 4130 CroMoly tubing and has a serious array of mounts. There's room for up to five bottle cages thanks to extra fork mounts plus it comes fitted with front and rear racks. There's even a mount to carry a spare spoke.

Elsewhere there are bar-end shifters and a 3x9-speed Shimano Alivio groupset. The gearing range is designed to get you up the steep stuff even when fully loaded thanks to 48/36/36 triple chainring paired with an 11-36t cassette. The shifters also make roadside maintenance a little easier.

Its world-touring credentials are further aided by its generous tire clearance - 700 x 40mm even with mudguards (fenders), and comes stock with Maxxis Roamer 42mm tires. This means you should eat up the miles in comfort even when the road gets rough.

It's difficult to lay out specific criteria when it comes to choosing a touring bike because the beauty of touring is that it can be whatever you want it to be – there is no single best touring bike for everyone, what is best for you depends on the type of tours you want to go on. However, there are key elements to consider when selecting your two-wheeled riding buddy, which will enable you to get the best touring bike for you.

Touring bike frame

If you're planning a longer trip, and intend the bike to be used primarily for such adventures, then the resilience and comfort of steel is a sensible choice. As such, most of the best touring bikes will feature this metal. The amount you're willing to invest will dictate the weight, strength and character of the steel you end up with.

When looking at steel touring bikes, expect to see the word 'Chromoly' a lot. This is a form of low alloy steel that is used when strength is particularly important. It takes its name from two of the primary alloying (mixing of metals) elements used: “chromium” and “molybdenum”.

If you're planning on using the bike for touring and other duties: club runs, commutes, shorter rides where speed might be more in your interest, consider aluminum or carbon .

Bikes suitable for touring will have a relaxed geometry: a shorter top tube and taller stack to put the rider in a more relaxed position. The wheelbase will be longer, to create a feeling of stability. You'll also notice that the chainstays are longer - this means panniers can be mounted without a chance of clipping your heels and it allows for better distribution when panniers are full.

Touring bike wheels

Elsewhere in the cycling world, we talk about low weight and aerodynamics when it comes to bicycle wheels. And sure, if you're aiming to break a world record on your cycle tour then those are probably still very important areas to consider.

However, if you mainly want to get to somewhere rather far away, and you'd like to arrive there with a wheel that's still true and contains the same number of spokes you left with, then a strong wheel is what you desire. Look for a higher spoke count that you might opt for on a speedy road bike.

The best touring bikes will generally have at least 36 spokes per wheel, tandem touring bike can even go as high as 48. 

Touring bike tyres

It's incredible how much difference a set of tyres can make to a bike. The frame can be designed with comfort top of the agenda, but put on some narrow rubber shoes and pump them up to the wrong tyre pressure and you'll be bumping about all over the road.

Most touring cyclists will want to go for wider tyres - 28mm+, when compared with their road racing cousins. The further off the beaten track you want to go, the wider they should be. If you plan on tackling some light trails, look for 32mm+.

Touring bike brakes

Traditionally, touring bikes had rim brakes and these will certainly do the job for most road-based tours. However, disc brakes do provide far superior stopping power, especially in the wet, and they are now more common than rim brake on the best touring bikes

Since disc brakes don't rely upon the rim to bring the bike to a halt, they also reduce the risk of the rims becoming worn through debris building up on the pads.

Add in that many touring cyclists are carrying luggage, therefore adding to the overall load, powerful brakes that work in all weathers do seem like a sensible addition. However, not everyone likes the appearance of disc brakes on a traditional steel machine and the pads are a tiny bit harder to replace and set up, which is worth considering if you're maintaining your bike on the road.

Luggage and Lights on a touring bike

A purpose-built touring bike will come with pannier racks fitted, as well as fenders and perhaps even built-in lights. These all add to the overall weight, but if the intended purpose requires them, it's no bother.

If you plan to use the bike for other purposes, like group rides, then you may want to look for a bike that comes with eyelets for guards and racks, so that you can remove and fit them as and when.

There's a lot of clever luggage solutions around these days, such as frame bags and oversized saddlebags , that allow you to do away with panniers if you'd rather distribute weight differently.

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Michelle Arthurs-Brennan the Editor of Cycling Weekly website. An NCTJ qualified traditional journalist by trade, Michelle began her career working for local newspapers. She's worked within the cycling industry since 2012, and joined the Cycling Weekly team in 2017, having previously been Editor at Total Women's Cycling. Prior to welcoming her daughter in 2022, Michelle raced on the road, track, and in time trials, and still rides as much as she can - albeit a fair proportion indoors, for now.

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