About
We try to make the tour as inclusive as possible for any level of fitness or experience with bike touring. We cycle a maximum of 30–70 km per day (depending on the hills), and on average half of the days we stay in a place without cycling. Our experience is that almost everyone can manage this, but there is the possibility to shorten the distances if we discover that it is too much. People cycle in small groups or alone, at whatever speed suits them, and many people like to take it slow and take lots of breaks. A detailed route plan for the day is shared in the morning, arrows are drawn with chalk on the road at every turn, and if you get lost you can always call the Biketour phone. If you have a shitty bike, you will not be the only one, and we enjoy supporting each other if something breaks. We make sure that the last people to leave carry a toolbox, a phone and a first-aid kit in order to assist if anything goes wrong on the road.
Read more about what the Ecotopia Biketour is. If you would like to get an insight into the organisation or just ask a question, contact us.
Biketour concepts
Participation Guidelines
> participation guidelines
> awareness
Self-Organisation
> how it’s prepared
> consensus
> circles
Online Tools
> online-tools
> photo-sharing
On the road
> on the road
> tasks & rota
> trailers
> wildcamping
Food
Whenever it’s possible we go dumpster-diving and buy food from local farmers and small shops.
> veganism
> rocket stove
> dumpster-diving
Activities
> skill-sharing
Latest blog posts
Border messages by satellite…. Border Crossing #1
Next day was our first border crossing from Germany to the Czech Republic… marked unassumingly by a small EU sign. But once we had crossed, the visual signs became more clear, and the landscape more wild. Actually the first thing that marked the crossing was a small reminder from our mobile phone providers, followed by Vietnamese tourist shops selling knickknacks from baseball caps to huge plastic Bambis. The route that afternoon was incredible, despite an accident with one of the ambitious trailer pullers who decided to follow the more off-road route option through the National Park. Our final destination was…
Sorbian poets and a midnight critical mass….
On our route from Proschim we were made more aware of the extent of the open cast mines in the outskirts and surrounding areas that left huge blue lakes in place where farm land and village life once thrived. We did, I must admit take advantage of one of these lakes at lunchtime, only to be warned by one of the locals of the acidic content, and recommendation to swim elsewhere. The ride was hot, long, but as ever scenic as the scouts led us through small roads and cycle paths. A few punctures and tick inspections later we arrived…
Terezin, the Elbe and mountain bars….
Many people said that although it was their hardest day’s cycling through the mountains, up up up up … the free wheeling down again made it all worth it, and was for many their best day’s cycling. The next day was mainly down hill all the way to the Elbe river, that we followed al the way into Usti Nad Labem. On the way one group visited Terezin, a former military forttress where Jews of high status were kept for information during the second world war. Along the Elbe there was still evidence from the recent floodings, and tide marks…
Snakes in the lakes, Plums in the slums – 21st July
Skinny dipping at sunset ‘Red next to yellow, kill a fellow. Yellow next to black, venom lack.’ This little serpent is black all over, with no yellow or red. And she quickly slithers past us to a quieter spot. Still I’ve never seen our group of sweaty cyclists so hesitant to plunge into the cool inviting water of a lake at lunchtime! It’s 2 o’clock and outside of the shade of these trees the sun is far too oppressive to do anything, let alone continue the 50 kilometres of mountain cycling ahead. Since crossing the border from Germany to…