Do I need to help you out beforehand, if I want to participate?
No. But we encourage, as it is self-organised, everybody interested to help us prepare the tour. Be relaxed and just make sure to join us!
Archives: FAQs
Can my child come on the tour with me?
The Biketour is definitely open for children, but whether it is suitable for your child will depend on the specific needs and personality of your child and of you. Keep in mind the following things: On cycling days, daily distances are usually around 40–70 km. For most young children, this is probably too much to cycle on their own, but it may also be too long to just sit on a seat or in a trailer. See below for some suggestions. Children are not joining the Biketour very often, so it is rather likely that there will be no other…
How do you share tasks (like cooking)?
Usually there is a rota, a plan that lists all the tasks that need to be done where people can sign themselves in. Most tasks last for one day and are done in small groups, although the exact details are decided by consensus on the actual tour. Signing up for a task is voluntary, so depending on your energy levels you can decide what and how much you want to do. We have noticed in the past that people tend to sign up for the tasks that they feel most comfortable with, so people who enjoy cooking mostly signed up for the…
I want to join at a specific date. How can I find you?
A day-by-day plan for the route will be planned and published on the website before the tour starts, so you can have an idea which place you have to travel to. If you need more detailed information than is given is the day-by-day plan, you can contact the organisation team using one of the mechanisms described on the Contact page. The people who are cycling on the actual tour will also check those e-mails every now and again, but oftentimes, there is no possibility to access the internet for a couple of days. There is always one communal mobile phone being…
How fit do I need to be to join the Biketour?
Ecotopia Biketour is not just about cycling for the sake of it – bicycles are also our sustainable mode of transport to get from one place to another. Although we seem to cover a lot of ground over the months we will be cycling for, you do not need to join the tour for the entire time and people can go at their own pace. It is certainly not a race and some days there will be no cycling at all. On an average cycling day, we will cycle around 50–70 km. In our experience, almost everyone gets used to…
I can’t join the whole tour… What can I do?
Most people don’t have time for 2-3 months in summer – that’s not nice, but it is alright with us ;) That is why many people don’t join for the whole trip. However, joining just a couple of days is something that has proven problematic on previous biketours: In bigger groups, people need time to get to know each other. And joining participants need time to adjust to the group and learn about the processes. We therefore aks you to stay with us for a minimum of 1-2 weeks!
How much money does it cost to participate?
Ecotopia Biketour is a not-for-profit, DIY activist community run by volunteers. All the money that we collect from our participants during the tour, is used to cover the costs during the tour, (such as: food; donations to project hosts; first aid equipment; bike tools; printing flyers / materials) but also some money is saved for the following year to cover some of the organisational costs (such as: office hire/donation; office equipment; phone / internet costs; trailer parts; cooking pots) We want to make participation inclusive – also in regard to money. For this reason, our money is periodically collected (e.g.…
What do I have to keep in mind for safe, easy cycling during the Biketour?
As you carry all things by yourself you should think twice about what you bring (“I always bring too many clothes!”). It’s helpful to bring with you some basic first aid medicine, sun protection and a hat. Prepare your bike as much as possible and try to use it, fully loaded, a few times before the start of Biketour as that’s how you will avoid pain in the muscles in the first days. Bring front and back lights – in the countryside there is often no street lighting. If you feel more safe wearing a helmet bring it. Try to…
Can my child come on the tour with me?
The Biketour is definitely open for children, but whether it is suitable for your child will depend on the specific needs and personality of your child and of you. Keep in mind the following things: On cycling days, daily distances are usually around 40–70 km. For most young children, this is probably too much to cycle on their own, but it may also be too long to just sit on a seat or in a trailer. See below for some suggestions. Children are not joining the Biketour very often, so it is rather likely that there will be no other…
How do you share tasks (like cooking)?
Usually there is a rota, a plan that lists all the tasks that need to be done where people can sign themselves in. Most tasks last for one day and are done in small groups, although the exact details are decided by consensus on the actual tour. Signing up for a task is voluntary, so depending on your energy levels you can decide what and how much you want to do. We have noticed in the past that people tend to sign up for the tasks that they feel most comfortable with, so people who enjoy cooking mostly signed up for the…
I want to join at a specific date. How can I find you?
A day-by-day plan for the route will be planned and published on the website before the tour starts, so you can have an idea which place you have to travel to. If you need more detailed information than is given is the day-by-day plan, you can contact the organisation team using one of the mechanisms described on the Contact page. The people who are cycling on the actual tour will also check those e-mails every now and again, but oftentimes, there is no possibility to access the internet for a couple of days. There is always one communal mobile phone being…
How fit do I need to be to join the Biketour?
Ecotopia Biketour is not just about cycling for the sake of it – bicycles are also our sustainable mode of transport to get from one place to another. Although we seem to cover a lot of ground over the months we will be cycling for, you do not need to join the tour for the entire time and people can go at their own pace. It is certainly not a race and some days there will be no cycling at all. On an average cycling day, we will cycle around 50–70 km. In our experience, almost everyone gets used to…
I can’t join the whole tour… What can I do?
Most people don’t have time for 2-3 months in summer – that’s not nice, but it is alright with us ;) That is why many people don’t join for the whole trip. However, joining just a couple of days is something that has proven problematic on previous biketours: In bigger groups, people need time to get to know each other. And joining participants need time to adjust to the group and learn about the processes. We therefore aks you to stay with us for a minimum of 1-2 weeks!
How much money does it cost to participate?
Ecotopia Biketour is a not-for-profit, DIY activist community run by volunteers. All the money that we collect from our participants during the tour, is used to cover the costs during the tour, (such as: food; donations to project hosts; first aid equipment; bike tools; printing flyers / materials) but also some money is saved for the following year to cover some of the organisational costs (such as: office hire/donation; office equipment; phone / internet costs; trailer parts; cooking pots) We want to make participation inclusive – also in regard to money. For this reason, our money is periodically collected (e.g.…
What do I have to keep in mind for safe, easy cycling during the Biketour?
As you carry all things by yourself you should think twice about what you bring (“I always bring too many clothes!”). It’s helpful to bring with you some basic first aid medicine, sun protection and a hat. Prepare your bike as much as possible and try to use it, fully loaded, a few times before the start of Biketour as that’s how you will avoid pain in the muscles in the first days. Bring front and back lights – in the countryside there is often no street lighting. If you feel more safe wearing a helmet bring it. Try to…