Questions riders ask before booking.

Yes — comprehensive travel insurance is required on every tour. A European EHIC/GHIC card (or your national equivalent) only covers basic local treatment; travel insurance covers full local costs and, crucially, repatriation if you need to get home. We recommend taking out cover as soon as you book, so any injury during your preparation is covered too.

For minor issues you can usually rest in the support vehicle if there is space. If you need to stop riding, we help arrange your onward care and return. You are responsible for your own health cover, so bring your insurance documents and EHIC/GHIC card.

Only your own insurance covers theft, so check that your bike is included. We have never had a bike stolen on tour, but we recommend bringing an extra lock for peace of mind overnight.

A modern gravel bike (for example a Canyon Grail or Trek Checkpoint) is ideal. A hardtail mountain bike works on most routes but is slower on tarmac and flatter sections. For self-guided departures you also need a GPS computer that can follow a GPX file.

Around 45 mm is the sweet spot for most of our tours — lower pressure, more grip, more comfort and fewer punctures over 6–8 hour days. Use 40–42 mm for tarmac-heavy routes, 45–50 mm for most tours, and 50 mm+ for rougher terrain like Scotland and the Trans Alp.

Tubeless is the standard on current gravel bikes and we recommend it: lower pressures, self-sealing of small punctures, and no pinch flats. If you run tubes, carry at least three spares plus patches; tubeless riders should still carry one emergency tube.

Either works, but you need low enough gearing for long climbs on tours like the Trans Alp and Trans Pyrenees. A simple test at home: ride a familiar climb at a conversational pace in your lowest gear for 20–30 minutes. If you are gasping, fit an easier chainring or cassette before you travel — it is far cheaper than a hard week.

Two to three spare tubes (right valve and width), a pump or CO₂, a patch kit, tubeless sealant, a chain tool and a few quick links, spare brake pads, a multitool and spare cleats. For electronic or proprietary parts, bring your own spares — the support vehicle carries basics, not specialist components.

Every route is supplied as a GPX file you load onto your bike computer. On guided departures a leader keeps the group together and GPS is a backup; on self-guided departures you ride at your own pace and the support vehicle meets you at set points.

Any GPX-capable head unit — a Garmin Edge, Wahoo ELEMNT or similar. A phone works only as a backup. Test a GPX upload before you travel so you are comfortable with it.

Yes. Most tours have shorter options you can agree with your guide in the morning, and the support vehicle can pick you up if a stage is too much on the day.

Typically 60–100 km a day with varying climbing, depending on the tour and stage. The Trans Pyrenees has the longest days; Trans Cyprus and Trans Algarve are more moderate. Each tour page shows its profile.

You do not need to race, but you need a solid base. A good benchmark: you can comfortably ride 70–80 km with 1,000–1,200 m of climbing and still have energy for the evening. See our Levels page for Explore vs Adventure.

Our English-speaking guides handle navigation, keep the group together, set a sensible pace and call the breaks. They coordinate with the support vehicle and deal with the unexpected — weather, closures, mechanicals — so nobody is left alone on a mountain road.

You navigate independently from the GPX files while the support vehicle follows the route and meets you at lunch and at the hotel. Every route is tested, the files are reliable, and the support van is always reachable. It is the quieter, more independent option.

Yes — hotels are used to hungry cyclists. Breakfast is usually a buffet, dinners are multi-course, and we stop at a scouted lunch spot each day.

Hotels default to double rooms; couples get doubles and others usually get twin (two single) beds subject to availability, which we cannot guarantee for every night. A limited number of single rooms is available — tell us when you book and we will do our best.

Unless the local forecast is genuinely dangerous, we ride — with good rain gear and warm gloves. Temperatures swing 15–20°C between valleys and passes, so pack for both ends and a packable windproof for every day. Wool base layers beat synthetics when it is wet and cold.

Most days are sunny and warm. Bring high-SPF sunscreen and use plenty of it — the breeze on the bike hides how much sun and dehydration you are getting. Drink more than you think you need. See our full packing list.