On a Roll: E-Bike Cycling with VBT

Bob White, 76, is such an avid cyclist he typically logs 8,000 miles a year, including the 19 bike trips he has taken with VBT Bicycling Vacations. But despite his extensive experience, he credits the company’s introduction of e-bikes in 2017 as the biggest game changer for him and his wife, Karen. “When you’re in a place you don’t know, you have hill anxiety,” says White. “But when you have an e-bike, you don’t care what’s around the corner. You’re always going be able to make it up a hill.”

Electric bikes, or e-bikes, use a nearly silent electric motor to amplify riders’ pedaling power, which helps propel them up those challenging hills or extend the distances they can ride comfortably. Though not as powerful as motorbikes or mopeds, e-bikes provide a boost of power-on-demand while riders are pedaling, to complement their own propulsion and speed. Cyclists can choose from multiple levels of assistance — or no assistance at all.

Not surprisingly, the extra push a rider enjoys is expanding the bicycle touring industry by attracting a wider range of people, according to Jamen Yeaton-Masi, Vice President of Worldwide Operations for 50-year-old VBT. Now, people of all ages and mobility are joining its trips — from spouses and friends of experienced riders who never thought they’d be able to keep up to older guests who thought their cycling days were over to people put off by dealing with an elitist cycling culture.

Today, VBT offers electric bikes from its fleet of 1,100 on virtually all of its 62 tours around the globe — from Austria to Vietnam. Its guided and self-guided tours, which average 20 riders each, range from five to eight days.

In addition to broadening its reach, VBT has seen other changes, too. “Since guests on e-bikes can indeed bike faster and longer, we have started adding additional ride options on our tours,” says Yeaton-Masi. For example, Croatia is now one of VBT’s most popular regions, often selling out, even though these tours are rated moderate due to the hilly terrain. The e-bike usage on these tours is often more than 80% of the guests. Plus, VBT has always wanted to offer Switzerland but hesitated because of the mountainous landscape. In 2025 the company will offer its first ever e-bike-only self-guided biking tour in that country.

Motorized bikes offer other benefits, as well. “They have also kept our groups closer together… since there’s less waiting around for slower cyclists, which makes timing more enjoyable for group meals and activities,” says Yeaton-Masi. “Most importantly, e-bikes have given our guests more leisure time to truly enjoy our beautiful boutique hotels and to pursue optional cultural activities. We’re seeing more demand for optional off-bike experiences.”

Guests still get a good workout, but on e-bikes, they have enough energy at the end of the day to explore their destinations on foot. Indeed, seeing a place at ground level is one of the most rewarding features of a cycling trip. It opens up accessibility to places and experiences unavailable to cars or tour busses.

“What I especially like about VBT is the combination of riding and the off-the-bike experience — the excursions and museums. The guides are mostly exceptional,” says White. “And with biking you cover a lot more miles than hiking — 20-50 miles a day.”

Plus, cycle tours offer the opportunity to travel with like-minded companions, who often become lifelong friends. “You’re with people who like to bike, we have that in common,” says White. “Most of them I still e-mail with six years later.”

Beyond tours, e-biking has taken off around the world. The global electric bike market is projected to grow by an annual rate of 15.6% from 2023 to 2030, as more cities close some roads to traffic and add dedicated lanes for two-wheelers. According to the North American Bikeshare & Scootershare Association, bike-share systems using e-bikes increased from 28% in 2019 to 44% in 2020.

But the biggest reason White and his wife choose e-bikes is “because we’re on vacation,” he says. “We don’t want to get back to the hotel and be too exhausted to go out to a concert or whatever. We want to look around and see the sights.”

The former travel editor of USA TODAY, Veronica Stoddart is a multi-award-winning travel writer, whose work has appeared in dozens of publications and websites. She considers travel a force for good in the world.