5 minute read

eBiking Alps to Provence

Could an e-biking trip from the Alps to Provence tick all your biking holiday boxes?

Advertisement

Ride from the snow-capped mountains of the Alps to the lavender fields of Provence on remote mountain tracks on an e-bike!

Mountain biking in the Alps is every biker’s dream but the steep mountains, magnificent as they are, are tough and demanding for even the most hardy of bikers. You can of course go to a resort and use the lifts, but now, with the evolution of electric mountain bikes, you can explore these majestic mountains away from the tourist hot spots with your own built in uplift!

Extending your journey through to hilly Provence with its lavender fields, wild forests and sunny climate make for a beautiful contrast of scenery and incredible biking tour.

Undiscovered Mountains have created the ultimate e-biking trip taking you from the Alps to Provence using a specially chosen route off the beaten track and perfectly adapted for e-biking.

WHY AN E-BIKE?

Electric mountain bikes are exactly the same as normal mountain bikes except they have a small integrated battery powered motor that you activate by pedalling to give you an extra boost. You can control how much extra power you want using the handlebar computer and can even turn it off if you want a harder work out! The battery power basically increases the force from your own legs so you can go further, steeper and faster than you could under your own steam.

This makes e-biking perfect for mixed ability groups as each member can adjust their boost to suit them whilst staying at the same speed!

The battery boost will take you up to a maximum speed of 25km per hour so where e-bikes really come into their own is in hilly and mountainous terrain, particularly on the ups! No more tedious, painstaking ascents – now you can have just as much fun going up as you do going down!

The rugged Alps and hilly Provence are perfect terrain to test out an electric mountain bike and experience this new biking phenomenon in optimal conditions!

THE JOURNEY

The Alps boast some of the best mountain views in the world with lush green pastures teaming with flowers and butterflies, gushing alpine rivers and magnificent snowcapped mountains. As you descend into Provence, the scenery changes to wild forest abundant in wildlife, dramatic gorges, rocky rugged hills and of course the lavender fields!

With stop offs possible at lakes and rivers along the way for a quick dip and sunbathe and the option to visit some of the region’s heritage sites like the citadel in Sisteron, this is more than just a biking holiday !

Undiscovered Mountains have created a route specifically adapted to electric mountain biking for this tour with the aim of getting the most out of your e-bikes, having fun and seeing the best of the scenery and views away from the busier traditional mountain biking tracks.

The biking days are between 30km and 60km long with between 700m and 1500m of ascent, which is perfect for optimal battery power and being able to enjoy the ups and downs as well as allowing time for stops and the occasional sunbathe and swim!

The technical level of the route is easy with a few challenges for those that want to try, all made much more accessible by your electric bike! If you are used to graded mountain bike routes imagine blue routes with some reds.

You are guided for the full trip by Manu, a fully qualified, very professional and passionate mountain bike guide who specialises in electric mountain biking. He is local to this area and has contributed to mountain biking guide books as well as putting up some of the way marked self guided routes. If you need to change route, he will know where to go and will be adapting the trip continuously without you even realising so that you get the most out of your trip!

THE FOOD AND WHERE YOU STAY

Food is important to all active travellers, especially bikers! Undiscovered Mountains know this and have handpicked accommodations along this route renowned for their local cuisine. Preferring to steer away from chain hotels and large establishments, Undiscovered Mountains have chosen boutique, independent guest houses and auberges, each with it’s unique style and with a local reputation for good food.

WHO WILL LOVE THIS TRIP?

You need to know how to ride a bike and ideally have done some mountain biking but don’t need a lot of mountain biking experience to enjoy this trip as you will quickly pick up tips and techniques along the way. You will be surprised how a few pertinent tips from a good guide can revolutionise your skills and confidence!

Fitness is important as you still need to pedal but again, you don’t need to be an endurance athlete to be able to appreciate the biking on this trip.

Experienced mountain bikers who have less energy than they used to, beginner mountain bikers with a desire to get out into the wilds of the mountains and countryside and groups or families with teenagers of mixed ability will love this trip!

OTHER OPTIONS

This is a guided trip with several departures throughout the year that you can join but is also customisable for small groups booking together on other dates, subject to availability.

Undiscovered Mountains are also expert in both mountain biking and e-biking routes in the Alps and will happily put together a self guided tour using the best of the way marked routes in the region and will supply the GPX tracks and organise the logistics for you including baggage transfers.

They also organise a plethora of other active holidays including a fabulous customisable multi activity holiday in the Alps which can include e-biking. This is a great option if you are a family with some bikers and some non-bikers as the bikers get their fix and the non-bikers can choose activities to suit them. Everything from canyoning to nature walks and yoga to paragliding is possible!

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Please contact sally@undiscoveredmountains.com or call on 0044 (0)345 009 8501

Read more about this e-biking holiday on UndiscoveredMountains.com.

This article is from: