What To Expect On A Freewheeling Adventure
SUPPORT LEVELS
Guided:
Experience the joys of small-group travel on our guided tours. You’ll receive exceptional support throughout your journey while indulging in trailside picnics, gourmet coffee breaks, and the convenience of frequent, easy access to our support vehicle. Our groups typically accommodate a maximum of around 12 participants, ensuring a personalized experience. Smaller groups of 4-6 may have a single guide serve as both trip leader and driver. As group sizes meet or exceed 6, two guides are generally present – one driving the support vehicle and another cycling with you.
Choose from existing dates or pick a new date. Request private, or allow it to be open to others. Customizations are also welcome for new departures.
- Small groups or private tours with all-day vehicle support.
- Dedicated driver/guides (usually 1:6 ratio or better).
- Small groups; usually a maximum of 12 people.
- Daytime picnics and snacks provided.
- All lodging, and most meals included (good ones!).
- Maintain your own pace while enjoying the benefits of group travel.
“…espresso at lunch, hand ground beans, really…wow!” – Jim B.
Self-Guided:
Embark on a self-guided adventure that offers unparalleled freedom. Choose your own dates, set your pace, and tailor your experience to your preferences. During your self-guided tour, your luggage is seamlessly transferred between inns. You’ll have access to GPS navigation, local meal suggestions for lunch and dinner, and an “on-the-ground” support person in case of difficulty or emergencies (additional costs may apply for extra services).
In situations where you may wish to adjust your daily distance or encounter adverse weather conditions, your support person can offer ‘boosts’ or additional support as they transport your luggage between inns. Some itineraries may involve sharing routes and includes transfers with other travellers. You can expect a mostly self-sufficient experience, requiring you to handle minor bike repairs and adjustments (such as flat tires) independently.
- Independent travel with luggage transfers.
- Responsive on-call service available for emergencies.
- All lodging and most breakfasts included.
- Lifts available when necessary, with options for additional assistance.
- Flexibility to choose your own dates.
“…so delighted that Freewheeling offers self-guided… for our family, this approach provided us with freedom and flexibility to structure our days as we wished…combined with the convenience of having our bags moved and Freewheeling’s expert planning for accommodations, activities, and route!” -Jennifer S.
Self-Drive:
Experience complete freedom with a self-drive tour, available on select trips. Navigate your adventure at your own pace while we take care of all the details, including routes and recommended activities. Enjoy private travel with the assurance of our expertise guiding you to the best experiences each destination has to offer. Plus, benefit from personalized accommodations along your route, carefully selected based on our 37+ years of experience. With us handling the logistics, you’re free to fully embrace the adventure.
- Private travel with prearranged accommodations.
- All lodging and most breakfasts included.
- Flexibility to choose your own dates.
“Handpicked routes that could only come from years of experience!” – Bob D.
ACTIVITY LEVELS
To assist you in selecting an appropriate level of daily challenge, we utilize elevation profiles to depict the route and a challenge-rating system employing symbols from the skiing world. If you’re wondering what to expect, this system provides a clear breakdown of difficulty levels. While many of you may already be familiar with it, here’s a brief explanation for those who aren’t.
Please note that these classifications may vary depending on weather and/or road conditions, and we always encourage you to approach your journey with a sense of fun and adventure. If you’re uncertain, opting for a guided trip is a wise choice. Our vehicle support is available to help you conquer any hill, turning even the most challenging trip into an enjoyable one.
The easiest routes we offer, these are generally flat and cover relatively relaxed distances. You will be comfortable riding a hybrid bike, walking in sneakers, or paddling a light kayak, and will normally have time to take many photos and enjoy extended lunches.
This is primarily an easy route, but some days may fall into the moderate category. You can expect time to stop and smell the roses, but some of the rides may be on more hilly terrain.
Requiring moderate fitness levels, these cover terrain with hills and valleys, and tend to include distances of 50-80km (30-50mi.)/day cycling, or 3-6 hours of walking per day. Most Freewheeling Adventures fall into this category, and are suitable for most ability levels.
This is primarily a moderate route, suitable for most ability levels, but some days may be a little more challenging. You can expect some long distances, and/or some big climbs/descents.
The most challenging trips, these include longer distances, bigger hills, long hikes, exposed paddling, and full days of activity. We recommend a higher degree of fitness and training to make the most of the experience.
There is also a rare double black diamond, reserved for only the most difficult adventures.
FAMILY TRAVEL
As a family or multi-generation group you may book any Freewheeling Adventure, and can request a private version if you like. Otherwise, once you have reserved, we will do our best to attract other families with similar ages.
If young children are part of your family plans, please contact us early on to involve us and assess the suitability of your chosen tour. We are a family business with ample experience with family travel, and will strive to maximize the fun and ease the planning for you.
Our guides and support person(s) will strive to adapt to these mixed needs with a flexible leading style, sensitive to the preferences and dynamics of each family group. It is common for us to adjust the pace to suit the youngest or oldest, while asking for the indulgence of faster explorers, to keep the holiday spirit at its best. If you instruct us otherwise, we listen to that, too.
Discounts are available when three people share a room. If a third participant aged 12 or younger shares a room with two other full-paying guests, they’ll receive an adventure discount. This discount increases if the third participant is aged 4 or younger. While we generally avoid the use of temporary beds for adults, if you’re comfortable with one for your children, it can provide more sharing possibilities and savings.
Children’s bikes, trailer bikes, and trailers are complimentary when rented alongside adult bicycle rentals for Canadian tours. Occasionally, we extend this offer to adult bikes ridden by teenagers traveling with parents on Canadian or European trips with a minimum of four participants. Our bike trailers are ideal for young children who are yet too young to pedal. When traveling with your family, we recommend reserving well in advance.
“My happiest family vacations are all with Freewheeling! Thank you for helping bring our family and friends together… Each year we create memories to last a lifetime.” – Cindy and Larry B.
PREMIUM EQUIPMENT
You can expect the best equipment available in each destination we offer. This may include hybrid fitness bikes suitable for road and light trails, fast, light road bikes, and excellent electric-assist e-bikes, tailored to the specific destination. If you’re looking for something beyond our standard offerings, we’re always open to discussing options to meet your needs.
If you are using one of our bikes, you can expect a well-maintained machine in excellent condition, with our attention to make sure it stays that way. If you bring your own bike, please note that you will be responsible for all repairs, and we strongly recommend a thorough, professional tune-up before your trip begins.
If you anticipate needing extra service regularly or are not familiar with basic bike maintenance—such as handling flat tires and minor adjustments—please consider opting for a guided or private guided trip. Join a growing group, select one of our proposed guided dates, or choose your own date and support level. Keep it open to others, make it private, or customize the itinerary as you please.
THE CUISINE
Excellent nutrition for hungry adventurers is essential. Breakfasts are almost always included on all adventures. On guided trips, most lunches and dinners are also included, while on self-guided trips, we provide you with the necessary information to make good lunch and dinner choices independently.
Roadside picnics are prepared for you along guided routes, and we offer healthy snacks to enjoy between meals. At dinnertime, we select the finest restaurants available, making exceptions only when allowing you the freedom to explore multiple options is more suitable, particularly on the second night in one location.
During booking, we gather information about your dietary restrictions and preferences, ensuring this is communicated to your guide(s)/support person(s) and innkeepers throughout your journey. Vegetarians, vegans, seafood lovers, children, and other discriminating palates can usually be well accommodated. For those with kosher, celiac, or other highly restrictive dietary needs, please inquire before booking.
“Vegan, vegetarian, dairy-free, and mango allergies were all considered and we felt incredibly well cared for. ” – Cliff & Peg
NAVIGATION
Access your digital tour package conveniently with our very own Freewheeling Mobile App! It seamlessly integrates with the popular routing software RideWithGPS.
With just a few simple steps and the installation of both apps on your mobile device, you’ll gain full access to your tour routes, maps, custom turn-by-turn cues, and an overview of all your tour activities and options. Additionally, you can use the Freewheeling app to chat with fellow tour participants, your support person(s), HQ, browse our catalog of tours, and even book your next adventure!
Basic access/navigation: (No need to create any account, simply use your email to register and access).
- Download both the “Freewheeling Adventures” app, and the “RideWithGPS” app.
- You will receive a magic link via email from us, usually around 14 days before the start date of your tour.
- Access your tour via “My Trips” at the bottom of our app.
Note: Continuous use of mobile apps may drain your battery. Be prepared with a battery pack or plan accordingly. Upon request, we can provide tips and tricks to adjust your settings to help conserve your battery life.
For more tips and tricks, including the next steps to fully utilize the options (Requires creating a RWGPS account – for users who want to download their routes offline, record their rides, or download GPX files to their individual devices, etc.), please visit our Freewheeling App page.
SAFETY
Maintaining a high safety standard is paramount in our planning, particularly concerning recommended activities and the service of our al fresco trailside picnics. Any safety concerns regarding the route, such as slippery metal bridges or blind crests with sharp corners, are typically outlined in your tour package and highlighted by your guide/support person during safety and route discussions.
