A New E-Bike World Record and a Lifetime of Memories

We did it!!

After pedaling day after day, month after month for 16 months the E-Bike Cycle Tourists finally completed our epic long distance e-bike adventure throughout mainland Europe and the UK while cycling around Lake Constance in Germany.

The result was a new, imposing world e-bike long distance record of 27,800 kilometres, enough memories to last a dozen lifetimes, a long list of new e-bike friends and, most importantly, a fierce determination to continue to spread the e-bike message far and wide.

As we discovered all too graphically during our travels e-bikes are an amazing form of transport that can used by anyone of any age or fitness level to get out and about, get fit, push personal boundaries and generally lead an active and fulfilling life.

The only limitation to what an e-bike can help you achieve is your imagination.

Who would have thought when we set out from London in mid-April 2015 on what was basically a whim and a prayer to set a new world e-bike long distance record that we would actually be successful – we certainly had our doubts.

Given that neither of us has ever ridden an electrical bicycle before, that Rachel had never attempted self-supported long distance cycle touring before, that Rachel was still recovering from a severe case of acute reactive arthritis, that we were in our late 50s and early 60s and that no one we could find had ever used an e-bike as their only form of transport for a trip of 20,000-plus kilometres, the chances were high that we would be back home sooner rather than later with our collective tails between our legs.

E-Bike Cycle Touring – an Addictive Way of Life

But a strange thing happened along the way. We not only got the hang of this e-bike cycle touring caper, but we became seriously addicted to what was an amazing lifestyle.

Even better still we discovered through our ramblings via social media and on the ebikecycletourists.com website that we had tapped into a previously unknown treasure trove of people fascinated by the idea of buying and riding an e-bike or even more adventurously, cycle touring on an e-bike.

After a few months of e-biking we basically went from looking for a mentor to guide us through the pros and cons of long distance e-bike cycle touring to being the mentors ourselves.

On a regular basis we were – and continue to be – contacted by people from throughout the world seeking advice prior to setting out on their own e-bike cycle touring adventure.

Some are planning short two or three night journeys, others adventures stretching over months.

But the length of the tour isn’t what is important, it’s the fact that people of all ages now see that it IS possible to go cycle touring on an e-bike and that it IS possible to have an amazing time.

What happened, and it took us by complete surprise, is that our amazing, challenging, incredible, inspirational, frustrating and motivational journey by default inspired hundreds, if not thousands, of people from around the world to consider the merits of cycle touring on an e-bike.

How good is that!!

Our Record-Breaking Journey May be Over, But NOT Our Regular E-Bike Tours

With the bottom of our bank account in sight and with our bodies crying out for an extended rest, we reluctantly called an end to our e-bike adventure in September 2016 after 27,800kms and returned to Australia to resume a ‘normal’ life.

But as you may have guessed, nothing we do ever stays in the “normal” category for too long.

Since completing the renovation of a beautiful 1890s-era house we purchased in Kalbar in south-east Queensland we have continued to organise and complete many e-bike tours.

While the distances traveled are much shorter, the thrill of the journey is just the same.

So, if like us you are craving to complete a once-in-a-lifetime adventure, you can do a lot worse than heading out on an e-bike tour.

Rest assured the people you meet, the sights you see and the experiences you enjoy will stay with you forever!