The enjoyment you derive from your tour is largely dependent on choosing a tour that suits your ambitions and experience. Some factors to consider as you select a tour include your previous cycling experience, physical condition, the amount of time you will be able to devote to training, and what you want from the tour. We suggest that persons who have not previously ridden on a multi-day tour choose a shorter tour. HeartCycle encourages participation in the sport of bicycling at all levels. For the safety and enjoyment of all tour participants each cyclist must carefully consider the difficulty of the tour they select. Generally the distance per day, type of terrain (mountainous or flat), pavement (smooth, chip and seal, or crushed gravel) and climate govern the classification of HeartCycle tours. For each tour, we provide the name and contact information for the leader. Check with the appropriate tour leader if you have specific questions about a tour you are considering or your ability to participate.

Because Heartcycle encourages participation at all levels, we do allow E-bikes on our tours with some limits. Please see guidelines below.

E-bike Guidelines (generally applicable to Tandems as well)

E-bikes are rapidly becoming accepted and used in the bicycling community and by club members. HeartCycle is receptive to E-bikes suitable for our tours, on a tour-by-tour basis. Because of the rapid evolution of E-bikes, the following are initial guidelines only, and may be subject to change.

1. Not all tours provide Sprinter Transport, check your tour description! Transportation of E-bikes will be made on a tour-by-tour basis and could be limited by demand and may result in a lottery. If you wish to have your E-bike transported by Heartcycle, you must contact your Tour Leader to be put on the list. You will be notified by your Tour Leader of your status in plenty of time to make other plans of transport if necessary.
2. Only “pedal assist” type E-bikes will be allowed (only using a battery when needed to assist the rider). These “Class One or Three” E-bikes will provide assistance up to 20-28 mph. It is the participant’s responsibility to ensure that the use of their e-bike is consistent with state laws for operation on bike paths and streets of the state where the tour is being operated.
3. Generally, the typical weight of E-bikes are between 38 & 45 lbs.. Our 2 Sprinter racks are rated to 50 lbs/bike, and only on the inside trays (3 e-bikes max, 1 on front and 2 on rear). As a result, we can only accept e-bikes that are 50lbs (22.7kg) or less. If an E-bike cannot be ridden during the tour, it will have to go on the rack as there will be no accommodations for it inside the SAG vehicle. Space inside is reserved for people and supplies. If in transport to/from tours, bikes will be loaded inside the van and only on the racks if we exceed the vans capacity. Generally, our Sprinter and rental trucks can only accommodate a limited number of e-bikes at a time, and on some tours E-bikes may not be able to be accommodated at all.
4. The E-bike participant needs to be able to (themselves or with a riding partner at the time of need) place the E-bike into a SAG vehicle when necessary (and allowed) without the assistance of a SAG driver.
5. The E-bike needs to have sufficient battery capacity to assist the rider to complete the longest day in the tour description. Extra batteries may be (at the Tour Leader’s discretion) carried in a support vehicle, but even then, the E-bike must be able to make it between SAG stops, for which the vehicle will stop, without any recharge capability enroute during the day.
6. HeartCycle will not provide spare parts or maintenance support for E-bikes.
7. E-Bike riders are expected to follow the same club (and tour) requirements as other riders, including always wearing a helmet and following traffic laws.
8. When being transported by HeartCycle the club reserves the right to make adjustments to the bike in order to fit within the space provided by the van/truck. This includes but is not limited to movement and/or removal of the handlebars, saddle, wheels etc. *See transport waiver