The Bikes Behind Our Cycling Tours: What We Ride and Why
- Jun 17, 2025
- 4 min read
Updated: May 29
LocalRoutes operates a fleet of hybrid, road, gravel, and e-bikes, each matched precisely to the terrain and the rider on our cycling tours. Don’t worry about bringing your own bike (but you can!) or being an elite cyclist, we’ll walk you through how we select the right equipment and what that means for your trip.
The bike you ride shapes the whole experience. A poor fit and you're counting kilometres. The right one and you forget you're exercising at all. That's the standard we hold ourselves to at LocalRoutes, and it's why we put genuine thought into our small fleet rather than sourcing whatever was cheapest or easiest to maintain.
A Fleet Built for Thailand's Roads
Cycle touring in Thailand covers a wide range of surfaces. A self-guided route along coastal Thailand near the Gulf of Thailand is mostly flat, smooth tarmac with the occasional sandy track to a fishing village. A gravel bike tour in the hills above Chiang Rai is something else entirely: rougher roads, more elevation, longer stretches between villages. One bike type doesn't serve both.
Our fleet covers:
Hybrid bikes for mixed terrain and relaxed multi-day cycling tours in Thailand. Upright geometry, forgiving on the back, easy to handle for riders who haven't been on a bike in a while.
Road bikes for routes where tarmac dominates and you want a more responsive, efficient ride.
Gravel bikes for Thailand backroads cycling tours where the surface is unpredictable and a bit of adventure is the whole point. Well suited to routes around Chiang Rai or inland from Kanchanaburi.
E-bikes for riders who want to cover ground without turning every hill into an ordeal. More on those below.
All bikes come with helmets and handlebar bags for small items, and they are rigorously serviced by our mechanics before every single tour.
The E-Bike Option
E-bikes have changed who can do a cycling holiday in Thailand. They are a genuine equalizer in a group: whether it's a rider in their 60s with a knee issue, a family with mixed fitness levels, or a couple where one person is stronger than the other, e-bikes allow everyone to follow the same route, stop at the same places, and enjoy moments together without one person being half an hour behind.
Our e-bikes carry a motor that assists up to around 25 km/h. You're still pedaling. You still feel the wind and the heat and the smell of the food cooked on the side of the road. You simply do it all with significantly less effort on the climbs.
For a casual cycling tour in Asia where the goal is discovery rather than performance, an e-bike is often the smartest choice.
What We Look for in a Bike
When we sourced our fleet, we knew the bikes had to meet four non-negotiable criteria, especially for travel in Thailand:
Reliability over long distances between towns, where a mechanical failure can't be solved at a nearby shop.
Comfort for 4 to 8 hours in the saddle, which means saddle quality, handlebar position, and frame geometry all matter.
Versatility across surfaces, since even routes that look flat on paper will take you down a dirt path to a temple or a village market.
Easy gearing for occasional climbs without demanding technical experience from the rider.
If you ride with your own saddle or pedals at home and want to bring them, we accommodate that with advance notice.
Choosing the Right Bike for Your Tour
When you book, we always start with a conversation about your riding background and the terrain of your chosen route. That discussion is what guides our initial bike recommendation. And don't worry, nothing is fixed: if a different setup feels better once you arrive, we’ll happily make an adjustment.
For a flat, self-guided tour along the Gulf of Thailand, for instance, a hybrid or gravel is almost always the right call. However, if you’re joining a 6-day cycling tour in the highlands near Chiang Rai or the mountains around the Golden Triangle, a road bike makes far more sense. For family cycling holidays in Thailand with younger riders or mixed abilities, we simply pair e-bikes with standard bikes to ensure no one feels pressured to keep an uncomfortable pace.
The best cycling adventure in Thailand isn't defined by the distance or the pace. It's defined by the moments the route puts in front of you: a monk crossing the road at dawn near Sukhothai, a market stall appearing out of nowhere between rice fields, the light dropping over the hills at the end of a long day. The bike simply makes all of those moments possible. Our job is to ensure it’s the right one so your focus stays exactly where it should be: on the adventure in front of you.
FAQ
Do I need to bring my own bike?
No. All LocalRoutes tours include a bike suited to the route. If you want to bring your own, let us know in advance so we can arrange logistics.
Can I request a specific type of bike?
Yes. When you book, tell us your preference and riding background. We match you to the right bike from our fleet and adjust if needed.
Are e-bikes available on all tours?
On most routes, yes. Let us know at booking if you're interested and we'll confirm availability for your specific tour.
What if I get a flat or a mechanical issue mid-ride?
On multi-day tours, our support vehicle is on the route. For self-guided tours, we provide a repair kit and a briefing before you set off. The support line is always open.
What if the bike doesn't feel right?
Tell us. We have spares and we adjust. There's no version of this where you're stuck with a bike that doesn't work for you.
Is cycle touring Thailand suitable for someone who hasn't ridden in years?
Yes. Our hybrid bikes are easy to handle and our routes are graded by level. The bikes are part of why people who haven't cycled since their teens find it easier than expected.
