Whether you’re dreaming of pedaling or hiking, here’s how to choose a tour that fits—and why preparation is key, even if you’re riding with the boost of an e-bike.

Start with the Right Difficulty Level 🧭 

Our tours are rated from Level 1 (easiest) to Level 5 (most challenging), based on terrain, elevation gain, distance, and surface conditions. A Level 2 tour might feature rolling countryside and shorter daily rides, while Level 3 and 4 tours include sustained climbs and longer distances. We also use hybrid ratings like 3-4 or 3+ to indicate tours that fall between levels.

Due to the natural topography of the areas in which we operate, the majority of our tours are rated between Level 3 and 4.

👉 Explore our full difficulty rating system

Why Training on Stationary Bikes Isn’t Enough

Training on a stationary bike is a good start—but it doesn’t fully prepare you for the demands of real-world riding. Outdoor cycling builds:

• Muscle memory for shifting, braking, and handling
• Balance and core strength for uneven terrain and descents
• Endurance for sustained climbs and longer days
• Confidence in managing weather, surfaces, navigation, and sharing the road with light vehicular traffic

To get the most out of your tour, we recommend riding outdoors at least 2–3 times per week, gradually increasing distance and elevation. If you’re using an e-bike, train with it to understand battery life, pedal-assist settings, how it handles on hills and gravel, and get used to its weight.

The Dangers of Not Training Properly

• 🚫 Loss of control on gravel, cobblestones, or wet roads
• 🚫 Overconfidence on descents or tight turns
• 🚫 Misjudging distances or battery life on e-bikes
• 🚫 Muscle fatigue that affects reaction time and decision-making
• 🚫 Injury-causing crashes or collisions with others
• 🚫 Improper technique that results in damage to the bikes

Training outdoors helps build the reflexes, balance, and terrain awareness that stationary bikes simply can’t replicate. It’s not just about fitness—it’s about being safe, confident, and in control.

E-Bikes Help—But They Don’t Replace Cycling Fitness 🚴‍♂️ 

E-bikes are a fantastic tool for making climbs more manageable and extending your range. But let’s be clear: they don’t do all the work for you. You’ll still need to pedal, balance, shift gears, and navigate changing terrain. That means cycling fitness is still required, especially on multi-day tours with varied surfaces and elevation.

Even with an e-bike, riding on unfamiliar roads, navigating descents, and managing changing surfaces requires real-world cycling experience. Without it, riders are more prone to falls, collisions, and fatigue-related mistakes.

Ask Yourself:

• Are you cycling regularly on an e-bike, navigating a mix of terrains, handling climbs, and building endurance?
• Are you comfortable riding on quieter roads shared with vehicular traffic and the occasional busier connector section?
• Are you strong enough to balance and manage a heavier bike for extended periods of time?
• Can you do this multiple days in a row, sometimes in inclement weather, such as wind or rain?
• Can you move the bike each night, whether to a special storage area, into your hotel room, or even on and off a train?

These aren’t just logistical questions—they’re safety questions. If the answer is “not yet,” that’s okay. It just means your training plan needs to include real-world practice with your gear and conditions that mimic your tour.

Preparation = Joy 💪 

The more prepared you are, the more you’ll enjoy the journey. Training isn’t just about avoiding fatigue—it’s about feeling strong, confident, and ready to soak in every moment. Whether you’re riding through vineyards or hiking alpine trails, your adventure should feel like a celebration—not a struggle.

So take the time to train, choose the right level, and reach out to us if you’re unsure. We’re here to help you find the perfect fit—and make your next adventure unforgettable!

View our Difficulty Rating System

Contact us to plan your next adventure!

The post Choosing the Right Tour: Understanding Difficulty Levels & Why Training Still Matters (Even with an E-Bike) appeared first on Pure Adventures.

The post How To Stay Hydrated While Cycling appeared first on Pure Adventures.

Wondering how to fix cycling hand pain? It comes with the territory that we will all experience some aches and pains from cycling, but aches and pains can become repetitive injury when not dealt with properly. There’s lots of areas to cover, but this blog will talk about the hands and how you can keep hand pain at bay.

Suffer from numbness, pain or tingling in your hands and fingers when riding? Here’s what’s hurting you and how to stop it in it’s tracks; let’s get your cycling hand pain fixed!

1) Watch Your Weight

You may need to adjust your ride position. Be conscious of how your leaning when riding and where you are putting your weight when hitting a turn. This alone may be enough to take pressure off your hands, easing pain.

2) Creating A Buzz

Transmission of road ‘buzz’ and vibration through the bars can cause discomfort in the hands all the way to the shoulders. To accommodate for this buzzing through your hands and arms, periodically loosen your grip slightly – this will break up the sensation and ease discomfort.

3) Shorten Your Reach

More often than not, the solution to hand pain is to shorten your reach, that way more of your weight will be borne by the saddle.

4) Good Padding

Cycling hand pain can also be lessened by wearing gloves with gel padding over the ulnar area, plus there are many good padded bar tapes available. Increase the padding and create comfy cushion between you and your bike!

Reference: BikeRadar.com

About Pure Adventures: Pure Adventures has been providing adventure enthusiasts with custom, self guided bike tours for over 25 years! Voted “USA Today’s Best Bike Tour” in 2020 and an overall pioneer within the industry, our experts know the ins and outs of all things cycling. To browse our self guided bike tours, click here. Questions? Drop us a line and we can chat! Contact Us.

The post 4 Ways To Immediately Fix Hand Pain When Cycling appeared first on Pure Adventures.

The post 5 Ways Cycling Effects Your Mind & Body appeared first on Pure Adventures.

We would love to reward you for referrals! If you’ve been on at least 1 trip in the last 10 years with Pure Adventures, you can earn $50 per person referred and booked. Simply use the Contact Us form on our website to submit each referral with their contact info. From this we will keep track of your bank!

Get excited – spread the word & get free money towards your next Pure Adventures experience!

The post Get Free Money Towards Your Next Pure Adventures Trip! appeared first on Pure Adventures.

Well, before you head out to buy that boring backpack, it’s time to get excited about what’s out there! After all it IS the future, so we’ve scoured the internet to find some of the coolest 2016 Tech For The Adventure Traveller Who Has Everything.

It’s all right here in this nifty infographic. Look, enjoy, share!

Share This Nifty Infographic On Your Site!

Please include attribution to https://pure-adventures.com// with this graphic.

The post 2016 Tech For The Adventure Traveller Who Has Everything. appeared first on Pure Adventures.

Depending on where you live, summer cycling can feel like you’re in sizzling Death Valley – unless of course you live in Missoula, Montana, where it was hotter than Death Valley last week. Of course, while Death Valley is sometimes regarded as the hottest place in the United States, the winter temperatures are quite moderate and perfect for cycling, as cool and comfortable as a spring day. That’s why Pure Adventures arranges departures to this legendary destination between November and March.

That said, summer cycling has its own challenges, most related to avoiding heat related injuries. Keep your cool with these 5 tips from cyclists and bike touring veterans.

Hydrate before you even get on your bike. 
“Hydrating before pedaling helps you avoid drying out on the road,” advises Bicycling magazine’s Marianne McGinnis. Ideally, drink 12 to 16 ounces of water four hours before you plan to ride, drinking another 12 ounces in the two hours before you hop on.

Save the black clothing and accessories for cool weather riding.
Gordon Fisher is a bike commuter in the California desert, where the temperatures can soar above 120F. Fisher opts for a white helmet with plenty of vents and light colored, loose-fitting clothing. As a commuter he wears t-shirts and khakis, but the same benefits could be gained from baggy MTB shorts and a light weight jersey.

Start your rides early in the day.
“Riding through the midday heat is the surest way to fry your brain and body during a bike tour,”  warn Friedel & Andrew, the bloggers behind the bike touring blog Travelling Two. If you can, start your training or your tour day earlier in the day to avoid the harsh midday sun.

Ditch the backpack, install a rear rack.
“A heat wave is also a good incentive to take that load off your back,” says Portland-based cycling activist Elly Blue. If you’re in the habit of wearing a backpack for either commuting or carrying your gear during your cycling vacations, break the habit by installing a rear race and panniers on your bicycle.

Watch for danger signs that you’re getting too hot.
Even the most experienced cyclists with the best planning and hydration strategies can make mistakes by either timing their rides wrong or riding longer than they should. That’s why when you’re riding in the heat, you need to constantly monitor your body to ensure that you’re keeping cool. “Heat stroke can happen quickly and it can be fatal,” warns Laurel-Lea Shannon, an avid cyclist and editor of Women’s Cycling. Dizziness, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, muscle cramps and headaches are all signs of heat stroke.  “If you experience any of these symptoms, stop cycling, find some shade to lay down in, and replenish your fluids,” advises Shannon.

While cycling in the summer has it’s challenges, so do cycling in the winter!  Skip the snow and check out Pure Adventures’ Death Valley Bicycling Discovery Tour, a new supported self-directed tour that lets you ride in one of the most amazing places on earth. Want to learn more about Death Valley? Here are 8 weird things you probably didn’t know.

The post Beat the heat: 5 tips for summer cycling appeared first on Pure Adventures.

Top 25 Bike Blogs 

At Pure Adventures, we live and breathe bicycling. From gear, training and of course self-guided travel, our staff read an astounding number of cycling blogs, news sites and magazines. Here are 25 of our favorites bike gear blogs.

Top Bicycle Gear Reviews – Top 25 Bike Blogs

If you’re in the market for a new bike or cycling accessories, these blogs and websites regularly review the latest and greatest gear.

Cycle Touring and Bicycle Travel

Biking Bis
The friendly voice behind the blog Biking Bis is Gene Bisbee. Gene’s blog posts are an informative mix of bike touring tips, trail updates and cycling advocacy information, with a focus on what’s happening on the Pacific Coast. Weekend warriors and folks new to cycle touring will enjoy Gene’s blog. Follow on Twitter: @bikingbis

Adventure Cycling Association
The Adventure Cycling Association gives you practically everything you need before heading out on a bike tour. Detailed maps, tour reviews, gear advice and planning checklists will help both new cycling tourists but also season travelers who are looking for new places to explore or innovative equipment upgrades. Follow on Twitter: @advcyclingassoc

Path Less Pedaled
The inspirational couple behind Path Less Pedaled provide great tips on how to make most of your cycling vacation. Follow on Twitter: @pathlesspedaled

Pedaling Nowhere
This gorgeous photo-focused blog documents the journey of Logan Watts. Follow Pedaling Nowhere for inspiring pictures of his travels, travel advice and valuable bike tour tips. Our favorite posts are his post-ride beer reviews. Follow on Twitter: @pedalingnowhere

Going Slowly
Tara and Tyler are two American cyclists who rode around the globe. Their blog not only shares the amazing sights and stories of two years of cycle touring, but also valuable tips and advice on having a successful journey. Follow on Twitter: @goingslowly

Down the Road
Have you ever dreamed of quitting your job for a life of cycle touring? Tim Travis did that twelve years ago and has a wealth of bike travel information to share. The author of several books on the topic, Tim shares the ups and downs of bike touring regularly on his blog. Great for all levels of bike travelers.

Cycling About
One of the best organized bike touring site out there, Cycling About breaks its amazing content into countries, gear and advice. It’s a great starting point for new bike tourists. Follow on Twitter: @cycling_about

Cycling Tour Hub
Based in Australia, Coreen Mazzocchi is the hard working entrepreneur behind Cycling Tour Hub. Providing an unbiased voice in the bike travel blogosphere, Cycling Tour Hub covers gear, tours and training tips not only from other riders, but from her own experience touring the world on a bicycle. Follow on Twitter: @cyclingtourhub

Tom’s Bike Trip
This UK-based blogger started travelling by bike in 2006 and hasn’t looked back. Having covered more than 40 countries, Tom’s tips on staying happy, comfortable and safe while bike touring will help bike travelers of all abilities. His gear reviews and planning advice rate among the most popular blog posts on his site. Follow on Twitter: @tomsbiketrip

These are our top 25 favorite bike blogs – what are yours? Tell us in the comments who your favorite cycling bloggers are! Looking for a self guided bike tour? We’re here to help! Contact us now to plan the best self guided bike tour – the trip of your dreams!

The post 25 must-read bicycle blogs appeared first on Pure Adventures.

The Grand Canyon is like no other place on earth. Absolutely epic in every way, from the number of visitors (nearly 5 million a year) to it’s ancient geological history (2 billion years worth)  Arizona’s Grand Canyon is a dream hiking destination.

“It’s easy to think of the canyon as a hole in the ground, but when you’re there it’s so much more. Be ready to be blown away,” enthuses hiker John Soltys. “It’s hard to put into words. The scale is unlike anything I’d seen before.”

Hiking the Grand Canyon is an adventure that shouldn’t be taken lightly. At nearly a mile deep, the hiking down into – and then out of – the canyon challenges even the fittest hikers. The dramatic changes in elevation (South Rim is approximately 7000 ft in elevation and north Rim is 8000 ft in elevation), combined with soaring summer temperature are factors that play heavily into a hiker’s ability to complete a hiking trip of the Grand Canyon safely and happily. “Everyone who hikes in the canyon for the first time reports that it was more difficult than they expected,” reports the National Parks Service.

These tips from experienced Grand Canyon hikers and the National Parks Service will help prepare you for a safe summer hiking experience.

Stayed Well Hydrated
“Water, water and then more water!” advises Soltys, who recently visited the Grand Canyon with his young children. The National Parks Service suggests packing at least 2 liters of water in your day pack and know ahead of time where water bottle filling stations are located. Remember that the Park’s ban on the sale of single use water bottles means that picking up extra bottled water isn’t possible and pack accordingly. Alternate drinking water with drinking fluids with electrolytes (commercially-prepared or home-made) to maintain the salt levels in your body. Hyponatremia is just as dangerous as dehydration.

Add These Essentials to Your Day Pack
A flashlight, waterproof poncho, whistle or mirror, sunscreen, spray bottle and a detailed map are all must-haves in your day pack.

Match the Trail With Your Physical Ability
For Soltys, an easy Ranger-led hike was best for his family. Fit hikers seeking a challenge may want to try sections of either the Bright Angel Trail or the South Kaibab Trail, both offering distances ranging from 3 to 6 miles. If you prefer to stay above the rim, the trail along the South Rim offers amazing views along its paved 13 mile route.

Leave The Diet At Home
A hiking trip in the Grand Canyon is not the time to count calories. Salty, high calorie snacks such as trail mix and homemade or commercially prepared energy bars are popular choices. Balance out your food intake with water intake to avoid cramping and other stomach issues. While the descent into the Canyon may feel deceptively easy to some hikers, it’s important to remember that it take a lot of energy to climb back up.

Pick the Right Time To Hike…
With temperatures of the inner canyon peaking at a daytime high of 106F during the summer months, it’s important to hit the trail before sunrise – or shortly thereafter.  Heatstroke and heat exhaustion are serious health threats and can affect even the best prepared hikers. “Experienced desert hikers know that the timing of their hike is the most important factor in avoiding hazards,” writes the National Park Service on their Summer Hiking page. The National Park Service advises visitors to the Grand Canyon to avoid hiking between 10:00am and 4:00pm, when temperatures in the inner canyon are the highest. Stick to the shade during these times and remember to keep drinking water, even if you’re not on the move.

…And Then Take Your Time On The Trails
A general rule is to allow 1/3 of your time to hike into the Grand Canyon and 2/3 to hike out. If you’re finding the pace with your hiking group to be too fast, ask them to slow down. Follow the talk test – if you can’t keep a conversation going because you are winded, it’s time to slow down. Don’t be afraid to take frequent breaks – in the end you won’t lose anytime by slowing down and stopping.

Go On A Guided Trip
If proper planning and packing is done, a day trip in the Grand Canyon along the Bright Angel and South Kaibab trails is achievable for many physically fit hikers. The next step in a Grand Canyon adventure would be a Rim to Rim hiking tour or Phantom Ranch tour with loop hikes, the logistics of which can be challenging if you’re not familiar with the Canyon’s trails. A guided trip takes away many of the worries of planning, which means you can enjoy the trip of a lifetime. Pure Adventures offers several guided trips of the Grand Canyon, each led by experienced guides with wilderness first aid training. Contact Pure Adventures to begin planning your summer vacation in the Grand Canyon.

The post 7 safety tips for summer hiking in the Grand Canyon appeared first on Pure Adventures.

At Pure Adventures, we live and breathe mountain biking. Everything from our specially designed self-guided tours for mountain bikers to our staff and guides boasts our commitment to providing travelers with an authentic and exciting mountain biking vacation. For example, did you know our guides are pro mountain bike racers and Pure Adventures founder Loren Siekman races Cat 1 Masters?

The trails on our US self-guided tours in Sedona, the Grand Canyon and the Sonoran Desert are fast and flowy, offering cyclists of all abilities epic vacations –  but we recognize not every one is a pro when it comes to mountain bike handling skills. If you are new to mountain biking, or your handling skills are rusty from the off-season, check out these tips to help improve your mountain bike handling skills.

Look Where You Are Going

“The first thing every mountain biker needs to know is the bike will take you where you are looking!  If you are taking a hairpin corner, you need to look through the corner in the direction you are going so your wheel will follow.  And if you are staring down a big gnarly cholla cactus, you will more than likely steer directly into it,” says Scott Keller, a Pure Adventures guide in Sedona and professional mountain bike racer.

“In the rocky terrain of Sedona, it is vital that you seek the line of least resistance, by placing your front wheel into the crack of two rocks if you are going up a ledgy section. On the opposite end, if you are going down a steep slickrock or stairstep section, besides hanging your butt off the back, keep an eye on where you want the front wheel to go. That’s where it will take you!” advises Scott.

Relax

“Whether you are riding a rigid bike or a full suspension, the best suspension you have is your arms and legs,”  David Alden of Twin Cities Sports tells Active.com. Let the bike move beneath you and relax your grip on the handlebars. This lets the suspension absorb the shock (like it is supposed to) and prevents your hands and arms from early fatigue.

Smooth Out Your Pedal Strokes

“If you’re fairly new to the sport, you’re probably stomping hard on the down stroke,” Andy Wadsworth of What Mountain Bike tells Bike Radar. Remember that each pedal stroke is a full circle and that you need to push and pull evenly throughout the pedal stroke for optimum power. Drills are the best way to perfect your pedaling.

 Brake Better

“Novices are far more prone to panic braking, harsh use of the brakes at the last minute or in an emergency, which causes one or both wheels to skid leading to loss of control of the bike,” says MTB Techniques, a website dedicated to teaching new and novice riders the foundation of mountain biker. By spotting hazards, keeping one finger on your brake levers and braking progressively, you’ll reduce the risk of wiping out on the trail.

Master cornering

A whole blog post alone could be dedicated to the art of cornering, but if your cornering skills are shaky, a few simple tweaks to your position on the bike may be all that is needed to improve your time on the trails. “As you approach the corner, you want to have a low, aggressive position, with elbows bent and the inside pedal should be up with your knee pointing into the turn, pressing your foot into the outside pedal” advises MTB coach Martin Baker. “Keeping your center of mass outside can also help in quick transitions, allowing you to flick the bike back and forth more easily for fast riding on twisty single track.”

Pure Adventures offers five great self-guided and guided mountain biking tours to put your bike handling skills to the test:

• 8 nights Sedona & Grand Canyon Mountain Biking Tour Summer Self Guided. Starting at $1075 per person
• 3 day Scottsdale Sonoran Desert Mountain Biking Self Guided Deluxe. Starting at $945 per person
• 3 days Scottsdale Sonoran Desert Mountain Biking Self Guided Basic. Starting at $595 per person
• 5 day Guided Sonoran Desert Mountain Biking 5 Days Arizona. Starting at $895 per person
• 6 day Sedona Arizona Desert Winter Mountain Biking Tour. Starting at $799 per person
• Scotland Coast to Coast Mountain Biking – Guided.  Starting at $1775 per person

Click here to contact Pure Adventures to book a mountain biking vacation or fill out this form to have us create a custom mountain biking tour for you.

The post 5 steps to better mountain biking (plus 6 great tours to test your skills) appeared first on Pure Adventures.