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 or in varying weather and while navigating an unfamiliar route?
• 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.

Hill training is most often associated with road bike racing and not with self-guided cycling tours. After all, don’t most cyclists want a flat and leisurely route to ride on during their European bike tour? As with all our tours, we strongly suggest plenty of time in the saddle  – and yes, hill training – for self-guided travelers to comfortably finish trips with extremely hilly routes (keeping in mind that most of our tours are suitable for athletes of all abilities).

Still want to take on the mountains in Europe? We’ve searched out the best hill training tips for road cyclists and share them here.

Embrace hill repeats

The basis of any hill training program is hill repeats. BikeRadar suggests starting with 8 repeats on a hill that has three distinct phases (10% grade; flattens out; 12% grade). “Sprint at the start of the hill, sit down and change down on the flatter part, and then have an all-out sprint out of the saddle to the top,” advises BikeRadar expert Dave Lloyd. Record your times for each repeat, trying to maintain the same speed on each repeat. “If you fade badly, stop the exercise, warm down and try again the next week,” Lloyd says.

Practice seated climbs

Your legs may be aching and your backside hurting, but by sitting in the saddle for as much of the climb as possible, you’re more aerobically efficient. “Sitting back in the saddle will recruit your glutes, giving the large muscles at the back of your thighs more leverage to pedal,” says Andy Cook with CyclingPlus. When you get to the top of the hill, then stand in your pedals to give yourself a break.

Strengthen your core muscles

“Often, it isn’t the legs that give out on long climbs, but the back,” says Gale Bernhardt with Active.com. When you are cycling on hills, your back is in a different position, and on a particularly hilly route, that could lead to back pain and spasms. Pilates, yoga and other core strengthening and stabilizing activities need to be a part of of your hill training  routine.

Build strong legs

It goes without saying that you’ll need to build leg strength to conquer cycling climbs, but cyclist and personal trainer Tracy Draper has a few exercises that don’t involve hitting the gym. Walking lunges, plyometrics and leg lifts are equipment-free ways that desk-bound athletes can incorporate strength training into their cycling training. “Obviously, real endurance is optimally built by putting in the time on the bike but this can help if you are confined to a chair for multiple hours a day,” says Draper on her blog Cycling With Tracy.

Lose weight

“The power-to-weight ratio is cycling’s great leveler. It’s a measure that allows a comparison of cyclists’ abilities even when the riders vary in size,” writes Chris Carmichael on Bicycling.com. So what does this have to do with cycling and hill training? The heavier you are, the harder it will be to power over Piedmont’s hills. Calling it formula for faster hill riding, Carmichael shares a real life example how dropping a few pounds ups your pedal power and speed on his blog.

Include surges and speed work on your trainer

For cyclists who don’t have hills nearby or are training for a spring cycling tour, including speed work on your trainer is the ticket to tackling climbs. By training at (or just below) your lactate threshold, you improve your ability to power through the last few minutes of a steep climb. In one of his training posts on Bicycling.com, trainer Chris Carmichael outlines a No-climbing workout you can do on your trainer twice a week.

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