Both Trek Travel and Backroads have earned their reputations. Both offer fully supported cycling vacations, expert guides, and handpicked hotels in destinations across Europe and beyond. If you’re weighing one against the other, you’re already looking at two of the best operators in the business. But they’re built differently — from different starting points, around different priorities — and those differences matter depending on what you’re looking for. This is an honest comparison of both, designed to help you decide.
Company background: a bike company vs. an adventure company
Backroads was founded in 1979 and has spent 45 years building one of the most respected active travel brands in the world. They offer biking, hiking, walking, multi-adventure, family, women-only, and river cruise trips across six continents. Cycling is one of several things they do well.
Trek Travel was founded in 2003 as a direct extension of Trek Bicycle — one of the world’s leading bike manufacturers. Every decision Trek Travel makes, from the bikes guests ride to the routes trip designers choose to the expertise guides carry, flows from a company whose entire identity is built around cycling. Hiking and walking tours were added later, but the core remains the same: this is a company built by cyclists, for people who want to experience the world on a bike.
That distinction doesn’t make one better than the other in every context. But if a cycling vacation is what you’re planning, there is a meaningful difference between a company where cycling is the focus and one where it’s a category.
The bikes: production flagship vs. custom titanium
Backroads builds its own bikes — custom titanium frames designed specifically for touring, professionally maintained and fitted for each guest. The Backroads Performance Bike is a well-built machine with wireless SRAM shifting, disc brakes, and carbon wheels. A carbon upgrade option from Cannondale or Canyon is available on select trips. A new Performance E-bike launches in June 2026 at a $400 rental fee.
Trek Travel guests ride Trek’s own production flagship models — the same bikes available through Trek’s global retail network.
Road trips: Trek Domane SL 7 Gen 4. carbon frame with IsoSpeed road-smoothing technology, Shimano Di2 electronic shifting, disc brakes. Trek Verve+ hybrid e-bike is also available on most Trek Travel Classic Bike Tours.
Gravel trips: Trek Checkpoint SL 7 AXS Gen 3, OCLV 500 carbon, SRAM Force XPLR AXS wireless drivetrain, 45mm tubeless tires
E-gravel option: Trek Checkpoint+ SL — quiet TQ motor, 360Wh battery, the same carbon platform as the standard Checkpoint
E-bike options are available on over 60 Trek Travel trips, including hybrid e-bikes for casual riders and the Checkpoint+ for guests who want electric assist on gravel routes. For a travel companion who doesn’t want to ride at all, non-rider options are available on most trips — there’s no requirement to be in the saddle every day.
The distinction here isn’t that one bike is better than the other. Backroads’ titanium bikes are genuinely excellent. The difference is that Trek Travel’s bikes come with the full backing of Trek’s engineering, warranty, and component ecosystem — and guides who are expert mechanics trained specifically on that equipment.
Who these trips are built for
Neither company is designed exclusively for elite or experienced riders. Both offer options across a wide range of fitness levels. But they frame that accessibility differently.
Backroads uses a 1–5 activity scale and offers “Dolce Tempo” easygoing trips and their newer “Unplugged” format for riders who want a non-electric, camaraderie-focused experience.
Trek Travel uses four defined rider types — Leisure, Recreational, Active, and Avid — and designs every trip to accommodate multiple levels simultaneously. A leisure rider and an avid rider on the same trip take different route options each day and arrive at the same lunch stop, the same hotel, the same dinner table. E-bikes are integrated across the program, not siloed into separate trip formats. Three-day and four-day getaway trips offer lower-commitment entry points for first-timers or travelers with limited time.
For non-cyclists joining a riding partner, Trek Travel offers non-rider options on most trips — van transport, cultural visits, and independent exploration — so companions don’t need to spend the week watching from the hotel.
Group size and guide model
Backroads biking trips accommodate up to 26 guests, with an average group size of approximately 16 across all trip types. Every trip runs with at least three leaders, and Backroads claims a better-than 6:1 guest-to-leader ratio — a standard they’ve maintained across their 45-year history. Guides are rated 9.8 out of 10 by guests and the company employs rather than subcontracts its leaders.
Trek Travel guides are expert cyclists and mechanics — people who can read a route, fix a derailleur, and explain why the village you just rode through matters historically, all before lunch. Guide-to-guest ratios vary by trip, with additional guides and vehicles added based on group size and terrain.
Both companies invest seriously in their guide programs. The meaningful difference for cycling specifically is that Trek Travel guides bring deep cycling knowledge as a baseline — bike fit, mechanical support, and route expertise are their primary expertise, not one of several skills they’re expected to carry.
Trip variety: cycling depth vs. activity breadth
Backroads offers an enormous catalog — over 180 itineraries across six continents including multi-sport, sailing, family, and cruise trips. If you want to mix cycling with kayaking, hiking, or sailing on the same vacation, Backroads has formats specifically designed for that.
Trek Travel’s catalog is built around cycling and its natural extensions:
Classic road bike tours — from Tuscany and Provence to Vermont and the San Juan Islands.
Gravel bike tours — Tuscany’s strade bianche, Girona’s dirt roads, Croatia’s vineyard tracks, Vermont’s covered bridges, Scotland’s Highlands.
Hiking & walking tours — Croatia, Ireland, Portugal, Dolomites, Costa Rica, Scotland, and mor.
Ride Camps — structured performance training in pro cycling destinations including Girona, Mallorca, Solvang, Portugal, and Greenville.
Self-guided trips — independent cycling in Tuscany, Provence, Portugal, Czech Republic, Ireland, and others.
Pro race trips — Tour de France, Tour de France Femmes (see below).
Short-format getaways — 3 and 4-day trips in Asheville, Santa Barbara, Vermont, Zion, and more.
Pro race access: an exclusive Trek Travel advantage
Trek Travel is the Official Tour Operator of the Tour de France and the exclusive hospitality partner of Team Lidl-Trek. That means Trek Travel guests can ride the Tour de France mountain stages — Col du Tourmalet, Alpe d’Huez, Col de la Madeleine — on the same roads, on the same day, hours before the professional peloton. VIP race access passes provide entry to finish-line hospitality areas. Ultimate Experience trips include a behind-the-scenes Q&A with the Lidl-Trek team, a tour of the team bus, and access to the team paddock at the Grand Départ.
Trek Travel also offers Tour de France Femmes trips with the same level of VIP access and course riding — the only operator with this combination of official status and pro team partnership at both races.
No other guided cycling tour operator offers this level of access to professional racing. It’s a direct result of Trek Travel’s position at the intersection of the cycling industry and travel.
Recognition
Trek Travel has been named a Travel + Leisure World’s Best Tour Operator in 2016, 2018, 2021, and 2025 — an award voted on by thousands of real travelers based on guides, itineraries, accommodations, and overall experience.
Backroads is also widely recognized in the active travel industry and has earned strong ratings across major review platforms, with guides consistently rated 9.8 out of 10 by guests.
Both companies have earned their reputations through decades of delivering quality experiences. The T+L recognition for Trek Travel reflects consistent performance specifically in the tour operator category, voted by travelers who’ve experienced the trips firsthand.
Which company is right for you
Choose Backroads if: You want a proven, broad active travel program with diverse formats — multi-sport, family, cruise, and hiking trips alongside cycling — and a 45-year track record across more than 180 itineraries worldwide.
Choose Trek Travel if: Cycling is the reason you’re traveling. Whether you’re a first-timer on an e-bike working up to your first multi-day trip, a recreational rider who wants a supported week in Tuscany, or an avid cyclist who wants to ride Alpe d’Huez the morning the Tour de France climbs it — Trek Travel’s entire organization is built to deliver that experience at the highest level. The bikes are Trek’s own flagships. The guides are cyclists first. The routes are designed by people who have ridden them. And the pro race program is, simply, not available anywhere else.
Active travel that puts cycling at the center deserves a company that does the same.
Explore Trek Travel cycling trips — or if you’re just getting started, browse all Trek Travel tours to find the right fit for your pace, your fitness level, and the kind of trip you actually want to take.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between Trek Travel and Backroads?
Trek Travel was founded in 2003 as a direct extension of Trek Bicycle and is built specifically around cycling — with Trek flagship production bikes, certified mechanic guides, and a catalog covering classic road cycling, gravel, Ride Camps, self-guided trips, hiking and walking tours, and exclusive Tour de France access. Backroads was founded in 1979 and is the most format-diverse of the major cycling tour operators, offering biking, hiking, walking, multi-adventure, family, women-only, and river cruise trips across six continents. Cycling is one of several things Backroads does well; it is the organizing principle of everything Trek Travel does.
Which company has better bikes — Trek Travel or Backroads?
Backroads uses custom titanium frames designed specifically for touring, with wireless SRAM shifting, disc brakes, and carbon wheels. Carbon upgrades from Cannondale or Canyon are available on select trips. Trek Travel guests ride Trek’s own production flagship models: the Trek Domane SL for road cycling, the Trek Checkpoint SL 7 AXS Gen 3 for gravel, and the Checkpoint+ SL e-gravel bike — the same bikes available through Trek’s global retail network, backed by Trek’s full engineering, warranty, and component ecosystem, maintained by certified mechanic guides trained specifically on that equipment.
Does Trek Travel offer e-bikes?
Yes. Trek Travel offers e-bikes on over 60 trips, fully integrated into the standard trip experience — not a separate format or supplement. Options include the Trek Verve+ hybrid e-bike for classic road tours and the Trek Checkpoint+ SL e-gravel bike for gravel routes. Guests using e-bikes travel the same itinerary, stay in the same hotels, and ride alongside non-assisted riders throughout the trip. Backroads launched a new Performance E-bike in June 2026 at a $400 supplement.
How big are Trek Travel and Backroads group tours?
Backroads biking trips accommodate up to 26 guests, with an average group size of approximately 16 across all trip types. Every Backroads trip runs with at least three leaders and a better-than 6:1 guest-to-leader ratio. Trek Travel group sizes vary by trip format, with guide and van support scaled to group size and terrain. Both companies invest seriously in their guide programs; the meaningful difference is that Trek Travel guides are expert cyclists and certified mechanics first, while Backroads guides carry expertise across multiple activity types.
Is Trek Travel or Backroads better for beginner cyclists?
Both companies accommodate beginners and offer e-bikes. Trek Travel uses four defined rider levels — Leisure, Recreational, Active, and Avid — and every guided trip offers multiple daily route options simultaneously, so a first-timer and an experienced cyclist travel the same itinerary at different distances and meet at the same lunch stop, hotel, and dinner table. E-bikes are available on over 60 Trek Travel trips and fully integrated alongside standard riders. Backroads offers a 1–5 activity scale and a “Dolce Tempo” easygoing format for relaxed pacing. Non-rider options are available on most Trek Travel trips for travel companions who prefer not to cycle every day.
Does Trek Travel have pro race access that Backroads doesn't?
Yes. Trek Travel is the Official Tour Operator of the Tour de France and the exclusive hospitality partner of Team Lidl-Trek. Trek Travel guests ride Tour de France mountain stages — Col du Tourmalet, Alpe d’Huez, and the Col de la Madeleine — on the same roads, on the same day, hours before the professional peloton. VIP race access passes provide entry to finish-line hospitality areas. Ultimate Experience trips include a behind-the-scenes Q&A with the Lidl-Trek team, a tour of the team bus, and access to the team paddock at the Grand Départ. Trek Travel also offers Tour de France Femmes trips with equivalent VIP access. Backroads does not have a pro race program.
Does Backroads offer more trips than Trek Travel?
Yes. Backroads offers over 180 itineraries across six continents, including multi-sport, sailing, family, women-only, and river cruise trips alongside cycling and hiking. Trek Travel’s catalog is built around cycling and its natural extensions — classic road, gravel, hiking and walking, Ride Camps, self-guided, and pro race trips — across 50-plus destinations. Backroads’ breadth is its strength for travelers who want format diversity. Trek Travel’s depth is its strength for travelers whose trip is fundamentally about cycling.
Can non-cyclists join a Trek Travel trip?
Yes. Non-rider options are available on most Trek Travel trips — van transport, cultural visits, and independent exploration allow travel companions who prefer not to cycle to participate fully in the trip experience. All guests join the group for meals and evening activities regardless of whether they rode that day. Backroads also accommodates non-riders on most trips.
