Bespoke Cycle Tours

An Australian small-group cycling operator

Bespoke Cycle Tours is an Australian company, Bespoke Cycle Tours Pty Ltd, that runs its own guided, self-guided, supported and co-hosted cycling holidays in Sydney and regional Australia, including Victoria, and abroad in Sri Lanka, Sweden, Italy, Japan and Bhutan. The homepage describes "Small group, 1–8 day cycling holidays designed for discerning travellers who enjoy gentle rides, cultural discovery, and regional food and wine." The about page says the company was established in 2020 and that "The touring program has grown from 1 to 12 different itineraries across 5 countries to meet the demand from a very loyal band of repeat clients."

It also says the business "has its genesis in 1980 with establishment of one of Australia's first successful 'soft' adventure tour businesses," which ran 1-6 day cycling, cross country skiing, walking and special interest tours. The about page describes Bespoke as an accredited tour operator and a member of the Council of Australian Tour Operators, and says "Guided tours are conducted by an accredited guide with Tour Guides Australia." Prices on the tour pages are in Australian dollars, and the contact number is an Australian mobile.

Tours at home and abroad

The Australian program starts with 2 guided Sydney day rides, the Sydney Harbour Day Tour and the Sydney Iconic Beaches Day Tour. The homepage says they run on "a high-quality e bike with a qualified local guide," with "A maximum group size of four," mostly on dedicated cycleways or quiet residential streets, and include a restaurant or Sydney Fish Market lunch. Regional tours include the Orange Regional Discovery Tour, a six day circular ride from Orange averaging 50 kms per day in self-guided and supported versions; the N.E. Victorian Grand Tour, seven days and 320 kms on rail trails in the foothills of the Australian Alps with two nights each in Bright, Beechworth and Rutherglen; the Gippsland Great Southern Rail Trail on a wide compacted gravel trail; and the Goldfields & Spa Tour, a six-day circular 240 km route around Castlemaine.

Abroad, the Sweden Kattegat Coastal Cycle Tour is an 8-day trip that starts in Copenhagen and covers 350-400 kms over 6 days of riding to Gothenburg. The Italy Ciociaria Gourmet Cycle Tour is based in the hilltop village of Atina, south-west of Rome, with bilingual local co-hosts. Two Japan tours cover Okayama, Hiroshima and Kyoto on one and the island of Kyushu on the other.

The Sri Lanka Cultural & Charity Cycle Tour runs 7 nights / 8 days, guided and fully supported, with 200 kms over 5 days of cycling, averaging 40 kms per day. The 2027 departures are Mon 5 July to Mon 12 July and Mon 12 July to Mon 19 July, at AU$4,950pp twin share with a AU$770pp single supplement. US$350 per person is donated to the Australia Sri Lanka Medical Aid Team (AUSLMAT) mission at a Colombo hospital.

The Bhutan: Land of Serenity Discovery Tour covers four districts over 10 nights and 11 days, with 230 km of riding over 7 days on e-bikes, daily distances of 15-55 km and elevation gains of 400-800m. It costs AU$6,563pp with a AU$1,180pp single supplement, and the 2027 departure from 23 October to 2 November is marked "BOOKED OUT." Both pages say more dates are available for groups of 10+.

What riding with Bespoke is like

The about page sums up the style as "enjoyable physical activity in stimulating outdoor settings; interacting with local communities through a greater understanding of their history, culture and cuisine and relaxing at the end of each day with good company, food and wine in comfortable (and sometimes eclectic) accommodation."

The long-haul pages spell out the day-to-day. In Sri Lanka, the price includes 7 nights in 4-star accommodation, all breakfasts and dinners except day 1 in Colombo, group airport transfers, local and Bespoke cycle guides, a vehicle with spare bikes and accessories, and 10 attraction entries including a Colombo tuk tuk tour and an organic cooking school. Lunches on ride days, airfares, visas, tips and travel insurance are not included. Riders choose a Trek Marlin 6 mountain bike or a Schnnel KY 20D e-bike, and the page says vegetarians are catered for, though with fewer options.

In Bhutan, inclusions are all meals, 3 and 4 star hotels on twin share, "A resourceful licensed outstanding English speaking guide," the government Sustainable Development Fee and airport transfers; flights, tips and travel insurance are excluded. The itinerary notes that riders can hop into the support vehicle when tired, that a spare e-bike battery is packed for long climbs, and that some stages are replaced by bus transfers. The Bhutan and Sri Lanka pages both say bad weather can be handled by swapping cycling for cultural activities.

Reviews on the homepage are the company's selection. One from a couple on the Great Southern Rail Trail says the trip was "well organised, with Bespoke regularly meeting and checking on us throughout the trail," and adds "We are not regular cyclists."

Booking and contact

Tour pages carry "Enquire About Availability" and Book Now buttons, and the site has separate Departure Dates, Bike Hire and FAQs pages under Bookings. The homepage says friends and family groups can have custom itineraries "and dates to suit." Contact is by phone on +61 (0)434 018010 or by email.

What the site does not settle

The tour pages do not state a deposit, a payment schedule, a cancellation window or refund terms, though both international pages exclude "cancellation insurance" from the price, so the booking terms are worth reading before paying. A group-size cap is published only for the Sydney day tours. The site does not set a minimum age or say whether children can join the multi-day tours, and it gives no formal difficulty scale beyond the daily distances and climbing listed on each itinerary.

Bespoke suits travelers who want a gentle-to-moderate, food-and-culture cycling trip in a small group, with the company handling hotels, bikes and transfers. The detailed Sri Lanka and Bhutan itineraries, with prices, dates and inclusions laid out, make those two trips easy to assess. Riders chasing big mileage or racing-style climbs are not who the company writes for.