2026 marks a special year here at Skedaddle. Our company was founded in December 1995 and our first trip to Chile departed in 1996, making 2026 our third decade in the saddle exploring the world by bike! As you might imagine, we’ve seen a few trends emerge over the years.
For 2026 we’ve analysed our own data, highlighted the latest bike tech and what this means for Skedaddle, and shared our take on the latest predicted travel trends from industry research. Read on to discover the latest travel and cycle trends for the coming year.
Bike innovation
Looking ahead, it’s clear that bikes are becoming increasingly dependent on battery-powered tech, and we’re not just talking about a motor. Electronic shifting has been available for quite some years now, but the newest shifters allow full customisation via an app and even automatic gear shifting that works by monitoring your cadence and power output. Other features include Bluetooth tyre pressure indicators, vehicle detecting radars and remote locking. These features aren’t in our hire fleet yet but we’re testing the newest ranges from Giant to see how such technologies will influence us in the not-too-distant future and make sure you have the best possible experience on two wheels.
Road CC recently put the Giant Defy Advanced SL1 in second place in their top 10 all road bikes for 2026. Giant continue to be our hire bike brand of choice and it’s great to see many of their newest models on “best of” lists for 2026. It’s clear that more people are opting for relaxed geometry and bikes that can ride ‘Any Road’. That’s why we selected the Giant Revolt for our UK road tours like Land’s End to John o’ Groats. When you’re on a cycling holiday you want to prioritise comfort above all else and the evolution of bike frames, tyres and gears means we benefit from a smoother and more comfortable ride without compromising on speed.
E-bikes continue to surge in popularity for our leisure and mountain biking holidays. Similar to the trends we see in road and gravel for more versatile bikes, we’re seeing leisure e-bike technology evolving to allow more adventurous touring. The new Giant Anytour X hybrid e-bike comes with smaller wheels, a stiffer frame and a dropper post, which, combined with the front suspension, offers peace of mind when traversing rougher sections.
Range anxiety is not something our customers have had to worry too much about on our tours because it’s something we keep in mind when designing our holidays – stick to our e-bike tips to help you get the most out of your e-bike and finish each day without worry. However, the increased demand for e-bikes poses other logistical challenges, particularly as more people hire them on our group tours. We’ve developed our own bespoke van charging station in the UK so you’ll never have to worry about being left without power on one of our UK group tours. We continue to grow our relationships with cycle friendly accommodation and our self-guided holidays always use cycle and e-bike friendly accommodation.
The demand for gravel bikes continues to grow too and we’re looking to make these more widely available across our range. At one time there was a distinct line between a road and off-road bike. As that line becomes ever more blurred, we’re always at the forefront of bike evolution to make sure you have the best bike for the ride.
Participation
Our most common enquiries last year related to group dynamics, cycling ability, and single room supplements. It’s understandable that people are concerned about how they’ll mesh with the group or if they will be fit enough to complete the tour.
We get a lot of questions about the group mix and demographics. Our gender split across all 2025 holidays was 45% female and 55% male. We typically see a wide age range in a group and older riders are not uncommon. There are plenty of older cyclists who complete our toughest tours! Solo travellers are also common and in fact many solo travellers love the fact they get to meet likeminded riders on holiday. You can also avoid paying a single room supplement if you opt to share a twin room. Over the years we’ve witnessed many long-lasting friendships that initiated on a Skedaddle holiday.
“As a single lady joining a group I was made to feel welcome from the start.”
“I was nervous about this trip – would I be able to do it? Would look an idiot? Etc. from the very beginning I felt safe, looked after, supported”
Travel Trends
The BBC shared their 7 Travel Trends for 2026 and this is how we think some of them will impact us:
Quietcations – a movement that focuses on silence, comfort, digital detoxes and escaping the stresses of modern life. With burnout and screen fatigue on the rise it’s no wonder more people are looking to fully switch off and seek out peaceful destinations. Here at Skedaddle, our wilderness escapes continue to be hugely popular although we think that pretty much any cycling holiday is a wonderful way to distract yourself from the demands of day-to-day life and focus on the slowly changing landscapes that you glide through.
Gen AI (or speak to a human!) – More people are using AI to assist them with their holiday research. It’s certainly useful for initial inspiration but the report also warns of the risks of overtourism funnelling travellers to the same few destinations and a growing number of scams. Call us old school but we like to keep the human element at Skedaddle so whether you’re using our LiveChat, emailing or calling then you’ll always get to speak with one of our friendly team in Newcastle. Your Skedaddle Account also lets you access all your booking information conveniently in one place.
More people are opting to let someone else plan their trip. Whilst we don’t yet have a range of ‘mystery tours’ we do think the removal of decision fatigue is a big draw for Skedaddle holidays. We take care of all the important details – the route, the navigation, the accommodation, the bikes, the transfers – plus our team will gladly discuss the best travel options or recommend tours if you’re not sure where to begin.
Road trips. The hashtag #RoadTrip has reportedly been tagged more than 5.9 million times. It’s thought that a big contributing factor to this trend is people looking for cheaper ways to travel. It’s easy to see why the idea of the open road is appealing – the freedom to explore, a focus on the journey rather than the destination. We might not do it in cars, but we’d argue the experience from the saddle is even more immersive!
Off grid and a growing appetite for adventure. This is a travel trend we can really get on board with! Since the very beginning we’ve embraced the bike’s ability to take people off the beaten track in search of adventure. We’ve always looked beyond the tourist hotspots and whilst adventurous souls might find tours like our Route of the Nomads in Mongolia appealing, we also have a good range of relaxing holidays in ‘off-beat’ and underrated destinations too, such as the Costa de la Luz in Spain or the Northumberland Coast in England.
Other common travel trends include:
The rise in people seeking cool-cations (cooler weather destinations) is something we’ve noticed here at Skedaddle with a surge in bookings for Sweden and Norway. For countries in Southern Europe, we always recommend travelling in the shoulder season. It’s better for tourism and typically better cycling weather!
More people are taking an interest in stargazing and astronomy. Whilst not the main focus of our holidays, we do have a number of cycling adventures where you can experience a night under the stars in Mongolia, Peru, Eswatini, Morocco, Uzbekistan and Jordan. Camping isn’t in the itinerary in Patagonia but our holidays in this remote wilderness are also great for snatching a spot of stargazing, as is the well-known designated Dark Sky Park in Northumberland – a highlight on the Rievers Trails.
Top destinations for 2026
Lonely Planet’s Top 25 destinations for 2026 includes a few Skedaddle favourites!
Colombia – Cartegena. We’ve been running road cycling holidays in Colombia since 2011 and we think Lonely Planet’s spotlight on the country and more specifically, Cartegena, is absolutely deserved. This magnificent ancient city is bursting with colour and culture and makes for a memorable end to one of our most exciting road cycling tours.
Spain – Cádiz. We’re delighted to see the ancient Cádiz in the top 25! Cadiz is not far from our España HQ in Tarifa where we’ve been based for more than 20 years. The history of this beautiful port city dates back millennia making it one of the oldest cities in Europe. Cádiz is also famed for its vibrant food and flamenco scene. You can enjoy a stay in Cadiz on one of our leisure or gravel riding tours along the Costa de la Luz.
Vietnam – Quy Nhon. Vietnam continues to be one of our bestselling cycling adventures. Our journey up the coast of Vietnam takes us through the coastal city of Quy Nhon, which Lonely Planet praises for its blend of natural beauty and culture. Its laid-back atmosphere and abundance of fresh seafood makes it a real holiday highlight.
Italy – Sardinia. Another Skedaddle home! Our Italia team has been based in the Mediterranean paradise of Sardinia for more than 20 years. We have something for every kind of rider to enjoy in Sardinia and it’s a destination that continues to be one of most popular in Italy for 2026.
Peru. Peru is a magical place to explore by bike, and we’ve been running tours with our local partner here for many years. In Peru you can experience the contrasting modern cities and ancient ruins, and head off the tourist trail on one of our tours to explore incredible scenic trails.
South Korea – Jeju-do. Lonely Planet recommends a trip to Jeju-do island while visiting South Korea. Whilst it’s not on our trip itinerary we also think it’s well worth a visit after your incredible cycling adventure from Seoul to Busan.
Also Trending at Skedaddle
Iconic Journeys – These are our epic end-to-end tours. It seems more people than ever are keen to tick off their bucket list ride in 2026, whether it’s a famous route like Land’s End to John o’ Groats or one of our unique journeys like the new Trans Iberia from Barcelona to Porto. If you’re interested in cycling from Prague to Venice you’ll need to book ahead for 2027 as all of our 2026 tours have sold out!
Piedmont – This beautiful region in northern Italy was a long-standing cycling destination for Skedaddle so we’re delighted to see it returning to our range in 2026. Piedmont is home for many of our amazing Italian guides and they can’t wait to show you their favourite rides. Our first guided road cycling tour La Strada del Vino already fully booked so you’ll need to be quick if you want to join us this year! We also offer a self-guided version and a self-guided leisure cycling holiday – Vineyards and Vistas for those in search of a more relaxed pace with e-bike options.
Sweden – we mentioned earlier the trend for ‘cool-cations’. Sweden continues to grow as a cycling destination as people choose both the Coastal Kattegattleden self-guided leisure cycling tour as well as our brand new self-guided tour of Stockholm’s Archipelago.
Japan – Japan remains a trending destination with both Spring tours for our cycling adventure from Fuji to Kyoto and our road cycling tour in Shikoku selling out.
Beyond the Silk Road – our inaugural cycling adventure in Uzbekistan took place in Autumn 2025 and it’s already proving a draw for adventure cyclists in 2026.
Laid-back gravel – our first gravel riding tours launched in 2024, and they continue to grow in popularity. This year, we launched several new tours offering a more relaxed gravel riding experience. Our tour of the Gravel Trails of Veneto is a delicious blend of scenic riding, cities and culture. Meanwhile the Costa de la Luz has an abundance of gorgeous coastal trails. The trails around Aberfoyle in Scotland are legendary in the gravel scene and you can now experience them for yourself on our self-guided tour – Trossachs and Tayside Trails.
Here’s to many more years of exploring the world by bike!
If you’re looking for further inspiration then make sure you check out our Skedaddle Classics – the holidays that helped to define our three decades of inspiring rides.