If you want a bike that can carry your work gear from Monday to Friday and take you much further at the weekend, a touring bike deserves a place on your shortlist.

Touring bikes are built around distance, comfort, durability, and carrying capacity. Those qualities make touring bikes natural companions for multi-day adventures, but they can also make daily commuting more practical, particularly when you cover longer distances or need to carry a laptop, clothes, and other essentials.

The good news is that you could get a touring bike for less through Cyclescheme. With Cyclescheme, you can save up to 47% on a new touring bike and eligible cycling accessories, with no upfront payment and tax-efficient repayments taken from your salary.

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What is a touring bike?

A touring bike is a bicycle designed to cover long distances comfortably while carrying luggage. Cycle touring can range from a long day’s ride to journeys lasting several days or weeks, so touring bikes need to cope with extended time in the saddle and the extra weight of your belongings.

That usually means a strong frame, stable handling, plenty of gears, and space for equipment such as racks, panniers, and mudguards. Touring bikes also tend to offer a more comfortable riding position than bikes that are designed purely around speed.

Those features transfer well to commuting. A touring bike can carry your laptop, lunch, clothes, and work essentials on pannier racks, freeing you from a heavy backpack. The durable design can also cope with everyday surfaces such as tarmac, towpaths, and rougher stretches of cycle route.

For riders who want one bicycle for work, weekends, and longer adventures, that flexibility makes all the difference.

What can you use a touring bike for?

Touring bikes come into their own when you want comfort and practicality over distance. You can use a touring bike for:

• Longer daily commutes
• Urban and rural cycle routes
• Weekend rides
• Bikepacking and cycle holidays
• Carrying work equipment in panniers
• Year-round cycling
• Routes combining roads with light gravel or towpaths

A touring bike can therefore become more than just your way to work. Once Friday afternoon arrives, the same bicycle can carry you beyond the commute and towards your next ride.

Are touring bikes good for commuting?

Touring bikes can make excellent commuter bikes, especially when your journey covers a reasonable distance or you regularly carry work essentials. The sturdy frame handles repeated daily use, while racks let you carry belongings away from your back. Mudguard compatibility is useful when British weather turns wet, and a wide gear range can help when your commute includes hills.

A touring bike also gives you the freedom to keep riding once your working week ends. And, as long as you use your bike primarily for commuting, you can save on touring bikes and necessary cycling equipment through over 2,600 participating Cyclescheme retailers.

Touring bikes vs road bikes: what’s the difference?

Road bikes and touring bikes both have their benefits for commuting and cycling in general, but they’re not the same. Road bikes usually prioritise low weight and speed on smooth roads, while touring bikes place more emphasis on comfort, stability, durability, and luggage capacity.

A touring bike will also generally feel more planted when loaded and may have wider tyres, stronger wheels, and lower gearing for hills. The trade-off is extra weight compared with a typical road bike.

For fast recreational road rides, a road bike may ultimately suit you better. For commuting, carrying kit and travelling longer distances, a touring bike offers the extra versatility you’re likely to need.

Which type of touring bike is right for you?

If you’re considering buying a touring bike, there are three primary types to consider:

Lightweight touring bikes

If you’re after a fast touring bike for commuting, then a lightweight bike is a solid choice. You’ll still benefit from the practicalities of racks and panniers whilst being able to build up more speed on roads or paved surfaces than other types of touring bikes. As well as making for fantastic commuter bikes, they’re great for shorter cycle tours. 

Long distance touring bikes

Your classic touring bike, these are built to keep you comfortable over extra-long distances. A long distance touring bike is best equipped at carrying weight while maintaining cross-terrain durability. They’re also known as off-road touring bikes, as they can handle bridleways, towpaths, and gravel paths. 

However, these bikes aren’t all-out off-roaders. Caution should be exercised when travelling on very rough terrain. Instead, these bikes are best for touring long distances with some elements of mixed terrain. If your commute covers a lengthy distance and includes some towpaths or gravel, then you’ll get along well with this type of touring bike. 

Folding touring bikes

A folding touring bike offers more durability than other folding bikes. You wouldn’t want to tackle a very long tour on one of these, especially one with lots of inclines or rougher terrain, but folding touring bikes can be extremely handy for explorers. Allowing you to access public transport, they’re perfect for switching up between rural and urban areas. They can also be kept in smaller spaces for those without the storage space for a larger bike.

What should you look for in a touring bike?

Think about your commute when choosing a touring bike. Distance, hills, road surfaces, and luggage all affect which touring bike will feel right. Useful touring bike features can include:

• A wide range of gears for varied terrain
• Strong wheels for regular riding under load
• Wider tyres for comfort and grip
• Mounting points for racks and panniers
• Mudguard compatibility
• A riding position you can comfortably hold for longer journeys

A participating Cyclescheme retailer can also help you compare touring bikes and find the right size and setup for your commute.

How much does a touring bike cost?

As they grow in popularity, more affordable touring bikes are hitting the market. An entry-level touring bike can be considered anything below £1,000, with the most affordable ones starting at around £500.

While entry level versions are similarly priced to road bikes, top of the range touring bikes will easily exceed £2,500. The good news for any cyclists looking for a top of the range touring bike is that the £1,000 limit on cycle to work schemes has now been lifted. This means that you can use Cyclescheme to break down the cost of one of these top-quality bikes. You can also use the Cyclescheme calculator to estimate your potential savings before applying.

Save on a touring bike with Cyclescheme

If your employer offers Cyclescheme, you can use the Cycle to Work scheme to make a touring bike more affordable. Apply for the amount you need through Cyclescheme, and once your employer approves and pays for your request, you’ll receive your Cyclescheme Certificate. You can then redeem the Certificate with a participating retailer for your touring bike and eligible accessories.

With more than 2,600 participating bike shops across the UK, you can choose from independent stores, major retailers, online shops and brands directly. You can save up to 47%, pay nothing upfront, and spread the cost through tax-efficient salary deductions. There’s no credit check either. The only thing you need to note is that a bike bought through Cyclescheme must primarily be used for commuting first, but that doesn’t mean you can’t use it for other purposes too.

So that just leaves one important decision: where will your touring bike take you after work?

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