More companies are swapping the conference-room offsite for something people will actually remember. A cycling trip is one of the better options: a shared challenge, a lot of time outdoors together, and long dinners at the end of the day. But a corporate group is not a cycling club, and planning one as though it were is the most common mistake.
What makes a corporate group different
The spread of fitness is wider. A club is self-selecting: everyone rides. A corporate group often includes a few serious cyclists, several occasional riders, and at least one person who has not been on a bike in years.
Decisions take longer. Budgets need approving, leave needs aligning, and somebody in finance will want to know exactly what is included.
Time is shorter. Senior people rarely take a full ten days. Four or five days is more realistic for most corporate groups.
Paperwork matters. The company needs an invoice it can process, from a supplier it can account for.
Plan around all four and the trip works. Ignore them and you end up with a week designed for the three keenest cyclists in the company.
Design for the least experienced rider
This is the single most important principle. A corporate trip succeeds when the least experienced person on it finishes every day glad they came.
A few things make that possible:
E-bikes. On our Tuscany tour, an e-bike is available to rent. An e-bike lets an occasional rider climb with the group without suffering, and removes most of the anxiety from people who are nervous about keeping up.
A support vehicle that carries riders. Nobody should have to ride further than they want to. A vehicle that can take a rider and their bike for the last hour of a hard day turns a potential disaster into a non-event.
Shorter days, and optional extensions. Set the standard day for the group, and give the keen riders a longer option where the route allows it.
Days off the bike. A walk, a cooking class or a vineyard visit gives everyone a different way to spend time together, and gives tired legs a break.
Choosing where to go
For a corporate group, the destination is usually decided by constraints rather than ambition.
If time and paperwork are tight, stay in India. No visas and no long flights. Our Goa tour, with an average day of 68 km and around 550 metres of climbing, is the kind of riding a mixed group can enjoy.
For a short flight abroad, Thailand and Sri Lanka are easy to reach from most Indian cities. The Tour of Northern Thailand averages 538 metres of climbing a day on very good roads, the least of any of our tours abroad.
For Europe, start very early. Every participant will need a Schengen visa, with an appointment at a visa centre and around fifteen days of processing. For a company group, that means committing four to six months ahead, with someone tracking each person's application. Our Schengen timeline sets out how it works.
Run it as a private departure
A corporate group should not be fitted into a public departure. With eight riders or more, we run a tour on the group's own dates, with daily distance and climbing set to the people actually coming, and the itinerary shortened or lengthened as needed. We design and scout every route ourselves, so changing one is something we plan, not something we pass to a third party.
Money and paperwork
Agree early who pays for what. Usually the company covers the tour, and individuals cover extras such as drinks and anything not included. Decide whether the company is paying for single rooms; in corporate groups, many people expect one, and supplements add up.
All our prices include GST, and we are a registered Indian firm, so the invoice is an Indian one whichever country the tour is in. Most of our tours are priced in rupees, and a few in Europe in euros.
A planning timeline
Four to six months out for Europe, two to three months for India and nearby Asia: agree the destination, dates and budget.
As soon as dates are fixed: confirm the private departure and the rooming plan.
For Europe: start each person's visa process as soon as appointments open.
Six weeks out: confirm bike choices (own bike, hire or e-bike) and collect sizes.
Two weeks out: a short briefing for the group on what each day involves, so nobody arrives anxious.
Tell us about your group
Corporate groups, clubs and friends riding together are the same job to us. If you are planning a trip for your company, tell us about your group and we will work back from the season.
Much of our guide to organising a club trip abroad applies to a company too, and our ten questions to ask a tour operator are worth putting to anyone you are considering, us included.
Written by Barnowl Adventures.
