Goa e-bike tours by b:live- all you need to know!

Goa tourists now have an option of exploring Goa on an e-bike. It is a battery operated cycle and a guided tour will be organized with these vehicles. This post shares what I found out about the service when I visited their stall at #GITM2019 this week.

What are the various e-bike tours available? 

B-Live have listed a dozen+ curated trails, each focused on different thing- like old Goa, Panjim, food trails, location specific trails in Varca beach, Calangute etc. Do check their offerings on the tour page. You can also contact them for a more customized tours. Apart from Goa, they also operate in Mysuru and planning to expand to other cities.

Any requirement on min passengers? 

No. I was told they will organize even for just one customer.

Goa e-Bike Tour duration? 

Around 3 hours for the tour. Factor half a day to include travel time from your hotel to start point and back. Departure times are fixed and available on their website.

What is the Cost of Goa eBike tours by Blive?

Goa e-bike tour cost starts from Rs 2000, some of them cost a bit more- INR 2300, 2500 etc, per person. (1 Euro= 80 INR, 1 USD=70 INR approx)

My thoughts: Looks like pricing is more targeted at Western tourists. 25-30 Euros (30-35 USD) would probably appear as reasonable amount for western tourists.  Indians will comment this is too expensive- we can get a full day self drive car rental for 2000 INR, 3 day bike/Activa rental for 2000 INR so we will probably question if it is worth paying 2000 Rs for 3 hours of cycling. But then, here we should not see Goa e-Bike tour as a pure commute cost- it is the price to pay for the unique experience- highly curated trails, details by an experienced tour guide, experience of peddling a battery operated cycle and the joy of exploring scenic Goa in a group on cycle.

What's included in the Goa e-Bike tours pricing?
An e-bike & helmet to peddle during the trip, a guide to take you around and explain, some snacks & water, first aid support and emergency/breakdown assistance.

Additional expense like cost of reaching the start point, tips, any purchases during the trip and other incidental expenses are on your own.

From the list price organizers will have to probably pay 20-25% to various online travel portals (like klook, expedia etc) who have the reach to sell this tour to potential tourists and to travel agents to include it in their package. Then they have to pay for the guide, recover investments made in buying bike, setting up company etc. So I think it is fair price. If they get good volume, they will probably be able to lower the price a bit.

Another challenge I see for Indian tourists is non- availability of pillion seat. Indian families often have a few family members who can't cycle- so such people will have to left behind if family is taking the Goa ebike tour. Again most e-bikes are designed for one person only- carrying two will reduce their range, speed and other factors. This is not a challenge with western tourists as most of them would know cycling.

Also e-bike tour is a pollution free way to explore Goa, not leaving behind any carbon footprint.

How is the bike? Do I need license?
I couldn't check the exact model, was told it has a top speed of 25kmph. Vehicles of this type do not need a license in India to ride- anyone who knows how to balance can use them. You might be able to buy one online or from websites like Alibaba for around 35000-50000 INR (USD 500-700). I couldn't ride it inside the GITM venue but could take a closer look. There's a nice digital display indicating speed, remaining battery and other things.

Can we just rent the bike n explore on our own?

No. I would have loved that option- rent for a day and explore on our own-because current tours cover only a specific region of Goa- you'll have to take several tours or make some other arrangements to explore rest of Goa.

Any discount? 

No, nothing as of now, but these are dynamic and may vary from site to site, time to time. Check when you're planning to book.

Blive Official website is https://www.blive.co.in/ - you can check all the official details and book.

What do you think of the e-bike tours? Excited?

My other cycling related posts: Cycling inside Vandaloor Zoo * Namma Cycle * Cycling to work-Pros and cons * Trin Trin cycle rental, Mysuru * Ather A450 FAQs *

My other Goa Posts below, standby for more.

Places to visit in Goa	Property & Services Review
1) Mahadev Temple, Tambdi Surla 2) Reis Magos Fort, Goa 3) Fort Aguada, Goa 4) Naval Aviation Museum, Goa 5) Lady of Immaculate Conception church 6) Haunted 3 kings Church, Goa 7) Bubble Pond, Goa 8) Arvalem falls, Goa 9) Early morning drive to Chorla Ghat 10) Doodhsagar Falls by Train	1) Doodhsagar Spa Resort, Goa 2) Park Hyatt Resort n Spa, Goa 3) Carzonrent Goa self drive experience 4) Le Meridian, Calangute, Goa 5) Deltin Royale Floating Casino 6) Bambolim Beach Resort 7) Blive e-Bike tours
Events (in Goa that I attended)	Other Goa related posts
1) Tata Nano Superdrive in Goa, 2010 2) Ford Ecosport Media Drive 2013 3) Tata Safari SOUL Drive 2015 4) Tata Zica (Tiago) launch event, 2015 5) GITM 2019	1) Goa to London for Rs 3000 one way 2) Mumbai- Goa Cruise

-