Ecotopia Biketour is a self-organized environmental and social activist bicycle tour that has been cycling through different parts of Europe each summer since 1990. On our way we visit social and environmental projects and groups, to learn about their struggles and visions, to exchange knowledge, to create connections and to support them by participating in actions or doing some physical work. Read more about what the Ecotopia Biketour is.

Ecotopia Biketour 2017 will go through Germany, France and may be to Switzerland and eastern Spain. A more specific route will be announced on the website as soon as it is decided. If you have some recommendations for projects, groups and events for us to visit on the way or would like to help preparing the tour, write to 2017@ecotopiabiketour.net. Read more about Ecotopia Biketour 2017.

Biketour concepts

Participation guidelines

Because we all have different visions of life and diverse personalities, Ecotopia Biketour has developed a set of basic values, which helps all of us to create similar expectations from this project.

Self-Organisation

As we oppose any leadership or hierachical structures, the Biketour is organised in an open way where everyone can be a part of.
>how it's prepared
>consensus
>circles

Online Tools

We try to use free and open-source software as much as possible in the preparation process. The same goes for sharing photos and videos in the group.

On the road

Everyone should be able to cycle with the Biketour. Therefore we keep distances low and have scouts going ahead who mark the route. Everyone can follow the signs on their own level of speed. Any tasks like scouting, cooking or pulling a trailer are shared.

=>tasks & rota

=>trailers

=>wildcamping

Food

All communal food on Biketour is vegan and cooked with wood on our mobile rocket stove. Whenever it's possible we go dumpster-diving and buy food from local farmers and small shops.
> veganism
> rocket stove
> dumpster-diving

Activities

We plan and make many activities on the tour: skill-sharing, helping at projects, joining actions and protests, bike-fixing and other events.
> skill-sharing

Latest blog posts

Groenfront and Stop-AWACS

marcha agosto 21, 2010 August 24, 2010

Groenfront and Stop-AWACS campaign at the forests of Schinveld The Association STOP awacs is a dutch organisation of about 450 local members from eastern South-Limburg that fights against the noise nuisance caused by AWACS surveillance aircraft. For 26 years the Association STOP awacs, in collaboration with other groups, has been organising actions against the presence of the 17 AWACS surveillance planes (a derivative of Boeing 707 civil airplanes) that are stationed at the NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen in Germany, very close to the Dutch border. The NATO uses this base solely as a training site. to train pilots. That means…

Buitenring Parkstad

marcha agosto 21, 2010 August 24, 2010

Buitenring Parkstad: the unnecessary and destructive plan of a 4-lane highway While population is decreasing and newborn business parks in the area are barely getting into use, politicians don’t seem to stop thinking in terms of growth and hold on to prestigious constructions plans… for, it seems, whatever might be the costs.

Biketour update for 2010-08-17

biketour agosto 17, 2010 August 17, 2010

Tomorrow morning is action day!! First action 8am in Merelbeke, then cycling 55km to Brussels, second action at 15:30 at the Danish Embassy! #

Biketour update for 2010-08-16

biketour agosto 16, 2010 August 16, 2010

After 70km through insane wind and rain, we've arrived at the Plataan squats, in Merelbeke, Gent – their cooking is amazing!!! #