3. How support is actually delivered — the four models, everywhere
Every operator in the scan fits one of four shapes, and the shape is set by
product tier, not by geography.
| Model | Who | Economics |
|---|---|---|
| A. Phone number only | The default for self-guided everywhere: Macs Adventure, Headwater, Inntravel, UTracks, Girolibero, Trail Journeys, Wine Country Bikes, Bike 2 Wine, Explore Marlborough, Cycling Rentals | Free inclusion, zero marginal cost, no published response time anywhere |
| B. Dedicated van shadowing one guided group | Backroads, DuVine (7:1 guest-to-guide, one guide in the van), Wine de Roads ("our support van is always nearby"), Bike Florence & Tuscany ("hop in the van… to rest"), Napa Valley Bike Tours (van support is a tipped crew role, 70/30 split with the guide) | Only viable at USD $210–250pp day rates, or USD $5,000+ per week |
| C. Fixed-schedule shared shuttle, per-person priced | Takaro ($25–35pp), Bike It Now! (10am/3:30pm), Around The Basin (9:30 out, 4:30 collect), Napier City Bike Hire (10:30/4pm), Vine Hopper (R450/day), Hoodoo (4-seat minimum), RadBusse RLP (€3/bike) | The only shared-cost support that is actually sold. Unrelated customers, one vehicle, a timetable |
| D. Consolidated once-a-day sweep | Trail Journeys ($45–50 per bag movement, collect 9am / deliver 11am–4pm), On Yer Bike (buy by 3pm, collect 4–5pm), Grape Escape (collect before 3:30pm, sweep 16:30–17:00) | The cheapest form of shared support. One vehicle, one loop, many customers |
What is missing is the fifth model: a vehicle that is both shared across unrelated
groups and continuously circulating. Model C is shared but on a timetable.
Model B is continuous but dedicated and expensive. Cellar Door Cycling is proposing
the intersection.
The asymmetry that repeats everywhere
Ride-in-the-van rescue is a guided-product feature. Self-guided customers get a
phone number. The promise degrades from "get in the van" to "call us" at exactly
the point where the customer stops paying for a guide. Trail Journeys states both on
one page; so does Velociped; so does Saddle Skedaddle ("space for tired cyclists…
Only available on Guided and Supported Holidays").
And what happens if you actually quit
Almost nobody says. The complete list of concrete provisions found anywhere:
- Active Tours, France: "ask your hotel to book a taxi. This transfer is at
your own expense." - Hoodoo, Canada: CAD $100 minimum extraction fee.
- On Yer Bike, NZ: $50 per bicycle recovered as an abandonment charge.
- Trail Journeys, NZ: "Medical and evacuation expenses will be your
responsibility." - Austria Radreisen: "Bei Reiseabbruch besteht kein Anspruch auf anteilige
Rückerstattung." - Cycling Rentals, Douro: "roadside assistance and rider transportation are not
included in self-guided tours", and the luggage shuttle "cannot accommodate
passengers and bikes as well." - Abicyclette, France: free transfer to the next stage if the weather becomes
unsafe — the only free rescue promise found in Europe. - Wine de Roads, Oregon: the only operator promising in writing to retrieve a
rider who cannot continue — on a guided tour.
Two published response commitments exist in the entire world: Discover France's
"back on the road within an hour" for mechanicals, and the ADFC's 120-minute
window. Nobody else publishes a number.