Before you book
What people ask before they pay. If something's missing, message us and we'll answer it properly.
1 of 13 answers are still with the operator
Level
It depends on the trip, and they're very different.
Electric Guajolota asks for no experience. The route is built around your level and the e-bike does the rest. We've taken people who hadn't been on a bike in years.
Andes Peru does. We ride at 4,454 meters on the second day, drop 1,819 meters in one go, and we recommend a full-face helmet and knee pads. It's for someone who already knows how to brake late. If you're not sure, ask us: we'd rather lose a sale than ruin your trip.
It depends on the trip. Electric Guajolota runs with three people maximum. On the others, seven.
Seven is the number at which the trip moves around you instead of the other way round, but it isn't a blind rule. If you're coming as a private group who already know each other, we adjust it: we're facilitators, not suppliers. You build the trip with us and we make sure it works, and help you decide what's in and what isn't.
In Peru there are also two guides as soon as the group goes past three. And the price per person drops as the group fills.
Andes Peru is built for experienced riders, so level isn't the worry. Altitude is, and the trip is arranged around it. The time between landing in Cusco or Lamay and the first ride is more than enough to acclimatise, and the pace always follows the group, building difficulty gradually.
We recommend drinking constantly from the first day, even when you're not thirsty, and light breakfasts, without going hungry. We offer coca tea, a native plant used since Inca times that helps with acclimatisation, dizziness and nausea. If anyone in the group feels unwell, we're set up to look after them.
Your gear
On Electric Guajolota the e-bike and the gear are included in the price. Bring nothing.
you can bring your own or rent from us: $70 USD a day. It isn't charged at booking: just tell us when you hold your spot that you'll need one, and you pay for it there at the end, for the days you actually used it.
You're travelling to Peru, and in the areas we'll be in there is almost no chance of finding specific parts for your bike.
A full service before you fly. Check for a worn chain, split housing and rusted cables.
Booking and payment
From the Bookbutton, on any page. You pick the departure or the day, how many of you are coming, and leave your details. The spot is held by the payment, not by the form.
If you'd rather talk before paying, message us on WhatsApp and we'll build it with you.
On Andes Peru you can pay 50% to hold your spot and the rest later. The balance is charged two months before departure. If you book after that date, it's 100% up front.
Electric Guajolota has no deposit: it's paid in full at booking.
It depends on the trip, and on who cancels. What follows is if you cancel; if we're the ones who can't run it because of weather, that works differently and it's further down, under "What if it rains?".
Electric Guajolota. Cancel 72 hours or more ahead and your payment becomes credit, valid for a year, for this trip or any other Banga trip. There's no cash refund. Under 72 hours there's neither credit nor refund. Changing the name is fine, at any time, as long as whoever replaces you is up to the activity.
Andes Peru. The 50% deposit is refunded in full if you cancel within fifteen days of booking. After that it stops being cash-refundable and becomes credit. The balance is charged two months before departure; once you've paid 100%, cancelling no longer brings a cash refund, but it does leave a credit, valid for a year, towards another trip of similar length and cost.
Andes Peru runs from four riders. If a departure doesn't reach four, it doesn't run, and we tell you in good time, not the day before.
In that case you choose: we refund everything you've paid, or you move all of it to another date. You don't get left holding a credit you didn't ask for.
Electric Guajolota can be booked up to the day before, subject to availability. It's paid in full at booking.
Andes Peru, the further ahead the better: it's a big trip and there are bikes, lodges and a group to coordinate. It's held with a 50% deposit.
Still waiting on the operator: whether it's required, what cover he asks for, and whether there's a minimum age.
Banga reserves the right to adjust the itinerary if the weather turns genuinely bad.
Electric Guajolota is almost never cancelled for rain: in Mexico City the seasonal rain tends to fall in the afternoon, and the day starts in the morning. We ask you to bring a waterproof jacket if you have one; if not, we'll lend you one. The e-bikes handle everything and a bit of water doesn't ruin the day.
If the weather makes the trip genuinely impossible, we'll look at rescheduling with you. If that can't be done, you get a 100% refund less the payment processing cost. This is when we can't run it. If you cancel, the previous question applies.