No not at all, but it does need to be functional - yes yes with peddles and a seat! People ride all kinds of bikes on tour which range from hardcore mountain bikes to refurbished community bikes to road bikes to old bikes. Green, yellow, blue, and green bikes even! Oh yes and some even paint them before they rock up. We don't practice bike discrimination in our crew, and with a couple twists of a wrench and some adjustments any bike can become a human-powered cross-country riding machine. We totally recommend that you check out getting a used bike – cheaper, more character, and better for the earth!