I am just back from a long tour through South-East Asia by bicycle with some 40 other riders, mostly retired or semi-retired.
Riding a bicycle day after day, supported by a tour company that finds the route, moves the luggage, books the hotels, and arranges the meals is a close and personal way to see the world at a leisurely pace. We saw, smelled, felt, tasted and heard amazing things along the way. This was not a race. Nor were my fellow riders hard core athletes; there was quite a range of people.
Here’s how some of them describe their experiences on this trip:

Tourdafrique.com offers a number of similar trips on different routes.  Some involve camping every night, others use hotels.