Writing about cycling vacations in the world’s premier travel destinations involves taking the reader away from their desk and transporting them to a winding road under the Tuscan sun. It means recounting stories of epic rides. Telling the tales of travelers. Describing luxury hotels and Michelin-starred meals. Meet Jordan Sher, the voice of Trek Travel and the man who so eloquently describes the experiences that speak for themselves.
Tell us your story.
I took the long way to bikes. A fat kid in high school, I hit the drama club hard and ditched gym class daily (note: Trek Travel does not endorse the skipping of gym class).
In college I dropped way more than the freshman 15; in fact I lost about 75 pounds. After graduating from college, my dad invited me to ride the MS 150 with him. I didn’t ride bikes, but I gave it a try. I’ll never forget my first kit: I wore a cotton T-shirt, cheap bike shorts and rode a mountain bike with slicks. But I did it. How awesome was I? That was the true beginning of the beginning.
About 15 years ago, I joined a cycling team on a dare. I was waaaayyyy out of my element, but something about the challenge kept me motivated. I decided to adopt the mantle of a bike racer and do whatever it was bike racers do—that includes investing in expensive bikes, dieting to cut weight and riding all the time.
At the same time I was in graduate school for copywriting and decided a life of freelance writing in advertising was for me. It’s the perfect mix of everything I love – advertising (give me a commercial and I’ll tell you who made it), writing and the time to ride my bike 300 miles a week.
I’ve been riding big ever since, and have kept racing for the past 10 years. When I discovered the awesome crew at Trek Travel, it was a match made in heaven. Writing about ride camps? Race trips? Classic climbs? Yes, please. I couldn’t have asked for a better, dreamier opportunity.
What inspired you to become a writer?
It’s more about what inspired me to go into marketing. I have loved advertising since I was a toddler, shushing my mom during her daytime television to watch the commercials. To this day, I am more obsessed by commercials than by regular TV. I know. So sad.
How long have you been riding bikes?
I’ve been racing for 15 years. I kind of think I was riding a bicycle in the womb. Is that too much information?
How did you end up at Trek Travel?
I started working with these crazies in 2013 when they redesigned their website. I was just lucky enough that we clicked. Oh, I wanted us to click in the worst way.
Tell us about your best day on a bicycle.
There are so many. Riding the Haleakelah in Maui. Grinding up Magnolia Road in Boulder, one of the steepest roads in the country. My bachelor party was a group ride. Ironman Lake Placid. But I think the most memorable was the day we rode Puig Major and Sa Colobra in Mallorca on Trek Travel ride camp. I had no idea roads like this could exist. It’s 10K of the craziest climb I have ever seen. Have you been? If not, you need to.
Tell us about your favorite ride in Colorado.
Mt. Evans is the highest paved road in North America. It’s your only opportunity to ride to the top of a fourteener. At 10,000 feet, the weather changes. At 12,000 feet, there are no trees. At 14,000 feet, the bighorn sheep look at you funny. And at 14,600 feet you reach the observatory. I have been up several times, but the air is so thin I only remember a few.
What is your favorite travel destination and what excites you most about this part of the world?
The races of Europe are where it’s at. If I were 12, I’d have posters of all cycling heroes on my walls. Before I leave this planet, I will go to the Spring Classics. I will watch a stage on the Mortirolo in Italy. And I will run like a drunk idiot next to some racer on Alpe d’Huez. Mark my words.
Tell us about your best travel adventure.
This sounds so sad, but most all my great travel adventures are by bicycle. I once road-tripped to Couer d’Alene from Denver in one day (16 hours) in a Mini Cooper with three bikes on the roof. I once raced Ironman Galveston on a broken foot and had a personal best. I think my favorite, though, is still the big city. I went to college in New York City and still love to go back as a tourist. Mostly because I know I don’t have to search for an apartment while I’m there.
