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I Want to Ride My Bicycle

No matter how hard core of an adventurer you are, sometimes it’s nice to let someone else do the planning, the researching, the relationship-building, and lugging of all your stuff around so that you can go along for the ride without a worry weighing you down.

Originally published in Big Life Magazine

There are a number of reputable bike tour companies with year-round national and international bike adventures for all levels of ability that are sure to light your fire. For the sake of stoking your spring fever, we talked to Trek Travel’s Rebecca Falls (AKA “Bama”) to learn about the benefits of traveling with an experienced outfitter. As both a guide and a trip design coordinator, Rebecca gets the best of both worlds, a hand in planning the trip and the chance to be out there, pedaling with clients.

Founded on the philosophy that the world is best experienced from the seat of a bike, Trek Travel has been showing active travelers some of the world’s most interesting cultures and best rides since 2003. Led by world travelers, bike enthusiasts, and cultural adventurers, Trek Travel’s trips offer great spring getaways no matter where you want to go.
 
 
Trek Travel Guides Rebecca Falls and Marquette Edwards
 
 
BIGLIFE: Nickname?
REBECCA FALLS: Bama. When I first came to work for Trek Travel there was no one else on staff from Alabama. I’m not sure who said it first but it definitely stuck! Some of my closest friends, whom I got to know as co-guides, haven’t called me by my real name in years!

BIGLIFE: What’s your Trek Travel origin story (AKA, how did you land a job with TT)?
RF: All through college at the University of Alabama, I worked at a bike shop—the sadly-no-longer-in-business venerable Cycle Path. When Trek Travel started running trips in 2003 I was finishing my senior year and our Trek rep told me about TT and suggested that I apply after I graduated. I did, never thinking I would actually get the job, but here I am. I worked as a seasonal guide for four years while also working part-time as an environmental consultant. After two years spent getting a masters degree from the University of Tennessee, I came back to Trek Travel as a project manager for charity rides and a trip design coordinator, and now I work in all three roles—trip designer, guide, and charity ride director for Bo Bikes Bama, a ride started by Bo Jackson for victims of the 2011 tornado that devastated Alabama.
 
 
Trek Travel guide Rebecca Falls at Bo Bike Bama
 
 
BL: What’s your ride of choice, as in the bike that you ride?
RF: Ahh, now THAT is like trying to choose a favorite child! I live in Asheville, North Carolina, which has some of the best roads in the country for riding, both paved and gravel—so I spend a lot of time on my road and cyclocross bikes (Trek’s 7-Series Madone and Boone, respectively). We also have really fantastic mountain bike trails in western North Carolina, and I recently got a Fuel EX, which I am excited about riding more if the trails will ever dry out—it’s been a wet, cold winter.

BL: What’s your process in designing a trip? What kind of research do you do?
RF: We decide on new destinations as a team—the Trip Design Department and Sales Department, taking into consideration things like guest requests, guide ideas, travel trends, and whatever generally gets us excited. We want to plan trips that we would want to go on, after all.

Once we decide on a destination there is a process for putting a trip together, but there is also room for taking a creative approach. I like to start by gathering input from the most knowledgeable people I can find from the region—this is often someone who works for Trek Travel, as our guides live in pretty cool places. But it could also be staff from the local bike shop, former guests, or other contacts.

Once we have an idea of the signature rides and local activities we want to include, we look for the best hotels and restaurants in the area. Then we try to put it all together in a way that has a nice flow—our guests want to feel like they saw the region, but not be exhausted by too much moving around. We also try very hard to work with smaller, locally-owned businesses that we can forge and grow relationships with. A great example of this is Summit Lake Vineyards, a very small family-owned vineyard and winery in Napa Valley that we have worked with for over a decade. Our guides happened across this tiny operation when doing the initial trip research, met the family and decided it would be good to bring our guests to meet these amazing people and hear their story, while also tasting great wine, petting their goats, taking in their views—all mid-route on a great ride through the Pope Valley. In a perfect world, these are the types of places we want to take our guests—to have experiences they couldn’t have on their own, and to see a place through the eyes of the people who live there.
 
 
Trek Travel guide Rebecca Falls at Summit Lake Vineyards
 
 
BL: Can you change your own flat? Tune your own bike? etc.
RF: Yes and yes—all of the guides have to pass a mechanic certification test so being able to do this stuff is required! I don’t always have the tools or the expertise for the more complex repairs—I won’t be rebuilding a shifter anytime soon—but I can do most things that are required for road and cross bike maintenance.

BL: Your favorite Trek Travel trip?
RF: The trip I usually recommend (to active cyclists) is our Bryce & Zion trip. It takes you to see some of the most extraordinary landscapes in the country—the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument and the beautiful remote desert around Boulder, Utah (the last place in the lower 48 to receive its mail by mule), the unique and impressive amphitheater of the Bryce Canyon hoodoos, and the stunning, sheer walls of Zion Canyon. It’s an amazing week in the red rock desert and an unforgettable week on a bike.
 
 
Trek Travel Bryce and Zion Cycling Vacation
 
 
BL: Your elevator pitch about Trek Travel trips?
RF: A lot goes into planning and executing a Trek Travel trip: 1) Finding the best rides, the best places to stay, and the off-the-beaten path things that make travel worthwhile. 2) Having a great bike to ride and a van to pick you up when you want a break. 3) Hiring a guide to show you where to go and tell you about their experiences in the region. Unless you happen to have a great friend with lots of time, a guest house, a fleet of spare bikes, and a support vehicle, you probably will spend a lot of time and effort to go on a great, stress-free cycling trip to a specific area. As an alternative, you can go on one of our trips and have everything set up for you—just book your plane ticket and pack your bag—and we do the rest. You’ll never have to find out what a pain it is to fit your bike in one of those cases.

BL: Biggest “Oh-No Moment” on a Trek Travel trip you’ve been on or involved with?
RF: There was that time when we thought a lightning storm was going to prevent us from descending off L’Alpe d’Huez after the stage finish in 2014 (the storm miraculously parted and went around the mountain)… Or that fun moment when the turbo went out on the TT van (after just having the van fully serviced) on Day 1 of a sold-out trip at the start of a four-hour drive (hello, emergency box truck rental). If you do this long enough, you will have plenty of these. The trick, the hope, the goal anyway, is to always make sure the show goes on.

BL: One of the reasons Trek Travel exists is because you believe the world is best seen from the seat of a bike. Give us your best “view from a bike seat” moment or memory.
RF: It has to be climbing any of the classic mountain roads during the Tour de France, right before a stage. The sides of the roads are crammed with crazy cycling fans and roads themselves are packed with people of all sorts on every kind of bike—everyone is there to see their heroes and watch history unfold. You can watch the race coverage on TV but nothing does justice to the energy in the air before the racers come through.
 
 
Trek Travel Tour de France Cycling Vacations
 
 
BL: For a supported bike trip first-timer what trip do you recommend? For a seasoned bike traveler, what do you suggest?
RF: For the first-timer, I would suggest our California Wine Country Long Weekend trip. Travel to and from the region is pretty straightforward, and the time and financial commitment is less than the week-long trips. The wine country is a great place to be guided around too—there are a lot of hidden spots that may be your favorite memory from the trip that you would ride right past on your own. It’s a great way to find out if a group trip suits your traveling style without biting off a whole week.

For the seasoned bike traveler, I recommend the Asheville to Highlands. This region is more off the beaten path of guided bike travel (only a handful of operators have trips to the area currently), but that doesn’t mean it isn’t the greatest place to ride that you may never have thought about. It’s a bike-, creative food-, and beer-lover’s paradise that’s perfect for the seasoned bike traveler who’s been on several trips already and is looking for a fresh, different type of destination.

BL: You must be a pro packer for trips like this. What packing tips can you give a would-be Trek traveler?
RF: Friends, bring your saddle. If you have one you like to ride, that is the saddle you should bring on your trip. Even the greatest saddle in the world, well-suited for your anatomy, will probably have a little break-in time on your sitbones, and that’s not something you want to work through on your vacation.
 
 
Trek Travel Guide Rebecca Falls
 
 

Featured Guide Collection 2016

Introducing our Featured Guide Collection. Your chance to join some of your favorite veteran guides on the trips they know best.

If you’ve traveled with us before, you know that Trek Travel guides are the best in the business. They’re a little more committed, a lot more energetic, and way more fun. They also bend over backwards to make your trip perfect. In fact, it’s almost guaranteed that you’ll finish the trip as friends. And since a great guide leads to a great trip, we thought: why not be able to follow your favorite guides wherever they go?
 

Not just great guides. The greatest guides.

 
Trek Travel Featured Guide Dave Edwards

Dave Edwards

Greenville Ride Camp
May 2-8, 2016

 
“I’ve been a full time guide with Trek Travel since 2003, and I’ve been fortunate to work all over Europe, Australia, New Zealand and North America. Highlights from life on the road include race trips such as the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and Vuelta d’Espana. In addition, I’ve guided the cross country trip seven times. In recent years, however, I’ve traded my roller bag, hotel rooms, and air miles for a more permanent address in Greenville, SC with my wife and two dogs. Together, we created the Greenville Ride Camp. This allows me to keep doing what I love, while going home at night sleeping in my own bed. It’s truly the best of both worlds, and I can’t wait to show you the beautiful country roads and lively city that I call home.”

 
 
 
Trek Travel Featured Guide Jonathan Hershberger

Jonathan Hershberger

Croatia and the Dalmatian Coast
May 15-20, 2016

 
“My name is Jonathan, but my friends call me Hershy. I have been with Trek Travel for 12 years, and in the industry for more than 17! This year marks my 5th season in Croatia. Croatia is a country that I absolutely love. The cities are amazing, the Islands are gorgeous, the food and riding superb, and the hotels are some of the best on any Trek Travel Trip. Yes, Croatia is a country that has stolen my heart. What I love most about our Croatia trip is that it provides a complete representation of the area. Our guests get a real taste of the country, the cities (Dubrovnik, Korcula, Hvar and Split), and the people. Everyone who visits this remarkable country walks away forever changed by the way Croatia touches your spirit. It is no wonder that the great Roman Emperor Diocletian decided to build his palace and retire here. I have a feeling you will want to do the same.”

 
 
 
Trek Travel Featured Guide Dan Frideger

Dan Frideger

California Wine Country
May 15-20, 2016

 
“Every year as the snow begins to melt in Colorado, my thoughts turn to the rows and rows of dormant grape vines that will soon be coming to life out in the California Wine County. For the past 11 years, the greening rebirth of one of nature’s most magical plants–the grape–has meant that the cycling season is once again rolling into high gear. The legs that felt so strong in September and the posterior that had become hardened to even the bumpiest of roads are back at square one. Fortunately my wine tasting skills never seem to lag behind. Not only is the California Wine Country equal in beauty and quality of cycling to anywhere in the world, for me it is a trip back to my family’s roots. Some of our rides pass the dirt track where ancestors homesteaded, the driveway of my grandparent’s home and orchard, the riverside dance hall where my parents met in the 1930s. The chance to share both the past and the freewheeling present of fine food, world class wines and unbelievably scenic cycling is truly a pleasure. Hope to see you pedaling soon!”
 
 
 
Trek Travel Featured Guide Lisa Lieb

Lisa Lieb

Mallorca Ride Camp
May 22-28, 2016

 
“This is my 5th year as a Trek Travel guide and my 4th season guiding in Mallorca, Spain. I still call Durango, Colorado home, but I spend most of the year guiding in Mallorca. I love this island and I love riding bikes here. Although I am a mountain biker at heart, it did not take long after riding the roads of Mallorca for me fall in love with road biking. The roads here are stimulating, exciting and challenging. Every moment of a ride is beautiful–the terraced mountainsides of olive and almond groves, the dramatic coast line along the northern side of the island, the stone architecture of the villages, and the turquoise blue of the mediterranean sea. And don’t even get me started on all the animals. There are donkeys, goats, sheep and mini ponies everywhere! I could go on and on about this island–its food, wine, people, cortados y tarta de almendra–but I would rather you join me for a ride here and we can experience it all together.”

 
 
 
Trek Travel Featured Guide Ioanna Yiasemi

Ioanna Yiasemi

Tuscany Luxury
June 12-17, 2016

 
“I name Ioanna, but I also go by Io, Anna, the little one, kikiriki, or whatever else my co-guides might call me. I grew up in Cyprus, and I love my job more than anything because it fills my days with happiness. I also love sunny mornings, bikes, un caffe macchiato (or two), spotlessly clean bicycle cassettes, brunello di montalcino, Italians, history, chess, all my shoes, traveling, happy people, good energy and big smiles! This spring I will be guiding in bella Toscana. I can’t wait to share the life and culture of Tuscany with all my guests. Once you arrive here, the clock stops ticking and time is measured by the number of coffees you’ve had. I could go on and on about Tuscany, its vineyards, sunsets, architecture and stories. But best of all is the people. Tuscany would not be the same without Zimmi, who makes the best pizza in his century-old wood burning oven. Nor without senior Alexandro, who lets me taste all the gelato I could eat for free. Or Ilaria, with her charming accent who knows wine better than anyone in the village. It is because of these people that Tuscany holds such a special place in my heart! For these reasons, I am excited to share this place with my guests and invite them to experience Tuscany like I get to year after year.”

 
 
 
Trek Travel Featured Guide Rebecca Falls

Rebecca Falls

Asheville to Highlands
June 12-17, 2016

 
“I started with Trek Travel as a guide in 2004, right after graduating from the University of Alabama. Over the past 12 years, this job has taken me to some amazing places and introduced me to some incredible people, many of whom I count among my closest friends. Almost five years ago I moved to Asheville, North Carolina. This is a place I have wanted to live since the first time I came to visit, as a college sophomore, working a summer job as a raft guide on a nearby river. I love the roads, trails and the vibe of this great little city so much, so it was a special honor to get to design our new Asheville-based trip and to have the opportunity to show my adopted hometown to Trek Travel guests. Do you like to ride bikes to beautiful places? Drink beer? Kick back and watch a very interesting world go by? You’ll love Asheville. I’m excited to be here guiding this season and hope to see some familiar faces on the trips!”

 
 
 
Trek Travel Featured Guide Collection
 
 
SEE ALL YOUR FAVORITE TREK TRAVEL GUIDES»

A Rainy Day in Ireland

“You know it’s summer in Ireland when the rain gets warmer.”
– Hal Roach

We all know the feeling: putting on your kit with a wary eye on dark, distant clouds. But it’s my only day to ride this weekend. You take the gamble, gear up, feel like a champ as you roll down the block, and by the time you hit the stop sign? Fat, cold drops pelting your face and blurring your glasses. You pull on the rain jacket–because you made it this far–and suffer through your Sunday loop as mother nature gradually soaks your shoes, freezes your fingertips, sends trickles down your scalp and, my personal favorite, slaps a thick streak of road grime straight up your spine.

Or maybe instead you make a second cup of coffee and hit the garage to detail your drivetrain. Preparation for the next sunny day.

I’ve travelled with many tough, hard-working friends, guests, and even fellow guides who often seem to maintain the belief that rain and riding are highly incompatible. In a community of cyclists, where persevering through a good struggle is in our blood, I’m not sure how or why this rain aversion is quite so prevalent. We’ll ride up mountains, into fierce headwinds and through suffocating heat. And yet in my experience, rain seems to have a particular power to fizzle our spirits and drain our motivation to get in the saddle.

Of course, this isn’t to suggest an absence of legitimate safety considerations around wet-weather riding, and I’ll touch on those later on. I would also never claim that everyone is rain-phobic, as I’ve been pulled and inspired through many a soggy ride by the warmth and grit of my companions. Finally, I must state with greatest sincerity, we at Trek Travel embrace and celebrate all types of relationships with cycling. I can’t speak for your buddies back home, but I can assure you that your guides will never hassle over the decision to call it a shuttle and a hot cup of tea. When it comes to relaxing, we consider ourselves hard-earned professionals.

But when it comes to getting out in the elements, do we ever sell ourselves short? Are we sometimes missing out? As we enter the early, rainy spring cycling season I’m here to argue that sometimes we do, and so maybe, sometimes, we are.

It may be unsurprising to hear that I’ve spent the previous two summer seasons guiding our Ireland Explorer trip. This wasn’t because I love the rain (I actually grew up in the notoriously sunny Bend, Oregon). Rather, the experience and effects of this rainy exposure surprised me. Far from leaving me with post-torrential-downpour stress disorder, I believe that being forced to ride in rainy conditions for months at a time actually fostered a depth of connection, fondness of memory, and warmth of respect for the Irish landscape that is unparalleled among my cycling and travel experiences. That, and a passionate disregard for weather forecasts. And while perhaps not everyone would share my unique response to this particular rainy experience, I do believe there are some far-reaching and fairly universal truths to be had when it comes to the pleasures and rewards of overcoming a little natural challenge.
 
 
Beautiful rainbow on Trek Travel's Ireland Cycling Vacation
 
 
In fact, I think nature is a good place to start, with a quote from Victorian naturalist, artist and philanthropist John Ruskin: “Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather.”

Living modern, often urban and highly specialized lives, it’s easy to overlook the beauty in something so essential and life-giving as rain. Without an immediate, personal connection to its importance for the landscape, we relegate it to an inconvenience on our commute, something to be stared at through windows, and the spoiler of afternoon rides. But isn’t one of the great joys of cycling the opportunity to experience a landscape at a slower and more intimate pace? Certainly a huge reason to cycle new destinations is to explore and become acquainted with a new landscape.

To make an analogy, getting to know a place can be a lot like getting to know a person. Just as love and friendship grow deeper with time and experiences, riding in diverse weather acquaints us with the multi-faceted personality of a place. A rainy day brings out different colors in the sky, and not just different shades of gray, but purples and blues and pinks, or, in the case of Ireland, the green reflection of fields below. Filtered through a kaleidoscope of clouds, the light transforms even a familiar landscape into something completely fresh for discovery. Different colors, different moods, and my personal favorite, so many different smells! Always that sweet, familiar one, and then the tangle of unique, subtle contributions from the local flora and fauna.
 
 
Sheep and Donkey on Trek Travel's Ireland Bike Tour
 
 
But what about those days when the sky really actually is just gray? Or maybe it’s just that your feet are soaked, you’re riding into a headwind, and you couldn’t possibly care less about the yin and yang of Mother Nature? One word: rockstar.

We need the rain to provide a tough environment in which to feel totally and completely hardcore. It always feel good to get out on the bike–bluebird days included–but there’s something unique and necessary about a rainstorm to make you feel like the ninja you are. That extra something earning you respect from the locals.
 
 
Trek Travel Ireland Bike Tour
 
 
In fact, perhaps the power of contrast forms half the picture here, for consider now the ride in which the sky was actually gray, your feet were actually wet, and you felt slow, pathetic, and the opposite of ninja the entire time. In that case, how great does it feel to get home?! How much more delicious is your lunch? How much tastier is a beer at the end of the day, knowing you earned it? How much better is your entire day in general? It’s a level above. It’s not even a fair comparison. Perhaps my great love for Ireland actually has less to do with the rides themselves, and has mostly to do with the incredible joy and comfort to be found in returning from the elements for a scone and a cuppa. There are joys born of contrast that simply can’t be achieved in any other way. So capitalize on your mind’s incredible ability to quickly exclude discomfort from memory and reap the benefits of even a short excursion.
 
 
Enjoy lunch at the Heather Cafe on Trek Travel's Ireland Bike Tour
 
 
Easier said than done, right? So here are a few motivational ideas that might get you out the door. Whenever I feel my motivation starting down a slippery slope, the words of my great cycling mentor often spin through my mind: “There’s no such thing as bad weather! Just improper dress!” After all, you can float through space or the depths of the ocean if you’re in the right clothes. We have Gore-tex, Hipora, Hy-vent, E-vent, EtaProof, Nikwax’s fur-Analogy, MemBrain, Polartec, PreCip, and, you guessed it, H2No.
 
 
Trek Travel Ireland Bike Tour
 
 
If high-performance fabric isn’t enough to stir your desire to ride, another motivational tactic proved itself many times in Ireland.
Step One: Put on your riding clothes. If necessary, remind yourself that you’re not actually planning to ride.
Step Two: Throw back a shot of the roughest Irish whiskey you can find.
Step Three: Fake it till you make it.
Step Four: You’re probably already on your bike.
 
 
Enjoy Irish Whiskey on Trek Travel's Ireland Bike Tour
 
 
On that note, this is probably a good moment to quickly touch on safety practices. A lot has been written about wet-weather cycling, so instead of doubling the length of this article, I recommend a quick Google search. The top ten hits will cover just about every tip you need, including those about dressing for success in variable conditions. Remember that staying warm and comfortable can be as important for your safety as it is for your enjoyment of the ride!

I mentioned I dislike weather forecasts. This isn’t because I think they’re always wrong, as often they’re painfully accurate. The issue is how our lives are increasingly saturated by an overwhelming amount of information. Weather forecasts, of course, and also news reports, Facebook messages, calendar reminders, new downloads, blog posts, event invites, app updates, music releases, advertisements, and millions of other digital rabbit holes all happily guzzling our precious time and attention. It’s a tricky line to walk, that between the real benefits of the information age on one hand, and the potentially paralyzing mental inundation it creates on the other. Sometimes the little rectangle in my pocket feels like a ten-ton ball-and-chain.
 
 
Trek Travel Ireland Bike Tour
 
 
If nothing else, to set out into the rain is an act of reclamation. It’s an invitation for something unknown and unpredictable. Something that isn’t governed by an algorithm. It’s a celebration of our own spontaneity, in the face of minute-by-minute radar predictions available at our fingertips. It’s an acknowledgement that our physical experiences still really matter. In the rainy air, we can see the cloud of our own laugh, feel the water drip off our faces, and notice the enormous amount of heat our bodies generate against the cool, damp air. And above all, it’s an act of trusting ourselves. Trusting our ability to dress and plan and prepare. Trusting our own positive spirit. Trusting that we’ll figure things out if we run into a problem. Trusting that we know how to go out and be in the world and its many conditions, instead of hiding in our homes.

If it looks like the apocalypse has come, please do check for flash-flood warnings. But don’t obsess over that 30% chance of showers. Don’t scrutinize the radar images. Pull on your booties and high-vis slicker, put your cell phone in a baggy, give yourself a pep talk, and go do yourself a huge favor.
 
 
Trek Travel Ireland Bike Tour
 
 
LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR IRELAND BIKE TOUR»

Meet Our Team: Tony Ferlisi

Behind every great Trek Travel trip is a trip designer that has spent countless hours handcrafting the most perfect experience from start to finish. For our new collection of mountain bike trips, that person is Tony Ferlisi. A guide for Trek Travel since 2006, Tony drew upon his years of experience in the field when he designed our trips to Peru, Iceland, Whistler and Switzerland.

Tell us your story. How did you end up at Trek Travel?
I’m originally from Jacksonville, Florida. It was a great place to grow up but after college, I yearned for something different. At 22, I moved to Jackson, Wyoming, worked at a resort hotel in Teton Village and fell in love with the west. Soon after moving to Jackson, I met Mark Thomsen, our Trek Travel marketing manager. He was a bellman at the hotel at the time. In addition to working together, we climbed, skied and drank beers together. One summer, he got a job with Trek Travel. We kept in touch that year while he guided at the Tour de France, in the Alps and other spots. All along, I was discovering that the hotel management career track wasn’t something I was inspired to pursue. I asked Mark about my chances of becoming a guide and at his behest, I applied. That following March, I put the few things I owned in storage and started with Trek Travel. I’ve been with Trek Travel since 2006 but took the years of 2010-2012 to attend graduate school in Idaho, work as a Wilderness Ranger with the US Forest Service and run a program with a small conservation non-profit in Wyoming. I returned to Trek Travel full-time in 2013 and have been guiding since.

How do you spend your off-season?
I call Lander, Wyoming home and typically dedicate a good chunk of my off-season to being there. Chopping wood for the woodstove is a daily activity (warm yourself twice!), cooking, spending time with friends, reading and skiing are a big part of those few months. I’ve spent considerable time the past few winters riding my mountain bike in Moab, Utah, Sedona, Arizona and Southern California, but regardless of the activity or location, the off-season is a rejuvenating time for all guides at Trek Travel.
 
 
Trek Travel Trip Designer Tony Ferlisi
 
 
What is your favorite trip you’ve ever guided and why?
I draw consistent inspiration in my life from the ancient landscapes of the Colorado Plateau. I’ve had the opportunity to guide there, more specifically in southwestern Utah for over 10 years with Trek Travel. The privilege of being able to witness the reactions and responses of our guests as they ride across those vast, remote landscapes of Escalante, Bryce and Zion canyon country brings me renewed joy every single day I go to work there. When some aspect of that place resonates with one of my guests or a co-guide, I know that I belong there.
 
 
Trek Travel trip designer Tony Ferlisi in Utah
 
 
Is there an especially memorable story from the road that you find yourself telling again and again?
Too many to count. One in particular comes to mind that folks seem to enjoy hearing, except for my mother. Guiding in Glacier National Park years ago, I had a day off and decided to hike to a lake I’d heard amazing things about. On the hike, alone of course, I encountered a grizzly bear on the trail. If I hadn’t looked up, I probably would have walked right into him. I thought my time was up. Long story short, I’m still here.

Tell us about your best WOW.
This past fall, Zack Jones and I guided a private trip in California Wine Country. Most of that trip takes place up in Sonoma and Napa Valleys. Beautiful, super unique country. In casual conversation, a few guests mentioned that they had never been to the Pacific Coast. Zack and I decided that we had to do something about that. After a quick morning brainstorm, we scrapped the original ride. As a group, we rode out along the Russian River to the Pacific Coast Highway and north to Bodega Bay (accompanied by a stout tailwind), ate lunch at a crab shack right on the Salmon Creek estuary overlooking the ocean. To cap it off, we loaded up bikes after lunch and drove everybody back to taste wine at one of their favorite wineries. It was pretty awesome.

You recently took on the role of Trip Designer, creating our new mountain bike collection. What is your process in designing a trip?
With the trips that we’ve designed for our mountain bike collection, we took an already outstanding product provided by Big Mountain Bike Adventures and re-shaped it a bit. This involved a few specific trip itinerary changes to reflect our Trek Travel standards as well as creating an entire marketing and guest services platform. Everything from arranging pre and post trip logistics to how we would present these new trips to the world. There’s a creative element to trip design that I really enjoy. From beginnings as a sketch on a paper napkin to a full-color spread on our website, witnessing the growth of a brand new trip is pretty exciting.

How has your guiding experience influenced your role as a trip designer?
I think about it like this: My friend and housemate Mark builds furniture. I think we’ve probably had three different kitchen tables in the time we’ve lived together. He builds one. Learns through the process of building. We eat at that table for a year. Maybe it’s a little too tall. It blocks the kitchen door a little too much. He builds and replaces it with another, taking into account a year of feedback and the lessons he learned from building the first one. Same process again. All along, he gains a better understanding of what makes a good table, not only for our house but for any house it lives in. As a guide, you quickly gain a keen sense of understanding what works and what doesn’t in the field. We always encourage our guests to provide us with feedback while we’re on the trip. Often times, they’ll offer thoughts on what might be done differently and why. All this feedback carries equal weight when it comes to making decisions to refine the details of our trips. After years of receiving feedback and tweaking trips from my guide role, I’m really confident in my ability to identify trends and nuances that make designing a trip from the ground up much simpler.
 
 
Trek Travel trip designer Tony Ferlisi
 
 
What excites you most about Trek Travel’s new partnership with Big Mountain Bike Adventures?
We’re thrilled about this new partnership. In teaming up with Big Mountain Bike Adventures, we now have the opportunity to take the Trek Travel level of service and meld it with the logistical expertise of one of the world’s preeminent mountain bike guiding companies in some of the most sought-after destinations on the planet. There’s some really exciting things to come from this.

Whistler, Switzerland, Iceland or Peru. Pick one and tell us why.
I knew you would ask this question. Not an easy one. I appreciate open space. Coming to the realization that you are in on your bike in a truly wild place is intoxicating for me. All of these regions provide for that but something about Iceland is a little different. Riding between remote backcountry huts is a pretty surreal experience. The adventure here extends far beyond Iceland’s awesome trails.

We believe the world is best seen from the seat of a bike. Tell us about your best view from a bike seat.
There was a light post just down the road from the house I grew up in. When I was just a little guy, my mom only allowed me to ride my bike as far as that post before I had to turn around. The day that she told me that I could ride past that old light post, my world grew 1000%. It was all in front of me now. Those childhood dreams of whatever laid beyond that light post are the realities that I see today from the seat of my bike. Subalpine Crested Butte singletrack, remote stretches of Montana highway, the Lander dirt jump park or the grocery store parking lot. Pretty good views.
 
 
Trek Travel guide Tony Ferlisi
 
 

Industry Insider: Chris Winter

From a young age, passion for the outdoors has been the driving force in the life Big Mountain Bike Adventures owner Chris Winter. And whether it’s professional freeskiing or founding a charity, Chris pursues every endeavor with the same fervor. It is this thirst for world-class adventures and focus on incredible experiences which makes us excited to call Big Mountain Bike Adventures an inspiration in the industry. With this level of energy and enthusiasm behind us, there’s no telling what the future holds.

 
Meet Chris Winter, Founder and President of Big Mountain Bike Adventures
 
 
Briefly, tell us your story.
I was born into a cycling family, and my parents began running European cycling trips in 1972. Their trips were more like journeys that lasted three weeks to a month and covered impressive swaths of the European continent. In 1992 I moved to Whistler, British Columbia and joined its passionate, forward-thinking mountain bike community. In the late 90’s I co-founded “Joyride” mountain bike event that evolved into Crankworx, the world’s largest mountain bike festival. Then, in 2001 I started Big Mountain Bike Adventures. I’m also a professional freeskier and founder of a Whistler-based charity, Zero Ceiling Society, that provides transformative mountain-based adventure for at-risk youth and young adults.
 
 
Big Mountain Bike Adventures Founder Chris Winter
 
 
What inspired you to start Big Mountain Bike Adventures?
Big Mountain Bike Adventures melds my favorite things in life: mountain biking, travel, adventure and sharing amazing experiences with fellow riders. Since the first trip to the Swiss Alps in 2001, I’ve travelled and explored the world extensively with my mountain bike. It’s my dream job!

We believe the world is best seen from the seat of a bike. Tell us about your best view from a bike seat.
Of all the locations I’ve ridden, Iceland trumps them all for best views. It really is like nowhere else; around each corner you’re presented with yet another other-worldly view of lava fields, spectacular glaciers, gushing geysers, ice-covered volcanoes and earthy colors like you’ve never seen. Bring an extra memory card if you go to Iceland, because you’ll be pulling out your camera every five minutes!
 
 
Trek Travel Iceland Mountain Bike Tour with Big Mountain Bike Adventures
 
 
Whistler, Switzerland, Iceland or Peru. Pick one and tell us why.
Whistler. Yes, it’s where we’re based so I’m partial. But after having spent a lifetime exploring the world on my mountain bike, every time I return home to our backyard trails I am reminded that it’s one of the best places to ride. Besides a seemingly endless network of super-fun trails in the region, it also boasts pristine lakes, a super-passionate riding community, and diverse experiences from vibrant Whistler Village to the remote South Chilcotins…and so much more.
 
 
Trek Travel Whistler Mountain Bike Tour

Top 5 Meals of Italy

In Italy, food isn’t just fuel. It’s religion. The country worships the recipes of its mothers and grandmothers that have been handed down for generations. Cheeses are made from local ingredients. Pastas are hand-cranked. Pizzas are baked to a crispy perfection. Prosciutto, parmigiana, caprese and fagioli are all the best you’ve ever tasted. As long-time lovers of Italian cuisine, we’ve picked our top five meals of Italy.

 

1. Ristorante Nicolao
Ride Across Italy

Enjoy views of the mountains and Mount Ingino on the Park Hotel ai Cappuccini terrace before joining the group for a traditional and delicious Umbrian dinner at the acclaimed Nicolao restaurant. Using simple, genuine ingredients produced from the surrounding land, such as meat, mushrooms, oil, and truffles, the chef revives traditional recipes and creates the highest quality seasonal fare.
 
 
Ride Across Italy Featured Meal
 
 

2. Cielo
Puglia

During you stay at the 5-star Relais La Sommità you will enjoy a Michelin starred meal at the elegant Cielo restaurant. Served in an ancient Spanish garden under orange and olive trees providing a perfectly charming backdrop, be prepared for an incredible gastronomic experience as the chef combines traditional plates with innovative flavors.
 
 
Puglia Featured Meal at Cielo
 
 

3. Agricola Marrone
Piedmont

For several years the passionate Marrone family, now at its fourth generation, has been guiding visitors through the discovery of their wines and the lands in which they are produced. It is here, under the instruction of Mama Giovanna, that you will learn the secrets of typical Piedmontese recipes and prepare your own dinner while enjoying some of the local varietals.
 
 
Piedmont Featured Meal
 
 

4. Fattoria di Corsignano
Tuscany Luxury

Enjoy a private cooking class at a local winery where you’ll create your own masterpiece under the guidance of a local Italian chef. Learn the emotions behind each recipe as you make the dishes that have been a staple on Tuscan tables for hundreds of years. Tonight the wine will steal the show as we sample the pride and joy of the region, Chianti Classico, and learn why it’s so significant to the area.
 
 
Tuscany Featured Meal
 
 

5. Assirto
Cinque Terre

Rated the #1 Meal of the Year by award-winning travel writer Larry Olmsted, Assirto is a charming restaurant that few tourists are likely to find themselves. Enjoy a variety of surprising flavors, from fresh caught anchovies to Serano ham, as you listen to the owner Luca tell us the history behind each delectable handmade dish, which is served up with a perfectly paired wine. It is sure to be a meal to remember!
 
 
Cinque Terre Featured Meal
 
 
VIEW OUR ITALIAN CYCLING VACATIONS»

Featured Travel Agent: Codie Richards

A travel enthusiast with a passion for the outdoors, Codie Richards has traveled extensively throughout the United States, Africa and the Caribbean. Determined to work in a field that would fuel her passion, Codie recently joined Elm Grove Travel in May 2014. This year she will be joining us in Zion as she continues exploring the world.

1.Tell us a bit about your background. What made you want to become a travel agent?
I have had a passion for traveling for as long as I can remember. To me, it is so important to learn about the various areas of the world as well as the different cultures within those areas. I was excited to find a job that allows me to encourage others to break out of their comfort zone and see what the world holds outside of their hometown.

What’s the most rewarding part about your job?
The most rewarding part of my job is when a client returns from a trip and tells me about their life changing travel experience. In that moment, I feel so grateful that I was able to assist in the planning of that experience.

Favorite place you’ve ever traveled and what excites you most about this part of the world?
The toughest question of all! I have so many favorite areas, but one of the best is Cape Town, South Africa. It is an area packed full of history and culture. It is such a diverse area with city, mountains and ocean. Really has something for everyone. I love going to areas where I can learn something new, and I left Cape Town knowing so much more than when I first arrived.
 
 
Featured Travel Agent Codie Richards in South Africa
 
 
What are the five must-do’s while traveling in Cape Town?
When you go to Cape Town, you must hike up Lion’s Head in the evening and watch the sunset from the top! You should also go to Robben Island, visit one of the many incredible wineries, go on a safari, and hike to the top of Table Mountain.

Tell us about your craziest travel adventure.
I took a travel course in Costa Rica, and we stayed in a biological station in the rain forest. We were in the company of howler monkeys, cock roaches, iguanas, fire ants, and many other exotic species! One day we did a long hike that involved crossing more than twenty rivers, encountering a Fer-De-Lance (poisonous snake), and scaling steep hills that required a rope. It was definitely an adventure and the trip of a lifetime.

Which Trek Travel trip is top on your bucket list and why?
I’m so excited to go on the Zion Long Weekend trip this year! After that, I would love to go to Spain. I have always wanted to go to there to teach English as a second language, and I think getting to know the area by bike first would be incredible!
 
 
05UT
 
 
How long have you been riding bikes?
I’ve been riding bikes since I was a little girl, but competitively since I was 15.

Tell us about your best day on a bicycle.
My mom and I love biking together, so the best days are always with her by my side. A few summers ago we both had the day off and took a long ride through Kettle Moraine State Forest. The views were gorgeous, and we stopped at a nearby lake for a picnic and swim. We didn’t have anywhere else to be that day, so we could truly enjoy the ride at whatever pace we wanted.

Do you have an especially memorable travel story you find yourself telling time and time again?
My family and I used to go to Canada every year and stay on an island to fish and enjoy the outdoors. Canada has the most beautiful scenery. One evening all five of us were out in the boat when it started to rain. Instead of going inside, we huddled under the umbrellas and kept fishing. When the clouds cleared, there was the most stunning double rainbow. It is a simple memory, but a special one.
 
 

Featured Travel Agent Codie Richards

 
 

Industry Insider: Chris Fortune

Twenty-seven years ago, on a mission to keep manufacturing in Wisconsin, Chris Fortune bought a 15-year-old rack company known as Graber Products. And although the name has changed (now Saris Cycling Group), the company’s well-respected Saris Racks are still made right here in bicycle-crazed Madison, Wisconsin and shipped worldwide. A home-grown success story, we caught up with Chris to learn more about his passion for manufacturing and bicycle advocacy.

Briefly, tell us your story. What inspired your passion for bikes and how did you get into the cycling industry?

I grew a deep respect for the bike through my first job as a paperboy. I made my deliveries by bike and started off with a love/hate relationship. Growing up in Chicago, the winters were snowy, icy and treacherous. I cursed my bike on the worst days! Nonetheless, it served as a great tool for me at a very young age.

As I thought about my future, I dreamed of owning my own manufacturing business and building product in the US. I moved forward on this life-long goal when my wife and I bought the business and moved to Madison in 1989. A few years later we reached a true milestone and a day I’ll never forget. We shipped our first container to Japan and I could not have been more proud. Today, 30% of our business is outside the US and we ship to over 60 countries.

My passion grew for cycling as I became more immersed in the industry and learned all the benefits the bike could provide. I found that cycling could not only serve as a tool to help people with health issues but that it slows down life to a pace where you can see everything going on around you.
 
 
Saris bike racks manufactured in the USA
 
 
Where did the name “Saris” originate and what does it mean to you?

Twenty-seven years ago my wife Sara and I bought the business, then Graber Products. After an exhaustive effort to come up with a new name to represent us, she remembered a product her dad’s business launched that was named after the owner’s initials. She began crafting name combinations but options like Chrisass weren’t a fit. The best blend of Sara + Chris = Saris.

Having your name tied to the business, there’s a sense of pride in ownership to keep up the reputation. We built the business on the foundation of “doing the right thing” for customers, employees and suppliers, and we stand firmly behind that.
 

What is your favorite Saris product and why?

Picking a favorite product is like picking a favorite child. Impossible. Saris Cycling Group has a collection of brands that includes CycleOps, PowerTap and Saris. Our hottest new product that we introduced to the market is the PowerTap Pedal. We spent 1,000s of hours engineering the P1 pedal to be the most simple, intelligent and best design out there. PowerTap is known for unparalleled accuracy and reliability making the P1 something cyclists were really hungry for.

What I’m most excited about with CycleOps is the PowerSync Trainer. This electronic trainer brings the outside ride indoors and integrates with our CycleOps Virtual Training (CVT) allowing you to virtually ride anywhere in the world! The technology behind smart trainers along with our CVT software is really amazing. I don’t think riding inside has ever been so fun.

Our most well-known, iconic rack, is the Saris Bones. Innovation has always been really important to me and to the business. That’s why we partnered with designer Fabio Pedrini, based in Bologna, Italy, just a few years after buying the business. Fabio came up with the arc shaped design for this rack over 20 years ago and it remains one of most popular bike racks out there. With over a million sold you’ve likely seen them on friends, family or neighbor’s trunks. We were recently awarded a configuration trademark for this distinctive design. Configuration trademarks are rare in the bicycle industry so it was really an honor to receive this. We’ve recently launched the SuperBones, taking this product to the next level. It’s the best product ever built in this category. This trunk rack allows you to adjust the straps and arms more easily than ever before so it’s simple to load and unload and you can spend more time out riding your bike.
 
 
Saris cycling group Saris Bones rack
 
 
Saris Bones vehcile bike rack
 
 
In your opinion, what makes the Midwest a great location for bike companies?

My favorite thing about having a company in the Midwest is the people. We have some of the most down to earth, hardworking, passionate and smart people around. On top of that, Wisconsin has become one of the best states for biking because of the excellent network of paved roads. Being a dairy state, we needed the rural roads in Wisconsin to be smooth and well connected so dairy farmers could transport milk to market without risk of curdling. Today, cyclists love riding these scenic, paved roads throughout the state.
 
 
Cycling in rural wisconsin
 
 
You have seen much of the world from the seat of a bicycle. What is your favorite travel destination and why?

In 2010 I helped lead a Bicycle Infrastructure Study where a group of us went over to Europe to learn more about what state of the art bicycling looked like in the Netherlands. Since then, People for Bikes, a national bicycle advocacy organization, has run this program, the Green Lane Project, through several European cities. I joined a Green Lanes trip to Copenhagen and couldn’t believe how well this city integrates cycling. Sara and I fell in love with the ease of bicycle use in Copenhagen and the way people live their life by bike. We’re celebrating our 40th wedding anniversary this June and are thrilled to bring our three daughters and their spouses to experience Copenhagen by bike and celebrate in this special city.
 
 
Green Lanes Project
 
 
You do a lot of advocacy work to improve the quality of bicycling in America. In your opinion, what are the three keys to getting more people on bikes?

Creating a safe environment for people to ride their bike from age 8 – 80 is key. We’ve worked to help support this on the local, state and national level. Twelve years ago we started the Saris Gala. It began as a small pizza party in the back of our plant to raise money for the Wisconsin Bike Fed. Now it’s grown to be the largest single night bicycle advocacy fundraiser in the country, having generated over 1 million dollars for the Bike Fed.

We’ve also sponsored the National 5th Grade Poster contest for the last five years to inspire and create the next generation of bicycle enthusiasts. The contest gives fifth graders across the country, many in areas that are not considered bike-friendly, the opportunity to learn about the numerous inherent benefits of the bicycle and encourage them to embrace and promote those benefits in their local communities.
 
 
National 5th Grade Poster Contest
 
 
National 5th Grade Poster Contest
 
 

Private

If a date is marked as Private, it is reserved for a private group.

Don’t see exactly what you are looking for or looking for a custom date?
Call our trip consultants at 866-464-8735

What is the Difference?

Ultimate Luxury:

Savor some of the most spectacular, 5-star properties in the world. Exuding luxury and elegance, these one-of-a-kind accommodations offer the chance to rejuvenate at award-winning spas, dine at Michelin-starred restaurants, and more.

Luxury:

Enjoy luxurious accommodations handpicked for a refined experience. From signature spa treatments to delicious local cuisine, you’ll be more than provided for; you’ll be pampered.

Explorer:

These handpicked hotels provide relaxation and fun in a casual and comfortable environment. Delicious cuisine and great service mix perfectly for a memorable stay.

Combined:

On select cycling vacations, you’ll stay at a mix of Explorer and Luxury hotels. Rest assured, no matter which hotel level you’re at, our trip designers carefully select every accommodation.

Activity Level

Level 1:

Road: 1-3 hours of riding. Up to 25 mi (40 km). Up to 1,000 ft (300 m).

Gravel: 1-3 hours of riding. Up to 20 mi (35 km). Up to 1,000 ft (300 m).

Hiking: 1-3 hours of hiking. Up to 5 mi (8 km). Up to 1,000 ft (300 m).

Level 2:

Road: 2-4 hours of riding. 20-35 mi (35-60 km). Up to 2,500 ft (750 m).

Gravel: 2-4 hours of riding. 15-30 mi (25-45 km). Up to 2,000 ft (300 m).

Hiking: 2-4 hours of hiking. 4-8 mi (6-12 km). Up to 1,500 ft (450 m).

Level 3:

Road: 3-5 hours of riding. 25-55 mi (40-85 km). Up to 4,500 ft (1,500 m).

Gravel: 3-5 hours of riding. 20-40 mi (35-60 km). Up to 3,000 ft (900 m).

Hiking: 3-5 hours of hiking. 6-10 mi (9-16 km). Up to 2,000 ft (600 m).

Level 4:

Road: 4+ hours of riding. 40-70 mi (60-110 km). Up to 8,000 ft (2,400 m).

Gravel: 4+ hours of riding. 30-50 mi (45-80 km). Up to 4,000 ft (1,200 m).

Hiking: 4+ hours of hiking. 7-15 mi (11-24 km). Up to 4,000 ft (1,200 m).

What are your trip styles?

Classic - Reserve:

Savor the finer things as you relax in luxurious 5-star accommodations and wine, dine, and ride in some of the most unforgettable destinations around the world.

Classic - Signature:

Explore beautiful destinations by bike, enjoy extra inclusions, savor delicious local cuisine, and enjoy the perfect mix of accommodations.

Classic - Discover:

Enjoy a casual cycling vacation with fantastic routes and comfortable accommodations.

Ride Camp:

Train like the pros in some of their favorite riding destinations.

Pro Race:

See the pros in action at the biggest cycling events of the year.

Cross Country:

Tackle an epic adventure that takes you point-to-point across mountains, countryside, and more.

Self-Guided

Enjoy a bike tour on your schedule with just your chosen travel companions.

Single Occupancy

Sometimes it’s more convenient and comfortable to have your own room while on vacation. We understand and that’s why we offer a Single Occupancy option. The additional price guarantees a private room all to yourself