March 2020

Tips for Safe Riding This Spring

Posted on March 25, 2020 - 12:52 pm by keith_ritter

person riding their bike on a paved road lined with pink flowers

With the impacts of COVID-19 being felt around the world, keeping up with spring training and fitness may feel like a challenge.

In the midst of social distancing and quarantines at home, your normal workout routines may be completely disrupted. On a journey to a new normal, we believe that keeping yourself physically fit is good for body, mind, and soul. So whether you plan to exercise at home or ride outside, we have tips to help keep you active, safe, and healthy.

Indoor Workout Apps

If you are hunkering down in your home to make sure you and your loved ones stay healthy, try out some of our favorite workout apps to ride inside and keep your fitness up.

Zwift– On Zwift, you can ride virtual courses from home and even enjoy “group” rides. Pair your apple TV or connect your laptop to your TV for a more realistic riding experience. It’s fun to work towards rewards to customize your avatar, and Zwift alternates between courses to keep things fresh. Also, did you know that kids under age 16 can ride for free on Zwift? Now is a great time to get the whole family riding online together.
Vision Quest Online – Training requires discipline, accuracy and consistency. Most of us need help in executing on these concepts, and VQ is here to help! Vision Quest is now live streaming interactive, structured indoor cycling workouts through Zoom, seven days a week. All you need is your bike and trainer. Learn more about their on-demand workouts here.
Nike Training Club App – This one is free, offers a range of at-home workouts, and comes recommended from our president, Tania.
Strava – This app is great for tracking your rides. You can also join our Trek Travel Club on Strava to keep an eye out for challenges and more.
Peloton – A bike is not needed to enjoy a 90-day free trial of at-home workouts. They have a range of routines to try while you are practicing social distancing at home.
Barre3 – Build core strength and flexibility with barre workouts from home. Plus, they’re offering a 15-day free trial.

Explore Portugal's wine region on a Trek Travel Bike Tour

How to Ride Safely Outside

If you are choosing to ride outside, here are some tips about how to do so safely – for yourself and others.

Going out for a ride on your own is the recommended way to prevent spread of illness. Large group rides should be avoided.
If you need to pass other people on the path or road, maintain at least six feet of distance from others.
Don’t ride any risky routes or try any unfamiliar activities that could result in injuries. You do not want to strain the healthcare system in the midst of a health crisis.
If you will be riding solo, make sure to pack a repair kit to tackle common maintenance issues like a flat tire by yourself.
Head to Bicycling Magazine to learn more.

General Riding Safety Refresh

Before you jump back in the saddle this spring, make sure to brush up on your safety knowledge. Hear from our team and check out these resources:

“Never make assumptions – never assume a car can see you, never assume someone won’t run a red light at an intersection, etc. It’s better to be overly cautious than injured!”
-Lindsay

“Charge your lights before heading out and always ride with front and rear lights.”
-Katherine

“Always wear a helmet and follow Trek’s ABCs of awareness – always on, biomotion, and contrast. ”
-Dave

2019 Guide of the Year: Lisa Lieb

Posted on March 6, 2020 - 10:02 am by keith_ritter

woman smiling while enjoying a hot coffee

Each year, Trek Travel honors one of our guides for his or her tremendous season, exceptional hospitality, and a downright awesome attitude. We are proud to announce our 2019 Guide of the Year, Lisa Lieb!

Guide of the Year is a huge honor. To be nominated for this prestigious award, guides have to earn top-notch evaluations from guests, co-guides and the office team. The top five guides are then voted on by the Trek Travel management team to determine which guide provided best-in-class hospitality and reflected our company values. The winning guide receives a custom merino jersey with “GUIDE OF THE YEAR” embroidered on it as well as a $1,000 travel credit to anywhere in the world. The winner can use it for themselves, a family member, or a friend.

We talked to Lisa to learn a little bit more about how she feels about winning Guide of the Year, about her experiences guiding, and about where she is headed in 2020.

Why do you guide?

“Passion and happiness. It seems that I have found a job that fills my passions, and therefore my job has become my passion. The passion to be able to experience the joy of life by bike and the ability to share that with others. The passion to see different cultures, to meet tremendous people from around the world, and to be a part of bringing smiles to people’s faces. That is very rewarding. So, when I am getting to live my passion, the result then brings me to the goal of my life: to be happy. So, happiness is a pretty good reason to guide! And of course, all the donkeys I get to meet along the way!”

What are some epic moments or favorite memories from your travels?

“Having guided over 180 Trek Travel trips, it is very difficult to pick just a few of my most epic moments, favorite memories, or most unforgettable guests. There have been times over the past nine years that I truly cannot believe that this is my real life. Epic moments like meeting pro riders that I have only seen on TV riding in the Tour de France, climbing Alpe d’huez the day of the 100th anniversary of the Tour, running along side Cadel Evans on Mont Ventoux after sleeping in a vineyard on Bastille Day, and stopping to dance in the middle of climb because why not? All these and so many more epic moments come to my mind. Many guests over the years are truly unforgettable, like being a part of a guest’s confidence building moments after riding something they never thought possible, the “yes I can do this” revelations, the moment when a you see a woman be empowered just by riding a bike, those hugs and tears of joy at the top of an epic climb, the champagne toasts and jumping in the sea after crossing the Pyrenees mountains, times I am told “it just would not have been the trip of a lifetime without you,” the many notes written to me at the end of every trip, and the number of smiles I see on a daily basis are truly unforgettable. And of course some of my favorite memories are the ones I have made with my co-guides, like camping in the middle of nowhere, late night dance parties in the middle of a tiny village, and just the times of ridiculousness that makes those friendships even stronger.”

Where will you be guiding in 2020?

“In 2020 I will be guiding Mallorca Ride Camps, the Italian Dolomites bike tour, and the Mallorca Luxury bike trips. This will be my eighth season guiding in Mallorca, and it just gets better every year. Riding a bike in Mallorca is a way of life and for me. It is the place where I fell in love with road cycling. (Those of you that know, I am a mountain biker through and through, so I think that says a lot about the riding in Mallorca to turn a mountain biker into a roadie). In 2014 I guided the Giro d’Italia trip through the Dolomites, and every year I race the Granfondo Maratona dles Dolomiti. However, this is my first year guiding our Classic Climbs of the Dolomites trip, and I cannot be more thrilled. The Dolomites are a very special place on the planet, and your life will only be enhanced if you get the opportunity to experience those mountains by bike. The people, the food, those mountains – all your senses will be overtaken by the Italian and South Tirol culture. It is quite spectacular, and I am very much looking forward to guiding in the region.”

How did you feel about winning guide of the year?

“To be named Guide of the Year I feel very honored, humbled, and proud. My belief is one cannot do great alone. One must be surrounded and supported by great to accomplish great. Being named Guide of the Year is a reflection of the people around me. I am so lucky to have the opportunity to work with many amazing guides and am always learning so much from each and every one of them. The level of passion, professionalism, dedication, and fun in the people that guide Trek Travel trips is so high, I am blown away that I was chosen out of such a deserving group.Thank you to everyone at Trek Travel for honoring me with such an award.”

What else are you looking forward to in 2020?

“On March 15 I get the privilege to participate in one of the worlds toughest mountain bike stage races, the Absa Cape Epic in South Africa. The coolest part is, I was asked by a Trek Travel guest that I guided in Mallorca back in 2013. We have not stayed in touch nor followed each other on social media, but when this guest had received one of the coveted entries to the event, he remembered his guide in Mallorca and thought, “She would be a fun partner to race this event with, and I’m pretty sure she likes to mountain bike.” The many doors that this job opens are pretty rad.”

Islands & Seafood in Ireland’s Rugged Southwest

Posted on March 4, 2020 - 9:28 am by keith_ritter

Biking through the hills and mountains of Cork and Kerry on the Trek Travel Ireland Bike Tour, you are never far from the sea. Even when you can’t see it, you can probably taste the salty ocean on your lips and even hear its rhythms in the accents of the locals.

You can certainly choose to eat the sea’s abundant produce in any of the restaurants in Kenmare or Killarney; the local seafood chowder, mussels, and oysters are unmissable when you’re in this part of the world. In fact, Ireland has seen a recent surge in food culture and farm-to-fork cuisine, and the southwest regions of Cork and Kerry are leading the charge. But nothing beats a hands-on experience.

It’s one thing to eat a really lovely plate of seafood, but having the opportunity to pull the lobster pots and pick mussels yourself, while listening to the stories of the local men and women for whom the ocean provides their livelihoods, really brings your understanding of the Atlantic Ocean closer to home. Your seafood dinner goes from delicious to unforgettable.

Though there are many islands along the jagged shores of Ireland, particularly in Kerry and West Cork, some islands are more famous than others. But it is actually some of the least-known islands that are the most fascinating ones – and the best part is that you’ll likely have such places to yourself. Though these half-forgotten islands and coastal inlets are always amazing places to visit, the best way to get a sense of these tiny island communities is through the eyes of locals who call the coasts of West Cork their home.

Aaron O Sullivan is one such person. Aaron grew up in the small coastal town of Bantry, in the remote and wild region of West Cork, with his two brothers. Each morning, he woke up to views through his bedroom window that looked out onto the sparkling waters of Bantry Bay. His childhood was spent fishing off the rocks with his brothers and the other local children, exploring the craggy shores and windswept hills, and playing the traditional Irish game of hurling.

Today, Aaron is a school-teacher. When he’s not teaching, he uses his summer off to indulge in his passion for the sea by taking visitors out onto Bantry Bay on his Whaly boats – small open-air powerboats perfect for exploring the tranquil waters of the bay. It’s the perfect finish to your Trek Travel Ireland Bike Tour. Imagine – having traversed this beautiful corner of Ireland, you’ll swap bike for boat, heading out onto the sea with local fisherman Aaron to explore one of his favorite places in West Cork. Landing on the shores of Whiddy Island, you’ll find a glass of Guinness and a seafood tasting right on the beach.

Speaking to Aaron, it’s plain to see his passion for Bantry and its people, the history of the region, and the role the sea has played in his life and the lives of everyone else that calls this salty, windblown corner of Ireland their home. Aaron’s own grandparents grew up on Whiddy Island, and the 16th-century Reenananig Castle ruins that stand proud on the island were even built by his own ancestors, chieftain Donal Cam O’Sullivan Bere. His ties to the area run deep, and his knowledge of the history and people of the place is overflowing.

From Vikings to WWII Allied forces, Whiddy Island has a long history. Island visitors can wander the grounds of the now-abandoned castle of Aaron O Sullivan’s ancestors, as well as other historical sites, including a church, graveyard, and holy well.

In January of 1979, Whiddy Island was the scene of Ireland’s greatest maritime disaster when an oil tanker exploded in the bay. While the incident did cause an oil spill, happily marine life recovered within a few years and the bay now has the highest grade possible for water cleanliness, an amazing story of rejuvenation and sustainability.

Which brings us back to the food! Mussels thrive here in Bantry Bay and along Whiddy Island. They need the minerals that come with such clean water, in which they grow more quickly and therefore become a more viable enterprise for the local fishermen like Aaron. The clean water and sheltered bay has also led to the area being named Ireland’s only ocean blueway.

And just like that, Whiddy Island and and Bantry Bay have become an ecological success story and a paradise for man and fish alike. And sitting out on the island in August, sipping a pint of Guinness after a magnificent bike ride through the soaring Caha Mountains, you’ll be forgiven for never wanting to leave this magical place.

Monthly Archives: March 2020

Tips for Safe Riding This Spring

Indoor Workout Apps

How to Ride Safely Outside

General Riding Safety Refresh

2019 Guide of the Year: Lisa Lieb

Why do you guide?

What are some epic moments or favorite memories from your travels?

Where will you be guiding in 2020?

How did you feel about winning guide of the year?

What else are you looking forward to in 2020?

Islands & Seafood in Ireland’s Rugged Southwest

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