After 20 years as lawyers, Lane and Beth decided to leave the law and take their family on a 13-month, 42-country trip around the world. It was after this sojourn they met Collin and Jenni. And Pilot Cove was born.

Tell​ ​us​ ​a​ ​little​ ​about​ ​yourselves,​ ​what​ ​did​ ​you​ ​do​ ​before​ ​you​ ​created​ ​this​ ​much​ ​needed​ ​oasis​?​
Collin: After graduating from college, I built multi-use trails with Trail Design Specialists for a few years. We were working much in Western NC, which brought me to the area. I currently own Altamont Property Group based in Asheville, focusing on real estate and land tract brokerage in the region. Pilot Cove evolved over time after becoming friends with Lane and Beth while they were looking for real estate. We hatched the idea and things took off from there!
Lane: Beth and I met in law school and married in 1994. In 2013, after practicing law for 20 years we planned to take a year off and travel with our three sons Mac (14), Wiley (12) and Levi (12). 13 months and 42 countries later we decided try something different. Instead of making a living helping people out of trouble we wanted to help people have fun. We returned to the U.S. and moved to Asheville. This is where we met Collin and Jenni.

What inspired you to start Pilot Cove? And to go into hospitality? Why this area?
Collin: The growth in tourism is apparent throughout Western NC, and we saw the potential for a unique project in Brevard and Transylvania County. We see many travelers come to Asheville for great food, craft beverages, shopping, and a thriving art community. Travelers are drawn to Brevard for many of the same reasons, but also for the world-class outdoor recreation so accessible from town. We designed Pilot Cove to be approachable to travelers from all walks of life, yet focused on cyclists and outdoor recreation enthusiasts. Our 124 acre property offers ride in–ride out access to Pisgah National Forest!
Lane: We chose Asheville because we love the mountains and were excited about the changing seasons. I am a native Floridian and Beth and I spent our first 20 years together in St. Petersburg, FL. Having just traveled for 13 months we felt we had some insight into the hospitality industry. We stayed in all kinds of lodging from tents and hostels to castles and resorts. Collin had the idea of starting a resort that catered to bikers. We started looking at properties and were fortunate to find our current location. It was the perfect spot, surrounded by Pisgah National Forest and with direct access to some of the best biking in the country. We were most excited about creating a career where the focus is helping people have fun and get the most out of our amazing natural playground.

How did you all meet?
Collin: My wife Jenni and I connected with Lane and Beth when they were looking for real estate in the area. We were joined by our property manager Syl Neel before we started construction. I met Syl on the Appalachian Trail in 2008 and we’ve stayed in touch over the years. He has been instrumental in the development of Pilot Cove.
Lane: Once we decided to move to Asheville, Beth emailed multiple realtors in the area and Collin was the first and only response.

What has been the most rewarding part about this change in venture?
Collin: The community response has been tremendous! We saw demand and designed a project that would fill it, but never envisioned the support we would receive from the community. We can’t say enough great things about Brevard and Transylvania County. The people, businesses, and civic leaders care deeply about their community and great things are on the horizon.
Lane: I love seeing the dream become a reality. We spent two years figuring out how to turn a forested mountain side into Pilot Cove. In the process we became good friends with our contractors, graders, designers and workers. My old college roommate saved the day with the wonderful forest lodging design. Local artisans built the furniture from local resources. I’m happy to say that the final result has exceeded our expectations. Remember we were lawyers and not developers. Pilot Cove is the result of lots of people buying into an idea and coming together to create something special.

What’s your favorite part about the nearby Pisgah National Forest?
Collin: For me it’s the four distinct seasons. Spring brings rebirth and blooms. Summer is great to hit the trails, waterfalls, and swimming holes. The Fall season is my favorite, offering cooler temps and breathtaking leaf colors that sweep across the mountains. Winter brings less crowded trails, fishing holes, and endless views with leaves absent from the trees. There’s something for everyone in every season.
Lane: Pisgah is truly one of nature’s greatest playgrounds. It offers outstanding hiking, road and mountain biking, waterfalls, sliding rock, rock climbing, fly fishing, mushroom hunting, wildlife viewing, and I could go on and on. I went to camp one summer in Brevard when I was a child. I remember riding up Hwy 276 to Sliding Rock along the Davidson River and thinking this is the most beautiful road I have ever been on. Now Pilot Cove’s entrance is right on 276 at the entrance to the forest and I get to take that ride on a regular basis.

Top three things to do in Brevard?
Collin: 1) The local music scene is great, be sure to catch Mountain Song Festival in September hosted by local favorites the Steep Canyon Rangers. 2) Enjoy Brevard’s quaint downtown! The Heart of Brevard is a great resource for authentic locally-owned business. 3) Enjoy the forest and mountains! Pisgah National Forest and DuPont State Forest offer a world of possibilities on foot or in the saddle.
Lane: 1) Sliding Rock. Nothing refreshes and brings a tired body back to life like a trip down Sliding Rock into cool pool below. 2) Black Balsam hike. Just off the parkway this hike takes you along the Art Loeb trail and over a 6000 foot bald with amazing views in every direction. 3) Dupont State Forest. 15 minutes from Pilot Cove with spectacular waterfalls and mountain biking.

Favorite bike ride you’ve ever been on?
Collin: Tough to say! We frequent Breckenridge CO, and the Peaks Trail is a favorite when there in Summer. For road cycling we are lucky to have the Blue Ridge Parkway so close to home.
Lane: Locally, I love Ridgeline in Dupont. A bombing two mile downhill with flowy lines and bermy curves. Best ever, biking down Cotopaxi (the world’s highest active volcano) in Equador with Beth and our boys.

 

From the majestic living glaciers and steep fjords of the Kenai Peninsula, north to the lonesome gravel roads of the interior outpost of Talkeetna and skyward to 20,310’ Mt. Denali, America’s last frontier is untouched and full of mystery. Here, Trip Designer Tony Ferlisi pulls back the curtain on the rugged and beautiful landscape that is Alaska.

“There’s gold, and it’s haunting and haunting;
It’s luring me on as of old;
Yet it isn’t the gold that I’m wanting
So much as just finding the gold.

It’s the great, big, broad land ‘way up yonder,
It’s the forests where silence has lease,
It’s the beauty that thrills me with wonder,
It’s the stillness that fills me with peace.”

-Robert Service, from The Spell of the Yukon

Scale acts to lend us perspective. It clarifies detail. It takes something small and magnifies it. Takes something giant and makes it tangible; brings it into our human world of understanding. Sometimes we use numbers or ideas to correlate size. Sometimes, we create physical replicas. Spin a globe in your local library or restructure a model atom in high-school chemistry class.

The scale of Alaska is seemingly impossible. Rivers and their flood plains stretch laterally across valley bottoms farther than you can see from the window of an airplane. Imagine the Hudson, the Columbia, the Ohio, the Colorado, the Rio Grande all running within a few hundred miles of each other. Add those to over 9,000 other rivers and you get the idea of the number of waterways in Alaska. 3 million lakes, 100,000 glaciers, and almost 34,000 miles of coastline; more than Florida, California, Louisiana, Texas, North Carolina, Maine and Virginia… combined. Mountains tower above the landscape, piercing the clouds and consuming all horizons; the highest rising over 20,000 feet above the sea and 10 of which are higher than any peak in the lower 48 states. Overlay a map of the continental United States with a map of Alaska and its land-mass stretches from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic.

But none of these perspectives do justice to those who haven’t laid eyes upon this place. Recall the feeling of standing at the foot of the Empire State Building for the first time and looking up or sailing on a boat just out of sight of land. Imagine what it might be like to be awash in the emotional waves of experiences like these for days in a row, each one new and each different than the other. That is Alaska, even for those who return time and time again.

After John Muir first visited Alaska in 1879, he recorded in his journal that one should “never go to Alaska as a young man because you’ll never be satisfied with any other place as long as you live…” There is truth to this thought. You’ll dream about this place: the possibilities and the impossibilities. Movies against the backs of your eyelids as you lie awake at night, teetering just beyond sleep. Wind playing tag through dense alder thickets. Afternoon sunshine casting shadows against the jagged, snow-covered towers of the Chugach. Two bald eagles perched in a snag high above a shallow creek teaming with spawning salmon. Waiting. Watching. Your nostrils twinge with the scent of a Sitka spruce stand. Fingers feel the chill of the morning dew. Ears deafened with the silence. You contemplate the size of this landscape. You meditate on its scale. You’ll wonder when, not if, you’ll journey back to the north. Back to the great big, giant mystery that is… Alaska.

Bend is synonymous with amazing beer and even better dirt. Central Oregon is loaded with flowy, purpose-built single track through dense forests and dramatic volcanic landscapes. The expansive network of trails is approachable for any level, whether you’re new to knobby tires or a professional rider. Watch Freehub’s latest video capturing the trails in Bend, then ride them for yourself on our newly designed bike tour.

[trek-fullwidth-img src=”https://trektravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/©16BERC_0619_Zjones-0586_1600x670.jpg.optimal.jpg”]
 
 

Focus on nothing but rides, rest and relaxation in world-class destinations during the best riding season on the calendar. You’ll leave with legs that are ready for anything. Here are our top 5 trips for the avid cyclist.

Etape du Tour

L’Etape du Tour isn’t just a ride. It’s a proving ground with your name scribbled in chalk. Take on famed routes of the Tour de France in this bucket list gran fondo-style event. Before you sign up, hear from a first time finisher of L’Etape du Tour about how tackling the legendary climbs and descents was made better with the support of Trek Travel.

Girona Ride Camp

Everyone’s favorite Ride Camp in a favorite location for 2020. Pedal the same roads as George Hincapie, Christian Vande Velde, Taylor Phinney and practically every other pro as you gaze out on the crystal blue Mediterranean Sea and explore one charming Spanish village after the next. You’ll test your legs on the steeps of the Pyrenees, ride along the shores of Costa Brava and up your fitness in one of the most beautiful places in the world.

Santa Barbara to Myrtle Beach

The goal: ambitious. The distance: 3,426 miles. The training: intense. The opportunity: unrivaled. If you’re ready for the bike trip—and challenge—of a lifetime, take on this bicycle tour that stretches from the Pacific to the Atlantic across the southern tier of our beautiful country.

Classic Climbs of the Dolomites

The landscape of the famed Dolomite mountain range offers epic riding as you climb the jagged peaks and legendary roads made famous by the Giro d’Italia. Experience the passion of Italian cycling beneath clear blue skies, as you ride past proud pale mountains and through lush green alpine pastures. This cycling trip offers the very best of the dramatic Dolomites and Italian Alps.

Pyrenees Sea to Sea

With daily routes through France and Spain, averaging over 60 miles and 7,000 vertical feet, this cross-country bike trip offers avid cyclists an invigorating combination of riding and cultural experience. Though the riding is challenging and the terrain is surely spectacular, the unassuming charm and hearty cuisine of the Basque & Catalan people serve to keep cyclists well-fueled and refreshed, as this bicycle tour traverses a true cycling paradise.

See our other Top 5 trip collections.

RACE FANS FOR THE LOVE OF ART MULTISPORT FOODIE HEAVEN

Meet Jim. A Trek Travel ride camper who wasn’t sure, “how many Ride Camps I have left in my old bod.” Though the climbs of Mallorca felt discouraging at the time, it was when he returned home that he experienced a pleasant surprise…

 

Don’t get us wrong, we love finding unbelievable roads to cruise along. But our fast descents, winding turns, big climbs and scenic mountain passes aren’t confined to pavement. The fun keeps going when we veer off into the dirt. This rider knows that all too well. Meet Tracy Moseley, mountain bike pro racer, downhill specialist, Worcester-native and special guest on our upcoming Norway mountain bike tour. We caught up with her to learn more about the real T-Mo behind the handlebars.

 

What are you excited about most in your Trek Travel trip to Norway?

I have always wanted to ride my bike in Norway as the pictures I have seen always look amazing, so I am just excited to get the opportunity to visit this beautiful country and to experience a Trek Travel trip!!

What have you been up to this winter?

I have had a really busy winter as I have been transitioning from a full-time bike racer into a brand ambassador for Trek Bikes and many of my other sponsors too. I have been doing more coaching, talking at events and shows and planning some fun adventures for 2017!

What does your 2017 schedule look like at the moment? Races, trips planned, special projects, etc.

I am going to be doing a great mix of races, coaching with the British Cycling XC team and some kids camps at home on my parents farm, alongside attending a number of events across the World for Trek and my other sponsors.

Tell us a little bit about your history with Trek?

I have been riding for Trek since 2009 when I joined the Trek World Racing downhill team. I had 3 amazing years winning the Downhill World Championship title in 2010 and the World Cup Overall in 2011. I then set up my own team T-MO racing with the support of Trek UK in 2012 as I retired from DH racing and wanted to have a go at some different disciplines. In 2013, I raced the first season of World Enduro and became World Champion. In 2014, Trek set up a Factory Enduro team and I joined back on a Trek Factory Team and won two more World Enduro titles in 2014 & 2015! I am now trying to retire from racing and have stepped into the role of ambassador for Trek to continue to be involved in the industry with product development and encouraging more people to discover the love for bike riding.

What bike are you currently riding most?

I ride my Trek Fuel EX 20 mostly as it’s such a great all round bike for the terrain I have close to my home.

Where did you grow up and where do you currently live?

I grew up on a dairy farm just outside Malvern, in the UK. I still live there!

Tell us a little bit about the time that you discovered that your life would be about riding mountain bikes.

I think that it has taken me many years to discover that my life would be about riding bikes as it was never my plan or dream, it just seems to have evolved from a kid that used to do a few bike races that her brother was going to, to someone who found a natural talent for a sport and decided to give it a go for a few years, to become someone who now loves riding bikes, far beyond the competition and now will spend the rest of my life with bikes very much at the centre and with such a passion for the sport that I want to share the amazing joy and life that bikes can bring to everyone. It’s been a 20-year journey that I feel has really only just begun…

Do you have a most memorable day on a bike or a most memorable ride?

My most memorable day on a bike for me will always be the day I won my first World Championship title in DH in 2010. Pulling that rainbow jersey over my head on the podium and listening to the National Anthem of Great Britain playing for me was just incredible…nothing will ever beat that, after so many years of dreaming of it!!

Rapid Fire!

Favorite ride snack?

My homemade energy balls.

Favorite riding destination?

Verbier, Switzerland.

Window or aisle seat?

Window always so I can take my pillow and sleep!

Coffee or tea or….?

Neither, can stand the taste of either.

Place you’ve never been that you want to go. Why?

Galapagos Islands, as I would love to see all the amazing animals only found there.

If not riding bikes for a living, what would you be doing?

A farmer…

Album you’re listening to right now.

I am terrible with music and just listen to whatever is playing on the radio!

Who should we be following on Instagram that we’re probably not?

Lorraine Troung – fellow enduro racer who is going through a long rehab process after crashing two years ago at a race and suffering from a traumatic brain injury…such an amazing rider, lovely person and someone who is going to go on to inspire and educate us all about concussion and its effects in our sport. @lorrainetruong

Trek Travel trip other than Norway that you’d like to go on.

Vietnam and Cambodia as they are places I have never had chance to visit and would love to, especially if I can take my bike!!

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We offer trips for every traveler and choosing your perfect style means you can enjoy the trip of a lifetime. Trek Travel Ride Camp is designed to take you beyond your typical day, to push your limits, to accomplish your training goals. Follow the chart below to find out if Ride Camp is right for you.

When David Baldwin came to us with his idea in January 2016, the task seemed as far-fetched as the goal itself. In June he was going to set out on a 3,500 mile ride across the United States, and he wanted us to design three different opportunities for friends, family and donors to ride along with him. His goal? Raise $13 million for adults with disABILITIES.

 

It was a tall order, especially in just four short months. In total there would be more than 100 people joining this ride, all of whom required bikes, hotels, food and support. This in addition to the difficulties David himself was about to face. “Trying to raise $13 million in Houston when oil is $35 per barrel is one challenge,” he said. “And I’ve only done a couple of long rides in my life.”

But if there was ever anyone up for the challenge, David was the right person for the job. “As [my wife] and I started to share our dream/vision with others, our ‘peloton’ started to grow. In total there were more than 200 volunteers working to make Pursuit a huge success, and with Trek Travel’s help, we created three opportunities for people who enjoy riding to participate in the Pursuit mission as well.” After countless hours of planning and preparation, the team dipped their wheels into the Pacific Ocean on June 6 in Astoria, Oregon and began the journey west.
 
 

 
 
The route, custom designed by Trek Travel Trip Designer Amy Davison, covered 14 states and 3,362 miles. It showcased the vast and indescribable beauty our country has to offer, from iconic small towns and restored railroad depots to dramatic mountains and lush green forests. “While I had previously ‘touched down’ in all but one of the 14 states I visited with Pursuit (South Dakota being the exception), I hadn’t spent much time in any of these states. From the seat of a bicycle, without the pressure of time or interruptions or any physical barrier other than sunglasses and a helmet, I began to take in the real character and beauty of each individual state and developed a true appreciation for so many unique things across our country,” David said.
 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 
Along the way they spotted moose in Jackson Hole, rode through the Badlands, stopped at Mount Rushmore, and cheered on the Cubs at Wrigley. They changed flats, battled winds and climbed mountains. And on August 3rd, 59 days after the Pursuit began, David dipped his wheel in the Atlantic Ocean, concluding what can only be described as the ride of his life.

For us it was a custom trip unlike any we’d ever created. The chance to not only bring one man’s dream to life, but to help bring hope to a population so desperately in need of a hero. So thank you letting us be a part of your journey, David. It is one we will never forget.

Tucked deep in the Moors of Telemark lies a place where you’ve dreamt of riding. Except it’s one of those elusive dreams; the kind you can’t recall when you wake up in the morning.

It’s a place where ancient battles were won and lost. Where pilgrims made their journey for a thousand years. Listen to Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song” and you’ll know the place. A hidden retreat on a tiny isthmus, surrounded by over 100k of legitimate, undiscovered, flawless singletrack. After a decade of meticulous planning, Norwegian adventurer Jan Fasting’s vision has culminated in the birth of this dream. A real mountain bike retreat.
 
 

 

In May of this year, I walked off the jetway in Sandefjord, Norway and into what I would soon discover was a singletrack Valhalla. Following a two-hour car ride among rolling hills, atop flawless pavement and down a rugged, 10-mile gravel road and I was on a bike. Jet lag had set in. My heart-rate was around 130. Excited, tired, a little nervous.
 
 

 
 
Granite domes the likes of which I’d only seen in the eastern Sierra were all around. Hundreds of crystal clear streams and small lakes akin to those found high in the Wind River Range of Wyoming sliced and dotted the landscape. The familiar strong scent of giant conifers that blanket the slopes of the Cascades of Central Oregon overwhelmed my senses. The trail crested a hill. And there, all alone in a tiny valley, was a collection of canvas, Mongolian style yurts. Colorful doors. Tiny oil lamps. A giant fire ring.

My hosts for the week were renown adventurer, TV producer, epic storyteller and Canvas founder Jan Fasting and Vebjørn Haugerud, a local rider, trail builder, family man and Canvas Hotel co-owner. Of course, the cast of characters that I’d get to meet, ride, dine and dream with for that 10 days included a number of other passionate, talented folks: our professional photographer/in-house mechanic Thomas Svendsen, Canvas’s own reggae-jamming, Zimbabwean chef Desmond (he smiles 24/7 – probably in his sleep), and two new amazing friends from Trek Norway – Eivind Martensen and Knut Lonnqvist. I was introduced to families, and taken sailing. We shared saunas, drank beers, talked music, and brainstormed ideas. Ultimately, we rode. We dreamt. We planned.
 
 

 
 
Over the course of 10 days, with the help of my new friends, strong coffee, a full notebook and over a dozen rides, we stitched together a true Trek Travel mountain bike experience. Combining perfect, 18” wide singletrack and the charm and authenticity of my new Norwegian friends, with the Canvas Hotel at its heart, I boarded the plane back to the states with something we’re proud to share.
 
 

 
 

This summer, David Baldwin and Team Pursuit will embark on a 4,000 mile expedition across the United States to support The Center, a Houston-based not-for-profit agency that promotes the pursuit of choice, growth, and personal independence for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Trek Travel has partnered with Pursuit to offer four ride along opportunities where you can join the fun this summer!

 

How did you become involved in The Center?
My wife Maire and I have been married for 24 years and live in Houston, Texas. Shortly after getting married, we made the difficult decision not to have children. We both knew this would leave a void in our lives, so we went looking for an organization where we could volunteer, and hopefully be a part of a different type of family. We found The Center, and we have both volunteered there for over 20 years. Over the years we’ve done everything from painting classrooms, to planting gardens, to raising money through cookie sales, to hosting The Center’s Christmas Party for the past 15 years (that’s personal our favorite). And over the years, we’ve grown to consider The Center’s residents and clients to be our unique family. Instead of having 2.3 kids, we actually feel like our family is the 450 clients of The Center.

What was your inspiration to ride across the country?
As recently as the 1960’s, 70’s, and 80’s, no one expected individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (“IDD”) to live into their 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s. But due to the success of programs like The Center, most people with IDD are now living full life expectancies. This has come as a surprise to almost everyone, including the families and friends of our clients as well as the government agencies that help support people with IDD. As life expectancies expanded rapidly, families hadn’t planned for this, and government support hasn’t kept pace either. Most of our clients don’t come from wealthy backgrounds, and aren’t able to earn sufficient wages to pay for their housing, food, medical and other costs of daily living, particularly as they enter their “retirement years”. The result is that many organizations across the country, like The Center, are facing a funding crisis and are at risk of going out of business.

I frequently say that The Center is the best thing that has ever happened to Maire and I. But like parenting, we worry a lot about how “our family” is going to make ends meet. One morning I was particularly worried about The Center’s financial challenges, and I couldn’t sleep. So I got out of bed early and got on my bike for a very early morning ride. As I rode, I could feel the stress and worries begin to dissipate and my normal optimistic outlook began to return. Towards the end of the ride, the idea of riding across the country to raise money for The Center and to raise awareness nationally of the pending financial crisis for people with disABILITIES became clearer. I quickly rode home and woke up my wife to share my inspiration and ask for her support. She was “all-in” and that’s how Pursuit was born.

Why did you choose a bike ride as your method of fundraising?
Maire and I started riding bikes casually for exercise and recreation several years ago. We love how friendly people are to bikers and it’s a great way to make new friends. I’ve never met someone on a bike who wasn’t having a good day! Also, over the past several years, I’ve wanted to take time off from my job to go visit the best organizations across the country that do what The Center does. So on that early morning ride to relieve my stress, it all came together. I could dedicate two months to riding across the country, visiting other organizations like The Center, meeting new friends and helping to raise money and awareness to support our neighbors with disABILITIES. As Maire and I started to share our dream/vision with others, our “peloton” started to grow. Today, there are more than 200 volunteers working to make Pursuit a huge success, and with Trek Travel’s help, we’ve created three opportunities for people who enjoy riding to participate in the Pursuit mission as well.

In regards to your ride across the U.S., what are you most excited about? What are you most nervous about?
When I was little, my parents used to pack me and my older brother, Bob, into our station wagon and go on “driving vacations”. We usually had our sleeping bags laid out in the back two rows and loved watching the countryside pass by as we made our way to our destination, which was usually a National Park, beautiful lake, or river. Now we fly everywhere we go, and I’ve missed the slower journeys at ground level across the country. Over the past couple of months, I’ve read several books and watched a handful of documentaries about biking across the U.S. They each have a few themes in common: First, the majesty, openness and beauty of the North and Western U.S., from Oregon through the Rockies and into the Midwest. I can’t wait to see and smell these open spaces, mountains, rivers, trees, wildlife, etc. from the seat of a bicycle. Once we get into Minnesota, the terrain changes and we get to experience the Midwestern charm and friendliness of all of the small towns in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. Starting in Minneapolis – St. Paul, we get to ride into some of America’s great cities: Chicago, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and ultimately Washington, D.C. And I get to do it all on a bicycle with old and new friends riding along with me, both in person and with everyone following our journey online.

While the bike journey is clearly the trip of a lifetime, I’m most excited to visit the organizations and people across the country that spend their lives helping our neighbors with disABILITIES. In most of the major cities along our journey, we’ll be visiting some of the best and most unique communities that support people with IDD. I can’t wait to see how their families differ from ours.

This journey isn’t without anxiety though. Trying to raise $11 million in Houston when oil is $35 per barrel is one challenge. And I’ve only done a couple of long rides in my life. Someone recently told me that our Pursuit journey was equivalent to 25 back to back MS 150’s. I’ve done the MS 150 once and almost didn’t make it to work the following Monday! Due to a couple of recent injuries, I’ve not really been able to train as much as I would like. I guess I can “train” as I cross the country! Lastly, I’m scared about leaving my job at a very difficult time for our energy industry. But thank goodness for an incredible group of colleagues who have eagerly agreed to help cover for me while I’m “in Pursuit” of Maire’s and my life mission.

Tell us about your best day on a bicycle.
Shortly after conceiving the idea for Pursuit, I fell off my mountain bike and tore up my knee/leg pretty seriously. For the first couple of weeks following my surgery, I doubted whether I’d ever return to cycling. About three weeks after the surgery, I got on an exercise bike and I turned the crank the full 360 degrees. It was one of the best feelings of my life! As my recovery continued, I asked my doctor and rehab coach if they would allow me to try to ride in a bike ride from Telluride to Gateway, Colorado, a trip I had planned with 25 friends well before my accident. The ride was scheduled for four months following my surgery and seemed highly improbable, maybe even unwise. But I had a goal to train for and it made my recovery speed by. Last September, on a perfect early fall Saturday, I joined my 25 friends in forming an amazing paceline across beautiful Colorado through mountains, farmland, and into the Red Rock Canyons of Western Colorado. The glory of riding with 25 friends for a good cause, on a beautiful day, has me so excited about Pursuit!