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5 Awesome Gift Ideas for the Cycling Dad

Prove to Dad you’re his favorite and give him a gift he’ll remember forever. Here are our favorite gifts for Father’s Day this year.

 

Classic Climbs of the Dolomites cycling trip with Trek Travel

Classic Climbs of the Dolomites – from $3799
For the dad who loves the mountains, the Classic Climbs of the Dolomites cycling trip offers the very best of the dramatic Dolomites and Italian Alps. 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.

 

Solvang Trek Travel Ride Camp Bike Trip

Solvang Ride Camp – from $999
Few destinations in the U.S. offer mountains, sea, and wine country with the luxury, hospitality and small-town intimacy and friendliness you discover in this captivating area. This trip has it all. On our 4 day Solvang Ride Camp, combine your full days of cycling with sightseeing, dining, hiking, and relaxing along the Central Coast. With a home base in the wine country north of Santa Barbara you’ll be just miles from the chance to tackle some of the classic climbs which extend beyond the valley.

 

Moab Mountain Biking trip

Moab Mountain Bike Trip – from $1399
Believe the hype: Moab is the mountain bike Mecca that all fat-tire lovers dream of. Its trails offer astounding views of snow-capped mountains and valleys that redefine words like “epic” “awesome”, “sick” and “killer”. Trek Travel takes you into the belly of the beast, through a network of fireroads, singletrack and doubletrack that drop you between boulders, along cliffs, and up over the ever-so-grippy slickrock terraces and ledges. Each day is jaw-droppingly better than the last, with expansive vistas, the red hue of Utah’s ancient soil, and a small-town Wild-West feel. Moab isn’t just another mountain bike trip. It’s the birthplace of the mountain bike.

 

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Trek Emonda upgrade – $300
Give Dad the best of the best on his bike trip and upgrade to the new Trek Émonda SLR. Trek Travel’s fleet of world-class bikes just got a little lighter with the race-ready, Project-One designed bike. It’s Trek’s lightest production road bike ever. Perfect for climbing in the Alps or just cruising the back roads of wine country.

 

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Carbon Wheels upgrade – $200
Upgrade his bike with a pair of Bontrager Aeolus D3 Clincher carbon wheels. These wheels are lighter and ready to roll. A wider rim profile and extreme rotating weight savings means extra speed where it counts. Give Dad the opportunity to train like the pros with his bike all suited up.

Our Sales Manager V2 Tackles the Fig!

Our sales manager Vaughan, reflected back recently on his Ride Camp experience last fall. Who wants upgrades for life? Read on to find out how…

Someone has to stay home and sell these trips.

This past November, I flew into Santa Barbara California to attend our Solvang Ride Camp. I was new here at Trek Travel and “needed to go experience the product that I was trying to sell.” I thought this sounded good and the boss took the bait.

The guides for my Ride Camp were Greg and Jacob. One a seasoned veteran who heads up all the ride camps and the other a newbie guide who looked just as excited as me to be in the Santa Ynez Valley on a warm day late in 2012.

I started my trip trying to help the two guides show our 8 guests a great time. It took me only a few minutes to realize that I was getting in their way. I switched into guest mode. Now I could ride as much as I wanted and experience the life of our ride camp guest.

After two great days of riding around the surrounding valley that is covered with wineries and mountains we took on the challenge of climbing “The Fig.” The Fig is a legendary climb (9 miles at 9%) in the area that has been a training route for many pro cyclists. My goal was to climb it in one hour. With good fitness for this time of year, I set off under good power thinking that I could hit the mark. Halfway up reality set in and my power and pace dropped. With two miles left I was doing about 3 mph on an 11% grade. I was going to miss the 1 hour and it was not going to be close. After my summit others started to arrive, each new arrival cheering on the one that was finishing behind them. It was a great climb and a fun descent. Our group ended the day at a local winery splitting a few bottles of red wine.

In 4 days, I had covered about 180 miles, met some great people and accomplished nothing else of any worth. It was all that I hoped for. The goal for this year is to get to Greenville South Carolina for our Ride Camp in the Blue Ridge Mountains. I hope to see you there.

Who is going to be the first person to do all five ride camps (Solvang, Greenville, Moab, Boulder and Mallorca)? I hope it is me! If you beat me too all of them, you will have a standing free upgrade with Trek Travel for the rest of your life.

Cheers,
Vaughan O’Brien
Sales Manager

Photo Credit: Greg Lyeki

Ride Camp, A Poem. By past guest H. Susan Freireich

Here at Trek Travel, we pride ourselves on the training of our guides. They are truly our best asset and at the end of the day, make Trek Travel who we are. So it’s always great to hear past guests tell us their favorite guide story or have them share their pictures with us. One of our guests, Susan, took it a step further and wrote a poem about her guides from her Solvang Ride Camp in October. Greg and Matt are awesome guys and both super fit on the bike. They always make sure their guests are having the best time on their bike tours.

RIDE CAMP (for Matt Lyon and Greg Lyeki)

That cold foggy morn’
onto Mission we did roll.
Has it been just six days
since Big Fig* was our goal?
That fog hung low,
the temperature, too.
Some wore jackets,
arm warmers, and packed extra GU.

Matt led the pack,
and away they did fly.
Greg drove the truck,
and yelled “Good work!” as he passed me by.

The weather turned hot,
“a record,” they said.
Still, we rode Foxen, Alisos, Cat,
Drum, and Happy Canyons before bed.

Matt and Greg, Greg and Matt
switched roles each day to help us through
those steep, steep climbs. “It’s nothing,”
they said,  “We love what we do.”

“We’re here for you,”
Your wish is our command.
They brought us lunch and cold drinks,
even sagged us to flatter ground.

It’s been a great week,
Ride. Eat. Sleep. Repeat.
But YOU are who made it
The Experience That Can’t Be Beat.

H. Susan Freireich                      
10/14/2011

*Mt. Figueroa

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Want to go on a Ride Camp? Check out our Mallorca, Solvang or Greenville Ride Camps on our website today!

The Trek Madone…

This is a great video showcasing how a Trek Madone 6 series is built in Waterloo, WI. This is the same bike that we are able to supply on our trips as an upgrade option. If someone wants to ride a bike that has seen the likes of Lance Armstrong, Levi Leipheimer, Chris Horner, the Schlecks, and Fabian Cancellara ridden to countless victories, they can do so on a Trek Travel bike trip.

I’ve ridden this bike up and down numerous mountain passes in places like the French Alps and Solvang, CA. I’m always happy that I don’t have to worry about the bike weighing me down, just my own lack of fitness;) Plus anytime some of us guides head out for a little cycling banter, it’s always nice to have the stiffness to stay on guys wheels like Matty, Lyeki, or Big Wave. (Ok, maybe not Big Waves!)

The Birth of the Ride Camp

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A few years ago I was heading out for a ride and ran into my neighbor.  He asked if Trek Travel had trips in Mallorca (we did not at that time) and went on to rave about his own trip to Mallorca that he did earlier that spring with his local cycling team. They rode for 6 days to build their early season base miles in what sounded like ideal terrain and a climate that was significantly better than Madison, Wisconsin!  He suggested Trek Travel do a trip there and after his glowing review of the area I was convinced.

In 2009 we added a Classic Climbs of Mallorca and a Luxury Mallorca trip to the roster. Similar to my neighbor, the guests give glowing reviews.  The more I thought about the conversation I had with my neighbor the more I realized that we needed a trip that focused even more on the riding. A trip that, like my neighbor mentioned, focused on building base miles, and one that was also at a price point that was affordable for even young teams. I knew Mallorca was known as Europe’s biking destination but did not realize how many people go there to train.  It is a cyclist’s paradise!  You can go during the winter, have great weather and awesome riding in a beautiful place.  I looked at a bunch of companies that offer a wide variety of trips and thought we can do this better.  A lot of the companies offer trips at a low price but don’t include the use of a bike and have a lot of additional costs once you are on the trip. Most importantly, they don’t have the customer service for which TT is known. Mallorca was an obvious choice in Europe.

I know a lot of people in the U.S. who would love to go on a trip like this but heading across the pond is not an option.  We need to have a place like this in the U.S.!  Solvang jumped to the top of the list.  This is the place American pros like to go in early spring to get in some miles and big climbs. The riding is spectacular and the weather is perfect for training from late winter into late spring.  Even the Amgen Tour of California has held the Individual Time Trial in Solvang 3 times and is featuring Solvang again in 2011.  Solvang was the winner.

I am really excited about our new Ride Camps, they give a big group of cyclists exactly what they are looking for—great riding in an awesome place without the hassles of planning on your own.  I think the best two things about our trips are the free use of a Trek 5.2 Madone and the fact that like all of our trips, Trek Travel takes care of all of the details so all you have to do is ride!

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One of the sweet roads in Mallorca!

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