Travel

No Such Thing As The Slowest Rider

Posted on August 14, 2014 - 11:00 am by keith_ritter

Ever wanted to go on a cycling vacation but feared you’d be the slowest rider on the trip? Or maybe your travel partner is a much stronger rider than you and you’re worried about getting left behind.

At Trek Travel, we want to ease your fears. Rest assured that on a Trek Travel vacation you can choose your mileage. Part of our mission is to show people the world by bike, at their pace, every time, with unrivaled support and flexibility. Trek Travel trips are built for riders of all disciplines, fitness levels and skill sets. We understand that it is your day and your vacation, and we want you to decide how to spend it. Consequently, our trips are defined by flexibility.

We strive to accommodate the wishes of our guests, while also maintaining the integrity of the trip for the entire group. You can ride as much or as little as you’d like. You can ride at your own pace and stop for a coffee if you wish. You can opt out of any event or ask us to facilitate the addition of an event. Tell us what you’re comfortable doing, and we’ll make it happen. But how?

First, each day you will be provided with three different ride options. There is a featured ride, a short route, and an avid route. Our expert trip designers know the regions, and will never take you into uncharted territory or untested roads. Choose your preferred route in the morning based on how you’re feeling each day, but know that you can always hop in the van if your legs aren’t up to the task or add on extra miles if you’ve still got energy to burn.

Secondly, almost all trips will have two guides to support your rides. One guide will provide support from the van, and the second guide will provide support from the bike. We do our absolute best to ensure that the van driver sees every rider at least twice in the morning and twice in the afternoon. Furthermore, guides riding support are expected to “float” through the group, avoiding sticking with any single guest or group for the entire ride.

But how effectively do we provide the unrivaled support that we boast? It has been described as ‘magic’. Guests have said that every time they turned a corner, needed water, or wanted to take off their jacket, a guide was there. But we’ll let the testimonials speak for themselves:

“The guides were all exceptional, and did a great job of supporting all riders across the spectrum of ability. It was great to be able to enjoy some challenging rides and not have to think about logistics/mechanical issues/water etc. The level of support throughout the whole trip was truly excellent.” – Marta

“I felt the guides did a great job of juggling the demands of a varied group…my husband could enjoy the demands of the big days and hills while I could be shuttled over some passes yet still enjoy the stellar views on the coast. I was never made to feel I was a ‘bother’” – Nancy

“The trip design was excellent. There were several ride options each day, which allowed individuals to challenge themselves or take it easy and have a rest-day of sorts. I enjoyed the opportunity to climb some challenging “hills” and the support from the guides along the way made me confident that I could tackle any route option.” – Jonathan

Industry Insider: Ben Coates

Posted on July 28, 2014 - 11:44 pm by keith_ritter

Meet Ben Coates. Ben is the Trek Road Product Manager – which according to his loving wife means that, “anything with curly handlebars is under his jurisdiction.” We met with Ben to learn a little more about his life, work, and travels.

Tell us your story in 140 characters or less:

Husband, father, cyclist. Living the life making great bikes, traveling the world, and having fun with my beautiful family.

What’s the most rewarding part about your job?

Getting people excited about riding bikes. There is nothing like seeing someone get a new bike, especially when you are a part of the development of that bike. You can see the excitement in their eyes – a feeling that most people know – and it is amazing to see someone else go through it.

Favorite place you’ve ever traveled and why?

I love Belgium. Kind of a funny place to love, right? Not if you are bike, beer or frites fan. I happen to be all three. I love the people there because they have tough exterior but warm hearts. They are passionate about family, friends, cycling and beer. The riding is incredible, from the scenic open roads of Flanders to the brutal climbs of Wallonia. You could spend a lifetime riding there and never get bored.

If you were a trip designer at Trek Travel, where would you design a trip?

I would plan a trip somewhere I have never been but have always wanted to go. I could see planning a trip to a number of places like Patagonia, South Africa, and Mongolia. The list would go on and on. If I had to choose a place to start, I would go with Japan. I have always wanted to see the rice patties and climb from the coast to the highest peaks. There is something mystical about Japan. That is where I would start.

Favorite hotel you’ve ever stayed in and why?

Sundance Resort in Utah. It has an authentic quality and is aligned with nature in a rustic, modern way. I also got married there in 2008.

If you could only bring one unnecessary item on a trip, what would it be?

An iPad. I can see my family, read a book, scroll through a magazine, catch up on news, and watch a movie. Definitely the best travel item I own.

What is one thing you never fly without?

My Passport. I left it at home once and had to take a last minute flight to Australia. It was a disaster; I never leave home without it now.

Tell us about your best day on a bicycle.

I have had so many, but all of my rides can be traced back to one. A good friend of mine convinced me to get a mountain bike as my college bike, instead of the normal cruiser. My parents were not so happy that I spent double what they expected, but that bike took me on my first ride. It was a ride up Apex Trail in Golden, CO. I remember that it took me almost 2 hours to climb to the top – a climb that takes less than 30 minutes today. I crashed twice and almost threw up once. The way down was equally as eventful. I crashed over the side of the trail and slid down into a creek. After three hours, huge frustrations, and a lot of blood, I was officially a cyclist.

What’s your favorite type of beverage?

If it was only one drink I would pick San Pellegrino. If it was only one alcoholic drink it would be Bourbon on the rocks – Angel’s Envy or Beer Barrel Bourbon to be exact.

What and where was the best meal you’ve ever enjoyed?

My Mom’s homemade green chile at my parents’ house. If I was going to choose a restaurant, it would be Café Diva in Steamboat Springs, CO. There is something about a small mountain town with a great restaurant that is hard to beat.

What is your personal motto or mantra?

I got this from my wonderful wife. She probably doesn’t know this but I think about it every day. Here are the five things that will make me successful and happy in life:
1. Up Early
2. Win
3. Help Others
4. Exercise
5. Disengage

Outside of your family, who inspires you the most?

Historically, I am pretty fascinated by Abraham Lincoln because of the strength of his character. Integrity is something that I think about all the time and I think that he is the most prominent person in history that truly had integrity. Without his integrity and sense of purpose, the entire world would be a different place today. A living person that inspires me outside of my family is a little harder. I could go the easy route here and say my boss or the president or something like that, which are true but not really insightful or particularly interesting. So, with that in mind, I am going to go with Yvon Chouinard, the founder of Patagonia. After all these years, he has stayed true to his heart. Making great products that help people enjoy the outdoors and doing so in the most sustainable and economical way possible, while not losing site of the fact that the products have to be awesome if they are going to make a difference. His philosophy on people, the work place, and the world are close to home.

Behind the Scenes: Puglia

Posted on July 28, 2014 - 11:40 pm by keith_ritter

Residing in Ragusa, Italy, veteran guide Gabe Del Rossi knows the ins and outs of Italy like only a true local ever could. He has been known to serenade guests as they climb through the Dolomites or impresses them with his knowledge of four languages. Below Gabe has shared a behind the scenes look at a day in the life of a Trek Travel guide in Southern Italy.

The bus stops in Bari, but I don’t understand where I am. The light of the rising sun prevents me from spotting the train station. “È lì,” the bus drier tells me. “Right there. You’re on the other side of it.” I couldn’t recognize where I was because I was on the other side of the thing I knew.

A new point of view in a familiar place. My day began by taking a bus from Sicily, through Calabria and into Puglia — all beautiful areas, but the night ride is something unique. As my friend Fabio would later say, “You cross southern Italy by bus and you expect nothing to happen? Anything could happen!” This is not the Fabio that belongs on a romance novel cover. He is from Monopoli, Puglia and studies medicine. He helps his father with their taxi business, and he helps his friends get out of trouble. Friends like me.

Anything can happen, that’s why we travel to southern Italy. It’s a far cry from the Piedmont palazzos and the Tuscan villas. But that is part of its allure. I drag my bags into the station looking for the train headed for Martina Franca. There is no sign. There is no conductor at 7:00 in the morning. I have to make an educated guess: small town, small train, small track. Maybe a track at the end of the station? The back of the station? The back where the bus dropped me off. I double check the big yellow time tables that are on the walls and, sure enough, my guess pays off. I’m on my two-and-a-half-hour train ride to Martina Franca – about 70 kms away.

I pass out. The rocking of the train helps me catch up on the sleep that I couldn’t get on the bus. At around 9:30 I get a text from Sonja, my colleague who was kind enough to pick me up from the station: “I’m here.“

I drop my bags in the back of the van and we head for breakfast. Sonja is a light-framed, two-handed cappuccino drinker. We head straight for the bar and get three cappuccinos and one café macchiato, for the two of us. We wash that down with a few mezzatonda: a pastry popular in Puglia’s Murgia filled with cream and blackberry jam. That will do it. I’ve had my coffee and pastry fix. Let’s get to the bikes.

The ride to our base is simple. About ten minutes away from Martina Franca in a couple of trulli: those characteristic cone-topped houses. Historically they were a means of tax evasion. Now they house Sonja, myself, and our other colleague Diane who has been working on all kinds of trip details such as written instructions and .gpx files. She’s happy to see me.

There is something uncommonly romantic about tuning bikes in the front yard of a trullo pugliese. Between each prep, I look around me and appreciate my surroundings at every wretch stroke. I live in southern Italy, and there is something familiar about this part of the world. It is a very comfortable place where the people and environment make you feel at home.

At lunch we go for a ride. The rolling countryside is alive with the feel of spring. The orange blossoms are blooming and at the top of every small ride sits another trullo. We stop for some simple focaccia for lunch: ham and local caciocavallo cheese, or broccoli and local mushrooms. We keep it light since we still have a few kilometers until we get back to our trullo. And then it’s showers, time to organize the trailer, upload the routes to the Garmins and a few other tasks before the day is done.

The afternoon sun presses down. It is usually warmer in the afternoon around here. The morning will often bring rain and the late-day sunlight just makes the rest of the day humid. But not in our trullo, where the temperatures stay cool throughout the day and night. So cool in fact that we have to turn on the heat in the evening. A strage fact for Riccardo (the owner of the trullo) since most people don’t ever ask for heat in Puglia.

It’s six o’clock and just a few hours before dinner. This is also the time that Diane shows her true colors, namely “crimson” , “brink red” and randomly “rosé.” From her stash of red wine Diane pulls out a negroamaro, and a primitive. Naturally, it would be a sin to be this far into the soul of Puglia and not know its wines. And six o’clock is a great time to get to know them well. We chat and relax as night falls upon us, nibbling at sundried tomato paste, tarralli, and local cappocollo from just down the road in Martina Franca. Sonja whips together a fantastic salad with local veggies she had gotten earlier in the day and there is our evening: three bottles of wine, salad, and fresh meats and cheeses.

By now the sun has long disappeared and the moon and stars sitting clear in the night sky tell us tomorrow will have spectacular weather. I shuffle into my bedroom and begin to organize my clothes. Day one begins and I’ll be unloading ten bikes by myself. I’ll need to make sure I have a clean pair of clothes on when Diane arrives with our guests. Sonja is on picnic duty and judging by her salad tonight I think our group will be blown away by her magic. In this region of southern Italy, it is the element of surprise that is so appealing. “Anything can happen.” Yes it can, and it does. There is no pushing or stress. Everything works out as it should, whether it is an impromptu bike ride, another slice of focaccia (thank you, grazie!), a surprise three-bottle night, or a four coffee morning. No one is held to conventional standards here. Just enjoy.

Ok. Shirts folded. Pants ready. Now all I have to do is organize my route guide and make sure my phone and GPS are recharged for the morning. Done.

Time to set the alarm for 7:00. Before you know it, 7 will be here…..

Culinary Delight

Posted on June 2, 2014 - 8:45 am by keith_ritter

A great meal is about more than the food on your plate. A perfect atmosphere makes any meal taste richer, effortless company makes it more fulfilling, and the right beverage helps it go down easily. A wave of nostalgia always sweeps over us as we sit down to our first meal at home. We crave the flavors and the environments of far away places. Though Healdsburg and Tuscany may top our list, we know that our next vacation will bring new tastes to savor, new friends to laugh with, and new landscapes to adore.

Healdsburg, CA by Meagan Coates

I sat down at my desk after returning from a weeklong bike trip in California’s wine country with a request to write a piece on my favorite North American restaurant and I have found it nearly impossible to pick a clear winner.

My first inclination is Charlie Palmer’s Dry Creek Kitchen in Healdsburg—an obvious choice as they receive so many nods in the culinary world with their fresh, local and seasonal food that is perfectly paired with a supremely local wine list and formal but non-stuffy service. Diners enjoy fresh caught fish, local duck and an array of farm-fresh vegetables in a hip and beautiful dining room with expansive ceilings and large windows.

Our Trek Travel groups even have the unique opportunity to dine in the intimate wine library off the hotel lobby after spending a day on the bike and an afternoon at the pool or spa on property. We cap it off with decadent desserts like the chocolate tart with pear sauce or the variety of fresh sorbets served in an old-fashioned soda jerk style container.

However, I would be remiss not to mention other Healdsburg haunts like my new favorite—The Shed—located just off the square behind Hotel Healdsburg. Area farmers showcase their handmade products and provide the makings of super hydrating “shrub” drinks at the fermentation bar. I sampled the strawberry, carrot and kumquat but ultimately loved the blood orange best.

Or, just steps away are other amazing restaurants such as Willi’s Seafood, Ravenous, Bistro Ralph, Barndiva and countless others. Savor a craft cocktail at h2’s Spoon Bar (like the cucumber martini!) or just stroll around Healdsburg and you are sure to find something that suits even the most discerning palates. After visiting restaurants in every corner of the world, Healdsburg is definitely the best kept secret for foodie’s looking to travel in North America.

Tuscany, Italy by Kari Kruckow

But close your eyes and take a 6,000-mile journey across the Atlantic. Rolling green hills lined with cypress trees, sun kissed vines, slow food and delicious wines…oh and Roberto. Welcome to Tuscany!

Last week I was able to cycle through this beautiful region and experience its culture. The way Trek Travel invites you to be a local for 6 days on a Trek Bike is amazing. Cycling was the biggest highlight for me on this trip, but food was not far from the top.

I encourage you to grab a little something to munch on…I promise you will get hungry as I tell you about my favorite lunch spot on this trip: da Roberto, Taverna in Montisi.

Roberto made us all feel at home as soon as we rolled in on our bikes. He is a countryside cuciniere (cook), whose only claim is to feed himself and guests honestly. Roberto is a true joy and lives to feed people at his table. His mantra is to wake up every morning happy and build a space of peace, balance and harmony to offer to people that dine at his Taverna, which ties perfectly to the experience that you have cycling through Tuscany.

Aside from the comfort and ambiance, the food prepared was as honest, delicious, and as inspiring as the hilltops that overlook the Tuscan valley. The three-course meal was not a surprise on this Trek Travel trip, being as every meal and break on the bike offered plenty of fuel for the calories burned that day.

Roberto started off the lunch with a unique bean and carrot salad. It goes without saying, but the beans sourced from a local farmer, the carrots grown in his garden behind the restaurant. Food aside, one of the best “accents” to the menu was Roberto’s story behind each dish, his amicability is contagious with every guest that comes into his “home.” Next was the homemade pasta with a true Italian Ragu sauce, to coin a phrase, “mama, mia!” The lunch ended with three dessert options, my favorite was the panna cotta with berries. It provided just enough guilt and enough fulfillment to encourage the balance of the gorgeous ride that afternoon.

Roberto is proud of his food by identifying flavors by gathering fresh, local ingredients, protecting the value of biodiversity, and visiting farms for fresh cheeses and to certify the quality of his meal.

Roberto’s lunch experience was enriching on all levels and what made for a perfect afternoon was the short bike ride to a beautiful accommodation, which felt like an estate and offered a very relaxing evening.

What can I say, Tuscany is tasteful in so many ways. And it is certainly my favorite culinary delight in Europe.

A Painting in Prague

Posted on October 9, 2012 - 9:00 am by keith_ritter

When my husband and I were planning our fifth Trek Travel vacation, we knew exactly where to go to celebrate this milestone. So together with our 23 year old daughter and my 78 year old father-in-law, we signed up for the Prague to Vienna vacation.

This trip was especially meaningful for us because my family has a historical connection to the great Czech painter Alphonse Mucha. My great grandfather was a diplomat and art patron who helped introduce Mucha to America, and commissioned him to paint a portrait of my grandmother which now hangs in the National Gallery in Prague. Of course it was a priority for us to see the painting, so we arranged to arrive in Prague two days before the start of our Trek Travel trip.

This is when Trek Travel went the extra mile.

We contacted the trip designer to see if she could help us make the most out of our time in Prague. She put us in touch with a local tour guide who became our resource for all things Czech. Not only did he get us into the National Gallery, and made sure we would be able to photograph the portrait of my grandmother, but he also knew the Mucha family and was able to arrange a visit with Mucha’s daughter-in-law. She graciously gave us a tour of her family home, which was full of original artworks, and talked to us about Mucha’s life and work. This was an amazing experience we never would have found on our own!

The rest of the trip was equally grand, with beautiful scenery, great bicycling, fabulous food, wine and beer, and lots of quality family time. The chance to see the Czech Republic as it emerged from behind the Iron Curtain, and to hear about that transition from locals, was quite amazing. The guides were adept at dealing with changing circumstances, from finding a fabulous restaurant with a private room for lunch when rain would have made picnicking difficult, to arranging for travel by riverboat on the Danube when the weather was a bit wet for a few of us “fair weather” riders. Especially for my father-in-law, who does not ride a bike, this cruise became his favorite part of the trip!

For myself and my family, it was these experiences not on the itinerary that became the highlights of our trip. We still reminisce about that serendipitous meeting and unexpected wow’s many years later.

– Peggy Timmerman

The Birth of the Ride Camp

Posted on January 27, 2011 - 8:01 am by keith_ritter

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!

One of the sweet roads in Mallorca!

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