Page 57 – Trek Travel

I was just looking at the photo album of the new guides that Trek Travel posted a few weeks ago. I would have loved to deliver the inspirational commencement address at their graduation ceremony. If I had, here’s what I would have said:

Congratulations to the Trek Travel guide class of 2011! You have distinguished yourselves among your peers by gaining admission to a training program that is more selective than many Ivy League colleges. During your course of study you learned how to refill water bottles and tune bikes while your guests make leisurely laps through the breakfast buffet. You learned how to fit a premium carbon bike to the precise measurements and personal preferences of each guest. You learned how to fix a flat on the road using nothing more than a cheap plastic comb and a folded dollar bill. And you learned the art of laying out a classic Trek Travel Picnic that captures the romance of a small village in the French Pyrenees, the majesty of a Redwood forest, or the abundant sunshine of a winery in Mallorca, each time introducing your guests to local produce, specialty foods, and delicious wines.

For all you have accomplished, you know that you have much more to learn. So, for your first few trips you will be paired with a veteran guide. Jacob Young will share his famous recipe for guacamole so you can welcome your guests back from a long day of cycling with chips, salsa, and cold beer. Stephanie Stewart Chapman will tell you she is an “enabler” because she enables her clients to strive for and achieve more than they ever thought they could. Greg Lyeki will show you the art of happily riding along with the slowest cyclists in your group to be sure they find their way. And Cendrine DeVis will show you how to hide champagne in your knapsack so you can toast your guests in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower after they have completed laps on the Champs-Eleysee.

You will also hear stories about some of the legendary feats of your Trek Travel colleagues. You will learn how Dan Frideger persuaded a local boulangerie in central France to open early so that his guests would be greeted by warm pastries as they boarded the 6:30 AM train to Paris for the finale of the Tour de France. You will learn how Diane Suozzo and Doug Kirkby responded when the Italian authorities abruptly closed of the following day’s route at the Giro d’Italia by devising a fantastic climb into the marble quarries above Carrera that include five “gallerias,” or tunnels. And you will learn how one of the guides spent the night sleeping in a van on the Col d’Aubisque in the Pyrenees so she could make it to Trek Travel’s exclusive viewing perch in time to personally congratulate every guest who scaled that legendary climb the next day. Her name? Tania Worgull, Trek Travel’s president!

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Bob Joy’s 2011 Guide Commencement Speech

Posted on June 13, 2011 - 9:32 am by keith_ritter

The Trek Madone…

Posted on June 3, 2011 - 8:17 am by keith_ritter

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!)

Stephanies Favorite, Dom Vincent from the Beaune region of France

Posted on May 27, 2011 - 7:00 am by keith_ritter

On our Burgundy bike trip, we visit Pierre and Nicole’s cellar, L’Ange Gardien, in the heart of the charming town of Beaune. Their vines are mainly planted on the ‘Côte de Beaune’ and spread over the following areas: Auxey-Duresses, Beaune, Chorey-les-Beaune, Ladoix-Serrigny, Meursault, Pommard, Savigny-les Beaune.

Our wine tasting there is one of the most fun and laughter-filled I’ve ever enjoyed and includes many spectacular wines. Their best, however, in my opinion, is the Dom Vincent. Yes, it’s a play on Dom Perignon! Dom Vincent is a crémant, another term for sparkling wine, and a regional specialty. At L’Ange Gardien, they have both a white and rosé variety, both of which are amazing. The white features very delicate bubbles, light citrus aromas, and a pale yellow color. The rosé’s color is just beautiful, deep and dark pink, and also features the light and delicate bubbles.

Either can be paired with their most delicious Créme de Cassis (black current liquor) to make a ‘Kir‘ (the traditional Burgundian cocktail). The shining deep red color and fruity smell explode into a velvety smoothness on your palate. And yes, it can very much be enjoyed on its own too.

A Moment in Italy, by Bob Joy

Posted on May 19, 2011 - 9:56 am by keith_ritter

Trek Travel president Tania Burke recently explained why she thinks Tuscany is the best place to take an Italy bike tour. I couldn’t agree more. Tuscany combines amazing scenery, outstanding food and wine, and some of the world’s friendliest people. One can tour Tuscany by bus, or see it in a car, but the only way to really experience it is on a bike.

Let’s start with scenery. On a bike, you don’t just view the landscape, you feel it. In your calves and thighs, of course, but you also become aware of the breezes, can savor the aromas of flowers in bloom or bread just coming out of the oven in the village paneterria, and can hear the laughter of children kicking a soccer ball or the peal of a church bell in the distance. You aren’t just an observer of the landscape, you are connected to it in a way that the typical tourist never is.

Maybe it’s the effort that cycling takes that makes the food and wine taste so much better. Or maybe it’s the guilt-free knowledge that you are burning off the calories just as fast as you are taking them on. How wonderful it is to indulge in pasta and wine for a week and not put on any weight!

Traveling by bike is a great way to connect with people, too. On a 2009 trip with Trek Travel our group started the day at Lido di Camaiore on the coast just north of Pisa. We climbed up a series of hills as we headed east and were rewarded by ever more dramatic views of the Ligurian Sea. We stopped in a little village at the crest of a ridge to check our maps and regroup. I noticed that the older gentleman sitting on a stone bench seemed to be eyeing us curiously. He motioned for me to join him, but as I did he saw the sweat pouring off my body and made a big deal about shifting to the far end of the bench, clearly conveying the notion that I was untouchable. On impulse, I slid right next to him. His reaction was captured in this photo. Despite the differences in culture, age, and language, we made a human connection that afternoon. It was just another Trek Travel moment, but the memory will last a lifetime.

Jetsetter Passport chats with guide Jonathan Hershberger about California Wine Country

Posted on May 15, 2011 - 10:11 pm by keith_ritter

This week we launched a sale featuring Trek Travel’s California Wine Country tour, a five-night cycling itinerary that stops at some of Napa and Sonoma’s best wineries. We spoke with Jonathan Hershberger, a guide for Trek Travel, and asked all the important questions: How much can you really drink while biking? Do people ever fall down? And do you feel silly at a wine tasting in bike shorts? We also covered some less important ground, like the biggest challenges on the trip, the coolest stop and why their bikes have been in the Tour de France.

Jon Vick’s Favorite Rides

Posted on April 10, 2011 - 12:49 pm by keith_ritter

Thoughtfully written by one of our guides on his own blog, Jon Vick let us tell you all his favorite rides.

As part of Trek Travel’s Ride Camp in Solvang, we rode one of my all time favorite road rides last week. It got me thinking about where my all time favorite road rides are. This is the list I’ve come up with:

1 – Sella Ronda. In my opinion there isn’t a more beautiful road ride in the world. Made up of four passes; it’s the perfect balance of awesome climbing, awesome descending, and amazing scenery. With awesome spots to stop for lunch and great Italian espresso along the route, it really doesn’t get better than this.

(more…)

The One That Hooked…

Posted on March 15, 2011 - 6:01 am by keith_ritter

Recently we asked Bob Joy to write a post about one of his memories from a Trek Travel trip. Bob’s been on a lot of them and is always a blast to tour the countryside with by bike. Even when he happens to break his elbow from looking at the scenary, he is always in good spirits. (I’ll let Bob tell that story at a later date;) Plus more than a couple of his fine photos have graced our marketing projects over the years.

Here is a tale from his first Trek Travel trip to the Tour de France:

Lance Armstrong’s recent retirement from professional cycling got me thinking about my first Trek Travel adventure, the one that got me hooked. Because 2005 was an odd-numbered year, the route of the Tour de France ran mostly clockwise. That meant that the Pyrenees would figure prominently in the final week of the Tour. I joined Trek Travel in Toulouse and spent the first part of the week doing epic climbs and cheering on the Discovery team. Watching the race on television doesn’t capture the thrill of being just a few feet away from some of the best athletes in the world, knowing that every pedal stroke can lead to victory or disaster.

Our group then took the train into Paris to watch the finale. I thought our morning ride on the legendary Champs-Elysees would be the highlight of the trip. How many recreational cyclists can say that they rode laps on the Champs-Elysees on the final day of the Tour de France? But my favorite Trek Travel moment came later in the day. After watching from the balcony of the elegant Paris Automobile Club as Lance won the Tour for the historic 7th time, I was able to make my way down to the team buses in time to see him return from his “Viva Le Tour” speech on the podium. After a few minutes in the team bus, Lance emerged to take his solo victory lap. I was in just the right spot and helped his body guard Sergio move the crowd out of the way so he could get back to the course. As I did, I snapped this photo over my shoulder just as Lance was looking up at the Hotel de Crillon, perhaps to see if he could spot Sheryl Crow, his girlfriend at the time. At that moment I felt I was in the center of the cycling universe. It’s a feeling I have had on several other Trek Travel trips since then. I’ll tell you about them in my next posts.

Bob

Why Tania Picks Tuscany…

Posted on February 21, 2011 - 6:44 am by keith_ritter

I have been lucky enough to collectively spend 2 years in Tuscany guiding and researching new trips, and when people ask what my favorite TT trip is, although hard to choose I pick Tuscany. It really lives up to its reputation. Great wine, food, people, hotels, picturesque cypress lined drives, riding. For me not one of those items stands out on it’s own. It’s the blend of all these simple things that make it special; moments like watching the sunset over the Chianti hills, tasting wild boar ragu, watching the old men chat in the parks, the scent of Pecorino cheese wafting out of the stores in Pienza, taking a photo of the loan cypress tree on the top of a hill, tasting Brunello di Montalcino – in Montalcino, riding on some of the smoothest black topped roads through small villages, eating vine ripe tomatoes with just olive oil and salt. I could go on forever. I would live in Italy again if the opportunity arose but for now I just feel lucky to have spent the time there that I did. If you love to travel and bike – don’t miss Tuscany!

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!

mallorca

One of the sweet roads in Mallorca!

About

Posted on January 27, 2011 - 7:17 am by keith_ritter

Our mission is “To show people the world by bike, at their pace, every time, with unrivaled support and flexibility, and to encourage a passion for cycling.”

Our For A Spin is Trek Travel’s blog exploring the world of traveling by bike. Employees, friends, family, and those who have something to say will find their words on this blog.

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Older posts

Newer posts

Bob Joy’s 2011 Guide Commencement Speech

The Trek Madone…

Stephanies Favorite, Dom Vincent from the Beaune region of France

A Moment in Italy, by Bob Joy

Jetsetter Passport chats with guide Jonathan Hershberger about California Wine Country

Jon Vick’s Favorite Rides

The One That Hooked…

Why Tania Picks Tuscany…

The Birth of the Ride Camp

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