There’s still availability to join the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy’s 2017 Pennsylvania Sojourn, June 18-23, a six-day cycling trip exploring two dedicated trails—the legendary Great Allegheny Passage and beautiful Montour Trail – a total of some 150 miles of biking.
The organization’s main fund-raiser of the year, you get to experience Pennsylvania’s famous scenic wilderness, charming towns, beautiful tunnels, iconic sites and can’t-miss destinations.
The fully supported rail-trail adventure vacation, operated by Wilderness Voyageurs, offers great food (breakfast and dinner), hot showers, flexible scheduling (you ride at your own pace), fun evening activities, optional trips and experiences—and the added benefit of supporting America’s trails.
The trip is June 18-23, and costs $720/adult, $620/child. You have the option of bringing your own tent, renting tent service through Comfy Campers (extremely handy), or booking nearby bed-and-breakfast accommodations.
The tour highlights include optional climbs to the highest mountain in the state, Mt. Davis and the Eastern Continental Divide, the Mason-Dixon Line and Big Savage Tunnel.
The third-day is a layover with an opportunity to choose an excursion – visiting Fallingwater (a home designed by Frank Lloyd Wright); visiting Kentuck Knob (also designed by Frank Lloyd Wright) or taking a rafting trip, either Lower Yough Class 3 rafting trip or Middle Yough Class 1-2 rafting trip
The annual RTC Sojourn is not just a great way to experience these trails, but also are powerful “trail-building tools” that highlight the significant impact of long-distance trail routes on America’s communities. Participants explore communities and attractions along the way (from the picturesque to the historic), take advantage of open trails and draw attention to gaps in would-be trail systems that, if completed, could result in substantial benefits (economic, health, social, environmental and much more) for their local regions.
For example, the Pennsylvania Sojourn will call attention to a major project, the Industrial Heartland Trails Coalition. A collaboration of more than 100 organizations, and led by the Pennsylvania Environmental Council, the National Park Service and RTC, the project would link 1,400 miles of multiuse trails, stretching across 48 counties in four states – Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio and New York. It would stimulate the regional economy through outdoor tourism and small business investment, and create social equity and new health connections for underserved communities across the project footprint.
The sojourns serve to unite a selection of trails for a short period of time, serving as “dry runs” designed to benchmark—through real-world examples and user surveys how trail-system improvements could increase local bikeability and walkability.
Over the past 15 years, Sojourns have helped influence the creation and/or growth of multiple regional trail alliances through demonstrating the significant boost to local economies generated by the sojourn participants in just a few days – a small reflection over what can be achieved when programs are established.
RTC compiles economic impact data on the combined spending on food, supplies, rentals, equipment and other sojourn-related services, which is shared with local hosts to inspire future trail building and enhancements.
The 2014 sojourn’s positive economic impact to the region was $211,000.
Rails-to-Trails Conservancy helps communities meet their own challenges toward trail development, with expertise and assistance obtaining funding and design; and advocates with lawmakers at local, state and federal levels for policies and funding programs that make trail development and walking/biking infrastructure possible. The organizations promotes trails – awarding Trail of the Year, for example – forges partnerships, and is the nation’s foremost nonprofit advocate for rail-trails, working to create and protect the legal structures that make them possible.
The sojourns are designed for all ages and skill levels—from the young to the young-at-heart, aficionados to first-timers, families to freewheelers!
New York State Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, in his 2017 State of the State policy pronouncements, has proposed completing the Hudson River Valley Greenway and Erie Canalway trails by 2020 to create the Empire State Trail, the largest state multi-use trail in the nation. To achieve this, the state will develop 350 miles of new trail in three phases to create a 750-mile pathway for hiking and biking along scenic vistas and through charming, historic communities. The Empire State Trail will span much of the state, from the New York Harbor up through the Adirondack Mountains to the Canadian border – and from the shores of Lake Erie along the historic Erie Canal to the heart of the Capital Region.
“The scenic natural beauty that spans every corner of this state is key to our prosperity, vital to our future and part of who we are as New Yorkers,” Governor Cuomo said. “The Empire State Trail, once completed, will be the nation’s largest state multi-use trail network, providing residents and visitors alike unprecedented access to New York’s outdoor treasures, driving tourism and economic activity to communities across the state and helping to protect our environmental resources for generations to come.”
New York’s existing Hudson River Valley Greenway and the Erie Canalway are two of the most renowned multi-use trailways in the United States, but both trails remain unfinished with a number of gaps across the state. Currently, the Hudson River Valley Greenway is nearly 50 percent complete and crosses the Appalachian Trail, spanning over 260 miles between the Manhattan Battery and Lake George. The trail closely, and in many places parallels State Bike Route 9, which extends the Greenway an additional 130 miles along Lake Champlain to the Canadian border. The Hudson River Valley Greenway generates more than $21 million in economic impact annually from visitors stopping in communities along the trails.
The Erie Canalway is nearly 80 percent complete and runs approximately 360 miles along the storied Erie Canal, connecting Buffalo to Albany. The Governor’s commitment to complete this trail coincides with the bicentennial of the Erie Canal, as construction of the engineering marvel begin in 1817. Each year, approximately 1.5 million people use the Erie Canalway Trail along the historic Erie Canal, resulting in an estimated $253 million in economic activity from visitor spending. The Buffalo-Pendleton segment is the most heavily used part of the Canalway Trail with approximately 350,000 annual users. With this proposal, remaining gaps will be completed, connecting the two trails to establish the New York’s Empire State Trail.
Once the Empire State Trail is complete, the trails will attract more hikers, bikers, and cross country skiers than ever before and provide access to destinations, heritage areas, and historic sites and districts including:
Hudson River Valley Greenway
Battery Park, NYC
· Walkway Over the Hudson, Poughkeepsie
· Olana State Historic Site, Hudson
· Martin Van Buren National Historic Site, Kinderhook
· Schodack Island State Park, Schodack Landing
· Saratoga National Battlefield, Stillwater
· Fort Ticonderoga, Ticonderoga
Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural Historic Site, Buffalo
· Buffalo State Park, Buffalo
· The Salt Museum on Onondaga Lake, Liverpool
· The Montezuma National Wild Refuge, Seneca Falls
· The Great New York State Fair, Syracuse
· Oriskany Battlefield State Historic Site, Oriskany
· Fort Stanwix National Monument, Rome
This extensive trail network will enhance community connectivity and support healthy lifestyles by providing both urban and rural communities access to endless outdoor recreational opportunities. These long distance destination trails are economic drivers that can generate $1.5 – 5 million in annual economic impact for surrounding communities. Additionally, this trail network is expected to support an estimated 9.6 jobs for every $1 million invested, and every dollar will yield $3 in direct medical benefits for surrounding communities. The trails will also draw tourists from around the world to explore New York’s striking landscapes and rich history, while enjoying local bed and breakfasts, hotels, restaurants, wineries, breweries, farmsteads, and cultural attractions along the way.
Empire State Trail Website and Mobile App Launch
A new trail website and mobile app will launch to further connect New Yorkers and visitors to the state’s great outdoors. Both the website and app will feature a list of greenways, trails with hiking descriptions, and their level of difficulty. The app will allow users to find services and attractions nearby using location services with the option to share the user’s exact location with friends, or first responders, in the case of an emergency. Social sharing options will also be available, to share photos on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. A live tour map, walking and driving directions, are available as well as an elevation reader that lets users know when trails cross hills and mountains.
The trail system will provide travelers access to a number of signature attractions, all of which can be found on the website and mobile app, including Battery Park, Walkway Over the Hudson, Corning Preserve, Lake George, Schenectady Rivers Casino, the Erie Canal Museum, the Buffalo Naval Military Park, local breweries, and other lodging accommodations and family-friendly destinations found along the Empire State Trail.
“Parks, historic sites, and heritage areas are the very fabric of our local communities and the Empire State Trail will further connect these treasured resources with all New Yorkers, neighbors and friends,” said New York State Parks Commissioner Rose Harvey.“Governor Cuomo is rejuvenating the state park system and now with the creation of the Empire State Trail we are deepening the connection and sharing many of these wonderful treasures and all it takes is a bike ride or casual stroll.”
“New York’s natural resources are truly world class destinations and through Governor Cuomo’s leadership, the new Empire State Trail will establish important connections to offer residents and visitors even more opportunities to experience all the state has to offer,” said New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos. “I look forward to working with our partners in State Parks, to expand and enhance marketing of all the outdoor adventures one can have throughout the state, and continuing to help communities across the state capitalize on the economic potential of outdoor recreation.”
New York State Canal Corporation Director Brian Stratton said, “Tens of thousands of people already use the Canal trail year-round for hiking, biking, jogging and cross-country skiing. I’m beyond thrilled that Governor Cuomo has proposed completing the trail along the entire length of the Erie Canal. Now, more people will be able to enjoy all this iconic waterway has to offer as we celebrate the canal system’s bicentennial in 2017.”
Meanwhile, the US Department of Interior has just designated New York State Barge Canal as a national historic landmark. “This massive early-twentieth century enlargement of New York’s canal system was an embodiment of a Progressive Era emphasis on public works. The New York State Barge Canal was built explicitly to counter the growing monopoly of railroad corporations over the American economy. The spine of the canal is a direct descendant of the Erie Canal, which opened the interior of North America to settlement and commercial agriculture, transforming the Atlantic economy.”
19th Annual Cycle the Erie 400-Mile Ride Returns July 9-16
Each year, Parks & Trails New York, a nonprofit organization dedicated to advocating and raising funds for the maintenance of New York’s trails and greenways, organizes an eight-day, 400-mile trip from one end of the Erie Canal in Buffalo, to the end, in Albany. The 19th annual Cycle the Erie Canal , is scheduled July 9-16, 2017, just in time to celebrate the beginning of the bicentennial celebration of the Canal.
Join more than 650 cyclists from across the country and the world cycling and visiting iconic port towns such as Lockport and Brockport, and places rich in history such as Seneca Falls and Rome, and visit charming small towns, museums, and historic sites which collectively tell the story of America. Marvel at the natural beauty of the rolling farmland of America’s original frontier and experience 19th century engineering innovation.
The trip is supported, which means your luggage and camping gear is transported from each campsite (typically schools and recreation centers) to the next, so all you have to do is cycle from one attraction to the next. A team of SAG vehicles provides peace of mind knowing that you’ll be taken care of if you need mechanical support.
There are some updates for 2017:
Return shuttle: for the third consecutive year, we’ll be offering riders from Buffalo and points west our shuttle from Albany back to Buffalo at the end of the ride.
Erie Canal Trailblazers: Interested in cycling the whole tour for $100? Become a Cycle the Erie Canal Trailblazer and fundraise to help PTNY Close the Gaps in the Erie Canalway Trail. Registration is only $100 and includes a free Cycle the Erie Canal jersey, guidebook, and special recognition on the tour. Trailblazer registration also opens on January 3.
Cycle the Erie Canal Jersey: A must-have souvenir from the ride. Other merchandise options for this year’s ride include a commemorative Cycle the Erie Canal pint glass, an ECT sticker, our best-selling guidebook, and new for 2017, a Cycle the Erie Canal cap. Visit the PTNY shop for more information about these items.
Four-day and Weekend Options: If you don’t have the time for the entire eight-day tour, consider a shorter getaway on the Erie Canalway Trail. PTNY’s four-day and weekend options allowing you to fit the tour to your schedule. They are also great for families with kids and inexperienced riders.
Ride & Seek has unveiled a cycling tour of historical proportions: tracing the footsteps of Julius Caesar on a 33-day, 2,929 km journey from London to Rome.
(Sydney, Australia) — Ride & Seek has unveiled a cycling tour of historical proportions: tracing the footsteps of Julius Caesar on a 33-day, 2,929 km journey from London to Rome. Split into two stages, the “Caesar Expedition” traverses England, Belgium, France, Switzerland and Italy on a historical, gastronomic and cultural excursion. Crossing waterways, vine-clad hills and mountain passes, this is the only tour of its kind being offered today. The two-stage Caesar Expedition is slated for June 3, 2017 to July 5, 2017 and starts at $14,276 USD for the full tour or $7,405 USD for a 17-day stage.
“Caesar is considered by many historians to be the foremost figure in Western civilization,” said Ride & Seek Co-Founder Dylan Reynolds. “Our journey with him begins at the farthest northern point he reached as the first Roman invader of Britain, and ends in Rome, the city he eventually ruled as dictator and was assassinated in 10 years later.”
Starting in London, riders head to the white cliffs of Dover before traversing the channel into France by boat. The cycling route through France includes the Champagne region and into the gastronomic heartland of Burgundy. From there, guests ride alongside Lake Geneva in Switzerland and over to Italy.
“The culinary delights on this epic tour include delicious truite ardennaise, boeuf bourguignon and coq au vin to name just a few,” said Ride & Seek Co-Founder Sam Wood. “It’s fascinating that these regions now famous for fine wine and food were once the bloody battlefields of Caesar’s epic Gallic Wars.”
The route through Italy heads towards the picturesque northern lakes of Como and Maggiore before moving up towards the stunning limestone peaks of the Dolomites. From that point on, riders experience a bit of respite descending down to Venice and along the Adriatic coast. After crossing the mythical Rubicon, once marking the boundary between Roman controlled Italy and Cisalpine Gaul, the route heads inland through the more rugged regions of Abruzzo and Molise, before heading due east to Rome.
“We’ll enjoy some relief from the hills as we follow the Adriatic Coast before heading inland to the Via Amelia and crossing the Rubicon as Caesar did uttering those fateful words, ‘The die is cast’, as he descended on Rome ,” said Wood.
Pure Adventures has introduces self-guided bike vacations in Quebec, Canada
SCOTTSDALE, AZ–Pure Adventures announces that its self-guided bike vacations are now being offered in the Province of Quebec. Plus with a favorable exchange rate, a vacation in Canada is more affordable than ever for Americans.
While in the early 1600s the French created the fur trade on Canada’s east coast, subsequent decades of war brought the Brits to power. But Francophiles today appreciate that the Province of Quebec retains a French imprimatur as regards language, food and hospitality. Plus the province offers one of the best organized networks of bicycle pathways and trails anywhere in North America.
Pure Adventures (http://pure-adventures.com/) has a special affinity for all things French and for bicycles. In fact the company pioneered self-guided bicycle tours in France before expanding across the globe. Now an itinerary on this side of the Pond recognizes this province’s privileged French heritage as it allows guests to embrace the hospitality of Quebec at a personal pace, on two wheels.
“The good news for Americans is that the exchange rate for US dollars over Canadian dollars makes it more inexpensive than ever to visit our neighbors across the border,” said Loren Siekman, founder and director of Pure Adventures. “This spring and summer the predicted exchange rate should hover at around $1 US dollar to $1.3 Canadian.”
Explored over seven leisurely days and six nights is a swath of countryside called Saguenay Lac Saint-Jean. This region is accessed by riding east out of Montreal to Quebec City along the St. Lawrence River and then north to Lac St-Jean, Quebec’s third largest lake that creates the Saquenay Fjord, one of the world’s longest, that eventually flows into what becomes the Gulf of St Lawrence.
The rides average 50km daily through this historic playground that includes world-class bike trails that are among Quebec’s most popular cycling routes: Route Verte (Green Route) is a network of dedicated bicycle trails on both sides of the Saint Lawrence River leading to Quebec, and the Véloroute des Bleuets (Blueberry) is another dedicated cycling route around Lac Saint-Jean. Guests also cycle along Chemin du Roy (King’s Highway) enroute to Old Quebec City. (Pure Adventures suggests that guests arrive in Montreal a day before the tour begins so they can walk the cobblestones of Old Montreal.)
The well organized and marked network of 350 km of bike trails allows cyclists to admire the beauty of countless beaches, lakes, rivers and traditional Quebecois villages as they ride. Stops along the way are a must for tastings at microbreweries (Microbrasserie du Lac, La Chouape, Le Coureur des Bois), for samples at cheese-makers (fromagerie Perron and fromagerie Médard) and for smatterings of culture at historic sites. This self-guided tour is a road cycling trip that can also be accomplished by hybrid bike; the entire ride is on paved roads.
Guests enjoy a variety of accommodations ranging from white-washed cottages reminiscent of Brittany or Normandy to dwellings that might once have housed aristocrats. Sometimes guest rooms enjoy views of the lake and at one lodging breakfast is taken in an art gallery. All accommodations have been curated to provide comfort and off-bike access to shops and restaurants along the bicycle route.
This tour can be arranged for a minimum of two people from now through Oct. 15, 2016. The per person rate, double, is from US$1040 for seven days and six nights of immersion in French culture a la historic villages where the French language is pervasive. For more information please see http://pure-adventures.com/show-tour/181/Canada+Quebec+Bike+Tour
The trip rate includes personal orientations to review the route book and trip details; six nights lodging with breakfasts; luggage transfers; detailed road book with maps, cue sheets and suggestions for visitation and site information as well as restaurant suggestions; pre-travel documentation and information; pre and post travel assistance and travel planning; vehicle transfers to Saguenay and return to Quebec; emergency telephone support to local support staff during daytime office hours; Canadian taxes; bike rental with associated gear (hybrid bikes are included and there’s an option to change to cross/road bikes at no added cost). Custom tours for groups can also be arranged.
For more information on all of Pure Adventures guided, self-guided and supported, self-directed tours, call: 800-960-2221 or 480-905-1235, Email: [email protected], or visit online: http://pure-adventures.com.
Pure Adventures was created to meet North America’s growing demand for high-quality, self-guided cycling tours. Pure Adventures leverages and utilizes local expertise for route development, sites to see, people to meet, where to eat, and shop and experience life as a local would. Pure Adventures award-winning tours are competitively priced and meticulously planned with substantial behind-the-scene support creating a unique combination that makes a bicycle adventure more easily accessible to today’s active traveler.
This company pioneered self-guided tours in Europe in 1994. Tours span Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, England, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Scotland, Slovenia, Spain, and Switzerland. Twenty programs are available in the American West. Pure Adventures was recently recognized with a Best of Travel 2015 award by OUTSIDE Magazine for their California tours that elevated that state to the top destination in the category of Best Road Biking.
(Arlington, MA) – Ciclismo Classico has unveiled a new week-long cycling and hiking tour of Nova Scotia. Guests will enjoy scenic rides and hikes amid pristine beaches, marshland, quaint villages, and beautiful vineyards.
Highlights include absorbing the region’s history at UNESCO World Heritage Sites; cycling a variety of picturesque paved roads and trails; wildlife viewing opportunities; exceptional local cuisine and fresh seafood; and four-star accommodations. This intermediate cycling tour averages 29 miles per day. Prices start at $2,795 and the departure date is set for September 19-25, 2016.
“Quiet coastal roads, delicious local food, colorful fishing villages and fertile farmland combine to make Nova Scotia a hidden gem for cyclists,” said Ciclismo Classico Founder Lauren Hefferon. “There’s no bonding experience like hitting the pavement or a well-maintained trail and digging into scallops, fresh lobster and other fresh seafood at the end of the day.”
The quaint seaside town of Morro Bay, CA is a perfect place to celebrate National Bike Month. Download the Morro Bay Bike Map and you are on your way (PRNewsFoto/Morro Bay Tourism Bureau)
May is National Bike Month, and the quaint seaside town of Morro Bay, CA is a perfect place to celebrate! This bicycle friendly town, honored as such by the League of American Bicyclists, offers year round cycling, mountain biking and beach cruising in an absolutely gorgeous seaside setting. Amgen Tour of California agrees that Morro Bay is a perfect stop for cyclists on Highway 1 and chose the quaint town for stage 4 of this year’s Tour de France-style cycling road race on May 18. If you want to see just how beautiful the terrain is, check out this fun video of biking around Morro Bay, including great footage of the new Morro Bay Bike Park. The BMX-style bike park, the only official course of its kind in San Luis Obispo County, is open from sunrise to sunset and is free to riders of all ages.
Morro Bay makes it easy for cyclers to get around town, offering a detailed Bike Route Map that highlights the towns many bicycle friendly trails. Begin your cycling adventure in downtown and ride to Morro Bay State Park and Marina on the Back Bay. From there, travel to North Morro Bay over the newly opened Morro Creek Trail Bridge through Cloisters Park, and down to the Embarcadero where you can ride the Harbor Walk path out to the iconic Morro Rock. From the Rock, pedal down onto the beach and enjoy miles of bike friendly paths along the gorgeous Pacific shoreline. Didn’t bring your bicycle with you? Not to worry. Surreys, bicycles and beachcombers are available for rent at Farmer’s Kites and Surreys located on the Embarcadero.
“Morro Bay is recognized as a Bicycle Friendly town and we are so proud of the miles of beaches, paths, trails and bridges we have that connect the entire town, and showcase all there is to see and do here,” explains Brent Haugen, Morro Bay Tourism Bureau Executive Director. “And now this May the Amgen Tour of California is going to put an international spotlight on Morro Bay, showing the breathtaking beauty found biking, cycling and beach cruising right here in Morro Bay. We couldn’t be happier!”
Plan your trip to Morro Bay now and celebrate National Bike Month in style by visiting www.morrobay.org.
CHATTANOOGA, TN– BikeTours.com has announced its new “Gold Star Tour Collection” to highlight its top picks for bicycle tours around the world that stand out for their exceptional experiences and value.
The Collection features 16 cycling vacations across the globe, from popular bike tour destinations in Europe like Croatia and Spain to offthebeaten path locales such as Burma/Myanmar. Tours were carefully selected from more than 450 tours the company offers in 70 countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, Oceania and the Americas.
“These tours are our gold standard the best of the best,” said Jim Johnson, president and founder of BikeTours.com. “These trips have been carefully selected after years of partnership with local operators for their superior quality of service, unique experiences afforded to the traveler, and exceptional value.”
Picks for Every Level of Bike Traveler
The collection is divided into categories for three types of travelers: leisurely, novice, and experienced.
For example, tours for novices include the perennial European favorite, the “Danube Bike Path (Service Plus),” which features easy cycling on a dedicated bike path and lots of client services like a GPS console and cell phone rental. “Cotswolds and Stonehenge” was selected for well-designed, off-the-beaten-path routes, as well as its exceptional client service and iconic itinerary.
For leisure cyclists, “Cycling and Cooking in Tuscany” made the list thanks to its unique focus on Tuscan culinary arts (including multiple cooking classes and tastings and range of dining experiences), high quality rental bikes, and outstanding traveler feedback. “Wine and Bike in Hungary’s Balaton Uplands” was chosen for its wonderful and friendly local guides who offer an inside experience into Hungary.
Picks for more experienced cyclists include “Tastes and Trails of Scotland,” a mountain bike tour that takes riders to some of the most remote corners of the west coast in Scotland and “Chile’s Lake and Volcano District,” which features food, culture, and great service in South America.
BikeTours.com represents more than 100 local tour companies worldwide. A team of tour advisers helps travelers choose, plan, book, and go on the tour of their dreams. Learn more at www.biketours.com, 877.462.2423.
Chasing Epic, a trailblazing mountain bike company, is inviting intermediate and experienced female riders on three remaining dedicated, all-inclusive, all-women weekends.
BOULDER, CO– One of many things that sets trailblazing mountain bike company Chasing Epic apart are trip leaders chosen from the best racers, riders and overall outdoor athletes in the United States to show mountain bike guests the best trails in the West. Now Chasing Epic is welcoming Jen Hudak, a former two-time World Champion and five-time X-Games medalist skier as a new trip leader for a Sept. 16-19, 2016, Women Only 4-day trip in Park City, UT.
Jen Hudak, a former two-time World Champion and five-time X-Games medalist skier, will be the trip leader for Chasing epic’s Sept. 16-19, 2016, Women Only 4-day mountain biking trip in Park City, UT.
Now retired from skiing, Jen has transitioned into competitive mountain biking, already placing on the podium in such prestigious events like the Downieville Classic, Scott Enduro Cup, and the Sundance Utah Downhill Series. She is also racing competitively on the 2016 North American Enduro Tour.
When not sharing her passion for the mountains with others through coaching, organizing group rides and writing on her blog, http://jenhudak.com/, she works in marketing in Park City and mentors young girls’ mountain biking through the Little Bellas program. She has also coached multiple women-only camps over the last several years.
Chasing Epic, the company that is changing how vacationing mountain bikers experience the best trails in the Western US, thinks it’s high time for women to have their own dedicated weekend mountain bike adventures.
Chasing Epic invites intermediate and experienced female riders on three remaining dedicated, all-inclusive, all-women weekends. In addition to the September program in Utah which Jen will be leading, the others include an outing in Fruita Oct. 21-23 and Crested Butte, CO on Aug. 12-15. Female participants just need to be reasonably experienced and pack a helmet, shoes and appetite for epic single track adventure. See: http://chasingepicmtb.com/women-only/
“Chasing Epic is excited to offer multiple Women-Only trips throughout the year that are led by women, for women. We work with an elite roster of accomplished, fun-loving and inspiring female guides to bring you a long weekend of instruction and classic mountain biking,” said Steve Mokan, the company’s founder and owner. He is a long-time Colorado mountain biker and a veteran of the adventure sports world. “We’ll be riding some of the most incredible trails, both known and off the radar in these two iconic destinations.”
He suggests that three-and four-day mountain bike outings over long weekends that mix up riding, hiking and team building surrounded by beautiful scenery are the new way to ride and vacation at the same time.
Strategically, Chasing Epic’s trips don’t force out the inner cave girl around a tented campsite. Instead comfortable lodging accommodations are selected to represent the character of the location being explored and also for the comfort, privacy and intimacy they provide.
Chasing Epic trips are all-inclusive and rates include accommodations, hearty meals, high-end demo bikes (an all-carbon demo bike fleet includes Ibis Mojo HD3s, Ibis Ripley LS 29ers, and Niner Jet 9 29ers), local guides conversant with the terrain, customized eight-week pre-trip training programs, best-in-class ride nutrition, shuttles and lift tickets, gratuities and a dedicated on-site trip leader to help control gear mashers.
Women’s only trips begin at $1,250 per person double for a four-day outing and $950 per person double for a three day trip.
On the premise that “the less you suffer on the climbs, the more you’ll enjoy the descents,” Mokan has engaged coaching platform companies Training Peaks and Through the Wall Training to customize individualized training programs (valued at up to $400) for eight weeks prior to departure.
He emphasizes that custom trips can be designed to a specific group’s abilities and desires. “At Chasing Epic, we pride ourselves on putting together itineraries of only the best trail systems in each location. You’ll be on uncrowded singletrack from start to finish.”
Chasing Epic is a new adventure travel company (founded in 2016) that aims to raise the bar and set new standards in the mountain bike community. The focus is on offering experienced intermediate to advanced-level mountain bikers fully all-inclusive, locally guided mountain bike trips where everybody wants to ride — the Western US – and when everybody has time – over long weekends. Guests just need to be fit and pack a helmet, shoes and appetite for epic single track action. Each tour includes lodging, meals, high-end bikes, local guides, customized eight-week training programs, best-in-class ride nutrition, shuttles, lift tickets, gratuities and a dedicated on-site trip leader.
Bike tour pioneer Loren Siekman of Pure Adventures offers tips on choosing a self-guided cycling vacation.
SCOTTSDALE, AZ –Bike tour pioneer Loren Siekman of Pure Adventures claims to have been the first to introduce the concept of self-guided cycling vacation in 1994, in response to a growing demand from North American travelers for independent yet professionally supported active travel.
Since then, he says, the marketplace has been crowded with competitors, many of whom offer packages that are deficient in one way or another. While, according to Siekman, competition creates awareness, all offers are not created equal, underscores the founder and owner of Pure Adventures.
“The result for the consumer can be disappointing, at a minimum,” says Siekman, “We started in the 1990s with a Euro model tour and adapted it for the North American traveler. We added more support like arrival orientations, raised the quality of hotels, built easy-to-understand navigation tools, included local experiences and significantly raised the quality of equipment. We tell customers that our self-guided tours are just like a guided trip in terms of quality and services but without the hassle of fixed travel dates, minimum group participation or strange trip mates to put up with. Our clients are always connected to us remotely, even though there’s no guide and sag vehicle on the horizon.”
Pure Adventures’ original version of self-guided is about half the cost of a guided trip, averaging $1,400 per person for a seven-night trip. A typical guided European cycling trip starts at 2,800.
But it’s buyer beware when looking at the preponderance of self-guided programs out there, advises Siekman.
“For example, in Europe, many local outfitters like to set fixed departure dates to maximize group numbers and lower their costs for luggage handling. Sometimes luggage transfers aren’t even included in trip prices. Navigation tools also vary from company to company from non-existent to high tech,” adds Siekman.
Questions that he suggests should be asked include; “How thoroughly researched are opportunities for cultural experiences? What is the quality of lodging and what meals are included? How new are the bikes and equipment and what are the qualifications of the people maintaining them?”
Pure Adventures recommends that consumers create their own matrix of inclusions and then do a comparison study. To consider are:
Freedom to choose travel dates and customize the itinerary to their needs
Local support – what is it, who is it, and what can be expected? Meet and greet, telephone support throughout the trip, transportation if needed, arrival and departure transfers, any back stop for bad weather, sickness, or other unforeseen circumstances like mechanical breakdowns?
Rental equipment and navigation tools – what is included, or how much extra is it and what support is provided? What technology is available and how tech savvy must the user be to easily utilize it?
Lodging – an important area of scrutiny; be sure to look at ratings and seasonality, room category, group discounts, meals on site and what level menu, three course or five course?
Responsive – in the off season it’s easy to get email responses or phone calls, but what about when it is high season? Is there a dedicated agent assigned and available to accommodate your needs and time restraints?
Language, insurance, licenses, recourse, payment conditions, and so on.
“Our self-guided biking and hiking tours are truly the best value, situated between a fully supported and date-limited guided trip and a do-it-yourself option. On our trips, you travel on your own terms with all the help and support needed letting you focus on what matters most – enjoying your vacation,” Siekman goes on to explain. “Our company never cancels on its clients and can put trips together at the 11th hour in most of our destinations.”
The Beginner’s Guide to Self-Guided Cycling Adventure Holidays, a new e-book by Pure Adventures’ founder Loren Siekman, explores the reasons behind the growth in self-guided cycling, the differences behind different types of cycling holidays and how to choose a self-guided holiday tour operator (including a list of where to research tour companies). Short and to the point, this free e-book is an unbiased starting point for cyclists who have been on guided tours and feel ready for a more adventurous holiday experience.
For more information on all of Pure Adventures guided, self-guided and supported, self-directed tours, call: 800-960-2221 or 480-905-1235, Email: [email protected], or visit online: http://pure-adventures.com.
About Pure Adventures
Pure Adventures was created to meet North America’s growing demand for high-quality, self-guided cycling tours. Pure Adventures leverages and utilizes local expertise for route development, sites to see, people to meet, where to eat, and shop and experience life as a local would. Pure Adventures award-winning tours are competitively priced and meticulously planned with substantial behind-the-scene support creating a unique combination that makes a bicycle adventure more easily accessible to today’s active traveler.
This company pioneered self-guided tours in Europe in 1994. Tours span Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, England, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Scotland, Slovenia, Spain, and Switzerland. Twenty programs are available in the American West.
Pure Adventures was recently recognized with a Best of Travel 2015 award by OUTSIDE Magazine for their California tours that elevated that state to the top destination in the category of Best Road Biking.
Pure Adventures has introduced new self-guided biking trips in Vietnam.
Pure Adventures, a pioneer in self-guided cycling vacations, is introducing bicycle vacations exploring culture and countryside in Southeast Asia.
“Myanmar, Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia are very affordable and accessible to cyclists,” says Loren Siekman, founder/owner. “Our knowledgeable bilingual, in-country guides help us arrange bike rentals, unique lodging, ride itineraries and local cultural experiences found nowhere else. All the new tours feel like self-guided trips but include a guide and support vehicle for every ride to enjoy two-wheeled explorations of brand-new worlds.”
Pure Adventures announces hand-crafted cultural immersions that are unique to this company and to the regions explored. Because these are not pre-set group tours, guests determine their own departure dates and are possible with just two participants. The trips can also be customized based on cultural and culinary interests.
Rates include lodging (upgrades available for an additional cost), all breakfasts, some lunches and dinners, luggage transfers from hotel to hotel, bikes and gear, sightseeing tickets, briefings, guides, support vehicles, airport transfers, and more. Inclusions vary by itinerary. They will even help manage tourist visas!
Myanmar – Cycling Discovery of Old Burma: Marco Polo called Myanmar (Burma) “The Golden Land.” From Mandalay to Yangon (Rangoon), guests pedal up to 55 kilometers daily over nine days, along the way discovering the secrets of gold leaf that embellishes statuary and temples and the secrets of gold that are the kindness and generosity of the people of this long-neglected country. Short flights, including by hot air balloon, reveal the temple fields of Old Bagan, the ancient capital of the Burmese empire. Village life comes into focus while pedaling by carts pulled by oxen, or climbing to an extinct volcano, Mt. Popa, home of macaque monkeys and nats (spirits), or exploring a wine making venture and traditional silk weaving techniques of the Inthar people near Lake Inle. The pastoral world fades in Yangon (Rangoon), a bustling city that mixes up the stupas of ancient and modern Burma with British colonial architecture and modern edifices. Here is the country’s holiest shrine, Shwedagon Pagoda, a golden stupa covered with 60 tons of pure gold. This trip, available from October through April, is priced from $1,287 per person, double.
Vietnam – Central Coast Highlights Bicycle Tour: In Vietnam, guests biking some 45 kilometers daily over eight days explore south from Hanoi along the Central Coast, passing through cultures spanning more than 1000 years and bisecting daily village life. Travelers may opt to swim and kayak on Halong Bay, where some 1,900 islands and islets create a marine landscape of limestone pillars. At Hue, the former royal capital, monuments, tombs and pagodas reveal a vanished feudal empire. In a region rarely visited by tourists, guests cycle around Hoi An Town, following small paths linking rarely-visited villages, rice fields, shrimp ponds and coconut palms. Privately hosted meals and carefully selected lodgings enhance this carefully textured journey. Available year-round, this trip is priced from $1,972 per person double.
Thailand – Chiang Mai Cycling and Culture 7N Tour: Thailand unfolds while biking on average 45 kilometers daily over eight days. In Bangkok guests lodge overlooking the Chao Phraya River and pedal seldom-visited neighborhoods rife with open air markets and tea shops. A flight north to Chiang Mai reveals Doi Saket and the Lost City of Wiang Kum Kam, once the capital of the Lanna Kingdom. Guests have the fun of overnighting at a resort with treehouse accommodations. A morning cycle along Sri Lanna National Park secures a boat ride and transfers into kayaks, and perhaps a swim. This adventure is available from $1,250 per person double.
Cambodia – Siem Reap & Angkor Watt Cycling: This is a five (or three)-day stand-alone tour or it can be combined as an add-on with another cycling vacation in Southeast Asia. Guests bike from 25 to 65 kilometers daily. After touring the temples of Angkor Wat, guests bike into the countryside where children practice English on visitors. One stop is at a floating village; another stop is the Roluos Group, a series of Pre-Angkor temples; and yet another stop is at the ancient ruins of Beng Melea, undiscovered and untouched for centuries and only recently accessible to the public. This tour is available year-round. The per person double rate is from $393.
Seikman notes that these new biking programs, along with new self-guided walking tours in Japan, round out Pure Adventures’ calendar that now offers bicycle vacations year-round somewhere in the world.
For more information on all of Pure Adventures guided, self-guided and supported, self-directed tours, call: 800-960-2221 or 480-905-1235, Email: [email protected], or visit online: http://pure-adventures.com.
Pure Adventures was created to meet North America’s growing demand for high-quality, self-guided cycling tours. Pure Adventures leverages and utilizes local expertise for route development, sites to see, people to meet, where to eat, and shop and experience life as a local would. Pure Adventures award-winning tours are competitively priced and meticulously planned with substantial behind-the-scene support creating a unique combination that makes a bicycle adventure more easily accessible to today’s active traveler.
The company pioneered self-guided tours in Europe in 1994. Tours span Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, England, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Scotland, Slovenia, Spain, and Switzerland. Twenty programs are available in the American West.
Pure Adventures was recently recognized with a Best of Travel 2015 award by OUTSIDE Magazine for their California tours that elevated that state to the top destination in the category of Best Road Biking.
