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What comes to mind when you think of cycling in Vermont? Beautiful countryside? Quiet back roads? Farm pastures dotted with cows? Blue skies with puffy white clouds? Friendly locals offering fresh water and snacks to cyclists?
I think of all that, too — but not right away. When I think of cycling in Vermont, the first thing that comes to mind is laughter.
Odd? Maybe. But for five years, I have spent my summers leading cycling tours for Bike Vermont. And for those five years, I have spent the better part of those tours laughing.
It happens on every tour. When people have a good time, they laugh; on tour, we laugh a lot! Inn-to-inn cycling is a great way to enjoy the outdoors with a big smile.
You don't need to ride with a company to discover the state's beauty. I have cycled many miles on my own in Vermont, and I love exploring new territory on long day rides. With a good map, lots of water, and a hearty spirit, you can explore any of the hundreds of miles of Vermont back roads.
But if you are looking for companionship, pre-designed routes, and van support for hills that are just a bit too steep and long, touring with a cycling company is the way to go.
You do not need to be an avid cyclist to enjoy the tours; most are designed for easy to moderate riding, with optional routes for more energetic cyclists. There is always an empty seat in the van for those wanting breaks, and guests ride at their own pace with or outside the group. All guests have to do is relax and have fun; the company arranges van support, routes, inns and food.
Ah, yes, the food. I definitely ride to eat, rather than eat to ride! If you're of like mind, the country inns will delight; menus are as diverse as the inns, innkeepers, and guests themselves. Breakfasts might be homemade muffins, Belgian waffles, quiche, or Swedish coffee cake. Dinners range from international cuisine to homemade pasta and seafood with vegetables picked fresh from the garden. If a guest is vegetarian or has special dietary needs, the inns are happy to accommodate.
Inns are chosen for warmth, country comforts, friendliness, and, of course, cuisine. You may find yourself in a restored 18th-century farmhouse filled with antiques and surrounded by gardens, a mountain-top retreat with a huge fieldstone fireplace, an old tavern virtually unchanged from its 19th-century heyday, the former mansion of Vermont's first millionaire, or an inn that was once a stop on the "underground railroad."
Touring groups are small, and the cyclists come from all over the world. The tour leaders and office staff also come from varied backgrounds; there are college professors, massage therapists, lawyers, nutritionists, professional cooks, ski instructors, potters, and retired Fortune 500 executives. They are skilled in bike repair and maintenance, know how to guide guests through the rural countryside and love being with people. They enjoy helping bikers explore the state's nooks and crannies, finding new routes, hidden swimming holes, and local charm.
Being a tour leader has been an incredible experience. I was an attorney in California for five years before coming to Vermont to work on an organic produce farm in the Northeast Kingdom. A desire to explore the wonderful state on my bicycle is what originally brought me to Bike Vermont. But it is the guests that bring me back each year.
One of the most rewarding aspects of being a tour leader is being able to be a part of the fun and personal experiences of the tour guests, Whether I'm participating in a water fight under Buttermilk Falls, re-enacting the day's adventures in a canoe in an elegant inn's dining room, or encouraging a guest trying to reach the top of a hill without stopping, it is all part of the attraction. It might be the company that coordinates the tour, but it's the group that creates the experience.
Gail Zatz is a tour leader with Bike Vermont, an inn-to-inn bicycle touring company in the Green Mountain State. For more information on cycling with Bike Vermont, contact the office by phone at (800) 257-2226, by fax at (802) 457-1236, by mail at P.O. Box 207 Woodstock, VT 05091 or by email. You can visit the website.
