biking Archives

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.

A Six-Month Experiment

Posted on July 28, 2014 - 11:42 pm by keith_ritter

Trek Travel guide Jordan Landolt is an athlete through and through. As if ‘professional hockey player’ wasn’t accomplishment enough, he can now add Canadian Provincial Champion to the list. In his own humble and humorous words, below he shares the story of how his newest title came to be.

“‘Dude, you’re not supposed to do that!’

I had just finished (and won) my first ever race. Okay, maybe not as glorious as it sounds, as it was only 50km in the “C” group consisting of Cat4 and beginner riders only. But I was definitely basking in my own little glory when the breathless voice from behind me continued: ‘You’re not supposed to ride at the front the whole race, lead out the sprint then WIN the sprint altogether!’

So the experiment began. The goal: to transform this ex-hockey pro turned bike tour guide into a competitive cyclist. I set out on this journey to challenge my physical and mental boundaries, test my limitations as an athlete and win a few bike races along the way.

Just three months after my first ever race with the Cat4’s, I now stood at the start line of the Pro 1/2 BC Provincial Time Trial Championships. The hardest part of racing for me so far has undoubtedly been putting on my new skin suit. Starting with trying to squeeze my knees through the legs, defying the laws of physics and resulting in the red on my kit to seem light pink due to the amount it has to stretch. Getting the upper body all zipped up is no walk in the park either, and hearing the pins of my race number pop off like a button on your pants after a big meal, as I zip all the way up, is hardly comforting. So, with the hardest part of the race clearly over, I stood there at the start line with nothing to lose. I had the reigning Canadian National Time Trial Champion starting two minutes behind, and top contender on the Cyclocross Elite World circuit due to push off one minute after me. As they stood behind me in anticipation of the start, I could totally hear them thinking: ‘How the hell did he get into that skin suit!?’.

I don’t remember too much about the actual race other than trying to stay calm and repeatedly asking myself ‘does this hurt enough?’ By the time I hit the 10km to go mark, I had so much sweat and drool on my Garmin I had no idea how fast I was going or how much power I was pushing. I figured that was a good sign. And I suppose it was, as I upset the current National Time Trail champ by 25 seconds to take the Provincial Championship. With that accomplishment under my belt, I have begun a tough week and a half block of intense training, all ramping up towards the Canadian Nationals in Quebec, where I will look forward to competing against some of Canada’s finest elite cyclists.

I am very thankful towards everyone at Trek Travel who has helped keep my ‘tires pumped’ along the way! Many of the people I have met (both guides and guests) have helped give me the confidence to follow my dreams and demonstrated the work ethic it takes to succeed in whatever you wish to do in life!”

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…..

Do we talk about bikes all the time?

Posted on May 27, 2014 - 12:25 pm by keith_ritter

At Trek Travel, our mission is simple: to show people the world by bike, at their pace, every time, with unrivaled support and flexibility, and to encourage a passion for cycling. We are motivated by this mission and work tirelessly to make it a reality. Nevertheless, although cycling is the foundation of our business, we aren’t just a bunch of gear heads who only talk about bikes.

The individuals that make up our company come from a variety of backgrounds. We are fashion designers, ski instructors, volcanologists, photographers, biologists, artists, teachers, nurses, yogis, and basketball players. And that barely scratches the surface of what we have done. Collectively, we are passionate about people and enthusiastic about the experiences we provide.

It comes as no surprise that we are outdoor fanatics–invigorated by fresh air and rejuvenated by open spaces. We love the bicycle because it provides that for us. But we enjoy the finer things in life as well. A meal made with fresh, local ingredients, a great story, or a cold craft beer. We look forward to breathtaking sunsets, jovial laughter, fine wine, and exceptional craftsmanship. The warmth of old friendships, the stillness of the morning, and the changing of the seasons shape who we are.

The depth of our team makes it easier to connect both with coworkers and our guests. We truly enjoy each other’s company and our vacations are enhanced as a result. Every guest’s experience is better because we learn from one another. Though we’ve worked together for years, each day presents surprises as we constantly discover new things and our unique personalities make us better as a team.

Surely we are all passionate about the bikes we offer on our vacations and energized by the remarkable rides we’ve been fortunate enough to experience. While it’d be impossible to summarize all the joy that the bicycle has given us—both individually and collectively—I can assure you that we have just as much fun off the bike as we do on it. This decisive blend of work and pleasure is evident on every trip.

Intern Chronicles: Part 2, the next step

Posted on March 26, 2014 - 9:00 am by keith_ritter

Although interning for Trek Travel has been remarkable, I can’t contain my excitement about moving on.

During the last four years I have lived the dream. I’ve learned from world-class educators. I’ve sailed across the breathtaking Pacific Ocean and skied 30+ days per winter in the magnificent Colorado Rockies. I’ve spent summers enjoying the lakes and bikes paths of Madison, WI. Like I said…living the dream. But when a new opportunity came knocking, I had only one question: when can I start?

Before you worry, I’ll still be around. In fact, I think a better word to describe my move is ‘up’. Last month, I had the opportunity to play hooky for a week and head to Solvang, California for Trek Travel’s 2014 New Guide Training. For ten days, we potential new guides worked tirelessly to learn the ropes. Although my family thought it was a glorified excuse to escape winter and ride bikes in the sunshine, I can assure you this was not the case. We spent far more time learning how to fix, load, clean, and fit the Trek Domane than we did riding it. We went back to drive school and learned how to safely maneuver a fully loaded van and trailer unit. Despite their humility, ask any Trek Travel guide and they are likely to brag about their ability to back a trainer into a parking stall without any hesitation. We spent hours in the hotel conference room, learning as much as we could absorb. We heard from Tania about Trek Travel’s values, spoke with Meagan about trip design, sat in on a sales meeting with Emily, and talked to Tim about expenses on our newly minted credit cards. We learned enough acronyms to make anyone’s head spin. Finally, after we had covered the ‘basics’, it was time for the real test. We met with vendors, drove routes, grocery shopped, prepped bikes, delivered safety talks, crafted picnic lunches, and provided support from the van and the saddle. From start to finish, we guided a mock trip…and that makes it sound simple.

Because of the veterans who made it happen, not a single minute of the week felt like work. They imparted their knowledge, shared their secrets, and patiently answered our questions. They are the rock stars we hope to become. My 2014 co-guides and I come from a broad spectrum of backgrounds and experiences, but during those late nights and early morning we bonded over our enthusiasm for what is the next chapter in each of our lives. The creativity and collaboration, ingenuity and zest, determination and dedication that we bring into our new careers is infectious. With the leadership and guidance of those who came before us, we are ready to put all this talk into action.

This June, college diploma in hand, I will finally get to join my co-guides in the field. I couldn’t ask for better companions with whom to share this adventure. Although the learning never ends, the fun is just beginning. I’m ready to take on the world. The question is: are you?

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

Posted on December 8, 2011 - 6:56 am by keith_ritter

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

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

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