Out For A Spin

Increase Happiness By 50%

Since it's Bike to Work day, we asked Meagan, our Trip Design Manager, to tell us her thoughts on biking to work in the bike friendly town of Madison, WI. 

How does 20 minutes each day improve my happiness level by 50%? I will tell you how: biking to work. Seriously, it takes me 10 extra minutes each direction to bike rather than drive to my office and I start and finish my days AT LEAST 50% happier than when I drive. There's just something about it: it could be as simple as breathing in the fresh morning air, or the smiles I get along the way from other commuters. Or maybe it is that tiny bit of sweat that I get when I climb the little hill on my wayback to my house that makes me feel like I accomplished something and inspires me for my workout. I love the way biking to work makes me feel and now that I have my routine, it isn't a huge commitment. 

Trust me, I know what it is like to come up with excuses not to ride to work. Things like, "I have a meeting out of the office and I might need to drive there" or "what if something happens at home and I need to rush there in my car?" or "I hate helmet hair". Well, the fact is that it just isn't that big of a deal. Nine times out of ten, I can borrow a car in an emergency and I can almost always bike instead of ride to places in town (and it is much more enjoyable). My hair doesn't get too messed up, I don't need to wear dorky cycling clothes or worry about being super sweaty (we also have a shower at work when I really need it). I can also carry whatever I need in my backpack or panniers.There are just no good excuses in the summertime not to bike to work. 

Groucho Blogger & Trek Travel Guide Jon Vick: Once Upon a Time – A New Adventure

Originally published on Groucho Sports blog.

“I see you have me on the Tour de France. Does that mean I’m going to Europe?”

Those are the words that came out of my mouth when I called my manager after receiving my first ever schedule for Trek Travel. I wish I was joking about that. I was too excited to make sense.

I took a big gamble when I applied for a job with Trek Travel back in 2005. It wasn’t actually the first time I applied to be a guide. I’d applied one year earlier as well. At a time that it made a lot more sense for me to uproot and take off. A year earlier I was just a part time sales rat at Penn Cycle. I was living in an apartment that was both too big and too expensive for me to keep. My life was in flux.

Fast forward to 2005. I was fresh off a promotion. I was putting down offers to buy a house. Things were coming together. I was pretty content where I was. But the chance to travel, ride bikes, and have my paycheck say Trek Bicycle Corporation in the upper left corner seemed like too good of an opportunity not to take one more shot at it.

Guest Blogger Bob Joy on Friendships on a bike tour

Last week I was driving in Vero Beach, Florida and passed a cyclist wearing the distinctive Trek Travel jersey. Unfortunately, she was riding in the opposite direction and I didn't have time to turn around to catch up with her. It would have been fun to learn what trips she had been on. It got me to thinking about all the great experiences I have had with Trek Travel over the years and all the fascinating people I have met. I continue to stay in touch with many of them, even though they are scattered throughout the U.S. and Canada. I have stayed in touch with several of the guides, too, and enjoy seeing their posts and photos from around the globe.

The Trek Travel Mothership

Our digs at Trek Travel HQ are pretty sweet. Not only are we lucky enough to call the great city of Madison, Wisconsin home--with its outstanding access to fresh, local produce (we have the largest farmer's market in the nation), energetic college-town feel (go Badgers!), and urban biking and walking trails, beautiful lakes...we could go on and on about the quality of life here. But also, we totally scored with our physical workspace. We are located in the heart of downtown on the shore of Lake Monona in the Machinery Row building.  A local landmark, the building itself dates back to 1898 but the inside has been completely renovated. This place is super charming--we are talking exposed brick, massive windows and all sorts of interesting industrial remnants that remind us of our history.

Loving the BITE: Dr. Lim’s Rice Cakes via Lovingthebike.com

Thanks to Daryl at Loving the Bike for allowing us to repost Kelli's awesome blog post on here. 

Originally posted on lovingthebike.com on March 26, 2012
I was recently asked to give my thoughts on Dr. Lim’s Rice Cakes.  Have you heard of them?  Dr. Allen Lim is the world-class physiologist who’s worked with many professional cycling teams, the US Cycling Team, and who has recently co-written a cookbook entitled The Feed Zone Cookbook.  During his career, he has created many whole-food, homemade “savory” fuel options for his athletes to balance some of the sweet-carbohydrate, processed fuels often used.  I’ll admit, I haven’t tried this recipe yet myself, but I didn’t want to hold out on this post going into the cycling season.  Until I do, I’ll let you be the judge and taste-testers.

Recipe of the Week: Dr. Allen Lim’s Rice Cakes

(from http://lavamagazine.com/training/recipe-allen-lims-rice-cakes/)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups uncooked calrose or other medium-grain “sticky” rice
• 1½ cups water
• 8 ounces bacon
• 4 eggs
• 2 tablespoons liquid amino acids or low-sodium soy sauce
• brown sugar
• salt and grated parmesan (optional)

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

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?

Prague to Vienna: Breaking Down Borders

Well, it used to be the main event - the differences between the Czech Republic and Austria are palpable but what truly punctuated the experience between the two was crossing the border by bicycle. A moment where passports were checked and stamped; people really felt like they were changing countries because they were! Well, no more. What was once an official checkpoint for our guests, following our "last" lunch in Nove Hrady en route to Weitra and all things Austrian, had become somewhat of a non-event a short time following the entry of the Czech Republic into the European Union and the end to controlled boundaries. Border patrol huts, a road with a line across it and approaching speed limits reducing down to 30 km/hour ...and tumbleweeds. 

A Message From Penny, Our Tour de France Trip Designer!

Announcement Day today as I with so many other race fans wait to finally learn the routes and towns chosen to host the Tour de France 2012.

Notwithstanding a "leak" a week ago which many believed did allow an unscheduled sneak preview, today we will have confirmation of the overall structure and flow of the race which is set to offer many thrills for riders and fans alike.

Rumors of fewer mountain stages and more flat riding the tour seems set to favor all-rounders rather than the mountainous stages of the past couple of years which have benefitted pure climbers and as a result it may turn out to be a faster race overall with more suspense, explosive finishes and opportunities for the bold and the brave to shine..

Dear Marriage Advisor by guest blogger, Bob Joy

Dear Marriage Advisor:  I have a "friend" who just confessed to his wife that he has been lusting in his heart for a new bike. She should have known it was coming. My friend had been talking about getting another bike ever since Harry showed up for our morning ride with a brand new cherry red Madone with all the fixin's. Since then, my friend has been spending increasing amounts of time surfing Trek's Project One site, marveling at the nearly limitless combinations of frames, paint schemes, and components. Whenever he had to go out of the room, my friend strategically left the computer on in full view of his wife. Still, my friend knew that it would be a hard sell. He already had three Trek bikes of different vintages, the most recent of which was just six years old and still looked brand new.

Johan Bruyneel Sits Down With Trek Travel

As Team RadioShack takes part in both the Vuelta a España and the USA Pro Cycling Challenge in Colorado this week, we are lucky to have Team RadioShack Manager Johan Bruyneel answer some questions about cycling, racing, and how bikes can change the world. 

Johan is currently lending a hand to World Bicycle Relief's Grand Slam for Zambia. Their goal: 1,000 bikes. 1,000 lives changed. For every donation, you’ll help provide a bike for a child in Zambia.  Children who receive a bike are able to get to school quicker and safer; a journey that often takes up to 4 hours by foot!  In addition to helping Zambian children, you’ll also be entered to win all sorts of great prizes like a SRAM Red Gruppo, a Trek Madone, a Trek Travel Trip, and more! Definitely check it out, http://bit.ly/wbrWIN 

And now some Q&A with Johan Bruyneel (JB):