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16 -— OUT IN THE. MOUNTAINS — MARCH 1999

n Saturday, June 12 cyclists from around New

England and New York will get together in Vermont
for Champ Ride '99. This is Vermont CARES’ First Annual
Bike Ride to raise critically needed funds to continue
prevention education and direct services for people
living with, or at high risk of, HIV/AIDS.

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U

The ride is a 25/50/100-mile ride. Everyone can

participate, no matter what your cycling ability. - ”
This is a great event for both novice and avid bicyclists

alike and a wonderful opportunity to get out there
and test yourself, while marveling at some of
Vermont's beautiful country landscape.

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We hope you will help us make this annual ride a
tremendous success —— either by participating in the
ride itself, making a generous donation in support of

other cyclists, or volunteering on the day of the event.

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Help Vermont CARES celebrate its community and
continue its commitment to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS.

BEA CHAMP — DO THE RIDE!

Gllvnlt grannies 8. tlesiun
x\E

   

I Send me more Information about I
| Vermont CARES’ Champ Ride '99 I
I , 800.649.2437 *

I am interested in: I
I CI Riding Cl Building a Team CI Volunteering I
I Name I
I Address I I I
I City I
I State I
| Phone |
| E-Mail.   I

LX Clip and return to: VT CARES, PO Box 5248, Burlington, VT 05402 XJ

BY GAIL ZATZ

hat comes to mind
when you think of
cycling in_Vermont?

Beautiful countryside? Quiet
back roads? Farm pastures dot- . .
ted with cows? Blue skies with - 1
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 peo-
ple have a good time, they laugh; on
tour, we laugh a lot! Inn-to-inn cycling

 

www.bikevt.com

huge fieldstone fireplace, an old tavern
virtually unchanged from its 19th-cen-
tury heyday, the former mansion of
Vermont’s first millionaire, or an inn
that was once a stop on the “under-
ground railroad.”

Touring groups are small, and the
cyclists come from all over the world.
The tour leaders and office staff also

When People” have a goal time, they laugh,-

on tour, we laugh a lot.’

is a great way to enjoy the outdoors

_ with a-big smile.

You don’t need to ride with a com-
pany to discover the state’s beauty. I
have cycled many miles on my own in
Vennont, and I love exploring new ter-
ritory 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 compan-
ionship, 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 accommo-
date.

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 gar-
dens, a mountain-top retreat with a

come from varied backgrounds; there
are college professors, massage thera-
pists, lawyers, nutritionists, profession-
al cooks, ski instructors, potters, and
retired Fortune 500 executives. They
are skilled in bike repair and mainte-
nance, know how to guide guests
through the rural countryside and love
being withppeople. 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 com-
ing to Vermont to work on an organic
produce’ farm in the Northeast
Kingdom. A desire to explore the won-
derful state on my bicycle is what orig-
inally brought me to Bike Vermont. But
it is the guests that bring me back each
yean
_ One ofthe 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 partici-
pating 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 expe-
rience.V

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 oflice by
phone at (800) 257-2226, by fax at
(802) 457-1236, by mail at PO. Box
207 Woodstock, VT 05091 or by email
at Bikevt@bikevt.com. You can visit the
website at www.bikevt.c0m.