Greatest experience of my life. The people. The road. The PAMPERING. If you have the slightest hint of an idea you want to do it then sign up and DO IT! No one is guaranteed tomorrow. Don’t wait until it’s too late. Mark H.
Best experience of my life. If you can do it you won’t be disappointed. Leaders and staff are the best! Sherry R.
Missing my new friends and family. Missing the daily routine. Thank you and your entire staff for an incredible journey. The memories will live on forever. Sue T.
One year ago, I landed in San Diego. I’d never been gone for more than three weeks, before, and then I was in a group of friends. I had several snickering people back home. I dedicated the ride to all my classmates who picked me last. All my coaches who said I was too slow and too fat. What if they were right? I’d never hear the end of it if I didn’t finish. I exchanged a few e-mails but I didn’t know any of these people. It was like going to a new school in junior high. That first few days in the mountains, I reminded myself that I had no place to train for 4000 ft. I was the slowest rider in the world. I stopped frequently to breathe and took lots of photos. Every day when I finally arrived at camp, the Coasters cheered. I rejoiced at my accomplishment. Those snickering people got quieter every day. Those strangers I started with became my cheerleaders. We had bumps and bruises along the way. I toured great courthouses. Ate Blu Belle ice cream every day, sometimes more than just once. I never got fast, but I did see America like very few people ever do. That beach in St. Augustine is a magic place. Pride, joy, sorrow at leaving your best friends, all of them. Oh and those snickering people; my past classmates and all those coaches, they are now all saying, “We knew she could do it.” Joyce B.
Thank you for the most awesome tour I have ever done. Rose S.
Since I rode your C2C in 2011, I have ridden Cycle America’s Northern Tier in 2012, America by Bicycle’s Middle Tier in 2013 and Cycle Canada’s Tour Trans Canada this past summer. Of the four coast to coast rides, yours was, by far, the best. You and your staff provided the best food, sag stops, services and amenities. Each tour group had good points and some not so good points but your group provided the most fun.
I have pondered at length on why this trip which had some adversity and discomfort and yet in the end I feel very happy that I did it. The tough parts have faded away almost instantly and nothing but nostalgia remains. The group became family for 52 days. We ate together, rode together, showered together, slept together, and because of the many clothing items provided by the tour, we were usually dressed alike. It is hard to accept the fact that on day 53, the members of the group all spun off in different directions– many never to meet again.
I read recently that there are two components to happiness– gratification and satisfaction. It is seemingly more gratifying to sit on a comfortable couch sipping coffee and reading or watching television than it is to hike up a long, hard mountain. But the view at the top, the pride of accomplishment and the memory of the day are richly gratifying and satisfying. This seems the perfect analogy to our long and hard bicycle ride. The 3000 miles that I rode, the people I rode with and the landscapes I rode through all add up to an unforgettable experience that I feel privileged to have shared with the other riders.