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Tours Aren't For Biking Novices

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 4, 2007

SEEFELD, Austria - The beauty of riding in Europe is that you don't have to ship your bike overseas. Nor do you have to spend a month on MapQuest searching for the best roads.

Edelweiss Bike Travels has already mapped out some of the best routes in Europe (as well as Asia, Africa, New Zealand and North America).

But underscore this: Do not reserve an Edelweiss tour unless you are a skilled rider. You should have at least 5,000 miles of riding experience, with many of those miles testing you on mountain roads.

Also, if you are accustomed to riding a massive cruiser in the United States, leave vanity aside and consider a smaller bike. Narrow roads and steep inclines are unforgiving, so trust that a smaller, easy-to-handle 650 cc bike can do the job. Each bike is less than 2 years old and checked out and maintained by an Edelweiss mechanic.

Then consider the type of tour you would like to experience.

On most Edleweiss rides, bikers stay in hotels along the way, so they must pack and unpack each day. Edelweiss transports the luggage.

Alternately, "Touring Center" tours mean you stay in one location (Seefeld, for example) and take loop rides into the surrounding regions. Either way, you have the latitude to ride apart from the group if you desire.

For information, a comprehensive brochure and reservations, call Edelweiss Bike Travel at 1-800-362-2794 or (561) 655-2234, or go to www.edelweissbike

travel.com.

Gary McKechnie

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