Trek Bicycle has formed Trek Travel, an upscale cycle holiday company, with destinations in Europe and North America. The upscale clients will ride Trek bikes, naturally. Some of the tours are performance-oriented and star riders will join the ride, but most are leisure tours, as popularised by America's luxury walking-and-cycling tours company, Backroads.

Trek goes head-to-head with Backroads

Trek Travel’s motto is "Luxury is mandatory and the miles are optional."

There are 17 destinations in Europe and North America.

John Burke, Trek president, said:

"We know that there are a wide variety of cyclists. Some that plan their vacation around their bicycle riding; while others prefer to plan their riding around other activities while on vacation. That’s why both styles of trips feature the same best-in-class accommodations and cuisine and allow the customer to choose their style of riding."

Trek Travel also offers Specialty Trips, allowing both stronger cyclists to tag-a-along behind classic races like the Tour de France, or spend a few days riding with the likes of Gary Fisher and Greg LeMond.

"Even though unique cycling experiences are a big part of what Trek Travel offers, we haven’t forgotten that our trips are first and foremost a vacation," said Burke.

Trek Travel adventures allow time for a variety of more traditional diversions, including private wine tasting tours, guided tours led by local historians, and optional days for kayaking, playing golf, or relaxing at spas.

http://www.trektravel.com

PS

The BikeBiz editor has been on a Backroads tour, a commission for The Independent on Sunday. Click here for an article about Brew Biking, a bicycle tour around the microbreweries of California:

http://www.bikebiz.co.uk/…/article.php?id=670

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