Pre-Tour Logistics and Questions I've never done a bicycle tour before. Is this a problem? Absolutely not! The vast majority of riders on our tours have never done a tour before. These rides are not races, and we encourage riders to take their time and enjoy the scenery . that.s half the point of a bike tour anyway. We have found that riders with minimal riding experience can quickly become capable of doing 50, 60 or even 70+ miles per day. Will I have to carry all my stuff with me? Nope. We have a full Support and Gear (SAG) that carries all your personal gear along with group gear, food, camping equipment, bike repair equipment, and more. You just carry anything you would need on the road: water, camera, snacks, and anything else you might like to have with you.
 Besides the cost of the tour, what will my other costs be?
There are very few other costs you will incur. You are responsible for transportation before and after the ride. We recommend (but do not require) that riders purchase trip insurance, in case something unforeseen happens on either your part or ours. If we cancel a tour, we will refund your tour fees, but will not be responsible for your airline tickets or any other expenses incurred -- this is where trip cancellation insurance comes in useful. It also often provides medical insurance, as well as protection for your gear.  What about meals & camping / housing fees?
We provide three healthy, nutritious, organic, vegan meals daily. We also cover the costs of camping or other accommodations. I understand organic and locally-sourced food. But why vegan? Several reasons. All else being equal, a vegan diet is more sustainable than a non-vegan diet: the amount of food required to feed animals to obtain the same quantity of food in meat, dairy, or egg form is far greater than were that same amount of food consumed directly by humans. In other words, it might require 10 lbs of grain to produce three lbs of food in the form of egg, dairy, or meat. In its vegan form, more food (10 lbs) is available for consumption, reducing the ecological footprint.
Veganism is, for most Americans, a deviation from the normal diet. Since this trip is largely about exposure to alternatives, providing all-vegan meals accomplishes this for many participants.  What about the carbon dioxide emissions from the flights to and from Portland? Great question! Airline flights are, in fact, one of the largest sources of CO2 emissions. We do offer carbon offsets through Native Energy to all of our tour participants.
Recognize that, in order to take five steps forward, it is sometimes necessary to take one step back. In his flight to Portland from San Francisco in 2005, a Sustainable Energy in Motion participant generated CO2 gases; however, over the course of the trip, he discovered the health, environmental, and ethical benefits of an alternative diet and has converted to an almost exclusively vegan diet, along with converting to a bike commuter. Who's to say that this long-term vegan diet and transportation choice will not balance the environmental damages from his flight to Portland? Road or mountain biking? Primarily road. There may be some short gravel sections along roads with lower traffic volumes. |
