About Us
Learn a bit about what makes Beer & Bike Tours special.
Our history…
Bob and Katy have been traveling almost since the night they met. What started as road trips and simple bike holidays expanded quickly into moving around the world. Following Katy’s teaching opportunities at international schools, Bob stayed home with kids and planned adventures. As a long time lover of cycling and travel by bike most of Bob’s trip ideas involved the bike in one way or another.
While living in Kobe, Japan, Bob and a good friend Simon started Thursday evening rides simply referred to as Beer & Bike, or BnB when we wanted it to be a secret. As good things do Beer & Bike gradually became more popular. Our little BnB Thursdays evolved into a group of friends planning adventures and encouraging each other to try and do new things. From running ultra races to finding a new love for the “amber nectar” known as whisky Beer & Bike Thursdays were amazing.
Nearing the end of their time in Japan, Bob and Katy planned to move back and “settle” in Fort Collins, CO. Bob suddenly realized he should have a job now that both kids would be in school. The weekly Beer & Bike became a loose planning exercise on what it would look like to do it as a business full time. When the family moved back to Colorado and with the encouragement of Katy and both kids Bob launched Beer & Bike Tours in 2013.
Since the launch we have taken guests all over the world in search of great cycling and craft beverages. Come along and learn more about our traveling crew.
Why travel with Beer & Bike?
Small groups
At Beer & Bike Tours we keep our groups small so that you can enjoy the area you are traveling on a more personal basis. We search our small restaurants and hotels that could never accommodate large tour groups.
Max of 6-12 riders depending on the adventure.
Our Guides
Beer & Bike is a small company. All of our guides are part of a family of friends that are passionate about cycling, craft beer and travel.
We bring our best effort to make your trip something special for you to remember forever.
It is our guides that really make us special.
Lodging
Where you sleep is a big factor in how much you enjoy your trip.
At Beer & Bike we have found that the best experiences are as close to the source as possible. When picking our hotels and lodging we find locations that are not only comfortable but are also locally owned and cared for. A human touch makes all the difference.
We select lodging that understands what we are doing. By carefully communicating with our hosts we have breakfasts that provide healthy fuel for your day’s ride. They also provide safe places to park bicycles and cozy places to sit and enjoy a post ride beverage.
We also select historically significant or beer themed lodging whenever possible.
We believe your hotel is much more than just where you close your eyes and go to sleep.
Bikes
At Beer & Bike we work with local suppliers to provide you with the nicest bikes available.
Instead of having a fleet of bikes we work with local suppliers to reduce our carbon footprint by not transferring bikes all over the place.
Local suppliers also keep the money in the communities we visit furthering a thriving local scene we are grateful to be a part of.
The local suppliers also have the exact models for each ride instead of a one size fits all option.
Routes
In our eyes when you are on a bike tour the ride is the most important part.
Routes are something that take a long time to create and we are constantly adjusting and reviewing.
Bob’s goal when creating a trip is the right balance of distance, elevation and time in the saddle.
How we get to a destination is just as important as what the destination is.
Factors that go into the planning of the route include…
Safety of the riding conditions. Our goal is for you to enjoy a ride and not have to be worried about traffic.
We do ride on roads but we have spent a lot of time finding the best roads to ride on with safety and enjoyment as the guiding force.
Points of interest along the way. IS there a brewery, castle, pub or simply a nice place to sit on a bench and tell a story.
Constantly changing and tweaking.
With the help from our local bike suppliers and even more miles riding the routes we are constantly looking at what is around the other bend and how it may work into what we do. Sometimes you are just a turn away from something small but amazing.
We love our job finding new places to share with you.
On our trips you are supplied with GPS tracks to follow in our tour app or on your device of choice. Just let us know and we will help adapt things to match your needs.
Breweries and other visits along the way
Similar to route creation, finding our breweries and stops along the way is fun.
We select breweries that are independant and family owned. We are always on the lookout for someone doing something special or unique.
We are also looking for breweries that are able to tell their story and give you a great experience.
While selecting other stops we pull from a large collection of experiences to customize the trips to the guests we have. No two people are exactly alike and that is why each of our tours is a little different each time as well. Let us know your interests and hobbies and we will fine tune the stops to match you and the group we have at the time.
Environmental stewards
Traveling by bike is a planet friendly way to travel.
We select restaurants and hotels that meet our goal of reducing waste and treating the planet kindly so it is great for future generations.
We lead by example and ask all of our partner companies to put the planet first as well.
