Holiday Cheers from WomanTours

My neighbor and avid bicyclist, Dave, erected this tribute to cycling Santa in his yard this year.

Whether or not you celebrate Christmas or believe in Santa Claus, you have to be struck by the amount of planning and work that went into creating this impressive lawn art.

It makes us think a lot about the work we put into our tours and why we do it. Like Dave, if we can get a few smiles, some cheers, or an arm pumping at the top of a hill, it makes our day.

It also makes me think about the planning and training many women undertake when they come on a tour with us, especially for their first time. It’s wonderful to be part of someone’s first 50-mile day, or first time breaking 35 mph down a hill, or first experience traveling on her own.

Thank you for another wonderful year at WomanTours. We hope that whatever your goals are for 2014, you’ll reach them with a lot of hard work and determination because those are the best goals worth achieving. We hope to be celebrating with you with both arms raised high.

Have a great holiday season and happy new year!

2014 Guide Schedule Set

You ask us every year to publish our guide schedule, so here it is. You can follow your favorite tour leader or get to know someone new. Either way, I know you won't be disappointed. Hope to see you in 2014!

Patty Jackson (left in Death Valley)
Moab Arches and Canyonlands - May and October
Grand Canyon, Bryce & Capitol Reef - May
Northwest Loop - August
Santa Barbara & San Ynez Valley - September
Death Valley National Park - November

Denise Purdue (right in Death Valley)
Florida Gulf Coast - February
St George Red Rock Canyons - May and October
Grand Canyon, Bryce & Capitol Reef - May
Northwest Loop - August
New Mexico: Land of Enchantment - September
Death Valley National Park - November

Michelle Slusher
Florida Gulf Coast - February and November
Louisiana Biking the Bayou - April

Natchez Trace Parkway - April

Moab Arches and Canyonlands - May

St George Red Rock Canyons - May

Yellowstone & Grand Tetons - June

Around Lake Erie - July

Finger Lakes Wine Country - August

Niagara Falls Pathways - August

New Mexico: Land of Enchantment - September

Santa Barbara & San Ynez Valley - September

Carol Wilder
Southern Tier Cross-Country - March
Ireland: Connemara - July

Laurie Collins
Shenandoah National Park - June
Teton Tune-Up - July
Glacier National Park - July
Idaho Greenways - July
Finger Lakes Wine Country - August
Niagara Falls Pathways - August
Yellowstone and Grand Tetons -September
Cape May - September
Maryland Eastern Shore - September
Acadia National Park - October
Bermuda Blues - November
Florida Gulf Coast -November

Kimberly Masters 
Death Valley National Park - February
Bermuda Blues - March
White Mountains of New Hampshire - July
Alaska and Yukon: Golden Circle - August
Blue Ridge Rambler - September

Jen Thompson 
White Mountains of New Hampshire - July
Acadia National Park - July
Italy: Puglia - September

Sid Moffat (front and center in New Hampshire)
Death Valley National Park - February

Louisiana Biking the Bayou - April

Natchez Trace Parkway - April
Washington DC Bikeways - May
Cape May - May and September
Alaska: the Inside Passage - June
Glacier National Park - July
Idaho Greenways - July
Blue Ridge Rambler - September
Maryland Eastern Shore - September
Bhutan - October

Cy Pugh (right on Lake Ontario)
Washington DC Bikeways - May
Cape May - May
Cape Cod and Martha's Vineyard - June
Niagara Falls Pathways - June
Around Lake Ontario - July
Acadia National Park - July
Vermont Champlain Valley - August
Island Hopper: Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard - September
Moab Arches and Canyonlands - October
St George Red Rock Canyons - October

Linda Gryczan (left in Yellowstone)
Cape Cod and Martha's Vineyard - June
Yellowstone and Grand Tetons - June
Teton Tune-Up - July

Jackie Marchand (right in Yellowstone)
New Zealand: Southern Alps - January

Kelly Attridge 
Bermuda Blues - March and November
Shenandoah National Park - June
Niagara Falls Pathways - June
Vermont Champlain Valley - August
Island Hopper: Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard - September

Sue Lincoln
Around Lake Ontario - July
Yellowstone and Grand Tetons - June and September

Get Your Free Pair of Cycling Socks!

Our 2014 catalog is in the mail. If you haven't received yours by the end of October, let us know and we'll mail you a copy. If you can name anyone in a photo inside the catalog, we will send you a free pair of cycling socks. Email us her name and page number by November 15 and you'll have your socks by the end of the month. Click on the cover above for a pdf version of the catalog. Only one guess per person please. Good luck!

Congratulations to Free Tour Raffle Winner

Eileen Crue was the lucky winner of the raffle prize at the Wild Goose Chase ride last weekend. She won a free WomanTours trip. Congratulations Eileen! She and a friend, Aleta, have decided to use her certificate to go on the Finger Lakes Wine Country tour next summer.

Eileen wrote us, "This is my first year of cycling. I bought a used hybrid in the spring and have ridden routes up to 40 miles.  I learned how to ride with clip-in shoes and am finally getting the hang of them with only a few tip-overs this season! I am planning to buy a road bike next year and Aleta is going to help me train in preparation for the hills I am expecting in the Finger Lakes region. Thank you for this very generous prize!" 

We'll be sure to post when we're sponsoring another women's ride with a free tour....

Women's bicycle pioneer and event organizer Georgena Terry with Eileen Crue holding her free tour certificate.

Luggage Tag Tutorial

Many women have wondered how to attach those luggage tags we send you when you sign up for our tours. One of our guides, Cy Pugh, demonstrates it beautifully here. The tags are so simple that they can seem complicated! See you on your next tour!

Bike Tour Chef Position Available

We're in need of a Tour Chef to join our fantastic team of bike tour leaders. Below is a job description. If you know of anyone available to work our Southern Tier cross-country bicycle tour, March 6 - May 2, 2014, please send them our way!

Summary: The Tour Chef will efficiently prepare and cook healthy daily dinners and some breakfasts for 30 women using a trailer kitchen.

Duties and Responsibilities:

·      Prepare daily menus.

·      Prepare or supplement hotel breakfasts when necessary.

·      Purchase all food within budgetary constraints.

·      Maintain a customer focus while performing duties.

·      Prepare a variety of meats, seafood, poultry, vegetables and other food items for cooking on two propane burners in a trailer kitchen and with Dutch ovens and charcoal.

·      Take into account all dietary constraints such as food allergies and preferences when designing menus.

·      Maintain proper food storage, using two large ice coolers and trailer cupboards.

·      Serve meals promptly at an agreed upon time.

·      Prepare food for serving buffet-style.

·      Manage a sous-chef or other volunteers in food preparation.

·      Maintain a clean, safe and sanitary work area.

·      Coordinate and supervise the washing of dishes after meals.

·      Drive a 15-passenger van pulling a trailer.

·      Perform other duties assisting the cyclists and the Tour Guide as needed.

Qualifications:

·      Have experience developing menus, preparing food, and cooking for small groups.

·      Possess a positive attitude and work well with other team members.

·      Be able to adjust cooking style as needed to accommodate client needs.

·      Be customer service focused.

·      Be able to read our cue sheets.

·      Be able to reach, bend, stoop and lift up to 40 pounds.

·      Be able to work outside in diverse weather and cramped conditions.

·      Be certified in First Aid and CPR.

·      Have a clean driving record.

·      Be organized, adaptable, resourceful, self-motivated, flexible, and have a sense of humor.

·      Be excited about helping women accomplish more than they thought capable of.

 

Publicity about WomanTours

WomanTours has been lucky to receive some lovely press lately. Roberta Schlicher wrote a great piece about us for the women in business website WomensSourcebook. She liked what she learned in the interviews so much that when all was said and done, she signed up to join us in Nantucket this fall!

You can also read about us in the July issue of Prevention: Joy Ride by Selene Yeager. Selene writes about the joy that only cycling seems able to bring some of us. If you're reading this, you probably already know that! Go ahead and her article to keep you motivated and then go enjoy the ride!