My name is Jennifer Sage from Vail, Colorado, and I am an avid cyclist who has ridden all over Europe and has worked for several luxury bicycle tour companies since 1989. I lived in France from 1988-89 and am fluent in French, and am also conversational in Spanish and can make my way through Italian (just waving my arms seem to work most of the time).
After many years of experience working for other companies, I started my own bicycle tour company back in 2003, Viva Travels. I have some very unique rides and tours to offer, both guided and self-guided, for everyone from the casual cyclist wanting to cruise dreamily through the vineyards, to those avid cyclists seeking the biggest (sickest in some people’s viewpoints) famous climbs of Europe. Climbs such as Mont Ventoux in Provence, Alpe d’Huez and Col du Galibier in the Alpes, the Col du Tourmalet and Col d’Aspin in the Pyrenees, and Monte Stelvio in Italy and more.
I have a very unique service called the Vélo Concierge, creating customized self-guided tours for independent-minded cyclists.
I especially love to eat in Europe. Hey, maybe I ride like this so I can eat more! The fromage, the paté de fois gras, the wine – Que c’est beau!! I have a lot of info on that to share with you if that’s your passion as well.
I LOVE sharing my passion of riding with others! Come ride with me, or just chat with me about riding over there!
By: bibomedia.com on March 5, 2008
at 12:56 pm
Great video for you, stay in touch
By: Brittany on May 6, 2008
at 7:28 pm
This is great Brittany! Thanks for the link. It’s very cute!
Jennifer
By: reachyourpeak on May 6, 2008
at 8:55 pm
Dear Jennifer,
My husband and I just completed our first century – in Napa last weekend. We are avid cyclist who want to share our passion for experiencing the world on a bike with our two daughters, age 10 and 13. Ideally, we’d like to take them for a week long trip this summer, somewhere in France or Italy. They’re into it, but we don’t want to burn them out by doing too many miles a day that are too difficult. What would you recommend? We’re scouting for “rugged elegant” adventures (rugged terrain by day, elegant accommodations by night) for our private “socially conscious” network. Would love your recommendations. ~Jennifer King
By: Jennifer King on May 10, 2008
at 7:35 pm
Hi Jennifer,
this sounds like an exciting trip. There are so many places you can take them that they would be enthralled. But how many miles can they accomplish in a day? The answer to that would help me suggest the best place. Dordogne comes to mind, and the Loire Valley (the latter is somewhat flat and much easier). Provence has some great options too. Let me know some more specifics and I’ll give you more targeted suggestions!
What a great thing to turn your daughters on early to the joys of traveling by bicycle!
Jennifer Sage
By: reachyourpeak on May 11, 2008
at 4:03 pm
Interesting webpage. I share your passion for TdF. I can hardly work. Finding a web page with streaming from Eurosport, hurry back home to turn onTV to see the last hour.
You are focused on south Europe,but what about scandinavia. If you are looking for cycling without hills scandinavia is nice. Not to mention the 300 k long cycling around the second biggest lake in Sweden Vättern rundan http://www.cyklavaettern.com/default.aspx?lang=1
A surrealistic adventure throuhg the scandinavian summer night.
By: johannes mattisson on July 15, 2008
at 9:38 am
Hi Johannes,
thanks for your comments. I will keep your ideas in mind. I am doing a lot of expansion in the next year or two. I’ve been to Sweden but not on a bike, though I have cycled part of Denmark. The biggest markets (for a bike tour company) are southern Europe however, and Croatia is becoming very popular. I’ve heard cycling the Fjords of Norway are beautiful. Some of the bike tour companies I worked for tried unsuccessfully to launch tours in Scandinavia (I did their only Denmark tour).
But my ancestry is Scandinavian, so one day I’ll get up there on a bike!
Cheers,
Jennifer
By: Jennifer Sage on July 15, 2008
at 7:29 pm
I like your blog and have added it to my blog list. Happy cycling!
By: Richard McNeer on March 13, 2009
at 2:34 am
Hi! I’m the Community Manager of Ruba.com. We’re building a website to highlight some of the most interesting places travelers around the world have discovered. We’ve read hundreds of travel blogs and we think that yours is awesome! We love that you’re passionate about cycling and would like to highlight excerpts from blogs like yours (assuming it’s OK with you of course) and to discuss other ways of tapping into your expertise if you are interested. I’m at erin@ruba.com.
Thanks!
By: Erin on March 17, 2009
at 10:46 pm
Hi Jeniffer,
I just wanted to inform you and the cyclists traveling through Greece that we have just opened the first cyclist club providing shelter to travelers cycling across Europe. It is very new (oct 09) and we hope it will be a good base for cyclists fot many years. You can see more about us in our little webpage http://www.thessaloniki-bikers.biz.ly. Hope to see you soon.
Greg
By: Thessaloniki - Bikers on October 12, 2009
at 1:52 pm