Interested in becoming a cycling tour guide?

[BumbleBeeDave]

I'm going into my second year of full time seasonal guiding, and it's proving to be quite rewarding personally and financially. I'm helping to develop tours to expand our US domestic portfolio and so we are growing our guide staff and looking for folks with the cycling chops, local knowledge, and May-October availability to help us out.

We're looking for folks with proximity and knowledge in:

• New York Finger Lakes
• Central Vermont
• NY Southern Adirondacks
• Coastal Maine (Rockland-Camden)
• Mid-Hudson valley of NY

Besides cycling fitness, you would need to have:

• Mechanical ability to handle minor repairs on-road (flat tire, broken chain, etc)
• Project management ability
• Logistical management skills
• Interpersonal skills to deal with all kinds of people
• Prior local knowledge of routes and off-bike attractions in the tour areas is also very helpful.

If you have the seasonal flexible availability, it's a great way to ride in some beautiful places, meet great people, and make some very good money when you put the daily guide fees and tips together.

PM me if you are interested and I can tell you more. You're going to be riding your bike anyway, right? Why not get paid for it?

BBD

[Clean39T]

Hey BBD, I'm out West but would love to see your site and what you've put together if you don't mind sharing..

[BumbleBeeDave]

Originally Posted by Clean39T

Hey BBD, I'm out West but would love to see your site and what you've put together if you don't mind sharing..

. . . I'm working for this company on tours in the northeastern US.

The site is not totally up to date at this time of year, as we're still setting up lodging reservations and revising itineraries based on what we learned last year. They have been guiding tours in Italy and Europe since 1989, but in 2020 their entire business evaporated when the pandemic hit, so they are developing North American tours. There were a few in 2020, and I was lucky enough to be able to guide for them last year and ended up doing 13 tours. We pretty much had to start things from zero. This year we're taking it to the next step, fine tuning the tours we have and I'm developing another new one that isn't on the website yet.

BBD

[CNY rider]

I’d love to be in on this…..in about 5 years.

[kmla320]

Just curious Dave,I'm now retired and live close to the Southern Adirondacks and the Hudson River Valley.What kind of hours and pay are we talking about?

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . PM you.

BBD

Originally Posted by kmla320

Just curious Dave,I'm now retired and live close to the Southern Adirondacks and the Hudson River Valley.What kind of hours and pay are we talking about?

[BumbleBeeDave]

Originally Posted by Clean39T

Hey BBD, I'm out West but would love to see your site and what you've put together if you don't mind sharing..

. . your PM's.

BBD

[merlinmurph]

Originally Posted by BumbleBeeDave

. . . I'm working for this company on tours in the northeastern US.

The site is not totally up to date at this time of year, as we're still setting up lodging reservations and revising itineraries based on what we learned last year. They have been guiding tours in Italy and Europe since 1989, but in 2020 their entire business evaporated when the pandemic hit, so they are developing North American tours. There were a few in 2020, and I was lucky enough to be able to guide for them last year and ended up doing 13 tours. We pretty much had to start things from zero. This year we're taking it to the next step, fine tuning the tours we have and I'm developing another new one that isn't on the website yet.

BBD

Class company all the way. I've never used them, but know many people that were very happy with them.

FWIW, I beleve this is the most important skill. BBD may disagree.

Interpersonal skills to deal with all kinds of people

Good luck, BBD!

[kmla320]

Thanks for the info Dave.I wouldn't be able to devote the time necessary.

[BumbleBeeDave]

Originally Posted by merlinmurph

FWIW, I believe this is the most important skill. BBD may disagree.

. . . but I also learned that customers overwhelmingly tended to be on their best behavior on these tours. In 13 tours last season I didn't have even one customer who was a true a**hat. Occasionally a client will "forget" to pay their bar tab, and we did have a few clients who complained about things in the post-tour survey that were either A) things we could have easily fixed if only they had told us about them, or B) things that we had no control over, like . . . . it rained.

There were also some unexpected things. One lady refused to use either electronic navigation or a cue sheet. She was also really, really slow, so one of us basically had to ride with her all the time. Another guy "disappeared" and we ended up having to go look for him and finally found him. He had missed a turn, but because the group had gotten fractured, nobody knew whether he had just missed a turn or if he was in the ditch someplace with a heart attack.

But there is also a really great feeling that comes from watching fellow cyclists having the time of their life on a route that you designed, enjoying museums, wine tastings, and ice cream stops that you arranged, etc. At times like that you really forget you're getting paid.

Plus there was one Finger Lakes tour where I was in the van and rolled up on a client standing by the roadside with his 10 year old Bianchi carbon with the derailleur broken off and hanging to the ground. He had apparently banged it on something, the hanger bent and shifted into the spokes. The derailleur broke off, whipped around over the top, and broke a seat stay. The frame was toast and this was his first really nice bike and he had been so many places with it. He was nearly in tears.

The other guide, Steve, knew some folks locally at Swan Cycles in Ithaca, so we drove the 70-mile round trip with the client that evening and the owner at Swan rented him a really nice carbon Fuji for the remaining three days of the tour for $20(!). Just amazing, and it was probably the most satisfying moment of the season to see him having a great vacation and knowing Steve and I saved it.

So there are rewards that you don't see coming. Pretty cool.

BBD

[schwa86]

The Maine Lobster ride routes in Camden area are really great. We have friends up that way that run a language school — they do a ton of field trips with their students and might be a good resource for local attractions etc. he cycles, but not super seriously. I could put you in touch re potential connections if helpful. This is their school. https://www.acadiaenglish.com/

[BumbleBeeDave]

We are revising the Maine tour a bit for this next season, adding island rides in Isleboro and Vinalhaven. It's a super area and I really enjoyed guiding there last season. Send me a PM and we can discuss it further, and thanks for the interest!

BBD

Originally Posted by schwa86

The Maine Lobster ride routes in Camden area are really great. We have friends up that way that run a language school — they do a ton of field trips with their students and might be a good resource for local attractions etc. he cycles, but not super seriously. I could put you in touch re potential connections if helpful. This is their school. https://www.acadiaenglish.com/

[herb5998]

BBD, if they are ever interested in some routes/ideas in Quebec, lots of great gravel riding in the Eastern Townships near the VT/NH/Maine. Obviously until borders become a little easier for day trips, it’s not as convenient


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[tomato coupe]

Originally Posted by BumbleBeeDave

If you have the seasonal flexible availability, it's a great way to ride in some beautiful places, meet great people, and make some very good money when you put the daily guide fees and tips together.

What does "very good money" translate to?

[BumbleBeeDave]

Originally Posted by tomato coupe

What does "very good money" translate to?

. . . $2,000-$2,500 including tips for six day's work.

BBD