HHaappppyy RRiiddeerrss ccyyccllee ttoouurrss having a blast exploring the world on comfy cycles Welcome – to our funtastic cycle tours We are pleased to welcome you to some of the best times you'll ever have pedaling 2 wheels. Our recumbent bicycles let you sit back and enjoy the ride in comfort. After all, if you're not comfortable, you're not having fun. It's not for nothing we call our cycle tours funtastic! Rolling along at a leisurely pace you will have ample time to smell the wild flowers, to take in the majestic views of ancient medieval villages or to sample some local wines as we have a blast exploring romantic France on super comfy recumbent bicycles. We have some great cycle tours planned for your enjoyment. We look forward to welcoming you on one soon. May the tailwinds be with us on your cycle tour! About Happy Riders Happy Riders was founded by Jeffrey and Lise Sparling, a Franco/American couple living in Champagne, France who like to share their love of cycling and France with interesting people from around the world. 2002 was our inaugural season as we operated our first tour in Gascony. We currently tours in three great regions of France and will add regions as we grow. The Happy Riders concept is based on the simple idea that a bicycling vacation should be an opportunity to savor a plethora of sensual experiences in a relaxing atmosphere on fun and comfortable cycles. We are dedicated to making your bicycle vacation with Happy Riders your best vacation ever. To us this means more than great routes, friendly bilingual guides, luggage transfer, great accommodations & cuisine and impeccable service. This is a cycling vacation after all. We believe your comfort on the bicycle is of paramount importance. If you're not comfortable, you're not having fun! Our philosophy is simple – to provide an authentic and rewarding French cultural experience combined with such outstanding value, superb service, comfortable cycles and intriguing routes that you can hardly wait to tell your friends about your best vacation ever. We look after every detail on the cycle tour so that you can truly enjoy your vacation. We invite you to come and enjoy cycle touring with us on recumbent bicycles, in our opinion the most fun and comfortable bicycles known. If you prefer an upright bicycle, we can rent them for your convenience and enjoyment. It doesn't get any better than this. Come along with us, sit back and have a blast cycling in comfort. Happy Riders, 66 rue Mattéoti, 10100 Romilly-sur-Seine, France ! Tel: 011-33-(0)3-25-24-86-71 Email: [email protected] ! Web: http://pro.wanadoo.fr/happyriders/ What to Expect – on a Happy Riders Cycle Tour We cater to people who believe a bicycle vacation should be a pleasurable adventure ... not a test of will power over an Value Packed uncomfortable bicycle. You get to experience first hand fascinating We have made special efforts to keep our prices places, interesting peoples, their culture, their history and the land affordable by selecting reasonably priced, yet from the relaxed position of a recumbent seat. All topped off with charming lodgings and tasty regional cuisine. In charming lodgings and good food. particular, we have elected not to provide a costly sag wagon. However, we do provide Besides supreme comfort and ease of looking around from the separate luggage transfer. We think you will be recumbent vantage point, one of the nicest advantages of riding a pleasantly surprised at how value packed, recumbent bicycle on our tours is that you will have ample reasonably priced and competitive our funtastic opportunities to meet curious locals who have never seen a cycle tours are compared to most organized recumbent. You will get to practice your French or use your best cycle tours in France. hand signs to explain the intricacies of a “vélo-couché.” A Sensual Experience Unlike any other form of travel, a bicycle lets you roll along leisurely, quietly and in intimate contact with your environment – allowing you to soak up your surroundings from a different perspective. What better way to smell the sweet scent of wild flowers in Dordogne, to sip a refreshing "Diable au menthe" as you relax on a cafe terrace overlooking the Loire, or to feel the warm sun on your back as you pedal amongst the vineyards and lavender fields of Provence where you are greeted with "bonne route!" Far from the superhighways of today, you will cycle the back The French have a saying: "A day without wine roads of yesteryear in France, the world's premier cycling region. is like a day without sunshine." Fortunately for We will take you on country roads where you seldom have to the French, and for us, France has a bounty of share the roadway with a car. At every turn you will feast your fine wines and usually plenty of sunshine during senses on beautiful vistas, quaint villages, historic chateaux and the cycling season. We invite you to join us for sweet aromas. Along the way you will mingle with the locals on some wine, camaraderie and great cycling. market day and make new friendships with fellow cyclists. You'll be glad you did. Evenings you will relax in charming lodgings where you will be rewarded with fine wines and delicious meals. Variety is the Spice of Life The only thing typical about a day on one of our tours is the diversity of rich cultural and Whatever the special educational experiences awaiting you. You'll experience first hand the best of an area's events are, you'll be more geographical and cultural features. Witness historical châteaux where the English and than just a casual observer the French fought for 100 years. Sip the wines of vineyards "sur place." Behold a – you'll be immersed in the medieval pageant. Rub shoulders with the locals on market day. Dance to the tunes of “esprit de joie de vivre" of an outdoor music festival. See prehistoric cave paintings. Savor a scrumptious picnic of the French people and regional delights. culture. Lodgings Guides After a day of cycling you will A bilingual guide who cycles with the group welcome the chance to relax leads each of our tours. The guide is there to and recharge in the charming maximize your cycle pleasure; from pointing out ambiance of an old world interesting sites, helping to select and prepare abode. For our first year we scrumptious picnics, to assisting your have focused on reasonably communications with locals. priced accommodations. Nonetheless, we have chosen Terrasse de l’Etoile, Gascony accommodations for their Jeffrey Sparling will personally lead charm, location, tranquility, all tours in 2007. cuisine and authenticity. We look for a friendly and warm atmosphere where the service is friendly. Some of our hotels have pools while all feature private bath facilities. Happy Riders, 66 rue Mattéoti, 10100 Romilly-sur-Seine, France ! Tel: 011-33-(0)3-25-24-86-71 Email: [email protected] ! Web: http://pro.wanadoo.fr/happyriders/ Meals Small Groups After a day of pedaling its time to relax, laugh and talk We have intentionally kept the maximum group size to 8 while savoring scrumptious regional French cuisine and cyclists plus the bilingual guide cycling with the group. This wine. Servings are appropriate for a cyclist's well- lets us give you the personalized attention you deserve plus deserved appetite. You can indulge your palate and we are able to book accommodations in smaller, more taste buds secure in the knowledge that you will have appealing inns and country manors. ample opportunity to work it off the next day. Luggage Transfer / Support Van We pride ourselves on featuring local cuisine. While To keep costs down, we provide luggage transfer from hotel choice is never lacking, "picky" eaters, or those with to hotel in lieu of a support van. The recumbents are special diets, which exclude food types or groups, may equipped with large rear bags for daily needs while cycling find this focus difficult. Complex dishes may contain (please refer to the section on our comfy recumbents for more some food you wish to avoid, hidden as a seasoning. details). Please note: luggage transfer is limited to two bags And since special diets are rare in Europe, they surprise and often 10 kg. Our hotels are quaint and most often do not our hosts. Chefs who take pride in their creations are not have an elevator. You may have to carry your bags up 1 or 2 only unwilling (or unable) to remove the offending flights of stairs, so you are well advised to pack lightly. ingredient, but are sometimes unwilling to even discuss the recipe! Pre-departure Package Our tours include all breakfasts and all dinners Upon sign-up you will be sent a pre-departure package with (excluding wine and beverages), beginning the evening information on France and your tour region, suggestions on of your arrival and ending the morning of your departure. how to prepare for the tour, where and when to meet, how Lunches can be enjoyed in local cafés or we can picnic best to get there, what to bring, what to expect, etc. as a group. Our daily route notes suggest local bistros, cafes and restaurants where you can explore the many Fitness Level gastronomic options available if you choose to lunch on Our philosophy is that you come on a bicycle tour to enjoy your own. An often-popular solution is for the tour leader yourself – not win a race.