A biking vacation makes for the greatest adventure! We have all kinds of great riding in the Winchester area, both road and mountain biking. But, sometimes, you just need to go try new places. Pack up the bikes, load the car, and go find a new place to explore!

I have had several opportunities for adventures further afield. I’ve been able to ride in the mountain bike Mecca known as Moab, Utah. I’ve ridden in Idaho, Colorado, North Carolina, and as far north as New Hampshire over the years. Most of my biking trips have centered around mountain biking, but I’ve done some nice road riding in other places, too.

This summer I got to experience riding in a very new place. For the first time, I got to ride a bike outside of the United States! I traveled to Guatemala with my church’s youth group on a missions trip, doing work at a school and installing stoves in homes in a remote village. But we had some free time one afternoon. So I looked up to find out if there was a bike shop in town, and sure enough there was a small shop. For 100 Quetzals (about $13), I was able to rent a basic mountain bike for the afternoon.

I didn’t know where mountain bike trails were, and kinda figured exploring trails by myself was probably not the safest option, so I decided to just go for a road ride up and over the nearest mountain. 5 mile climb, with some very steep pitches, followed by a 5 mile descent – fast and fun!

Got a couple shots down by the lake, then turned around and climbed back over the mountain. I got back to the bike shop with 21 hard miles in my legs and a big smile on my face. The shop owner, Juan, asked where I had ridden, and when I told him, he was surprised. “Muy gusto!” When I told him I also owned a shop in the States, he got excited, and showed me his trophies and medals from bike races he has won. We are now connected on Strava.

It was a great experience taking an adventure so far from home, on my own, exploring someplace so completely different. I hope you have the opportunity to do something similar. Definitely do not pass it up if it comes along!