Award-winning bicycle tour company, ExperiencePlus!, will host an interactive Google+ Hangout on Air, "Why Take a Bike Tour?". This lively conversation focuses on the rising global popularity in cycling together with the ABCs of bicycle touring.  The discussion will also clearly define the terms used to describe the vast array of bicycle tours: self-supported, self-guided, road, mountain, hybrid, guided, racing and training -- with the goal of creating a common definition that can assist travelers in selecting the right bike tour for them. About the speakers: Maria Elena Malpezzi-Price Maria Elena Price is co-owner of ExperiencePlus! bicycle touring company together with her sister, Monica Malpezzi-Price.  In 2008 the sisters teamed up to follow their own passion for travel, bicycles and people by purchasing the business founded by their parents in 1972.  Today Maria Elena is likely one of the most experienced bicycle tour guides and managers out there (for her age!).  She started her bicycle tour leading role as a 5-year-old translator of ice cream flavors for clients on their early Venice to Pisa tours.  Since then, she has led tours in more than 10 countries and together with Monica was honored in 2011 as one of the Top 10 Guides in the world by National Geographic Traveler.  With a Bachelor's degree in Psychology and International Affairs and an MBA from the Leeds School of Business at University of Colorado, Boulder Maria Elena currently manages the business and its development at the Fort Collins office in Colorado.  Her love for going on tour to meet new clients is matched by her active involvement in her local bike community where she hosts a festive annual spring ride.   ExperiencePlus! advocates bike touring as the best way to experience a country and its culture.  Maria Elena can be reached by email at:  mariaelena@experienceplus.com. Jim Sayer Jim Sayer is Executive Director of Adventure Cycling Association, the largest bicycling non-profit member group in the U.S. with more than 47,000 members.  Adventure Cycling's mission is to inspire and empower people to travel by bicycle.  Jim has consulted and spoken extensively on active and bike travel and tourism, including the New York Times Travel Show, U.S. National Bike Summit, European Bike Tourism Summit, the Bicycle Tour Network, Congress for New Urbanism, and most recently the International Velo-Cities Conference in Adelaide, Australia.  He is married with three daughters, and together with his family, Jim has participated in numerous bike tours including a self-supported tour along the entire Pacific Coast of the U.S.   Euan Wilson Euan Wilson is owner/manager of H&I; Adventures Ltd, an adventure travel company based in the beautiful Highlands of Scotland, specializing in guided mountain biking tours in some of the most exciting and spectacular destinations around the world.  Euan has been a passionate mountain biker for 15 years and seven years ago decided to turn his passion into a profession by sharing the joy of experiencing new places and cultures from the unique vantage point of a mountain bike. H&I; Adventures offers mountain bike tours to suit all levels of ability and fitness.  As Euan is keen to point out, "Traveling with your mountain bike is one of the best ways to experience the world. It's not about pushing yourself to the limits of human endurance, as some people seem to think! It's about making real connections with the landscapes and communities around you, challenging yourself just enough, and experiencing all this with other like-minded adventurers."

• published: 11 Jun 2014
• views: 278