“The perfect place to see the world!” I used that tagline when I first started Velo View Bike Tours in 2012 because it perfectly summed up what made me want to start the cycling business.

In my mind, you cannot truly experience a place from the inside of a car. It’s too insulated and it’s too fast. By contrast, when you’re outside all of your senses are engaged. You’re not seeing the landscape as a blur as you whiz by; you’re seeing the details, smelling the scents, feeling the air and hearing the sounds. Similar to hiking, cycling offers a full sensory experience. But unlike hiking, you can really cover some ground!

That’s the beauty of experiencing a place by bike. You can see more of it in a short amount of time while still connecting with it in a personal way. It’s possible to cover 60 to 100 miles on a bike in a day and still have plenty of time to stop and smell the flowers!

Of course, there’s no need to ride that kind of mileage. On the cycling tours that we lead, we typically average between 30 and 40 miles a day. Since our guests are on vacation, we want them to be able to sleep in before the ride and to have time later in the day to walk around the towns we stay in. They get to experience some amazing scenery by bike and also enjoy some downtime playing tourist.

And that’s our goal – to allow our guests to engage with a place in a meaningful way that is both active and relaxed. While most of our bike tours in southeast Tennessee are customized to what our guests are most interested in, we also offer a few pre-scheduled all-inclusive tours in the area, including a May Tour de Farms that truly engages all of the senses – including taste!

Velo View Bike Tours is based in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and offers personalized cycling vacations for all skill levels. You can learn more about the places they visit and the cycling tours they offer at veloviewbiketours.com.