Testimonials

Sandra Morris, Ramsgate, England, UK
Colombia - Medellin to Bogota

This cycle trip is a fantastic introduction to the highlands of Colombia - getting off the tourist trail to experience 'real' Colombia. This cycle trip was exceedingly well organised and led by a fantastic team - Adrian, Javier & Julian. Lots of support and laughter and the bicycle van was always parked ready with snacks just when you needed it up a hill. I would highly recommend this trip to anyone with a sense of adventure - it is indeed quite hilly, but the landscape, the downhills, the friendly people, the music, the fruit - make it all worth while. Visit Colombia!

Sandra Morris, Ramsgate, England, UK
Colombia - Medellin to Bogota

This cycle trip is a fantastic introduction to the highlands of Colombia - getting off the tourist trail to experience 'real' Colombia. This cycle trip was exceedingly well organised and led by a fantastic team - Adrian, Javier & Julian. Lots of support and laughter and the bicycle van was always parked ready with snacks just when you needed it up a hill. I would highly recommend this trip to anyone with a sense of adventure - it is indeed quite hilly, but the landscape, the downhills, the friendly people, the music, the fruit - make it all worth while. Visit Colombia!

Andrew & Yvonne Lindsay, Otford, England, UK
Colombia - Medellin to Bogota

Really enjoyed trip. Excellent group. Great tour staff. We enjoyed Colombia.

Andrew & Yvonne Lindsay, Otford, England, UK
Colombia - Medellin to Bogota

Really enjoyed trip. Excellent group. Great tour staff. We enjoyed Colombia.

Richard Bedal, California, USA
Colombia - Medellin to Bogota

Here is an article I wrote for our Cycling Club Newsletter:

BIKING COLOMBIA One of the first things I learned when preparing for our Colombia bike trip is that the country’s name is spelled and pronounced differently than the Ohio city with a similar name. After looking at the ride profiles provided by our bike touring company, I also quickly learned that the Andes are well represented in Colombia. Another clue that Janet and I were in for some challenging climbs was the 25 mile taxi ride from the airport to our Medellin hotel—the last 10 miles was all downhill, with a grade ranging from 8% to 15%. We were afraid we would be climbing this hill when we left this city surrounded by mountains. Watching the numerous cyclists zoom in and out of traffic and pass our already too fast taxi, on a windy road, did not allay my growing doubts of the wisdom in choosing this bike trip. Fortunately, the first meeting with our guides that evening was calming and made me believe I could do this. Although I was the oldest on this trip, our four cycling companions were not 20 or 30 year olds who I feared would only be seen at breakfast and dinner. Additionally, the guides assured us that the support van would always be available. Our first day of riding was on Sunday in Medellin (pronounced “med-a-gene” by the natives), with a population of 2.5 million. Not to worry. Every Sunday they have a Ciclovia, where they close some major roads to cars from 7am to 1 pm, to encourage physical activity, such as cycling, skateboarding, walking, running, etc. There are over 60 cities throughout Colombia that have a Ciclovia every Sunday. On the second day our guides had us leaving at 7am to avoid the commuter traffic. Apparently unbeknownst to the guides the Medellians are early risers. Although the natives are respectful of cyclists, they do not have a three-foot rule. Our cycling guide got us cleverly through town on some major roads, without any mishaps. Soon after we got out of town we were on rural roads, with little traffic, in the midst of beautiful green mountains and canyons. We stopped to take pictures, and then around the next corner there would be another beautiful view. The pictures I took really don’t do it justice. Besides the scenery, the people and their culture were a delight to embrace. Our guides, being from Colombia, are very proud of their country and enjoyed sharing it with us. We met many people, young and old, and had many enjoyable, memorable experiences. One that stands out occurred in a very small town. I was sitting on a curb with a 10 year-old boy who wanted to practice English. He took out his text book that had pictures of items. I helped with his English pronunciation and he helped me with the Spanish. Perhaps the most memorable is when Janet and I, while cycling, came across a young man who was using a machete to trim the vegetation on a bank next to the road. What first caught our attention was his ladder that was hand made out of bamboo. Janet asked, in Spanish, if we could take his picture. He thought a brief moment and said "Gringos." He wasn't being rude, judgmental or critical, but merely stating a fact. We chatted with him for a while in our meagre Spanish. He then posed and we took this photo. We liked him. He was much like all the Colombians we met—kind, friendly, self-assured, and confident, with a strong work ethic. Oh, lest I forget, bicycling up the hills was very challenging. Twice I had to use the support van. Once, when my blood sugar got too low, I got a ride up part of the way. On the other occasion, Janet and I were so slow bicycling up this long climb (27 miles and 5,800 feet of climbing), with lengthy stretches of gravel, we had to get a ride the last three miles because we were going to miss dinner. However, on another day I was able to complete a 50 mile day, with 7,500 feet of climbing and a 12,000 foot pass, the highest point of our bike trip. If anyone is interested in biking Colombia, I highly recommend Red Spokes Adventure Tours. We also used them when we cycled in Chile and Argentina.

Richard Bedal, California, USA
Colombia - Medellin to Bogota

Here is an article I wrote for our Cycling Club Newsletter:

BIKING COLOMBIA One of the first things I learned when preparing for our Colombia bike trip is that the country’s name is spelled and pronounced differently than the Ohio city with a similar name. After looking at the ride profiles provided by our bike touring company, I also quickly learned that the Andes are well represented in Colombia. Another clue that Janet and I were in for some challenging climbs was the 25 mile taxi ride from the airport to our Medellin hotel—the last 10 miles was all downhill, with a grade ranging from 8% to 15%. We were afraid we would be climbing this hill when we left this city surrounded by mountains. Watching the numerous cyclists zoom in and out of traffic and pass our already too fast taxi, on a windy road, did not allay my growing doubts of the wisdom in choosing this bike trip. Fortunately, the first meeting with our guides that evening was calming and made me believe I could do this. Although I was the oldest on this trip, our four cycling companions were not 20 or 30 year olds who I feared would only be seen at breakfast and dinner. Additionally, the guides assured us that the support van would always be available. Our first day of riding was on Sunday in Medellin (pronounced “med-a-gene” by the natives), with a population of 2.5 million. Not to worry. Every Sunday they have a Ciclovia, where they close some major roads to cars from 7am to 1 pm, to encourage physical activity, such as cycling, skateboarding, walking, running, etc. There are over 60 cities throughout Colombia that have a Ciclovia every Sunday. On the second day our guides had us leaving at 7am to avoid the commuter traffic. Apparently unbeknownst to the guides the Medellians are early risers. Although the natives are respectful of cyclists, they do not have a three-foot rule. Our cycling guide got us cleverly through town on some major roads, without any mishaps. Soon after we got out of town we were on rural roads, with little traffic, in the midst of beautiful green mountains and canyons. We stopped to take pictures, and then around the next corner there would be another beautiful view. The pictures I took really don’t do it justice. Besides the scenery, the people and their culture were a delight to embrace. Our guides, being from Colombia, are very proud of their country and enjoyed sharing it with us. We met many people, young and old, and had many enjoyable, memorable experiences. One that stands out occurred in a very small town. I was sitting on a curb with a 10 year-old boy who wanted to practice English. He took out his text book that had pictures of items. I helped with his English pronunciation and he helped me with the Spanish. Perhaps the most memorable is when Janet and I, while cycling, came across a young man who was using a machete to trim the vegetation on a bank next to the road. What first caught our attention was his ladder that was hand made out of bamboo. Janet asked, in Spanish, if we could take his picture. He thought a brief moment and said "Gringos." He wasn't being rude, judgmental or critical, but merely stating a fact. We chatted with him for a while in our meagre Spanish. He then posed and we took this photo. We liked him. He was much like all the Colombians we met—kind, friendly, self-assured, and confident, with a strong work ethic. Oh, lest I forget, bicycling up the hills was very challenging. Twice I had to use the support van. Once, when my blood sugar got too low, I got a ride up part of the way. On the other occasion, Janet and I were so slow bicycling up this long climb (27 miles and 5,800 feet of climbing), with lengthy stretches of gravel, we had to get a ride the last three miles because we were going to miss dinner. However, on another day I was able to complete a 50 mile day, with 7,500 feet of climbing and a 12,000 foot pass, the highest point of our bike trip. If anyone is interested in biking Colombia, I highly recommend Red Spokes Adventure Tours. We also used them when we cycled in Chile and Argentina.

Ros Lawson, Edinburgh, Scotland
Chile & Argentina

What an amazing trip! Chile, Argentina & the Lake District of Patagonia are so incredibly beautiful and we never tired of the snow-capped mountains and volcanoes and the crystal clear water in the lakes. Our two guides were so friendly and helpful & the trip was run extremely well. We stayed in some gorgeous accommodation and ate in lovely restaurants recommended by the guides. This was my 9th cycle tour (4th with redspokes) and one of my favourite destinations. Learning to speak Spanish is definitely on my agenda!

Ros Lawson, Edinburgh, Scotland
Chile & Argentina

What an amazing trip! Chile, Argentina & the Lake District of Patagonia are so incredibly beautiful and we never tired of the snow-capped mountains and volcanoes and the crystal clear water in the lakes. Our two guides were so friendly and helpful & the trip was run extremely well. We stayed in some gorgeous accommodation and ate in lovely restaurants recommended by the guides. This was my 9th cycle tour (4th with redspokes) and one of my favourite destinations. Learning to speak Spanish is definitely on my agenda!

Cheryl Hyslop, Ottawa, Canada
Colombia - Medellin to Bogota

Another excellent Red Spokes tour! The Colombian people were incredibly warm and welcoming. The scenery and cycling terrain were amazing. We do not have that many shades of green where we live! 

Adrian, Julian, Javier, and Geovanny Jr went above and beyond to make sure that everything went smoothly and that we had opportunities to experience the best of the area. Many thanks for a great trip.

Cheryl Hyslop, Ottawa, Canada
Colombia - Medellin to Bogota

Another excellent Red Spokes tour! The Colombian people were incredibly warm and welcoming. The scenery and cycling terrain were amazing. We do not have that many shades of green where we live! 

Adrian, Julian, Javier, and Geovanny Jr went above and beyond to make sure that everything went smoothly and that we had opportunities to experience the best of the area. Many thanks for a great trip.