A term that never popped into my head until just now, "adventure style" could be an easy way of explaining how RIDE Adventures has evolved over the years.
As an international travel service provider, we've constantly tried to stay-tuned to exactly what our Customers are interested in doing with their vacation time, and how to make the best use of the resources, effort, and risk that you all put into each travel endeavor. In other words, we've always strived to understand what your adventure style is.
RIDE Adventures started by offering Guided Group Motorcycle Tours back in 2010. I was living in Chile and finishing my work with another motorcycle touring company that was shutting down when this small business was born. Back then, it seemed that the only service aspect that other moto-related travel companies were focused on was being your Guide, physically there on tour with you. My own passion for motorcycle travel and getting to know fun people made guiding a natural fit for me; and since 2010, I've gone on to lead some of the most fantastically fun groups of people through some of the most incredible motorcycle routes in Europe, Africa, and South America.
With some success guiding groups over the first few years, and after fielding literally thousands of inquiries about motorcycle trip options, it became clear that a good percentage of riders out there actually prefer to ride alone. Or maybe not "alone," but perhaps with a few friends out there riding the same great routes we've scouted out, but being "self-guided" when riding. - Well, this is exactly how services like our Self-Guided Fly & RIDE motorcycle trip packages were born, and have gone on to thrill so many of you as is evident in the many Customer Testimonials we are so proud of. This was never done with the idea of abandoning the Guided Group Motorcycle Tours, but perhaps it's just in recognition of the "Lone Wolf" spirit of motorcycle travel that led RIDE Adventures to exist in the first place! One sunny, jobless June day back in 2008, I closed the door to my garage and rode away ... only returning 2+ years, about 80,000 miles, and countless incredible life experiences later. The incredible things that have happened to me since then largely remain the motivation to work in the travel business ... hopefully inspiring others to seek new adventure as well.
Even beyond the need to provide such services to Self-Guided motorcycle travelers, we've detected a desire for, and created a solution to the requests of riders who want to be "Self-Guided," but also appreciate the safety and reassurance of having some type of support vehicle or "sag wagon" while out in the very remote territories many of our best routes are running through. For this want, we've created a "hybrid" trip package called the "Self-Guided, Truck Supported Full Patagonia Adventure" package that plays out exactly as the name and that tour page suggest.
As described in this video, riders are embracing that Lone Wolf spirit of adventure travel, out there riding solo if they wish to be; but as part of the Full Patagonia Adventure package, they're part of a "loosely-together-group" that targets the same daily destination where one of our regular lodging establishments awaits them. In this format, riders can choose to ride alone, or with a few others from the group if they wish, mixing it up from day to day however desired. Everyone follows a Road Book and Maps that we provide at the start of the tour, fills their own fuel tanks, buys their own meals, and negotiates the incredible terrain and beauty of Patagonia each day, all the way to Ushuaia, Argentina, at the "End of the World!" Instead of just being out there with bikes and a few basic tools though, one of our Support Truck Guides follows the group each day, carrying everyone's luggage, stopping to help riders if there's a flat tire, etc. and of course acting as an emergency vehicle in the case of such need. By having their 50-70lbs of luggage in the Support Truck instead of on their bikes, our Riders are almost automatically safer when riding, in that a lighter bike typically leads to fewer (or less-severe) crashes. Win-win!
Since we pretty much have all angles of motorcycle travel services covered now, it only seemed inevitable that, on our 7 Year Anniversary, RIDE Adventures announced that ... we now offer 4x4 Adventure Truck packages, too! These incredible routes we've uncovered in the Andes Mountains of South America can now be enjoyed by non-Riders as well. Playing off the aforementioned sentiments about people wanting to be Self-Guided, this option makes it easy for:
a) non-Riders to explore incredible regions of our planet on their own, with hotel packages pre-paid/pre-reserved for them and our expertise in the region at their service, and
b) non-Riders to act as a Support Truck for their friends or family members who want to experience a Self-Guided motorcycle trip. By carrying the luggage of the motorcycle Riders, and being there as a safety back-up in the case of emergency, everyone is safer ... traveling together as friends or family ... again, through the best routes in South America. (Plans are underway to offer such packages in Africa soon, too!)
So again, what's your "adventure style?" Do you prefer to be part of a Guided Group? Self-Guided? Or Self-Guided, but driving your own vehicle, or acting as a Support Truck out there for friends in these vast territories? My point in writing all this is not only to flaunt our service portfolio, but also remind Travelers that "we're all different." It's okay if you prefer to be alone, and you're more than welcome to be a "group" person as well. The commonality between all aspiring travelers is a want, and a desire to see what's out there in exploring our planet, and discovering as I have ... that the world is full of nice, friendly people. Despite media-fueled stereotypes many of us have developed over the years, it's really not as scary out there as one might think.
After all, "the world is a book, and those who do not travel only read one page." - (St. Augustine)
