August 15, 2012 (Fonthill, ON) – John Swart, of Fonthill, Ontario, launched 2Wheels 2Adventure, a bicycle touring company providing supported multi-day tours throughout Ontario on Monday. 2Wheels 2Adventure caters to those active and adventurous cyclists who are keen to explore new locales and enjoy occasionally pushing their physical limits. All tours are fully supported with an on-route cycling guide and support van equipped to carry clients and their bicycles, if necessary, and provide snacks, water, and first aid capabilities.
Services and products
Established tours vary in length from weekend getaways to seven day trips; as diverse as a relaxed weekend tour in the beautiful Mennonite counties surrounding Waterloo; a week-long exploration of the English, French, and Scottish culture and quiet roads along the St Lawrence and Ottawa River; or three challenging training-style days among the hills and lakes of the Kawarthas.
2Wheels 2Adventure will create custom tours for clubs and groups of friends seeking to tour anywhere in Ontario, both on-road and off. Company and employer-based outings in single or multiday format can also be designed to achieve a wide variety of client goals including socializing, encouraging physical activity, and entertaining business associates.
“Our job is to understand the client’s needs, do the logistical planning appropriate (best routes, accommodation, meals, entertainment, etc.), and at the end of the day, ensure everyone has a fun, safe, and unique bicycle ride,” says Swart.
Unique will play a large role as 2Wheels 2Adventure evolves. “I’m working on a new tour, all trail and single track, that will cover 500 kilometres in Northern Ontario. Think Samuel de Champlain on a mountain bike,” says Swart. “Then there’s this incredibly fast growing trend of winter cycling with super-fat tired bicycles. Can you imagine the beauty of cycling to Algonquin’s Barron Canyon in January?”
Founder’s background
2Wheels 2Adventure is a natural fit to Swart’s business and cycling background. As a self –employed motorcycle and automobile dealer for 25 years, Swart understands the importance of customer service to business success. After retiring, his enjoyment of cycling for fitness expanded to a love of bicycle touring and cycling advocacy. Swart has independently toured throughout Western Europe, Canada, the United States, and Chile, and enjoyed supported tours in Scotland, Cuba, and the Danube Valley.
“A cyclist travels in a world that a car driver or bus tourist will never experience,” states Swart. “Being out there –exposed to the sights, sounds, and smells at a human pace – provide so much more depth and insight into destinations than the average tourist can achieve. Add in the sense of physical strength and accomplishment, and a tremendous appetite for food and drink at day’s end, and you understand why so many people are attracted to bicycle travel.”
Founding 2Wheels 2Adventure demonstrates the belief Swart has in Ontario and Niagara as a bicycle tourism destination. Recent initiatives by Tourism Ontario to study and promote cycle tourism, and efforts by the Share the Road Cycling Coalition to improve cycling infrastructure and safety in Ontario are helping to attract cyclists to Ontario.
“Cycling is a growing component of many people’s lifestyle, and launching this company will only add to the momentum cycling is gaining,” says Swart.