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We are Lara and Justin Sparhawk.
Our first common passion, 30+ years ago, was cycling. We always had the itch to tour with and by bikes. We had one overnighter camping bike tour many years ago. Then it was a very long time until we finally rode bikes in the Alps as part of a trip to Italy. Those few days confirmed everything we had been anticipating for years. Since then we have been back to ride and tour around in Europe for several versions of tours.
We like to plan our trips as well as we can. We reserve accommodations, we map out the routes we want to ride, we look for highlights along the routes to enhance the experience. In many cases we have found it difficult to find understandable answers to our simple questions. We discovered the lack of simplified information is paralyzing for many people, preventing them from actually following through with a self-guided self-planned bike tour in Europe.
It is our goal to to simplify the logistical complexities of traveling by bike. We want you to have the confidence to get out there, and the peace of mind to truly enjoy travel by the best method in the world, BIKE.
Justin:
I have been obsessed with riding a bicycle for over 40 years. Cycling started, for me, as a mode of transportation to the fishing hole as an early teen. Eventually catching a big ride was more important than catching a big fish!
I did my first tour with my brother when I was 17 years old. He was 14. 1000 miles across Montana, North Dakota, and Minnesota. My first tour with Lara was the year we got married. An overnighter in the Idaho mountains.
My bike obsession has matured from being a mediocre racer, to wannabe ultra distance racer, to spending every last minute wishing I was riding and touring in Europe again. I have found that planning a trip often creates more questions than answers. Many are harder to resolve than others. I love sharing my passion for cycling and travel. Other people’s travels give me almost as much joy as being on my own tour. I get even more excited if I provide some tip or trick that enhances their trip.
Lara:
I’ve been an avid cyclist for most of my adult life. My high school graduation gift was a Specialized Hard Rock mountain bike, which became my primary mode of transportation for the first couple of years at university. It also got me out on some great adventures with Justin, a really cute boy who would later introduce me to distance road riding and even a bit of racing. During our first years of marriage, Justin and I spent as much time as possible on our bikes, exploring the mountain biking trails in Idaho and road riding on Oahu.
Once children entered the picture, cycling changed a lot for me. My bike now served as my commuter, getting me and the kids around our hometown south of Boston. While the cycling was dramatically different from the years before, it still gave me great joy to simply get out for a spin.
As our children grew older and became more independent, I once again found the time for long training rides, and my relationship with bikes shifted dramatically. I began participating in long endurance events and joined several women’s racing teams. I also started working in a local bike shop and became a certified bike fitter, spending the last fifteen years fitting all types of cyclists, from professionals to recreational riders.
After a decade of racing, I retired my race number and traded it for a love of traveling by bike. I’ve had some pretty great adventures, starting right from my backdoor here in Boise. I’ve enjoyed bikepacking the vast gravel roads of Idaho and have even been known to bikepack to our family reunions on the Oregon Coast. As beautiful as the riding is close to home, my heart truly belongs to exploring Europe by bike. When work and family life allow, you’ll find me on a small country road surrounded by vineyards and medieval villages, or taking in the views from the high mountain passes that my cycling heroes conquer in Grand Tour races.
My obsession with bringing my bike to Europe has turned me into a planning and route-setting geek. I dive deep into the little details to make sure our travels include amazing experiences and go as smoothly as possible. I’m excited to share some of the things I’ve learned along the way here on Sparhawk Velo Adventures.
