by Suzanne Zipperer
There are cyclists like Jeff Edenhofer who think nothing of taking a quick morning jaunt up to Port Washington and back. And then there are the rest of us. Eden Excursions bike touring company, recently launched by Jeff and his wife Linda Rosland, is for cyclists who like an unhurried bike ride and a hot tub at the end of the day. Modeled after Vermont Inn bike tours, Eden Excursions offers small group extended weekend tours that average 50 to 60 miles a day and end with enjoying the small towns of eastern Wisconsin. Three tours are planned for this first year of operation: • Kettle Moraine begins in Sheboygan and ends at the Victorian Village Resort in Elkhart Lake. • Kohler/Sheboygan/Cedarburg starts with a night at The Inn on Woodlake in Kohler and ends with bed and breakfast in Cedarburg. • Door County runs along the shore from Sturgeon Bay to Egg Harbor. Groups of 10 to 15 cyclists will meet and have dinner at the starting hotel the night before the ride. Participants then travel at their own pace and are free to stop to see the sights as they please. Linda will drive the “sag wagon” for those who decide the trek is too much for the day and to carry the luggage so cyclists can travel light. She’ll also go ahead and set up snack stops in scenic rest areas. Jeff or Ed Zappen, another Riverwest cyclist who is employed by Wheel and Spocket, will travel along to assist with breakdowns should they occur. Although there are other bicycle tours in the state, Jeff explained, they are usually rough living. “You either camp or sleep in a gym somewhere.” One of the largest rides, the Great Annual Bicycle Adventure Along the Wisconsin River, may have as many as 1,000 riders. The pace is fast as well, allowing little time to stop and enjoy the scenery. “This is more upscale,” Jeff said. Jeff and Linda started marketing their tours last month. Maureen Kane, their neighbor and owner of MMK Design, designed a three panel brochure that Jeff sent out to bike shops in four states through his employer, Olympia Supply Company, a supplier of bike accessories. They’ve also set up a web site. Even though March has us still hunkered down, they’ve had some inquiries and hope to have a good first year. For more information call Eden Excursions at 414/964-5822 or visit www.EdenExcursions.com.