A Message to our cycling friends around the world.
We are searching for a successor to operate Cycle Canada tours.
35 Years on the Road:
In 2023 Cycle Canada celebrated 35 years of operating affordable supported bike tours throughout Canada. What began as a group of like-minded people cycling from Vancouver to St. John's in 1988 on Tour du Canada has grown into an expanding list of tours throughout Canada. Since its inception, the cross-Canada dream has evolved into an international community of open minded, co-operative, fun-loving people exploring the vast Canadian landscapes by bicycle – at a human scale.
Cycling Milestones:
In 1993 Tour du Canada founder and Cycle Canada co-owner, Bud Jorgensen, was part of the Tour du Canada ride experience. He was 55 and taking early retirement from a big-city job. Margot Jorgensen, Cycle Canada co-owner, rode her first Tour du Canada in 1994 at the age of 40. Twenty five years later they repeated the TdC together at the ages of 80 and 65. Yes, if you calculated properly that makes them 85 and 70 in 2024. So, after considerable thought they have decided it is time to find successors for Cycle Canada and for Tour du Canada club management.
Rewards of Friendship:
For Bud and Margot it has been a privilege to get to know people of all ages, backgrounds and regions who join Cycle Canada tours and experience the beauty and friendliness of Canada. It is rewarding to see the sense of accomplishment as riders realize goals they have set for themselves. Over the years friendships have developed within the groups and these friendships are a gratifying result of the tours.
Future Leaders:
Over the years Cycle Canada has provided more than 100 young Canadians with work opportunities that allow them to see their country. They take on new and challenging responsibilities and have some fun while doing so. For these young people it has been an unparalleled opportunity to meet others with shared aspirations and diverse life experience.
Pulling us In
Cycle Canada and Tour du Canada have received gracious hospitality from more than 1,000 ports of call along the way – communities, campgrounds, hotels, ferry operators, food suppliers and bike shops. Our needs are never ordinary in an increasingly fast-paced, auto-centric world. Those we dealt with never failed to recognize how special our journeys are and constantly made room for us when there was none.
Tailwinds
An important but not be well known component of our tours is the Tour du Canada Board of Directors. Directors come from the club membership and typically they will be past riders. The Board provides an invaluable guiding hand to the club, a membership based not-for-profit corporation, and to Cycle Canada, a for-profit corporation owned by Bud and Margot.
The Road Ahead
At this time we are reaching out to all in our search for a successor for the Cycle Canada operations. This letter is a brief introduction and we invite questions.
You will find an information letter here: Invitation to Purchase Cycle Canada
or in pdf form here: https://www.cyclecanada.com/PDF/Cycle-Canada-Invitation.pdf .
Please write us at sweep@cyclecanada.com if you have questions.
To our friends, young and old, we thank you for your love of cycling over the years.
Bud and Margot