I am an experienced international adventure rider with my own bike, a KTM 890 ADV R. After undertaking the Trans America Trail in 2022 with 3 friends I was looking for a tour with more support and safety focus. Last year my ride was very tough, often finding it difficult to get good food and good accommodation. I had continual concerns about safety as I was riding with people who were quite reckless at times. After an online search I soon settled on Moto Trails USA because I formed a view the business owners had the right credentials to deliver what I was looking for. This assessment turned out to be accurate. Now that I have finished the CD ride a summary of my experience is as follows:
- The landscape and scenery is amazing from beginning to end. I am a forestry scientist so had great interest in the forest communities and landscapes. Most of the ride was at elevations above 5,000’ often through beautiful pine, spruce and aspen forest with lots of wildlife.
- Both Stefan and Emma are highly experienced, remarkable hosts. Both understate their CV’s in promotional material, so I did not fully understand just how capable they were until a couple of days into the ride. At all time I felt well looked after and confident that if anything went wrong, there were capable hands nearby. Their focus on GPS tracking of all riders, safety stops and attention to detail in morning briefings left me confident that we were well looked after.
- The accommodation was always the best available in each town. It was always meticulously organised to the extent you would ride up to your room each day and find Emma allocating keys, if they weren’t already in the door. Most accommodation had a pool and hot tub which I used almost every day.
- Food was well organised with lunch either in a good café or supplied by Emma from her pickup truck at a great location, often on a lake. Lunch was always great quality non-fattening food.
- Often swapped bikes with Stefan and other riders and formed a view the Yamaha T700 are a great bike and ideal for the tour. Stefan runs mousse in all bikes which negates and chance of punctures.
My experience with the CD ride far exceeded my expectations principally because of the quality of the customer service delivered by the hosts. I have no hesitation in recommending this company for those who want a supported ADV ride. I certainly will be a repeat customer next year for BDR rides.