The Best in the Business!

Gracious, engaging, and intelligent, Sojourn's expert team of experienced bike tour leaders are one of the reasons guests return to travel with us time and time again.  Anyone who has ever been on a guided tour knows that the leaders make or break the vacation.

The friendly and seasoned professionals of Sojourn bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to their roles, and come from all walks of life. Their sense of humor, interpersonal skills, and joy of life make them exceptional travel companions.  They truly enjoy ensuring that your vacation one that you'll cherish forever.

"The leaders were amazing. We've adopted them for life!  They were always a joy to be around. Very informative and went out of their way to make everyone on our tour completely happy.  And, they were just plain FUN!!!"  Cheryl & Michael Torrey

Cynthia "Cy” Pugh
An eclectic free spirit, Cy approaches life and leading with enthusiasm, passion, and humor. Whether it be reciting an impromptu poem or enlightening her charges on a region's hidden wonder, Cy's natural creativity and zest for life will add spice to any bicycling vacation. She exudes a contagious passion for exploring beautiful places from the seat of a bicycle, and her fun loving, free spirited nature bring adventure and laughter to each trip she leads. A legend in bicycle tour circles, Cy is our most veteran tour leader and brings her unique perspective and experience to every trip. If you have the pleasure of being on one of her tours, your life will be forever changed!

Kurt Hill(aka Texas Slim)
Previously on the short list to be cloned, Kurt was recently banned from the list when it was discovered that he IS a clone. Originally destined to be a clone of Yul Brenner (as Sabata), things went horribly wrong when the DNA of the Energizer Bunny and Jim Nabors (as Gomer Pyle) were accidentally included. His soul is nourished at Rancho de la Osa where we stay during our Arizona tour. "There’s a peace and solitude like nowhere else. Mix in some horseback ridin' and line dancin' and y'all got yourselves a real good time - more fun than noodlin' catfish on a warm summer’s night!” Kurt is a lively storyteller and you'll find the energy and enthusiasm of this former engineer to be quite infectious.

Rob Broadfoot
A lifelong coach and educator, Rob loves sharing the joys of exploring by bicycle with our guests. His knowledge of and passion for cycling is remarkable, and he comes alive when sharing this enthusiasm with others. Rob has a gentle and compassionate demeanor, and is also an engaging conversationalist with a background in history. He is also a sports fanatic. His favorite ride is anything that climbs, like up the winding road to the top of Whiteface Mountain near Lake Placid where he lives so be alert to where he leads you while carrying on conversation with him on your bicycle! Rob loves leading in Oregon near where he coached skiing on Mount Hood for many summers.

Mark Weinberg
This personable former educator and school administrator hails from Montreal and exudes a true passion for his Canadian heritage. Although retired from the education world, he continues to teach and tutor young actors between their professional endeavors. We think Mark might have some Energizer Bunny DNA in him too; two years ago he cycled across Canada to raise funds for pediatric oncology units across the country. A passionate cyclist and Canadian history buff, Mark’s educational background drives him to share his knowledge and engage in conversation. He will keep you enthralled as he makes Canadian history come alive. Keep one eye out for his practical jokes or he’s sure to catch you at some point during the trip!

Phoebe Kittredge
Kind, thoughtful, and friendly, Phoebe is a bundle of energy. Hailing from the Green Mountains of Vermont, Phoebe's wilderness adventures began at a young age. After studying Anthropology and Environmental Studies at Skidmore, she led trips through the back-country of Alaska, British Columbia, and California. There she cultivated her love of helping others experience the joys of the outdoors. When not leading bicycle tours, Phoebe can be found running through the woods, swimming in Lake Champlain, or seeking balance in a hot yoga studio. One of her favorite aspects of bicycle touring in Vermont is that Vermont’s farm to table way of life is showcased throughout our tour. Ask her for suggestions for pairing a great wine with some local Vermont cheese – mmm!

Luke Krisch
An amazing cyclist, inveterate foodie, musician, writer, and all around great guy, Luke is the fellow every mom hopes her daughter will bring home for dinner. He genuinely enjoys sharing his love of cycling and the outdoor world, and his degree in fisheries biology frequently comes in handy on tour. Having raced road bikes in both the US and overseas, Luke’s cycling involvement has taken him all over the world. He now splits time between his homes in San Francisco and Vermont, and loves taking long bike rides and walks in both locations. One of his favorite Sojourn trips is in Acadia National Park where, as he says, "The fog rolls in from the sea at any time of day whether in Bar Harbor or in the woods, the eeriness of its sneaky presence is straight from a fairytale.”

Joshua Poppel(aka Junior Ranger)
Joshua brings a wealth of experience to leading bicycle tours. He feeds off of individual personal connections and has an uncanny ability to discern the needs of each of our guests. His charismatic personality, good humor, intelligence, and attention to detail make him a fabulous travel companion. He is a passionate cyclist and bicycling advocate who, when not leading trips, puts his advanced degree to work as an international bicycling and pedestrian planning consultant. He brings his love of cycling, travel, foreign languages, and meeting new people to each group he leads. Joshua is a self-proclaimed connoisseur of crème brûlée, tiramisù and other tempting sweets from around the world (wicked sweet tooth, this one!).

Leigh Mallory
Following three decades of work as a secondary school educator and administrator, Leigh has chosen to work with older pupils (adults!) who enjoy the camaraderie, adventure, and fun that typify Sojourn vacations. Not only do our guests feed off of Leigh’s energy and enthusiasm, fellow leader Luke Krisch says that "Working with Leigh is a real treat. His almost childlike enthusiasm is a breath of fresh air.” Leigh’s engaging personality and friendly manner put people at ease immediately and he is a natural group leader. He loves haring the beauty of his home state of Vermont with our guests yet notes that "Every trip I have led is unique and unforgettable, but despite all the beauty that surrounds me on each trip, it is the guests who make it all so enjoyable and memorable.”

Wayne Lawrence(aka Wayne Deer)
Most people look at Wayne with envy as he is truly living the dream. Despite holding advanced degrees in education, he spends his winters teaching skiing at one of the world’s top ranked resorts (Deer Valley) and the rest of the year leading bicycling vacations. The transition between the two is seamless for him as both Deer Valley and Sojourn feature high levels of service and attention to detail. Several years ago, Wayne led a group of young people on a Voter Trek ride across the US to register voters in hundreds of locations. Wayne goes above and beyond to ensure our guests have a fabulous experience during their vacation. He also manages to get in some 6000 miles a season on his bike and welcomes early risers on tour to join him on his before breakfast rides – often up his favorite Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park!

Barb Lougee(aka Bluebonnet)
As a former collegiate coach and administrator, Barb is a natural tour leader. Her easy smile, engaging personality, and sense of humor shine at all times. As a strong cyclist who also spent years as a spinning instructor, she offers motivational good humor to make those hills seem trivial. Barb is a perpetual optimist and her enthusiasm and genuine enjoyment of people make her a tour favorite. She is excited about sharing her passion for exploring the small towns and country roads of her native Vermont with our guests. Barb also specializes in leading custom trips for organizations interested in team-building and incentive travel trips.

"Absolutely fabulous tour leaders. They were courteous, supportive, untiring,
thoughtful, and loads of fun. And, they interacted with each person on the tour in a
personal way. They could not possibly have been any better."

James Schauble