Teen Treks

Hello! My name is Sam, and I’m from Spokane, Washington. I currently live in New York City with my twin. I like going for long bikes rides along the beach, dancing to disco, and solving puzzles. I travelled around Europe while I studied abroad in college, and I especially loved climbing Switzerland’s stunning mountains and taking in the sunsets at Sweden’s archipelagoes. For the past five years, I’ve worked with kids in informal settings, like at the Museum of Math, after-school programs playing with Minecraft, and through workshops dedicated to urban green spaces and gardening. I advocate for more people of color on bikes and empower women to assert their place in the cycling community. I am looking forward to connecting to the land we ride on and the people we will meet along the journey! See you on the road!

Hey everyone! My name is Emily Upton. Born and raised near Portland, Oregon, my heart will always belong to the Pacific Northwest. Currently, however, I reside in New York City pursuing my lifelong dream of becoming a Broadway performer and loving every minute of that as well! I am overjoyed to join Teen Treks and pursue my other passions of bicycling, camping, traveling, adventuring, and the outdoors. Thanks to my incredible outgoing family (especially my bike fanatic dad) I discovered my love of bicycles at an early age. By college I had expanded that love to the sport of triathlon and competed as a D1 triathlete on the inaugural team. I am proud of the fact that I am a triple threat not only in musical theatre, but also in athletics! As far as indoor activities, I enjoy reading, playing board/card games, and spending time with my wonderful family. I am a believer in all things natural, sustainable, creative, open, and kind. I love trying new things, exploring new places, and meeting new people. This personality trait has led me to some unbelievable travel experiences including exploring Europe through teaching English in Italy, and researching air quality and archeology in Peru. I graduated with a bachelor’s in Musical Theatre and love to play, sing, and imagine. I have been around youth for as long as I can remember, through family, neighbors, and friends and then brought that into my career through theatre, summer camps, and teaching. I am bursting with excitement to experience the magnificent world around us with my new friends peddling beside!

Hi everyone! My name is Martha, I’m from Washington, D.C., and I’m looking forward to going on some fun adventures with an awesome group this summer. I have biked all over the DC-Maryland-Virginia area, as well as West Virginia, Vermont, and a little bit in Spain. I love drawing, reading, hiking, and running in my free time. I have been a lifeguard and a head counselor at a summer camp in southern Maryland for several years, where I encouraged safety, working together, and creating good memories! I cannot wait to hit the road and enjoy this summer while being surrounded by nature and seeing some cool sites!

Our New England bike trips are a hit every summer, and it’s pretty clear why that is. It’s hard to beat island hopping on a bicycle along the beautiful Atlantic shoreline. Teen Treks New England Treks include, Cape Cod, New England Shore and Connecticut to Rhode Island. Learn about these bike adventures and what makes each one special in our new trip feature video, “New England Shore Treks.” To sign up for one of our New England Treks for Summer 2021, visit Teen Treks Trip Table at https://teentreks.org/trips-table/.

Hey all you cool cats and kittens! My name is Tessa. I’m originally from Buffalo, NY, but I’ve lived and worked all over. Traveling is my passion and I’ve been to over 25 countries! When traveling, it’s important to me to try to minimize my environmental impact, and biking is a perfect way to do that! I love all outdoors activities like hiking, camping, kayaking, snowboarding, and of course biking! When stuck inside I like baking, playing games, reading mysteries, and watching comedies. I’ve been working with teens for a handful of years now. I worked as an environmental educator at a teen summer camp in the Adirondack Mountains throughout college. I’ve worked with sustainable agriculture and cultural exchanges with teens in California, Ecuador, and Nicaragua. (Si, hablo Espanol!) In addition to that, I’ve spent two summers leading teen adventure trips in Morocco and Costa Rica. I can’t wait to get on the road (or bike path) and make amazing memories with some adventurous teens. Can’t wait to meet you all!

Updated: July 27, 2021

Thank your for considering Teen Treks Bike Adventures! The Summer 2021 season underway and many of our trips are full! To help families narrow their search, we have listed bike trips that still have availability. Each trip has between 1- 3 spots available. Follow each link to learn more about the individual bike trek. To apply for the following trips, find the online application here. Feel free to contact us with any questions at biketrips@teentreks.com or (716) 566-7908.

Easy Treks:

Cape Cod Trek  (grades 8-10) – Aug 2- 11

What’s up trekkers! My name is Sam and I’m a recent University of Michigan graduate originally from Grand Rapids, MI. I am super stoked to meet you all and spend our summer exploring the world with the best form of transportation: a bike! I’m looking forward to this trip because it will serve as an opportunity for us to learn from one another, expand our biking community, meet people we otherwise wouldn’t, and see places we’ve maybe never been. I’ve been fortunate enough to have seen cosmopolitan wonders like Detroit, Chicago, Milwaukee, NYC, Washington DC, and my favorite place to bike, the SF Bay Area. While I spend much of my free time biking, I also enjoy cooking, reading, drinking coffee, watching films, and enjoying the company of friends and family. I first worked with teens as a day camp counselor, then as a rock climbing instructor, then transitioned to theatre instructor in college where I’ve helped high schoolers discover the power of plays, musicals, improv, and sketch comedy to express themselves and empower their communities. I believe biking can help us accomplish the same things! Getting out on the road with you all will mean freedom, adventure, and new experiences are on the horizon after a long and difficult year living through the pandemic, and that’s why I can’t wait to get started. Excited to ride together and learn all we can from each other this summer!

You’d be hard-pressed to find views better than the California coastline, which is why Teen Treks’ California Coast Trek is hit every summer. From San Fransisco to L.A., this trip was designed to give trekkers the quintessential California experience, with a breathtaking bike route, unlimited beach time, iconic coastal city stops and lots of sunshine!

It’s such a good trip, we want to give future trekkers an up-close look at this west coast dream adventure. On Tuesday, April 27, Teen Treks will host a live Zoom event, Trip Feature: California Coast Trek. The event is at 8PM EST and will provide trip highlights, stories and insights from former trekkers and leaders who have participated in the California Coast Trek.

Teen Treks is currently running a $500 discount on the California Coast Trek. For parents and trekkers still sifting through summer adventures, this event will explore one of Teen Treks’ most popular bike trips with opportunity for Q&A with trip experts.

Join us on Tuesday and be one step closer to cycling through the California coastal sunshine this summer!

Hey y’all! My name is Gabrielle (or I go by Gabby too) and I am coming to you from the Green Mountain State. I live outside of Burlington, Vermont and currently work for their school district as a Speech-Language Pathology Assistant and coach middle school Track and Field. The past five summers I have been directing a summer camp where we teach figure skating lessons, followed by swimming at the beach behind the rink, which I have loved — but I am ready to try something new! I also work part-time for an airline which has provided me with so many amazing traveling opportunities. My favorite places I’ve been able to explore are Norway, Italy, and of course the city famous for cycling — Amsterdam! My favorite outdoor activities are hiking, biking, camping, snowboarding, and trail skating in the winter. But, I also love doing yoga, sitting down with a good book, and crushing my friends at scrabble. I am super hyped to hop on my bike this summer to lead my first trek! I can’t imagine a more perfect way to spend the summer than pedaling away to see some awesome sights with everything I need on my bike, getting to camp out, and doing it all with an awesome group of teen trekkers!

When trekkers and leaders walk away from one of Teen Treks’ long distance treks, they are amazed by a sense of personal accomplishment and for years after they see how overcoming such a great endeavor gives them confidence and empowerment in other areas of their life.

On Tuesday, April 13, Teen Treks is hosting a virtual event, Trip Features: Long Distance Treks, where we will spotlight our two longest bike journeys, the Across America Trek and it’s abbreviated version, the 1,000 Mile Trek. Participants can join the Zoom event at 8PM EST.

Guest speaker and Teen Treks’ team member, Tyler Madell has embarked on these journeys as a trekker and through his personal bike trips. He will discuss what it felt like to be a teenager biking coast to coast, and how this once in a lifetime journey has impacted his life ever since.

Teen Treks’ Across America journey is a 3,800 mile trek from Portland, Oregon to New York City, it takes 56 days to completion. The 1,000 Mile Trek is meant for strong bikers who may not have the time commitment of an across U.S. trip but still want a challenge. The 25-day trip starts in Chicago, traveling through the Midwest to the Northeast, ending in Manhattan.

There is still time to register for these epic adventures for Summer 2021. Right now, trekkers can take advantage of a $500 discount on Across America and 1,000 Mile Treks! It will change teen’s life for the better, we see it happen all the time!