About Velopura
Live to ride, ride to live
After 25 years of pedaling around the globe, we feel these are some of the best places to bike – right now. Not the best places to cycle ever, we all have nostalgia for places that were wonderful to ride at one time such as the coast of Yugoslavia or Turkey, where for a few years a combination of gracious people, fascinating culture, sublime landscapes, and delicious cuisine all coalesced magnificently. Our trips do include a few classic places, and should be ridden at least once, such as Northern California’s redwoods or the Dolomiti, and some places that are in a special moment in time, such as Baja and Northern Laos, where there are now new roads and hotels, where none existed before.
A Long History
Good Morning Vietnam!
In 1993 the opening by the government lead us into Vietnam, where our early trips as VeloAsia were popular with returning Veterans and then foodies eating and cooking there way through the country on our popular Iron Chef Vietnam trips. Since then we’ve organized hundreds of original and unique trips, for what many of our past travelers have said, were the adventures of a lifetime
Other frontiers — Cambodia, Laos, Sumatra & Myanmar
Turkey — Cradle of Civilization
For a few special years, cyclists on our trips enjoyed a tranquil route along the azure waters of the Turkish coast, legendary Turkish hospitality, incredible cuisine (easily the world’s most underrated), and picturesque rugged mountains, blue waters, astonishing ruins (below at Priene) and warm humid hammams (traditional baths) to remedy sore muscles. In Turkey we learned great places to ride might not and usually don’t last, enjoy them while you can.
Classic Europe — Alps, Pyrenees & Dolomites
They may not be as adventurous, but the classic ranges of Europe feature the most sublime riding in the world, each with distinct landscapes and cultures, and should be ridden at least once (below, the most beautiful cycling routes in the world, the Dolomites).
New Frontiers — Colombia & Baja
Our newer destinations have quietly become the best places to bike, including Baja’s off-the-grid sublime desert and coastal landscapes and Colombia’s verdant coffee valleys, vibrant cycling culture, thanks to a native recent Tour de France winner, and legendary climbs.
The VeloPura Team
Willard Ford
Willard began racing as junior in Los Angeles before co-founding VeloAsia in the early 90s, organizing the first cycling trips in Vietnam. Willard has coached Olympic and U.S. National champion riders as well as organizing several competitive cycling teams. Over the last three decades he has also founded and managed gyms focused on strength, conditioning, and martial arts and now runs the legendary Strong Sports Gym. In his spare time, Willard tricks out new and vintage bikes, mostly Landsharks, under his brand www.thesuperfred.com. Favorite trips? Mexico and Vietnam—always and forever. The people, the food, and the landscapes.
Le Van Sinh
A former engineer, Sinh single-handedly jump-started Vietnam’s tourist industry in 1990, establishing the seminal and now legendary Sinh Café, which arranged trips for tens of thousands of the first travelers through newly-opened Vietnam. Sinh also served as researcher and cartographer for Lonely Planet. Based in Saigon, Sinh has lead cycling trips throughout the region for over 20 years and enjoys down time tinkering on his collection of bikes. He also organizes trips through his native Mekong Delta via the adventure outfit Sinhbalo.
Patrick Morris
After starting VeloAsia and moving to Saigon Patrick organized and lead the first bicycle trips through Vietnam, and later Cambodia, Myanmar, Turkey, and Laos. Patrick has worked with the USTDA and USAID, serving on development projects throughout the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America. More recently, he worked with Tour de France champ Tadej Pogačar and his coach, Dr. Inigo San Millan with starting their cancer research foundation (pogacar.org) Off the bike, Patrick is Chief Experience Officer for the Indochina Travel Company.