Teen Treks

Summer bike tours for teenagers that promote personal growth, adventure, and fun through biking and hostelling

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Buying Gear for a Teen Treks Trip

Across the country, there are local and community bike shops that are able to give advice and help supply teens with the gear they need to have a safe and enjoyable Teen Trek this 2015 summer. A few of the products we require and recommend are:

a bike! panniers helmet u-lock lights pump tools water bottles clothing rear rack

other personal trip items 

After registering for a trip, we provide you with the materials necessary to gear up for a trip. If you have any questions about gear, bike parts, or suggestions for a bike shop in your area, contact the office at [email protected] or call us at 716.566.7908. 

Stay up to date with gear and trip news at our social media sites: http://ift.tt/1FH1aXR http://ift.tt/1HFHX60

http://ift.tt/1FH1aXV

  via Blogspot http://ift.tt/1HFHVex

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Meet Our New Program Coordinator for 2015!

Meet Abbie, our Teen Treks Program Coordinator for 2015! She likes her cat, coffee, and organizing things. If you have questions about 2015 trips, what a day in the life of a trekker looks like, or how to prepare for a trek, call Abbie at 716.566.7908 or email her at [email protected]!

via Blogspot http://ift.tt/1xdIsEh

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Getting Into "High Gear" for Summer 2015!

Before heading out on trips, make sure you're being safe!

We're so excited for our 2015 Teen Treks bike trips, and can't wait to fill this up with photos!

via Blogspot http://ift.tt/1C5fJ3r

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2014: Another Great Summer of Biking!

We're closing out another fantastic season!  This summer, our Treks brought together kids from all over the US, plus Europe and Asia, for biking adventures they'll never forget.  They visited lively cities and small towns --

 -- and got out in lots of wide-open spaces:

They camped out together,

cooked out together,

learned how to fix their own bikes out on the road,

devoured gallon after gallon of ice cream,

and made lots of close friendships:

They hiked and biked through stunning wilderness spots --

 -- and breezy beaches,

stopping along the way to learn about local history,

pick up lunch goodies at farms,

get off their bikes and out on the water,

and check out museums, art, comedy shows, music festivals, thrift shops, and pretty much everything else they could pack into each day.  They biked hundreds of miles together, up hills and down them, on bright, sunny days and through the rain.  Not a lot of kids can say they've accomplished these kinds of things, but every one of our Trekkers can! We'll post our 2015 trip schedule later this year, so you can start planning your Trek for next summer.  See you then! via Blogspot http://ift.tt/1vnGqw2

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Maine Coast Trekkers Complete 400+ Mile Adventure

Waiting for bus from Bangor to Boston

After the early bakery stop we enjoyed beautiful hills with little traffic, picniced along the Penobscot River and visited the Cole Land Transportation Museum before checking into our Bangor hotel. Mixed berry pie for lunch and blueberry crumble before dinner (while waiting for our Chinese takeout) were presentable and tasty after 25 and 30 miles, respectively.

Last Meal Together

via Blogspot http://ift.tt/1qg73yy

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Maine Coast Trek Heads Back South

A rainy morning got the Maine Coast Trekkers on the road early to say goodbye to beautiful Acadia National Park yesterday.  They biked 26 miles before lunch, the group's top early mileage for the entire trip.  They found lunch at the biggest Walmart any of them had ever seen and did a little window-shopping for guns to introduce Samuel, a Trekker who hails from France, to that aspect of American culture.  They had lots of time to swim and take some long, hot showers when they got to their campsite and pulled out the stops for their last night cooking together to make "some crazy creative Sloppy Joes."

Today, they're biking down to Bangor -- with stops along the way for back rubs and baked goods.  One more night, and then the Trekkers will meet up with their families to start sharing stories of their biking adventure! via Blogspot http://ift.tt/1vRK0CC

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Maine Coast Trekkers Enjoying 3 Days in Acadia National Park

      Laundry and exploring Bar Harbor, picnic and hacky sac on village green, swimming at sand beach. pizza for dinner, ImprovAcadia.  24 hours without biking... but we're hoping for good sunrise weather because everyone's ready to bike Mt. Cadillac before sunrise.  Then breakfast burritos back at Blackwood Campground.

       No internet and no phone service puts leaders in the same tech free environment... We're getting into using maps and asking strangers about what to do in the park.

via Blogspot http://ift.tt/Y5Y8sN

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Maine Coast Trek Reaches Acadia National Park

Today, the Maine Coast Trekkers are headed for Blackwoods Campground, where they'll stay for three nights, hiking through beautiful Acadia National Park. They've had a mostly smooth ride, with only minor stops for repairs.  Here, the Trekkers are getting a lesson on how to oil a chain from leader Andy:

After their interlude in Acadia, the group has only a couple more biking days before it'll be time to head back to Boston, where their journey began. via Blogspot http://ift.tt/1svBqY0

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New England Shore Trek's Last Day

 The New England Shore group closed out its Trek with loads of sun and sand!  They went swimming in the ocean, buried each other in the sand, ate lunch on the beach, and of course. . .

They biked!  They put a total of more than 330 miles behind them on this trip -- quite an accomplishment!  Today, they're reuniting with their parents, some in Boston and some in NYC, to tell them all about their adventure.  

It sounds like everyone had a fantastic trip.  Enjoy the last bit of your summer, New England Shore crew, and keep biking! via Blogspot http://ift.tt/1B9GeEQ

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Lake Ontario Trek Completes 600+ Mile Journey

The Lake Ontario Trekkers made it back to Buffalo, NY, where they started 20 days earlier completing their 600+ mile adventure.  They spent their last night in the posh Adams Mark Hotel in downtown Buffalo and yesterday had a lazy morning including brunch at Betty's Restaurant of 'breakfast buritos', french toast, and steak and eggs.  The days highlight (no pun intended) was the observation deck of Buffalo City Hall overlooking the city, Lake Erie, and even the mist of Niagara Falls. Goodbyes are always difficult but many of the kids say they will return to Teen Treks to ride once again. via Blogspot http://ift.tt/1nCP0Rt

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Maine Coast Trekkers Cycle North Towards Acadia

Yesterday was our longest and (hopefully hilliest) day of the trip. We visited Bowdoin College in the morning, had a rainy lunch on a family homestead and rode into a concert at Puddle campground. Serenaded by the jam band (Grateful Dead, Pink Floyd, The Who) we cooked up and ate pesto chicken with rice and veggies.

via Blogspot http://ift.tt/1olv4bJ

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New England Shore Trek Knocks Out Another 25 Miles

Riding from Sandwich to Brewster, the New England Shore Trek had a speedy day.  They stopped at a consignment shop along the way to look for trinkets -- apparently this one was mostly furniture, but this group has been finding neat thrift stores and local junk shops all along the shore.  They had a shady lunch and a smooth ride into Brewster along a bike path. Today, they're heading to Provincetown for their last two nights camping out! via Blogspot http://ift.tt/1ox1xWP

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Maine Coast Trek Arrives in Portland

The Maine Coast Trekkers have been enjoying Portland (and the air-conditioned hotel rooms they're staying in).  On their way there, they discovered an "awe-inspiring" candy store and had pastries and coffee at a cafe called Mornings in Paris.  They coasted the rest of the way into town, aided by a great tailwind. They've been exploring the city, admiring the architecture, and checking out restaurants downtown.  Next, they'll head on up the coast to Freeport. via Blogspot http://ift.tt/1sdvFxY

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Close to Home for the Lake Ontario Trek

Since they got an early start, the Lake Ontario Trekkers decided to bike through Middleport and camp at Lockport tonight.  They did make a stop at Middleport, for ice cream and air conditioning.  The owner of the cafe where they took their break gave them a watermelon on their way out, too. They're enjoying their last day on the Erie Canalway Trail and their last night of camping.  For dinner, they have quesadillas planned! via Blogspot http://ift.tt/XESCxe

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New England Shore Trek Bikes Toward Boston

On the road!  The New England Shore Trekkers are making good time on a breezy, 30-mile ride from Assonet to Sandwich, MA.  Just a few more days' riding until they reach Boston! via Blogspot http://ift.tt/V2dkoS

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Lake Ontario Trek Bikes the Erie Canal Trailway

The Lake Ontario Trekkers started their day early with a stop at a bike shop for inspections.  Little did they know, there was a glass-blowing studio next door!  The group had lunch outside and then spent a good chunk of their afternoon being mesmerized by the glowing fire and beautiful pieces of colored glass. They headed on to the Erie Canal Trailway -- a bikers' paradise along the peaceful canal, without any cars at all.  Kiran treated everyone to delicious pulled BBQ chicken sandwiches, thanks to his excellent camping-culinary skills, which they enjoyed at their own private campground along the trail.

Everyone's eager for more time on the trail before hitting Buffalo on Friday.  Their journey is almost complete! via Blogspot http://ift.tt/1unsWjw

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Lake Ontario Trek Enjoys Upstate New York

After a lot of steep hills in the past couple days, the Lake Ontario Trekkers were happy to have only rolling hills in front of them this morning.  Bicycling along Lake Road was a particularly lovely treat, and the group found a fantastic grocery store right along their route.

A few miles down the road, they found a beautiful park by the lake, where they had lunch in a picnic pavilion and enjoyed some time on the swings. From their campsite at Canalway Park tonight, this group has less than 70 miles left before they will have biked all the way around Lake Ontario -- definitely in the home stretch! via Blogspot http://ift.tt/1ocLwtZ