Tyler Pearce, AKA the Vegan Cyclist, is on a mission. Well, he’s on all sorts of missions. Earlier this year, his mission was to ride from Canada to Mexico in 9 days. A solo trek that became a beautiful communal experience where people who followed his ride would show up along the route to feed him or ride support with him. A crazy adventure that built community. As the owner/operator of VC Adventures, Tyler’s mission is to offer a different sort of guide experiences. He curates one-on-one cycling adventures that can be as intense as the client wants. Maybe not the 9 -day, 13-hour, and 15-minute sort of intensity of the Can>Mex ride, but something just as spectacular.
When Life Gives You Lemons, Ride a Bike
When faced with a global pandemic, John Wintersteen decided to control what he could control and took up a new sport. This Cincinnati , Ohio-native didn’t just start riding casually, he fell in love with it, and cycling has become enough of a passion pursuit that his wife treated him to a trip with Tyler for his birthday. She’s going to have a hard time topping this particular present in the years to come.
More Than A Guide
When Tyler launched VC Adventures, he committed himself to being “more than a guide.” Offering one-on-one rides, he “caters the experiences” to the client’s ride ability, cultural interests, and more. “From the moment my client arrives, I create an experience that puts them at the center of it all,” Tyler says. “From the routes, obviously, to the food, to the sights, to the photos and videos, and definitely to the conversations. I love getting to know my clients and sharing our passion for riding together.” And the gear? For Tyler, the gear is key. “Part of putting the client at the center of the experience is making sure the client is prepared for anything—that means having the right gear. It empowers them to push themselves and take risks because it’s about confidence.” Enter the Cache_Seven gear list. “It’s such an easy way for me to share the products I trust.”
Ride as much or as little, as long or as short as you feel. But ride.
The Riding
Tyler crafted a Big Sur experience for John on, primarily, gravel bikes. For John, the cycling pushed his limits and increased his comfort on gravel. He also logged more miles riding the open road, improving his overall cycling skills. “We were riding some pretty epic downhills along the Pacific Coast Highway, and it helped to follow Tyler’s line down the twistier bits. I could push my speed and improved my overall handling. Tyler’s guidance made me feel a lot more comfortable and safe.”
About the weekend Tyler says, ” John hired me to put together the perfect weekend on bikes. Weather in my area turned cold so we pivoted to my home away from home, Cayucos. I take the guide thing super serious and try to provide much more than a very classy mustache and weak vegan excuses. I picked John up from the airport, secured a house in Cayucos right on the beach, got hella snacks, cooked breakfast and dinner, and obviously put together a rad route.”
Overall, the ride was three days and totaled over 170 miles of prime California riding. Day one—all 8 hours and 46 minutes of it— was mostly along the coast. Tyler described Day 1 of 3 is “the NUMBER 1 bike experience available in the country at the moment, a closed Hwy 1.”
Day two took an interior turn, and covered 64 miles. Tyler not only wants to introduce his clients to epic rides, but he also wants to show them the character of the towns and the sights along the way. It’s not just about pushing the pedals, it’s about reveling in the moment. Tyler says about Day 2, “We took a little dip inland before getting lunch in Cambria, eating that at Ragged Point, and then vibing with perfect weather and a tailwind all the way home.” Sign us up! Day three was a mellow, take-it-as-it-comes experience—a trip cool-down, if you will.
