*** FRIDAY FRIENDLY TOUR COMPANIES ***

WHAT DO YOU DO TO BECOME A FRIDAY FRIENDLY TOUR COMPANY?

A Friday Friendly listing is a valuable asset to your business, given the high readership of our site, the Friday Friendly link on the Bike Friday homepage, newsletters and monthly travel story emails, and listing of qualifying events in our calendar - just for being part of the fold. While we don't bear any responsibility for the way you operate your tours, we are particular about who we list, to ensure we're all on the same page when it comes to "exceptional customer experience."

If you'd like to be considered for listing, please read the following requirements. If you qualify, send the information requested to BF Customer Evangelist and Friday Friendly co-ordinator, Lynette Chiang, lynettec@bikefriday.com:

• You must own and ride a Bike Friday (see special incentive below), run an active bike tour company, give great service to your customers and welcome Bike Friday owners with their Bike Fridays on your tours. We would like you to personally ride your Bike Friday on your tours, it proves the bike does the job. If your tours require bike rental and don't allow customers to ride their Bike Fridays, sorry, your company does not qualify.

• HOW WOULD A BIKE FRIDAY TRANSFORM MY TOURING BUSINESS?

Bike Fridays are easier to manage on tour - because the bikes themselves are much easier to deal with in the following ways:

1. Custom fit means owners rarely complain of comfort issues - that is all taken care of before their tour
2. Standard parts, standard mechanics
3. Smaller footprint of the bikes - easier to stow, can be folded and transported in a vehicle if necessary due to rider illness/fatigue
4. Easier to carry to and from hotel room
5. Easier to get to/from the start/finish of the tour
6. Usually no roof rack is required.
7. All this adds up to happier campers.

• SPECIAL INCENTIVE TO JOIN THE FOLD:  You welcome Bike Fridays on your tours, but you don't yet own one yourself? We will offer you a one-time discount of 20% off your first Bike Friday in order for you to become a Friday Friendly Tour Company.

You now qualify? Then email us ... 

• A succinct paragraph detailing who you are, what you offer, the Bike Friday(s) you own, how you use it on your tours, your experience. In short, a concise bio of yourself, your relation to Bike Friday, and what you offer. See the entries on the following pages as a guide.

• A picture of yourself or your clients on a Bike Friday, ideally on tour.

• A link to a story from someone (yourself, client, or BF staff member) who has taken one of your tours on a Bike Friday. Here is an example. Here's another. Proof that you really are a Friday friendly tour company is important here.

In return for listing, we ask the following:

• Please include the above Friday Friendly graphic on your site. You can take it from this page.
  

• Link it to http://www.bikefriday.com

• Include us in your 'What Bike Shall I Bring'? section, if you have one. Here's an example.
  

We believe that by mentioning Bike Friday and yes, even other travel bicycle alternatives (S&S coupler bikes, other folding bikes) under the 'What bike shall I bring?' section of your website and literature, you are providing a good service to your customers. Countless people have been "turned off" bicycle touring for life after one experience of exorbitant airline charges, dealing with bike boxing, or ill-fitting rental bikes. So do everyone a favor and let people know about the alternatives. 

Another plus for folding bikes: As cyclists age, regular bikes become harder to ride. The average age of a Bike Friday owner is 55 and above, some well into their 80s. These cyclists have the time and resources to afford your tours. Let them know of their options, no matter what bike they ultimately choose - they'll appreciate it.

DISCLAIMER

Bike Friday make no guarantees as to the quality of these tours, but we understand that the mere act of listing them on our site implies our recommendation. In order to be listed, a tour company must convince us that Bike Friday owners will be treated with the same care that we offer. Here's what we mean.