5 Questions for Peace of Mind Guaranteed (POMG) Bike Tour Founder

I love to bike in the fall. Just last weekend, I spent a day in Vermont, and from atop my bike, from one rolling hill to another, I saw real life versions of Sabra Field’s prints. Imagine spending a couple days or more biking through Vermont, with overnight stays at lovely inns. Richard First, founder of POMG Bike Tours, shares this experience with guests each fall. His company has received impressive accolades from Men’s Journal and Bicycling Magazine. Richard loves to bike. When he was 14, his father gave him a used rebuilt bike and he’s been cranking his pedals ever since. He’s biked in the Northeast, Pacific Northwest, California, Europe, and Vermont. He’s found some time to fit in other life experience too. Since graduating from college, he’s worked for different bike touring companies, and for the Vermont Youth Conservation Corps, and he’s done development and special events work. As Director of Fundraising and Recruitment for Boston City Year, he helped to raise over $1.4 million and recruit 22,000 participants. Not too shabby. 16 years ago he founded Peace of Mind Guaranteed (POMG) Bike Tours. The company uses an old family slogan. His grandfather originated the POMG slogan for his iconic Hartford, Connecticut, jewelry store founded in 1919. For more information about POMG Bike Tours, visit: www.pomgbike.com5 Questions for Richard FirstQ: Where’s your favorite area to ride during the fall foliage season in Vermont? A: During fall foliage season, which typically lasts four or five weeks in Vermont, my viewing strategy is to ride from north to south so I can see different phases of color change. On our six day “Cycle Vermont” Tour, cyclists ride 300 to 400 plus miles from the Champlain Islands to the Northeast Kingdom to Woodstock and the Mad River Valley, which is a good way to sample the varying phases of foliage in Vermont. Q: What is the best compliment you ever received about your bike tour? A: The best compliment is when a customer returns for another tour and thankfully they do often! Here is a sample of one the hundreds of letters we’ve received over the years from alumni customers: “As always we had a wonderful time exploring Vermont by bike. The inns were great, the food was outstanding, the innkeepers were very welcoming and a pleasure to visit with. We look forward to coming back again next year. You run a very organized and well supported bike tour – the service and hospitality keep us coming back to explore more of your friendly, beautiful green mountain state.” Larry & Kelli O. – TexasQ: What is the funniest thing that ever happened on your bike tour? A: We have fun every day on our tours. It’s one of POMG’s founding principles: safety, customer service and fun. Just recently I was driving the support van in Burlington on a tour and in a densely populated area. A moose suddenly appeared and ran next to the van and then across the street in front of the van (see picture). The greatest delight for me on tour is watching our guests unwind and rediscover their youthful joy of riding a bike. Q: What’s the average age and fitness level of the people who take a POMG bike tour? A: The average age range is between 35 and 65 and the fitness level is quite variable from energetic beginner to experienced hard core cyclist. The beauty of POMG Bike Tours of Vermont is that guests always ride at their own pace and choose from several mileage options each day making it the perfect active vacation for a couple, family, or friends of varying abilities. Q: When you were a little kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? A: It depended on the season. In winter, I wanted to be a professional hockey player for the Boston Bruins. In the summer I wanted to play for the Red Sox, of course!