Just in time for the recent Bike to Work Week, a new bicycle venture was launched in the Comox Valley and Campbell River.

Island Joy Rides, a locally owned and operated bicycle tour company, celebrates the joys of self-propelled travel through the beautiful surroundings in which we live.

鈥淭he North Island鈥檚 economy is changing. For better or for worse, we can no longer define ourselves primarily as resource-based communities, and we are now in the process of evolving into a region in which diversification and sustainability are key. Island Joy Rides is pleased to be part of these changes,鈥� says John Elson, one of Island Joy Rides鈥� partners.

The other locals involved in this venture are Laurel Cronk, Chris Round, and Kim Barry.

Specializing in one-day and multi-day bicycle tours in the Comox Valley, Campbell River and Quadra Island, Island Joy Rides will provide a joyful cycling experience to visitors and residents alike.

Cronk observes, 鈥淢ore and more people are turning to bicycling as an activity that benefits the body, the soul and the planet, and few places are better suited to exploration by bicycle than our special part of the world.鈥�

Island Joy Rides will lead two guided, all-inclusive one-day tours each week in and around the Comox Valley, encompassing the beautiful beaches, pastures and forests to be found here.

Campbell River will also be the site of two tours, including such local treasures as the Spit, the banks of the Campbell River, the Beaver Lodge Lands and, of course, the Rotary Sea Walk.

For those with more time, IJR offers a four-day and four-night trip that takes riders in luxury from Courtenay to Campbell River to Quadra Island and back, via Mitlenatch Island, to Courtenay.

In addition to scheduled trips, Island Joy Rides can create customized cycling experiences for groups of any size

and will provide specialized tours such as 鈥淭he Art of Joy鈥� to coincide with the Quadra Island Studio Tour this Sunday and 鈥淛oy in the Garden鈥� in association with the Campbell River Garden Tour on June 26.

Island Joy Rides maintains a fleet of hybrid bicycles, complete with front suspension and disc brakes, suitable for touring on- or off-road. Its guides are local, experienced, knowledgeable 鈥� and joyful.

To discover more about what Island Joy Rides has to offer, visit www.islandjoyrides.com or call 250-830-8522.

鈥� Island Joy Rides