Ep 10: Jared Fisher is the co-founder of Las Vegas-based Escape Adventures and a true mountain biking pioneer
Escape Adventures has been a staple in the bike tour world of the American West over the last 30 years and we are so lucky to welcome the cofounder of the company, Jared Fisher, to the podcast today! Jared and his team have run amazing and popular tours, traversing iconic routes, while managing three different highly-regarded bike shops too! In short, Escape Adventures is an amazing business that has built a dedicated and growing customer base from their home in Las Vegas, Nevada, and their story is truly surprising and inspiring. Jared and company also conducted some incredible work during 2020, which we hear all about in our chat, and listeners can expect to come away from this episode with a desperate need to head out west as soon as possible! Our guest also opens up about the company culture at Escape, and how this has determined their continued success. A sizeable portion of this episode is spent discussing e-bikes, with Jared believing strongly that this new sector of cycling is an extremely positive thing for everyone, and why we should be embracing these advances with open arms. So for all this and much more from a true legend, join us on the show!
Key Points From This Episode:
The extremely early morning ride that Jared did before this interview!
Early days of Escape Adventures in the '90s and its somewhat surprising roots in Las Vegas.
The story behind Jared's crazy bike! How he ended up with a massive, almost unbreakable frame.
Jared's run for Governor of Nevada; interest in politics and the events that gave rise to this.
How Jared used mountain biking in his campaign and his appeal to younger generations.
The rise in e-bikes and how this figures into the transportation and environmental conversation.
How e-bikes are making it possible for older people and children to go on amazing adventures!
E-bikes and trails; Jared weighs in on the regulation for access.
More benefits of the e-bike revolution: improved riding skills!
The story behind the exciting new Aquarius Trail and Hut System in Southern Utah.
Support and infrastructure on the trail and the media exposure it has been afforded already.
Excitement in the tourism space and bike industry in the wake of the pandemic and closures.
Jared's common recommendations for first-timers looking to take an exciting trip.
Why Moab is still a must for any mountain-biking traveler!
Situating the growth of gravel tours against the popularity of mountains.
The future of Escape Adventures: Jared's hopes for the next thirty years!
Tweetables:
“We used to love to travel around and get paid to do shows and all that good stuff, but ended up in Vegas. Realized getting hurt all the time on the BMX bike was not going to be a sustainable career.” — @EscapeBikeTours [0:08:45]
“My whole goal was to build the best bike shop in the world. That was what I wanted to do.” — @EscapeBikeTours [0:11:00]
“I just don't want to finish in last. As long as I'm in second to last, or better, I'm good. I always rode these big bikes and that's the story behind that bike. I'm sticking to it.” — @EscapeBikeTours [0:16:05]
“E-bikes are changing people's lives for the better. It's also doing us a favor. It's keeping cars off of roads too. That's something I think we all need to applaud.” — @EscapeBikeTours [0:30:41]