Who We Are
Hi, I'm Karen Graham,
co-owner of Charleston Bicycle Tours. Growing up in Washington D.C. I spent many hours riding my bicycle with neighbor-friends through many beautiful neighborhoods.
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I met Alex, who owned two restaurants, and after we married, we opened a third. Alex participated in Triathlons and we both started biking with a group in Charleston, participating in several charity rides. We rode 360 miles across Georgia, over six days, camping along the way. Afterwards, we both looked at each other, smiled, and said, "We're cyclists." The most fun has been meeting and getting to know so many wonderful, active people with our family-owned business.
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“Let me tell you what I think of bicycling. I think it has done more to emancipate women than anything else in the world. It gives women a feeling of freedom and self-reliance.” Susan B. Anthony
Hi, I'm Alex, Karen's husband,
a native South Carolinian, one of my favorite childhood bicycle memories, was a cycling club for boys in my neighborhood that I started and named the Flying Squirrels.
Fast forward, after college while traveling and living in a VW bus, I passed a touring group of cyclists in Belgium riding in a single line and did a double-take! I'd never seen this in the U.S., plus they seemed to be having more fun than I was in my bus! Later, when I thought of starting a bicycle tour company, we began dreaming of what would be the very best tour we'd want to go on, and Charleston Bicycle Tours was born.
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We love cycling, with others in the outdoors, good food, fine accommodations, and just having fun.
My favorite bicycle quote is, “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving." Albert Einstein
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What We Do
Best Local Cuisine
“Charleston combines a sophisticated elegance with a laid back style…and its cuisine is no exception.” Food Arts magazine, June 2010.
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One of the most pleasurable ways to get to know an area is through their delicious local cuisine. Our choice of restaurants includes regional favorites, those serving the best seafood, both Gullah and gourmet meals. From fine dining to casual, the experience is memorable. Full breakfasts served each morning and open-air lunches in picturesque settings ensure you a noteworthy, epicurean experience.
We believe our guests deserve to be pampered and we have chosen elegant yet comfortable hotels and Inns with this in mind.
Among the luxury accommodations we use are the Charleston Place Hotel, considered to be Charleston's finest, The Jekyll Island Club Hotel, and a hotel on the Biltmore Estate.
Fun Without the Hassle
We provide comfy Hybrid-Road bikes with flat handlebars for an upright position to observe the scenery, 24 – 27 speeds, mid-width 28 mm tires, water bottle holder, a handle storage bag. Plus there's a limited number of racing bikes, step-through ladies' bikes, recumbent, and a tandem bike available. The rides are chosen first for being safe, next, those that are either scenic or historically significant.
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Safe Biking For Each Level
All you need to do is show up and we'll take care of the details so you can experience the best of the south's rides. There are always options to ride at your own pace and distance. Our shuttle van, a 15-passenger Ford Transit is limited to ten guests for social distancing. It follows for support providing mechanical assistance, water, and snacks, and always there to give you a lift if needed.
Top Rated Accommodations
How We Do It
Charleston Bicycle Tours strives to share our love of the Lowcountry and the coastal towns, their history, culture, and people. We endeavor to create the very best possible bicycle vacation, to form lasting friendships with our guests, and, of course, to have fun!
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As a small bicycle tour company led by us, its proactive owners, Alex and Karen Graham, our group size is limited to 10 people, making our ratio of guests to guides 5:1. We personally host and lead each trip, with at least both owners always along.
The best way to see Charleston is on two wheels. Simply put, things simply look different from the seat of a bike. It’s slower than a car, allowing you to take in all of the sights, sounds, and smells around you, and you can cover more area than if you were walking. There are no worries about finding a parking place for your car. Let us show you the city’s alleys and lanes, its less-traveled roads, the restaurants, art galleries, and shops, all from the perspective of a local. Above all we want to make this trip both fun and memorable for you. If we can do that, we’ve done our job.
Reviews
... was the best bike tour we have experienced. Over the past 35 years, we have taken many bike tours in the USA, Canada, and Europe with a number of companies. Not one of those tours compares with the service, the accommodations, the choice of restaurants, and the historical knowledge of the areas that we experienced last month with Alex and Karen.
- Joe T. Sacramento, CA
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Visiting the Low Country with Karen and Alex Graham as your tour guides is like spending a week visiting two of your favorite out-of-town relatives. They were wonderful hosts who took great delight in showing us Charleston, Beaufort, and Savannah during our 6 days together.
- Ruth S. Ottawa, Canada
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The main reason this tour was so successful for me and my wife, is that it is owned and operated by a native South Carolinian and his wife. They offer insight, expertise, knowledge, and a southern flair that I doubt could be matched by an out of the area tour company. Alex and Karen epitomize Southern hospitality.
- Bruce K San Mateo, CA
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