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Testimonials

We’ve had 100s of satisfied guests across countless tours. Below are just some of our many guest testimonials.

J_Feros
J_Feros
2020-07-28
Excellent day out We joined Grace and Pat for their Old Willunga Hill one day tour during the Tour Down Under. Despite not having been with the group the rest of the week we were welcomed in and enjoyed a wonderful day out. The day was perfectly planned from the ride out, to the lunch and location right near the finish of the stage. Wouldn't hesitate to recommend and we will hopefully make our way onto another tour in the future.
Steven
Steven
2020-07-24
Well planned and executed Tour Down Under 2020 Grace and Pat put us in excellent accommodations with great facilities. They planned routes for people with all riding abilities and even for non-riders. The aperitif get-togethers showcased different wines, beers and ales of Southern Australia. The rider support was great, they took care of us and our personal bikes. I will travel with them again.
Dave
Dave
2020-07-24
Fantastic experience I had a great week at the Tour Down Under. We rode all the beautiful hills of Adelaide. We had different riding each day and we saw parts of the race each day. Some days we saw the start and some days we saw the finish. It was very exciting. The Ride International crew were fantastic. They took care of every detail. My bike was ready when I arrived. They had ride snacks and beverage out every morning and at our stops along the way. We had three receptions throughout the week and some evenings to ourselves. Thank You Pat and Grace and staff.
Jamie K
Jamie K
2020-07-23
Brilliantly run trips Did TdU and TdF tours in 2019 with Pat and his team. Very well run tours, every detail thought of, all levels of rider catered for - highly recommend
Michael Valenti
Michael Valenti
2020-07-23
La mia nuova famiglia. My new family. Traveling to new places is always exciting, but meeting new people and making new friends is what's most important to me. Pat, Grace and the Ride International Team are still in touch with me today. When you tour with RI you tour with family. You're welcomed into their home, into their world of cycling and you become one of the family. I've been to the Tour Down Under and the Giro with them and I can tell you there was never a hitch. From cleaning the bikes to Five Star meals every detail covered. Every want met. And the best thing is you get to choose them for your next adventure. Grazie Grace and Pat.
Chris
Chris
2020-07-23
Treatment like a pro I traveled with Ride International Tours at the 2019 Tour Down Under and again in 2020. We were shown all the sights of Adelaide, shown the best vantage points of the race and had the chance to ride Adelaide's Mt Lofty, Glenelg Beaches, Barossa wine region, Corkscrew climb, Norton Summit and the famous Willunga Hill. Pat and Grace really go out of their way to ensure everyone is having a good time on or off the bike!
Chris S
Chris S
2020-07-23
Tour de smiles Pat and his fellow guides knew the roads of the TDU fastidiously and were continuously greeted with smiles wherever we went. Whether it was on the side of the road in a climb, in a bar or in the bike - Pat and Grace bring a smile to everyone’s face who has ever met them. Absolute treasures.
Ursus R
Ursus R
2020-07-23
TDU with Ride International Tours My trip to the Tour Down Under with Ride International was excellent from start to finish. The accommodation was good, the food was great, the support riders knew what they were doing and the rides were well chosen. Pat and Grace are both total legends.

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Amazing experience on and off the bike, great guides and seamless planning got us around Belgium and northern France in a way we could never do on our own. Unforgettable epic spring classics riding experience, with the team providing the right level of options for everyone and fantastic rental bikes. Highly recommended!

Jo Hole (2023)Melbourne, Australia

After having to delay in previous years due to other factors it was finally great to join Pat and Grace for the Paris – Roubaix challenge. They were both quietly efficient, friendly and thorough in their attention to detail. They ensured that we all achieved what we wanted and no task was too difficult.

Alan Ford (2023)Melbourne, Australia

Ride International Tours is fantastic. Pat, Grace and the entire team are experienced, genuine, helpful, passionate and very good at what they do. My son Tyler and I had the trip of a lifetime, with experiences and memories that we are so thankful for. If you are interested in a cycling vacation, I could not recommend a company more that Ride International.

Jim Bomklo (2023)Melbourne, Australia

Having just been on the 2023 Spring Classics Tour, I can honestly say that Pat, Grace and the wider team deliver a professional and well-coordinated tour program which includes many great experiences both on and off the bike. Every day was made easy for us guests in terms of being made aware of timing, schedules, transport, and general support from the whole team such as bicycle preparation and on route fuel stops. Furthermore, one cannot underestimate the benefit the team at Ride International Tours delivers through their knowledge of routes, roads and places to ride so you can be confident you will take maximum advantage of your time in their company.

Ride International Tours – Well done and thanks.

Ric Falconer (2023)Melbourne, Australia

Pat is the bike skills whisperer!
We worked together closely to improve my dirt skills ahead of cyclocross World Cups and world championships. With his help I achieved the best cyclocross World Cup result and world ranking ever achieved by an Australian – no small feat for an ex roadie!

Lisa Jacobs (2019)2 x times Australian Cyclocross Champion

I often do one-on-one sessions with Pat to continuously improve my technical skills for World Tour racing. He has a magic way of breaking things down so that they become achievable.
We often work on race specific technique like riding cobbles, cornering, and hill climbing, but he also throws in some fun tricks along the way.
I always leave feeling confident in my abilities and having had a really fun ride.

Grace Brown (2019)Professional Cyclist

Thank you both for a well-planned symphony of a vacation. Bravo

Steve & Susan (2019)USA

It is the small things that you guys do behind the scenes that makes all the difference

Stephen P. (2019)Melbourne

What an experience you have given me at the Santos TDU… I can’t fault a thing

Stephen B. (2019)Sydney

Thanks for including me in every way and making me feel so welcome as a newcomer

Jo W. (2016) Australia

Pat, you were my guardian angel always quietly looking out for me

Jo A. (2010)New Zealand

Pat and Grace worked tirelessly to make sure everyone’s needs and expectations were met

S. Charlton (2015)Queensland, Australia

A big thanks to you for making my trip, as a non-rider, very memorable

L. Green (2010) New Zealand

Grace and Pat go above and beyond to make sure you have a good time

Steph W. (2015, 2014 & 2013)NSW, Australia

Nothing was too much trouble, their demeanour was always cheery

Andrew S. (2014)Melbourne, Australia

Knowledgeable, multilingual, always helpful, a great team

Tommy. E (2016, 2014, 2013, 2012)USA

Grace is the most organised of guides, no request is too unusual or difficult

A. Saunders (2017)Victoria, Australia

You took care of my wife wonderfully… I am grateful and appreciative

David S. (2016)Canada

Thanks very much for a highly enjoyable and excellently run tour

Daren A. (2012)QLD, Australia

Grace and Pat are remarkable. Thank you so much!

Claudia H. (2104)Canada

Grace… you are warm, inclusive and infectious in your enthusiasm

John H. (2014)Australia

Pat and his team did an absolutely brilliant job

L. Hocking (2015)Victoria, Australia

Big thanks to Grace & Patrick… we had a Brilliant time

Andrew E (2016)Australia

The trip ran like clock work… all we had to worry about was enjoying ourselves

Ben K. (2013)NSW, Australia

Grace… you are still as efficient and organised as always

Richard B. (2016, 2012)Western Australia

Pat’s leadership gave everyone what they needed

Peter F. (2010)New Zealand

We’d heard fantastic reviews of Ride International before embarking on our 10-day tour of the spring classics, and I can honestly say it still managed to exceed expectations.

From the transport and accommodation to the ride planning and event spectating, our tour had it all. Would highly recommend Pat, Grace and the team at RI to anybody considering an overseas cycling trip.

Elliot Smith (2023)Melbourne, Australia

Amazing experience on and off the bike, great guides and seamless planning got us around Belgium and northern France in a way we could never do on our own. Unforgettable epic spring classics riding experience, with the team providing the right level of options for everyone and fantastic rental bikes. Highly recommended!

Jo Hole (2023)Melbourne, Australia

After having to delay in previous years due to other factors it was finally great to join Pat and Grace for the Paris – Roubaix challenge. They were both quietly efficient, friendly and thorough in their attention to detail. They ensured that we all achieved what we wanted and no task was too difficult.

Alan Ford (2023)Melbourne, Australia

Ride International Tours is fantastic. Pat, Grace and the entire team are experienced, genuine, helpful, passionate and very good at what they do. My son Tyler and I had the trip of a lifetime, with experiences and memories that we are so thankful for. If you are interested in a cycling vacation, I could not recommend a company more that Ride International.

Jim Bomklo (2023)Melbourne, Australia

Having just been on the 2023 Spring Classics Tour, I can honestly say that Pat, Grace and the wider team deliver a professional and well-coordinated tour program which includes many great experiences both on and off the bike. Every day was made easy for us guests in terms of being made aware of timing, schedules, transport, and general support from the whole team such as bicycle preparation and on route fuel stops. Furthermore, one cannot underestimate the benefit the team at Ride International Tours delivers through their knowledge of routes, roads and places to ride so you can be confident you will take maximum advantage of your time in their company.

Ride International Tours – Well done and thanks.

Ric Falconer (2023)Melbourne, Australia

We’d heard fantastic reviews of Ride International before embarking on our 10-day tour of the spring classics, and I can honestly say it still managed to exceed expectations.

From the transport and accommodation to the ride planning and event spectating, our tour had it all. Would highly recommend Pat, Grace and the team at RI to anybody considering an overseas cycling trip.

Elliot Smith (2023)Melbourne, Australia

Pat is the bike skills whisperer!
We worked together closely to improve my dirt skills ahead of cyclocross World Cups and world championships. With his help I achieved the best cyclocross World Cup result and world ranking ever achieved by an Australian – no small feat for an ex roadie!

Lisa Jacobs (2019)2 x times Australian Cyclocross Champion

I often do one-on-one sessions with Pat to continuously improve my technical skills for World Tour racing. He has a magic way of breaking things down so that they become achievable.
We often work on race specific technique like riding cobbles, cornering, and hill climbing, but he also throws in some fun tricks along the way.
I always leave feeling confident in my abilities and having had a really fun ride.

Grace Brown (2019)Professional Cyclist

Thank you for all your hard work … We are having a great time… We knew you masterminded this wonderful trip

Steve & Susan (2019)USA

What an experience you have given me at the Santos TDU… the organising from you was simply amazing, exact timings, transport of luggage, bikes, (especially the bike, always transported with no damage) food… the atmosphere, everything really – I can’t fault a thing.

Your staff were unbelievable, Billy always with a smile and always ready to help, Vaughan bringing life to every ride, Grace’s passion for food, wine and Adelaide, Tanya and Megan always making sure everyone is ok and Steve the ride team leader, it was an honour to ride alongside, (well behind him ?) an ex-pro, a true cyclist… that for me was one of my highlights the whole week.

The routes were perfect, stunning scenery showcasing Adelaide, perfect distances and the climbing ‘amazing’. Meeting and riding with fellow cycling guests was wonderful.

Arriving at the start of the stages to watch the riders leave and catching most of the races at iconic sites or at the finish was simply incredible.

The Challenge Tour road race was more than I expected it to be… ??

Pat, you were a pleasure to deal with from the start and you’ve built a fantastic team around you. I would not hesitate to recommend Ride International Tours to anyone.

Wish you and Grace only the very best, thank you for a memorable experience… see you on the next cycling adventure. Grazie.

Stephen B (2019)Australia

It is the small things that you guys do behind the scenes that makes all the difference.  It was an amazing experience to ride in Italy and experience the Giro first hand. Thanks again and looking forward to the next tour.

Stephen P. (2019)Melbourne

Both Pat and Grace have excellent people skills, they build relationships quickly, they were always well organised with itineraries or plans for the day re weather, road changes, or unexpected issues that arose. Hard work from them made our tour of two weeks a dream holiday along with all the extra drama of the biggest cycling race in the world.

A personal story I tell is on day 1 where all riders from the strongest to the weakest went out to wake up.our legs in the hills of Voiron. I was the weakest rider by far…climbing a COL was nothing like the hills at home. Pat saw that I was in trouble and came to the back to support me with my breathing and pedalling to the top. This high standard of care continued throughout the tour. Pat is an expert cyclist as well so he was highly respected by the riders in our bus…many of whom were used to riding in excess of 100 km a day. Pat and his team of guides certainly demonstrated their biking ability and their knowledge of the roads along with a strong sense of safety throughout the tour…even when we were trying to ride back to Bordeaux from St Emilion in rush hour traffic covering a number of lanes. Pat was always aware of our safety.

Grace was the most informed and interesting guide who took care of the non-riders each day. She had done her homework and was able to tell us about the history of the village or area, as well as where to find the best coffee or to help us with phrases of French that we could use to communicate with a real live French person! ÇA VA become my go to greeting after Grace’s teaching. Her knowledge of the areas we visited certainly added to our enjoyment of the tour.

Anybody who is lucky enough to have Pat and Grace in their tour organisation will thoroughly enjoy their trip. Since 2010 we have met up with them again at other events such as the Tour Down Under in Adelaide. Their passion for cycling and helping people to achieve their goals is very evident.

J. & I. Aplin (2017)Napier, New Zealand

I first met Pat and Grace on a cycling tour in Europe in 2013. Pat and Grace make the perfect team to run these types of tours, both are friendly, bubbly and outgoing in their personalities and each bring their own invaluable skills to touring with a group. Grace is the most organised of guides, no request is too unusual or difficult for her to tackle and she always sorts things with a smile on her face. Pat is the ultimate ‘on bike’ cycling guide, his relaxed love of cycling and coffee is combined with incredible cycling skills which he is happy to impart to any cyclist who wants to improve any part of their bike handling.

I would absolutely recommend Pat, Grace and Ride International to anyone considering a cycling holiday.

A. Saunders (2017)Victoria, Australia

Wow, two of the greatest tour guides I know. Knowledgeable, multilingual, always helpful, a great team to handle your once in a life time tour.  I’ve done at least 4 two-week cycle tours with one or both of this husband wife team.  Every one has been extraordinary. You will not go wrong with one of these two as your tour coordinators.

Tommy. E (2016, 2014, 2013, 2012)USA

I want to especially thank Grace. You worried about our meals and always had a veggie alternative for us. I know it was extra work for you. You took care of my wife wonderfully and she is as pleased and satisfied with this tour as I am. I am grateful and appreciative.

David S. (2016)Canada

Grace, it was so nice to meet you and Pat. Thanks for including me in every way and making me feel so welcome as a newcomer. I was not always anticipating what would happen but I really enjoyed the ride and feel so happy to have ridden such a great journey. It was really exciting to experience the Vuelta my first tour so close up and to feel the atmosphere of the small towns where everyone came out and the chaos of the roads. Just wonderful you organised it well and went with the flow and managed changeable situations without drama which made it great.

Jo W. (2016)Australia

Big thanks to Grace & Patrick for an absolutely fantastic weekend… we had a Brilliant time.

Andrew E (2016)Australia

Grace… you are still as efficient and organised as always.

Richard B. (2016, 2012)Perth, WA

It is with great pleasure that I advise I had an absolutely terrific time.

From my perspective, everything went very smoothly. Pat got the hire bike fitting right first time – even my Selle Italia seat (which I know can be a bit fiddly). I’ve got nothing but good things to say about Pat and Grace. They worked tirelessly throughout the trip to make sure everyone’s needs and expectations were met. At all times they were pleasant, capable and considerate.

I exceeded my own expectations and have returned home a much more experienced and confident rider. I now feel more confident in my ability to handle the challenges the other Giro outing has to offer.

S. Charlton (2015)Queensland, Australia

I wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed the trip. With such a diverse group of people and wide range of riding ability… Pat and his team did an absolutely brilliant job in helping everyone come away with a massive sense of achievement… Overall, a fantastic experience.

L. Hocking (2015)Victoria, Australia

The best thing I found about Grace and Patrick is their willingness to go above and beyond to make sure you have a good time. Grace is a born organiser and Patrick is very knowledgeable when it comes to guiding on a bike. I have been on three separate tours when they have been tour leaders. Their knowledge and their passion showed every single minute. I would recommend their services in every possible way.

Steph W. (2015, 2014 & 2013)NSW, Australia

I finished the Giro d’Italia trip on Monday, and just wanted to pass on a special thanks for the assistance provided by Grace Fitzpatrick. My return flight out of Milan Malpensa meant I was unable to wait for the group transfer. Grace was able to give me some very good advice on alternate (train) travel to Milan to make my flight connection. She also made a special effort in ensuring I was able to do the final ride into Trieste with the group and still be in a position to get my train transfer to Milan. It’s this kind of effort by Grace that would bring me back.

Darryl G. (2014)Abu Dhabi, UAE

In a word fantastic, the experience exceeded all my expectations… it was truly great. This whole experience would not have been possible without the fantastic work done by Pat and Grace, they were awesome. Nothing was too much trouble, their demeanour was always cheery and their concern for everyone’s safety when out on the rides was commendable, they made the experience just so enjoyable.

Andrew S. (2014)Melbourne, Australia

Dear Grace and Patrick,

Just a short email to thank you… this trip provided us with a far greater appreciation of cycling Le Tour than perhaps even we anticipated. Your knowledge and experience, not to mention your love of France and Le Tour will forever provide us with an enriched context when we tune into SBS for coming Tours.

Our aim before booking anything to do with Le Tour was to see and experience Le Tour as it passed through French villages. As we said to Grace, we considered driving ourselves ahead of the tour and overnighting in a village ahead to see it pass through which of course takes 10 minutes; then spending the day exploring the village before moving ahead again to see the finish say in some other village a couple of days later. Clearly, however, I didn’t need the stress levels associated with driving in and around Le Tour. I was so grateful to leave that to Grace.

Grace, you have a great gift. You are warm, inclusive and infectious in your enthusiasm. These gifts do indeed need to be unleashed upon non-cyclist tours for Le Tour… let Grace change cycling appreciation the world over.

Patrick, you are really the gears on the bikes of all those cyclists in your charge. Sometimes it must feel like herding (the very nicest) cats. Admirable to watch.

Thanks again to all of you for our wonderful French experience.

John H. (2014)Australia

We had a fantastic time. Exceeded our expectations. The group was terrific and Grace & Pat were ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC!

Mark T. (2014)USA

I just wanted to let you know that the Giro d’Italia and Nove Colli Gran Fondo tour was one of our best trips ever! I concur that Grace & Pat are remarkable. Thank you so much!

Claudia H. (2104)Canada

The trip ran like clock work, which meant all we had to worry about was enjoying ourselves.

Ben K. (2013)NSW, Australia

The Giro 2013 experienced challenging weather, yet every morning we were greeted with two smiling, relaxed and eager guides with itinerary updates and ride options for the day. Without Pat and Grace’s leadership the trip would have been difficult, yet it was the best trip I have been on.

Mike. L (2013)Tasmania, Australia

We did back to back Tour de France trips and had an amazing time… everything ran smoothly.

I would like to make a special mention to Grace, our non-riding guide. Grace was wonderful, she did absolutely everything she could to ensure everyone’s needs or even just wants were met. I do not know where she gets her energy from. She is an amazing, fun loving and positive person perfect for the job she does.

Amber S. (2013)Australia

Our trip leader, Grace Fitzpatrick was brilliant. Hard working and great company – so high energy, very resourceful, always helpful and meeting all contingencies.

Mary B. (2013)Sydney, NSW

Grace was on top of everything, Kudos to her.

Mike R. (2013)USA

What a team!   On road, Pat is a fabulous guide, support and mechanic… and he’s great company when you need distracting from an arduous climb.

Off the road, all our needs (and even things we didn’t realise we needed) were catered for with Grace’s amazing hospitality.  Both had extensive knowledge and no question was too much.

Can’t thank the two enough for my awesome experience in France.

Michelle W. (2012)Geelong, Victoria

Pat and Grace were excellent. They had a great attitude for the entire trip. Grace’s organisational skills were excellent. Things like assisting with the check in at each hotel made a huge difference.

The riding we did was outstanding – and giving individuals the freedom to ride as much and as hard as they liked was great. Overall the trip was excellent and I would definitely do another one.

Brendan F. (2012)Australia

In regards to the trip, we both had a terrific time. I was pleased I could do some rides, but still get to go with the non-riders in the van on other days. Pat and his team of guides were lovely, very encouraging and helpful.

Nerida (2012)Australia

Howdy Pat,

Thanks very much for a highly enjoyable and excellently run tour. You and your team certainly exceeded my expectations, not only with the rides but local knowledge which helped make life simple. Clearly for me though it was the way you guys went to great lengths to try and fix my bike in the first instance and coming up with a very nice contingency option which I will enjoy for a number of years to come. Great work!

Daren A. (2012)QLD, Australia

I would like to thank you very much, we all had a great tour and enjoyed the full trip.   In particular, I would like to make mention of Grace and Patrick – they were excellent and each provided a different but unique experience to the tour.   Though we planned our trip to be self-guided, we were very lucky to have Patrick leading the rides – without him and his GPS I think you would be still trying to find us.  Grace’s knowledge of wines was superb whilst her stewardship kept us all on track. The combination worked particularly well for us with the non-cyclists feeling as much a part of the tour as the cyclists.

Glenn R. (2011-bespoke)Queensland, Australia

I have done many other bike tours where I have had other tour leaders and NOONE stands up to your level of engagement earthiness genuine care and concern.

Mary L. (2011)Brisbane, QLD

I would like to send my thanks to all the team on the ground in France; Pat and Grace did a great job and smoothed a couple of minor hiccups fairly well (especially when it was out of their control – e.g, the weather on the day we were to climb Galibier – they organised alternative rides that more than made up for it).

Pat is a fantastic guy, very un-phased & not easily rattled – which is good!

Thanks again for what was definitely a trip of a life time. When people ask me “How was it?” I find myself saying “It was too good!”

Stephen M. (2011)New Zealand

Although I was more interested in the ‘cycling’ rather than the ‘Tour de France’, it was great to see the additional ‘buzz’ that the TDF brings to France and to experience this first hand… the guides we had were all awesome and always full of encouragement; it was so nice to be able to travel without any hassles.

Jeremy C. (2010)New Zealand

Pat you were my guardian angel always quietly looking out for me. Grace, I loved the visits that you organised so well to places like Valence, Foix and Pau when I wasn’t riding and the camaraderie of the other non-riding group.

Jo A. (2010)New Zealand

The guides under Pat’s leadership gave everyone what they needed from a support and guidance perspective. I never heard anyone complain about the guides, and never saw the guides complain about the same question being asked at least 10 times every day… Many thanks for a great trip.

Peter F. (2010)New Zealand

Hi Grace, I’m sure you have everything sorted with all your wiley talents!! Anyway just wanted to say a big thanks to you for making my trip, as a non-rider, very memorable. It was nice to feel part of the tour with our own schedule etc and I know that at times the riders were very jealous of us.

L. Green (2010)New Zealand

Pat and I have ridden and worked together hosting tours in Switzerland and France over the past few years. He’s a brilliant bike rider that has an amazing eye and brain for analysing the art of cycling and its skills. The attention to detail of his performance bike set ups is brilliant, and the level of on trail analysis, support and feedback he gives riders on their style, skills, body position, line selection and information to improve their cycling is incredible. Pat’s the best cycling skills instructor I have seen in the world and trust me I have seen a few! I even picked up a few tips and tricks. If you really want to improve every aspect of your riding do a session with Pat, he’ll have you flying in no time at all.

P. Wiltshire (2009, 2010, 2014 & 2015)2 x World Masters Downhill Champion
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