Soaking up history on bicycles built for tour

Amelia Henry had heard that her new hometown played a crucial role in American history. And she planned eventually to learn all about it. But when the 13-year-old native Californian moved to Concord over the summer, there were other options she found far more appealing, like riding her bike and getting to know the kids in her new neighborhood.

So it was a stroke of luck on a recent Sunday when one of those new friends invited her on a guided sightseeing tour of Concord - to be conducted on bicycles. "I love biking!" Amelia said. "So it sounded like fun."

Sue Merlino was banking on a lot of people sharing Amelia's sentiment when she established Concord Bike Tours last April. Having lived in the region all her life, she knew that many families visit this area with the idea of seeing all the local sights: the Old North Bridge, Walden Pond, Thoreau's birthplace, Louisa May Alcott's childhood home. But she also knew that lengthy bus tours on which landmarks pass by through smudgy glass windows are not usually a great way to get children - or many adults - engaged in learning.

A preschool teacher by profession, Merlino has been an avid cyclist for the past five years. While taking weekly rides through Concord and the surrounding towns, she found herself thinking increasingly about ways to combine her passions for teaching, meeting people, and exploring the area by bike.

"On a bike, you feel connected to the environment and your surroundings," she said. "You see so much more than in a car. I've spent most of my life in this area, but I never felt truly connected to the region until I started biking through it."

Then in the summer of 2006, Merlino, along with sons Matt and Michael and her husband, Mark, took a family trip to Gettysburg, which included a sightseeing tour by bike.

"I realized then that it was a perfect way to get to know a region and its landmarks," she said. "I decided right away to try to set up something similar in Concord."

Nearly a full year of training and preparation preceded her first official tour. She invested in 10 Trek bikes - choosing a durable model for all kinds of terrain and levels of cyclist - and a cargo trailer.

She researched insurance options and took a six-week course in local history to get certified as an official sightseeing guide by the town of Concord. She forged connections with staff at local inns and hotels who could recommend her program to out-of-town visitors.

An attorney friend helped her draft the necessary legal documents. Concord's Chamber of Commerce matched her up with three retired businessmen who mentored her through the process of writing a business plan and getting her new endeavor off the ground.

Once summer came, she was ready to go, offering a choice of six package tours with themes such as the Revolutionary War, Concord authors, historical homes, and the area's natural splendors. Package tours run 1 1/2 to 3 hours and cost $35 to $50 for adults, with lower prices for children. She also puts together customized options - such as a recent tour for a couple whose ideal excursion included time to meditate on the shores of Walden Pond and in the shadows of Sleepy Hollow Cemetery.

The response was immediate and gratifying, Merlino said. By the time summer was over, she had led 32 tours, and sign-ups have continued well into the fall.

Much of her business comes from families. Adults like the idea that they are getting some fitness along with their sightseeing, and children simply enjoy the outdoor activity.

"Since May," Merlino said, "I've had groups from Missouri, Florida, Washington, D.C., Minnesota, Connecticut, Montana, and Vermont, as well as people who live locally." She said her ideal group size is about five to 10 people.

On a warm afternoon last month, Merlino led a group of 10 that included several teenagers, a senior citizen, and a man and woman in their 40s.

Following Merlino in a disciplined line as they had been instructed to do, the youngsters pedaled hard and rode fast, the adults trailed behind, and the group reunited at each stop along the way. At the Old North Bridge, Merlino involved the youngsters in a discussion of Paul Revere; at the Old Hill Burying Ground, she quizzed them on why a cemetery might have been built on such a steep slope.

Paul Kelly of Concord brought his 13-year-old son, Nat, along on the tour of Revolutionary War landmarks. Even though Kelly is a longtime local, he said he learned something.

"I know the history behind each of the different places, but to have it all tied together and put into context was still useful," he said. "And the biking part is fun, especially for kids Nat's age. They don't want to listen to a long monologue; but the biking component breaks up the talking and keeps it lively and interesting for them."

Merlino said people also see touring by bicycle as "a green thing to do."

"Many tourists like to think that they are doing something good for the environment by sightseeing on a bike," she said. "And, of course, it's more fitness-oriented than most kinds of sightseeing, as well."

That touring by bicycle is more environmentally correct than riding a bus or driving a car is probably lost on many youngsters, who simply find the activity more fun.

"My favorite parts were biking fast up and down the hills and learning about the Revolutionary War," said Josh Zirkel, a 13-year-old who moved to Concord last year from Atlanta and participated in one of Merlino's tours early this fall. "Doing history along with biking is just a great idea."

Nancy Shohet West can be reached at nancyswest@hughes.net.