“It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them. Thus you remember them as they actually are, while in a motor car only a high hill impresses you, and you have no such accurate remembrance of country you have driven through as you gain by riding a bicycle.”
~ Ernest Hemingway
We are a family-owned and operated bicycle touring business and are eager to share Gettysburg with you! We can pair you with an extremely knowledgeable tour guide who will bike with you through the battlefield to bring the history to life. All of our guides are certified through the National Park Service, meaning they had to pass an excruciatingly hard exam in order to obtain their coveted license. These men and women know the battle in and out and can inform you not only of the strategy and facts, but also the inspiring stories of the soldiers.
Bicycling is one of the best ways to see the battlefield. On a bike, more of your senses get involved and more completely. To really understand a battle, you need to know the terrain, the lay of the land. When you power yourself up the hills and ridges and feel gravity propel you down, you gain a real appreciation for the high ground and why the battle developed the way it did. Not only do you feel the terrain under your feet, but on a bike your view is unobstructed by car or bus roofs and the pace is slow enough to see wildlife, monuments, fields, and flowers you otherwise may have missed. You hear the call of birds or the baying of cattle, smell the freshly cut crops, and perhaps even get a taste of salt from the sweat on your face, just as the soldiers themselves did. Finally, this earth-friendly, green alternative to seeing the battlefield helps preserve the National Park and provides you with fresh air and exercise.
Trailers, tag-a-longs, and tandems available upon request! Call 717-752-7752 or email reservations@gettysbike.com to reserve.
Our Tours:
The Grand Tour covers some of the first day and the major stops on the second and third days of the fighting. The tour is approximately 9 miles long and 3.5 hours. This tour does use state and park roads though is generally suitable to riders who are comfortable with traffic. If you have small children who are uncomfortable with traffic give us a call at 717-752-7752 or email us at reservations@gmail.com. The tour is $95 per person.
The Historian Tour is a more detailed version of the Grand Tour, it sees a lot of the same stops but includes Culps Hill and the Cemetery. The tour is 14 to 19 miles long and 7 hours and includes a lunch stop (lunch is not included). This tour uses state and park roads and all riders should be comfortable with riding in traffic. If you have children in 13 years of age we do not recommend this tour. The tour is $220 per person.
*People bringing their own bikes receive a $5 discount
Rentals: