In 2010, teams will be setting off in May, June, and September. Click here for details.

Simply click the link on the Apply page and follow the instructions.

We are accepting members on a first come first considered basis for each tour- the sooner you apply, the better chance you'll be accepted to the tour of your choice!

Team members should be 18 years of age or older.

The primary qualities we are looking for in prospective tour members are passion and commitment. Working as a collective means that we need people with gifts of all kinds – creativity, positivity, endless energy, great listening skills, humour, diplomacy, logistics, or general helpfulness. The more diverse a group we are, the more we can accomplish, the stronger our message, and the more we learn from each other.

No, just a willingness to give it your all! Some team members bring previous theatre experience, while others become stage stars as the tour rolls on!

Great question! Have you ever turned off a tap because you believe in conserving water? Ever recycled a pop can because you believe in reducing landfill waste? Ever written a letter to a corporation or to the government? Ever bought fair trade chocolate or coffee? These are all experience if you ask us! And even if you haven't done anything like that before, but want to, you are more than welcome to join the party.

People come on tour with a variety of experiences. Some are vegan, while some are meat-eaters. Some bike everywhere; some own cars. Past tour members have worked for everyone from Greenpeace to an oil company. As we say in our performances, “we're focused on the future, not the past." No one is excluded because of their previous choices. We come together because of a desire to live our values, and to inspire others to do the same. Our variety actually makes us, and our performances, stronger.

Yes, of course! One past cycling tour member hadn't been on a bike for 15 years before she joined an Otesha tour. With some serious determination you can do anything. Many tour members start out as novice bikers. Few have done any long distance touring. As one former tour member put it: “We're not cyclists. We're people taking action on bikes. We just got on our bikes and rode... It was never a race, and when someone was hurting, others slowed down or took another sandwich break with them. A few sore muscles and a few tough hills, mixed with lots of singing, laughing and feeling freer than ever before, and before we knew it, biking was like breathing... it just happens.... Trust us."

That being said, the more you prepare, the less you'll hurt! For more information about the biking side of things, see our Biking Across Canada guide.

Each tour brings together approximately 12 to 18 fantabulously awesome people.

All kinds! From hardcore mountain bikes, to road bikes, to hybrid bikes to old bikes, new bikes, used bikes, and not so clean bikes, to cheap bikes, yellow bikes, blue bikes, and all those green bikes!

We don't practice bike discrimination, and with a couple twists of a wrench and perhaps some adjustments any bike can become a human-powered cross-country riding machine. We totally recommend that you check out getting a used bike – cheaper, more character, and better for the earth!

All you need for sure is a bike with a triple chain ring (if you don't know what that is, just ask us).

Thanks to the generosity of Canadians across the country we often stay in people's backyards and living rooms. We also stay in school gyms, church basements, campgrounds, curling rinks, old convents, and in our tents upon many random areas of beautiful grass. If you have contacts along the 2010 tour routes willing to provide us with accommodation, drop us a line to info @ otesha.ca

You do! Each team will create its own sustainability mandate and community standards. That means, for example, together you will decide what will you eat, how you will manage your time, and what learning opportunities to explore.

Team members arrive on the first scheduled day of the tour, and depart the tour on the morning following the final scheduled day. For example, on the Ferocious Farm Tour (May 3 to June 25), tour members arrive and begin training week on May 3. Programs wrap up on June 25, and team members ride their separate ways on June 26. Check out the dates for each of the three tours here.

Teams usually take a break from riding and performances every sixth or seventh day. That means time for swimming, exploring the town, doing laundry, writing in journals, and wonderful relaxation... ahhh! 

All tours take the following safety precautions:

• Training for all participants on safe biking practices
• Ongoing teach-ins from members about bike safety and repair
• Emergency cell phones
• All bikers are required to carry four litres of water each, sufficient food, and a tent per pair if riding on trails.
• Each rider has a bike buddy for the day (even if you don't ride side by side, buddies stay in view of each other)
• Each biking pair carries a small first aid and bike repair kit. The team also carries a full first aid kit and spare bike parts.
• Helmets are mandatory
• Bikers are required to wear bright reflective gear
• Biking at night is discouraged. When necessary, bikers must carry bike lights
• Biking with a personal listening device is prohibited

Certain tours are also accompanied by a support vehicule.

Yes, if you are not a Canadian resident or not covered under a provincial health plan for other reasons, you require travel medical insurance. It costs about $1 per day.

However, if you are covered under your provincial health plan, you do not require additional insurance.

Each tour member is responsible for raising a project contribution to cover their portion of the tour expenses such as food, liability insurance, tour planning and support, and equipment. The cost of tour is determined by the length of your program. The fundraising goal for all two-month tours is $2,250.

We will provide you a fantastic fundraising package with ideas and resources that will help you reach out and create awareness in your community! Fundraising is easier then you would think- especially once you start sharing the amazing project you're about to take on with others.

No. The project contribution does NOT cover your transportation to and from the tour, the costs of your bike, tent and other personal gear, or any extended health coverage. These costs can vary. Just how much you spend is up to you.

For example:

Kat’s never ridden a bike or gone camping before. She socked away some money and bought a bike ($300), panniers ($100), sleeping bag and pad ($200), and tent ($300). She brought along another $400 for laundry and spending money to buy her favorite organic, fair-trade chocolate bars to share on tour. Bus transportation to and from the tour cost her another $350. Total cost: $1,650.

Jason, on the other hand, is a thrift-machine! He used his own bike and borrowed his roommate’s panniers and his dad’s tent (which he’ll be sharing with another team member). He found used gear on CraigsList and at a local thrift shop. His gear bill totaled just $100. He decided to keep things simple on tour, hand washed his clothes, and brought along $200 to cover bike repairs and an occasional vegan gelato on his days off. He arranged a rideshare with a friend out to the tour, put in $50 for gas, and decided to continue biking after the tour to visit his brother. Total cost: $350.

Yes! We strive to make our tours accessible to all. Bursaries are available on a first come first considered basis. Read all about the bursary program here.

Great Question!  There is a wonderful set of magical paper work to be filled out once you are accepted on tour.

Also, you should familiarize yourself with the Otesha book From Junk to Funk as well as the fantabulous Reason to Dream play script (which will be provided to you upon acceptance on tour and receipt of your deposit).

Finally, we recommend that you do some physical training.

All the step by step of how to get ready is available on our "So you've been accepted on a bike tour..." page - here.

Of course! Over 350 people have cycled and performed on past Otesha bike tours. E-mail us at applications@otesha.ca and we will hook you up with one!

Everyone has a different answer, but for many of us it is the pure "empowerment juice" we receive from riding and performing together, and seeing the strength of our Otesha community. For many, it's also the privilege of seeing change happen, and the joy in realizing that YOU have made a difference.

For the first time ever, one of Otesha's tours is offering a skill-building extension! Members of the Ferocious Farm Tour can participate in an additional two-month internship program on an organic Ontario farm at the end of their cycling tour.

Participants will be placed in sets of two or more on a farm from June 28 to August 26, 2010. They will live and work on the farm, participating in the full functioning of farm life and food production. Each farm will operate differently, but we guarantee that all placements will be equally rewarding!

Participants will finish the cycling tour in Ottawa on June 25, have a day off on June 26 and a day of orientation in Ottawa on the June 27 before heading off to their host farms the next day.

All participants will return to Ottawa at the end of their internships (August 28) to complete a one-day debriefing session where they will develop action plans for how to apply their food knowledge in their home communities. 

There is no additional cost associated with doing the farm extension and the cost of food and lodging will be covered. Participants will either be camping or staying in farm lodging, depending on the host farm.

Only members of the Ferocious Farm Tour are eligible.