“My greatest joy on tours is watching guests be in relationship with each other, especially when they meet as strangers.”
A rare Atlanta native, Robyn started riding her bike more frequently after losing her property inspection job during the real estate market crash in 2008. When out-of-town friends visited her, she would introduce them to Atlanta by bike. They expressed how the rides changed their perspective of the city and by 2009, BTA had launched. Twelve years later, she’s still on her bike, leading the company honored year after year by Trip Advisor as The Number 1 Outdoor Activity in Atlanta. The amazing part? Robyn is just as in love with leading what is now a team of extraordinary, diverse tour guides as she is leading the tours herself. What’s more, Robyn says these past five years, in particular, have opened her eyes to so many things and changed who she is as a person, just as they have had positive changes on the city she calls home.
Under Robyn’s strategic direction, BTA increasingly embraces the issues of the day, up close and personal, and engages with people in continually authentic ways. Robyn especially takes the input of international travelers to heart, whose unfiltered impressions of Atlanta truly make it clear what’s different and special about our city, and what needs updated context, which Robyn continually provides. Her goal is for each tour to be a platform for conversation in a comfortable, safe way that is more accessible outdoors on a bike, face to face with actual examples, than it may be in other settings. Robyn’s greatest joy on tours is watching guests be in relationship with each other, especially when they meet as strangers. Somehow each group goes on its own unique journey and comes back just a bit different than when it started. Plus, according to her tour guides, she’s kind and inspiring, and leads the company by example.
Lest you think Robyn is all-bikes-all-the-time, ask her about movies, cooking and her cats and you’ll see her light up just as much. What’s more, if you like a good two-step, she’s your enthusiastic partner.
