Tour Leaders
Tom Schuler
A graduate from the University of Michigan, represented the United States at the 1976 and 1980 Summer Olympics and was one of the original seven members of the 7-Eleven Cycling Team. He was the 1987 USPRO national road champion and the 1981 US professional criterium champion
John Giokas
John Giokas is a retired lawyer from Ottawa, Ontario who now lives in Vancouver, B.C. He is a former member of the Ottawa Bicycle Club and was a regular participant in the annual Ottawa-Kingston Rideau Lakes bicycle tour as well as other rides in Ontario including the Niagara Velo. He has been a regular visitor to Cuba since 2000, speaks Cuban Spanish and has participated in several tours with CanbiCuba/Bicycle Breeze both as a rider and as a tour leader.
Peter Marshall
The founder of CanBiCuba, Peter Marshall was born in Scotland. Is a lifetime cyclist and now resides in Havana Cuba. A former racer, he has organized racing and touring events for over 30 years and is now dedicated to promoting cycling to the youth of Cuba. All his events here in Cuba are in aid of youth cycling clubs throughout the island. Having spent 20 years cycling the roads of Cuba, Peter has seen more of Cuba than most Cubans and knows this land very well.
Betsy Lewenberg
In March 2024 I spent two weeks in Havana as part of a volunteer group. When I left, I resolved to return and see more of the country. I wanted to visit a place where my tourist dollars go directly to the people wherever possible. I wanted to travel with a small group with an itinerary that travels to destinations that are off the beaten path. With this in mind, I reached out to Peter Marshall at Bicycle Breeze where they have been doing precisely this with cyclers for many years. I am excited about this return trip to Cuba. I hope you can join me!
Jenna Berman
Jenna’s love affair with Cuba began at 18, and by 19, she was chaperoning U.S. high school students on cross-cultural exchanges there. It was in Cuba that she discovered her passion for “cross-cultural coaching,” fostering understanding between diverse groups. Transitioning to a career in bicycles, Jenna has dedicated the last 15 years to education, advocacy, and infrastructure. Founding the Colorado Bike School during her tenure at Bicycle Colorado, she now serves as a bicycle transportation planner in Oregon. Jenna’s return to Cuba with Bicycle Breeze in 2024 reignited her fervor for bridging cultural gaps, now combining it with her love for cycling.
David Cornelison
David has ridden in Cuba on a number of occasions, flying into Havana, renting a bike and taking off with some advice from Peter. This time he will lead a tour in the romantic east of Cuba. No panniers, a cultural guide and a mechanic along with a sag-bus and driver. A crew of 3 to give that luxury touch to his next and visit both Fidel’s grave and also his birth place.
James Taylor
This will be my 4th bicycle tour in Cuba. I have been an active cyclist for many years participating and leading many tours in the United States, Canada and Europe. I have also been active in local bicycle clubs in the Seattle/Tacoma WA. area where I live.
Avelino Fernandes
better known as “Fatzz Fernandes” a graphic designer and DJ in the Toronto area. Fatzz looks Cuban with his dark skin but that is a mistake many Cubans make. He is actually from Kenya and has immigrated to Canada with his family. He has participated on many CanBiCuba tours, and has been here uncountable times.
Les Humphreys
A well know Ottawa area cyclist, with a long history supporting youth cycling here in Cuba. Les always has a project bike under construction in the garage, getting ready for his next trip to Cuba. The cycling club in Las Tunas known Les very well. It was he who concocted our original club name “CanBiCuba”, back in 2006 when he dropped off his first of many donations for a youth group in Havana. We at Bicycle Breeze are proud to call this man our friend.
Lee Orphan
Lee has travelled to Cuba a dozen times over 20 years and led numerous Cuba bike tours. Lee is a full-fledged Cuba addict with a wealth of knowledge of Cuba, its customs and how to make things work in this crazy yet fun country. He takes pride in ensuring clients are well supported before they leave home with practical advice, and during the tour until they leave for home. The attraction of landscapes, cities, music and non-touristy vibe keep Lee returning every winter.
Manuel Besse
Manuelito was a commissioned officer in the Cuban army, where he developed his talent as a linguist. This ability brought him to CanBiCuba, where he displayed a natural ability to gel a group of strangers into a family of cyclists. He immigrated to Norway and ended up working in Italy as a guide in the Vatican. He contacted me from Italy and told me he’d like to rekindle our friendship and hopefully develop a bicycle touring business in Italy. Now we are doing this together.