It reads like a laundry list of the world's top travel destinations: New Zealand, Spain, France, Turkey. Nancy Redpath has seen it all, but not from the confines of a tour bus; she has done much of it on two wheels.

But it wasn't until she had children that Nancy Redpath returned to the sport she had loved as a kid. "We used to be big backpackers, but we found that it's a lot easier with children to pull them in a trailer or in a bike seat," she explains.

Three decades later, Redpath, a part-time administrative assistant in Agricultural and Natural Resources, is still cycling.

Redpath, who has worked with ANR since 2000, turned her passion for cycling into a profitable career when she founded the Davis-based Imagine Tours company in 1989. The company runs extended bicycle trips within California, throughout the United States and around the world.

But these are no bare-bones bicycling trips. Redpath delights in offering her clients conveniences, including luggage transportation. Participants in her California North Tour, which takes riders border to border from the Sierra Nevada to San Francisco Bay, find themselves camping every night in towns where they can sight-see or even take in a movie. Redpath planned the trip specifically to stop in Davis on a Wednesday night so riders can visit the bi-weekly Davis Farmer's Market. The tour, which usually attracts about 80 cycling enthusiasts of varying skill levels, benefits the California Bicycle Coalition.

"Not everyone is a hardcore cyclist, by any stretch of the imagination," Redpath says. "People of all ages and abilities come on our tours. Most either ride pretty regularly or they put in some miles in the saddle to get in condition before the tour."

Before starting her own company, Redpath helped organize fund-raising rides to benefit organizations, including the American Lung Association. Bicycling has allowed Redpath to explore the world, and she has led tours through parts of Europe, not to mention much of North America. Last year she completed a tour across the United States, and says she can't wait to do it again.

"Cycling is like nothing else," she says. "It's an individual sport, but I prefer to do it in groups. I like it for its social aspect."

Redpath's love for cycling runs so deep, it may even be hereditary: her son, who began riding with her when he was just a few months old, is a professional mountain bike racer.

How did you choose your two careers?

I fell into this bicycling career because it grew out of my love of cycling as a participant. It was a natural progression that we would want to bring other people along with us, so I started organizing trips. Once I started I couldn't quit. It has become my passion. It's something that is so much a part of my life that it is very difficult to give up, so I don't.

I learned administrative skills because I put my ex-husband through college here at UC Davis. Back in 1967, having completed only a couple of years of college, that was the easiest way to get a job. I used the administrative skills I learned there in starting my own business, so it has definitely been beneficial. I like the two areas of my life. I think they complement each other.

What do you like most about running your touring company?

Absolutely the people have to be my top love, because I have met so many wonderful people over the years. I really get the cream of the crop, the very best people around. Cyclists are adventurous, they're fun, and they're friendly, in addition to liking outdoor physical exercise. I really enjoy their company and I've met life-long friends on the tours.

The least?

I guess it would have to be the responsibility and the stress. You definitely have deadlines. There is the ultimate deadline of the tour departure date. And then there are all these little deadlines moving up to it. And I can never forget the liability issues!

What is the most interesting issue in the bicycling community today?

The safety of cyclists on the road. This is what is most interesting to me. The reason I am so glad the California Tour North benefits the California Bicycle Coalition advocacy group, because safety is of primary importance. For a cyclist to be able to share the roads with vehicles and feel as safe and secure as possible is just primary. I'd also like to encourage people to use cycling in their daily lives. Especially with the gas prices today.

What is something surprising about you?

Some people might be surprised that on the tours I sometimes drive a 24-foot truck and pull a trailer. I've taken one to Canada and back many times. I'll try just about anything.

Have you read any good books lately?

Because of the movie "Troy" I'm reading The Odyssey. I'm also reading America's Longest War by George Herring, about the history of the Vietnam War. I started doing a little research into the similarities and differences between the war in Iraq and the Vietnam years. I usually have one book in each car, and one at home by the bed, and one in my office.

What is your most treasured possession?

My camper -- and I say that kind of tongue-in-cheek. I just purchased a truck camper so I can sleep there instead of on the ground, and it just has been heaven. On these tours sometimes I don't have time to put up a tent, so this is just the height of luxury. But I'm not big on possessions. What I really value most in the world are my two sons. I enjoyed each stage of their lives, and now that they're grown I am so proud of the men they've turned out to be.

What is your guilty pleasure?

Chocolate. Oh, and Diet Coke, too. •