I did a self-guided biking trip in Ireland that was booked through Gorp. Gorp actually subcontracted with a local company called Sherpa, and Sherpa did most of the arrangements. I have the impression that Gorp does a lot of that--Gorp finds local tour companies they like and they promote them through the Gorp catalogs. I've heard that Gorp has a good reputation, but mostly your experience depends upon the local contractor. My Irish trip turned out great.

"Gorp is a portal that basically markets and distributes tours that are designed and managed by a tour company. As I understand it, Gorp is like a broker for bike tours. As the website states, ""GORPtravel, its owners and respective employees are acting only as the agent for the tour operators."" Therefore, definitely find out about the tour operator before booking a trip with them. That being said, Gorp has been around a long time and I assume they generally work with respectible operators."