Cycling Camps

[roguedog]

Been thinking about doing a cycle camp..but wanted more info.

For those of you who've tried this,

What's it like? Do you just ride every day? If so, then why not just do a tour or multi day ride?

Which ones do you recommend for those of us who aren't racers and uber competitive but are just looking to improve and ride with fellow enthusiasts? Maybe even take in some beautiful scenery...

If you're making recommendations, why do recommend them?

[spindizzy]

I haven't been to one though I am planning on a tri camp in April in Solvang. They also run a cycling camp; the purpose is to get some early big base miles in. I guess it depends on the purpose for the camp - training, touring...

Here's a thread of someone who did a CTS training camp.

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=31563&highlight=carmichael

[hammertime]

I did a tour last summer with Cycle America... it was awesome. I did an 8 day 550 mile tour throung Montana and Canada and through Glacier National Park.

We rode every day but one day.

Cycle America you camp, but have the option of a hotel. You ship your bike to a location and they will pick it up for you. When you arrive at the start, either you can put your bike together or they will. They provide breakfast, lunch, and dinner... and all the camping site fees. If you choose the hotel option, you are required to pay the hotel fee.

Every morning you wake up and take down your tent, and haul your tent and gear into their truck. They will take 1 tent bag, and 1 gear bag per person. ... once you're up and pack your stuff, you are off riding for the day. When you arrive the destination site for the day, you put your tent up and have dinner and chat with the folks or go to town or whatever. It was so fun!!

They provide very cue sheets and sag support. They have enough sag support vans to haul everyone in case the weather got bad or some other emergency.

It was awsome. It was the best vacation I ever had.

their website is www.cycleamerica.com.

I know PacTour is another... but I didn't go on any trips with them, so I have nothing to say about them. Hear they are good too... but no personal experience.

[Bike Chick]

Wow, Hammer, that sounds like a great trip. How many other cyclists were with you on this trip and what time of year did you go?

We have been on several similar trips in Wisconsin and RAGBRAI. Nothing where they provide your meals. That would be nice.

[hammertime]

Wow, Hammer, that sounds like a great trip. How many other cyclists were with you on this trip and what time of year did you go?

We have been on several similar trips in Wisconsin and RAGBRAI. Nothing where they provide your meals. That would be nice.

bikechick... it was an awesome trip, I absolutely loved every part of it. If you look at cycle america's website, they have alot of them throughout the summer. If you have the time and cash, you should consider it, it's a wonderful experience and the best part about it... is that I felt safe the entire trip... which was very important for me. I never felt "alone" on the road even though in Canada and parts of Montana... we were on VERY long stretch of mountain roads with hardly any cars ever. The SAG vehicles drive by occassionally letting you know they are there, and there is always a sweeper rider at the end of the line who is riding behind all the riders. You sign in at breakfast, lunch, and dinner... so they make sure you are still with the pack and they lose no one... it was great.

This particular trip there were about 50 riders. I went the 3rd week in July. Flew to Kalispell, MT... and we rode from there up through Canada and back down through Glacier National Park and rode up to Logan's Pass (also known as Going To The Sun Road)... it was amazing. Then you eventually bike back to Kalispell, and Cycle America takes you to the airport and you fly home. They ship your bike back for you.

It's awesome. CA does all the work except for your riding, LOL!! They have a mechanic on site so if anything happens to your bike, they will fix it.

You camp either in camping grounds or high school football yards and have access to a shower every night. Breakfast and dinner were usually inside at a building or restaurant nearby, and lunch they provided on the road. They set up lunch on the side of the road buffet style... always half way through your ride for the day.

You should check them out. Check out their website... if you have any other questions, let me know.

[Thorn]

I did a tour last summer with Cycle America... it was awesome. I did an 8 day 550 mile tour throung Montana and Canada and through Glacier National Park.

Oh, my....did I see you in the lobby and never knew you? :rolleyes: As we were finishing up our tour of Glacier, Cycle America was starting theirs. The van was loading up. Hope the rain we got was Mother Nature getting it out of her system.

I do both cycle vacations and PAC tours Arizona training camp. Of course, last year's training camp week was the tour week (50-ish miles per day from city to city), but this year we're going for coaching week. We'll get 45-80 miles/day in between stretching in the morning and lectures in the afternoon. PAC tour is long-distance oriented--completely different than what I've read on the Carmichael review.

Why one or the other? Depends upon what you're looking for, just like picking out a tour company depends upon what you're looking for. In the Feb/Mar timeframe there aren't a lot of options for cycle touring. Hence, we fell into PAC tour. Great support. Great people. I'm sure Trek Travel, Backroads and Butterfield and Robinson are fancier, but I'm not into fancy. I need well-placed stops with water and good refueling options. PAC has the rest of the world beat. However, it did take us 3 years of cycle touring to get ourselves up to the minimum speed and distance standards for PAC (we're old, slow coach potatoes turned cyclists).

In the end, with both options I see roads and areas of the country I wouldn't otherwise. It is just that difference with the training camp is that the pace of riding, for me, is a little quicker and the afternoon will be spent learning about cycling instead of sitting in a cafe sipping coffee or wine and shooting the breeze.

[hammertime]

Oh, my....did I see you in the lobby and never knew you? :rolleyes: As we were finishing up our tour of Glacier, Cycle America was starting theirs. The van was loading up. Hope the rain we got was Mother Nature getting it out of her system.

Actually my tour was two summers ago, I mistakenly wrote last summer.... I did this tour in 2008. ... but nevertheless, we had one horribly rainy day coming out of Canada back to the U.S... it was quite cold and wet and slipperly... scaring when you are descending on some of those mountain roads.

I know of PAC Tour quite well... I hope soon to take a trip with them too. They are doing a Northern Continental Across America tour this year that I would absolutely love to go on... but unfortunately don't have the luxury of 4 weeks off work, haha. Have a great time on your tour this year... I wait to get back on the bike :D

[tulip]

I did the same PAC-Tour cycling camp as Thorn. I enjoyed it, and got some great early season riding in. This year, I'm going on a tour farther south. My goals are to tour, and I'm not interested in doing a training camp that involves a century every day. But it was really neat to ride with world class cyclists, and get some tips from them.