Touring with a Women's Group

[itself]

Have any of you ever payed to go on an all women bicycle tour? I know there are groups like Backroads, but I was wondering if any of you have any suggestions?

And if you were to pick some place to cycle in the States, where would you go?

I know I would love to cycle someplace like Banff, Canada, where I would e surrounded by mountains, or perhaps in West Virginia, a state that impressed me when we drove cross country when we moved.

Would love to hear about your experiences!

[shootingstar]

Have any of you ever payed to go on an all women bicycle tour? I know there are groups like Backroads, but I was wondering if any of you have any suggestions?

And if you were to pick some place to cycle in the States, where would you go?

I know I would love to cycle someplace like Banff, Canada, where I would e surrounded by mountains, or perhaps in West Virginia, a state that impressed me when we drove cross country when we moved.

Would love to hear about your experiences!

I think there's the rare all-women's tour cycling trips firm somewhere based in the U.S. But maybe others know better than I do.

Yes, the Canadian Rockies would be fabulous in summer or early September. I live in Calgary.

There is the Bow Valley Parkway, parallel to the TransCanada highway which is more quiet but stilll with terrific views. At this time of year, spring there are the odd elk, deer or bear wandering around.

Between Canmore and Banff is a flat 20 km. paved bike path.

The ride between Banff and Lake Louise is lovely and Lake Louise area is great also.

Perhaps CrazyCanuck could comment she is from the area..before living in Aussieland now.

Vancouver and Vancouver Island combined with a (Canadian Gulf Island) Saltspring Island or Galiano Island would be gorgeous :) Of course, I'm biased I lived there for awhile. You could also the Washington state ferry from vancouver island (Sidney) over to one of the American San Juan Islands.

[Eden]

Hmmmmmm...... I think that if I was going to tour in the US I'd want to do Vermont in the fall - covered bridges, leaf peeping mmmmmmmmmmm.

[KathiCville]

I rode part of the Natchez Trace with a group from WomanTours three years ago. Had a blast. Terrific tour leaders; nice accommodations; good routes; wonderful group of high-enthusiasm fellow riders, but no "hammers." Not inexpensive but I was celebrating my 50th birthday and wanted to do something special.

I'm going to Bhutan with WomanTours next spring on a nine-day tour that will mix in a bit of hiking with biking. Saving my pennies now! :D

[indysteel]

I've had WomanTours bookmarked for ages but have never taken one. The price of those organized tours always scare me away. The only weeklong tour I've been on is the Bicycle Ride Across Tennessee, which is put on by the state's parks department. It's WAY cheaper than something like Backroads. DH and I are also getting ready to do a supported tour along the Katy Trail.

Anyway, it would be hard to decide where to go. I'd love to tour part of Europe, e.g., France and Italy. Stateside, I'd love to do Montana, Utah, Oregon, Maine, and Vermont. California wine country and parts of Canada would be great, too. But, heck, I'd be happy going just about anywhere, so long as the roads were good and the scenery pretty.

[Catrin]

.....
Anyway, it would be hard to decide where to go. I'd love to tour part of Europe, e.g., France and Italy. Stateside, I'd love to do Montana, Utah, Oregon, Maine, and Vermont. California wine country and parts of Canada would be great, too. But, heck, I'd be happy going just about anywhere, so long as the roads were good and the scenery pretty.

This would be my main problem, outside of the money to pay for such a tour. I am happy riding anywhere there are good roads and nice scenery! I had a friend look at me sideways the other day after she spent some time telling me of all of her European adventures and asked me where I would like to ride - and that was my basic response. I spent much of my youth traveling and I don't have to go to the other side of the world to find pretty places to ride :) That being said, would love to go to Vermont someday, as well as North Carolina and other places.

Indy - I am really looking forward to hearing about your Katy Trail adventure!

[indysteel]

No, I don't have to go to the other side of the world for a pretty place to ride, but it sure would be nice. There's a guy on RBR who races/rides in Europe and some of the photos he shares are sublime.

My problem is that Indiana is about my least favorite place to ride. The roads are awful, the scenery is largely boring and the hills--when there are hills--are awful. I gotta move. :rolleyes:

[Catrin]

No, I don't have to go to the other side of the world for a pretty place to ride, but it sure would be nice. There's a guy on RBR who races/rides in Europe and some of the photos he shares are sublime.

My problem is that Indiana is about my least favorite place to ride. The roads are awful, the scenery is largely boring and the hills--when there are hills--are awful. I gotta move. :rolleyes:

Wouldn't it be great to ride in the Scottish Highlands :D
I don't have any real experience riding outside of Indiana, but would sure love to change that. I don't have any traveling money this year, but am going to start a savings account just for this. I don't HAVE to travel, but would love to broaden my horizons.

[Grits]

I've gone on three WomanTours trips: Outerbanks, NC; Natchez Trace, Miss.; and Death Valley. I loved all of them, and wish I could afford to do one every year. Everyone on my last tour was raving about the Yellowstone tour they had done, but I think I would like to try the Moab one next.

Many of the women on the tours travel alone and get paired up with a different roomie every night, or you can pay extra for a single room. You can ship your own bike or rent one of their Terry bikes.

Anywhere you choose, they are going to have chosen the best, most scenic route, so I wouldn't worry too much about which one. Just pick someplace you haven't been before!

[Crankin]

I've been on several supported tours, with 3 different companies, in the last 6 years. They all allowed me to see things I never would have seen on my own, on routes that were splendid for cycling. Some were better than others, but mostly it's the other people on the tour who make it. So far, I've seen the Czech Republic, Austria, Quebec, southern Spain, and Vermont. We did the Vermont tour to test out the "idea" of touring, in a place where we could drive to for the weekend tour. It was around the 15th of October and it was freezing cold (30's in the AM), so I would recommend going in late September. I was prepared with appropriate clothing, but some midwesterners on the tour, who were mostly tri-athletes, had no idea of what they were getting into. They had shorts, no wool socks, and little flimsy jackets. The week after we rode, there was snow on Smuggler's Notch.
DH and I are not much for planning routes in places that we are not familiar with. It's not that we couldn't, with GPS, etc., but it's time consuming. We do go to the Berkshires almost every summer on our own, (took the last 2 years off) and our friend plans the routes; almost every year I am ready to kill him because of the climbs!
I also did a little riding in Italy (outside of Siena) on crappy rented mountain bikes. We got lost and climbed a mountain that was part of the Giro, despite instructions from the guy at the LBS. While it was pretty, I was not a happy camper being lost in temperatures that were plummeting 20 degrees from our start.
I've also done a supported "camping" type tour, that I did not like. I actually like camping, but the food sucked and there was an expectation that you help unload gear if you got to the site early. The riding was every bit as challenging as the European tours I've done and what I wanted was a luxury hotel and a massage at the end of those days!

[shootingstar]

I've only done 1 multi-day group ride and it was self-organized. No tour company. 350 kms. ride with 8 family members and friends.

Then others are group rides for a full day.

But never with a touring company.

I gone on self-organized touring rides riding with our own belongings with dearie over several days/weeks in:

Europe (Germany, france, Czech Republic and tiny amount of Denmark)
Vermont (500 kms.)
southern Ontario (multiple day trips ranging from 300 - 800 kms. each. Some included camping)
Canadian Maritime provinces (1,100 kms.- Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island)
Vancouver Island and some of the Gulf Islands --several trips ..which some were combined with

San Juan Islands and Seattle (several trips)

In New Mexico, I only rode around in specific areas for per day, not a real tour.

Self-organized does require someone to lead and who enjoys mapping the trip. also dealing with some unpredictability due to accommodations, etc. You have to be flexible and not always too fussy.

[Crankin]

I admit I am not so flexible when it comes to traveling. I like to know what is ahead. While I have done quite a bit of roughing it type vacations, I feel like I am at the point in my life where I want comfort after a day of hard riding.

[shootingstar]

I admit I am not so flexible when it comes to traveling. I like to know what is ahead. While I have done quite a bit of roughing it type vacations, I feel like I am at the point in my life where I want comfort after a day of hard riding.

We haven't camped at all in the past decade or so. I suppose we could if desperate..for 1-2 days. I find it demanding ride with loaded panniers and then after 100 kms. or so of cycling during the day, one has to put up the tent, etc.

Forget it. Shower, nap and chill out. Enjoy the place that we arrived. Because the next day, we had decamp and start cycling by 8:00 am or earlier. But hey, I lived to tell the story especially when we cycled in the Canadian Maritimes for 3 wks. about 60% of days were camping.

Or another trip cycling from Toronto near the St. Lawrence River to Cornwall, or so.

I don't mind not knowing exactly the type of hotel/motel/b 'n b ahead of us at times..as long as the lead, dearie, knows where he's going. 95% he does know... He like me, doesn't mind basic hotels, but they must be clean.

It makes a huge difference particularily in non-English speaking countries. I just cycle along, puppet-like behind him. It was rather hilarious though in centre of Prague since the streets are winding and old. He just couldn't guess the script nor even remember vaguely streets. We got mildly lost several times, just walking around!

[itself]

Hmmmmmm...... I think that if I was going to tour in the US I'd want to do Vermont in the fall - covered bridges, leaf peeping mmmmmmmmmmm.

Eden,

You must have read my mind...that is exactly the place I would go here in the States!

[itself]

I've been on several supported tours, with 3 different companies, in the last 6 years. They all allowed me to see things I never would have seen on my own, on routes that were splendid for cycling. Some were better than others, but mostly it's the other people on the tour who make it. So far, I've seen the Czech Republic, Austria, Quebec, southern Spain, and Vermont. We did the Vermont tour to test out the "idea" of touring, in a place where we could drive to for the weekend tour. It was around the 15th of October and it was freezing cold (30's in the AM), so I would recommend going in late September. I was prepared with appropriate clothing, but some midwesterners on the tour, who were mostly tri-athletes, had no idea of what they were getting into. They had shorts, no wool socks, and little flimsy jackets. The week after we rode, there was snow on Smuggler's Notch.
DH and I are not much for planning routes in places that we are not familiar with. It's not that we couldn't, with GPS, etc., but it's time consuming. We do go to the Berkshires almost every summer on our own, (took the last 2 years off) and our friend plans the routes; almost every year I am ready to kill him because of the climbs!
I also did a little riding in Italy (outside of Siena) on crappy rented mountain bikes. We got lost and climbed a mountain that was part of the Giro, despite instructions from the guy at the LBS. While it was pretty, I was not a happy camper being lost in temperatures that were plummeting 20 degrees from our start.
I've also done a supported "camping" type tour, that I did not like. I actually like camping, but the food sucked and there was an expectation that you help unload gear if you got to the site early. The riding was every bit as challenging as the European tours I've done and what I wanted was a luxury hotel and a massage at the end of those days!

What companies did you use, and which one did you like the best?

[maryellen]

Another satisfied WomanTours customer. I've done their DC/VA/MD tour, Penn Amish Country, Death Valley, Texas Hill Country. Good value for the money.

[Crankin]

Itself, we did 2 tours with Trek Travel, Vermont and Czech Republic/Austria. They were the most expensive, and almost all of the meals were included. The side trips after riding were really good, too. What I didn't like was the fact that there were 20 people on the trips and each trip about 10 of the people came as a group and were clique-y. There was a lot of competitiveness in the riding, too. On the Czech Republic tour, there was a group of drinkers that were obnoxious. I also didn't like their coyness about some of the climbs. Some we were warned about, but then, more would come, and I mean extended climbs with 10-15% grades. I like to know. We chose them because at the time I had a Trek 5200 and I knew it fit me. I am small and cannot ride most bikes. This was a plus. I had the same bike I had at home. And the guides were awesome.
We did our Quebec tour with a group called Classic Adventures. We used them because they were a bit more low key. Three and four star hotels instead of five. And, we could drive there and use our own bikes. Mostly, I liked everything about this tour. There were only 2 leaders instead of three, and we were on our own a lot more. We are using them this year, to do a tour of the Finger Lakes. Again, we can drive there and use our own bikes.
Our tour of Andalusia was the best. The company we used is called Cycling Country. They are small, owned by a young couple from the UK, who ditched the corporate life and moved to Spain. They do Spain, Portugal, and UK tours. The group was small (10) and the whole thing was awesome. There was one huge downside for me, in that the bikes they had just did not fit me in some aspects. They were entry level Orbeas, and I had a 48 cm men's bike, which is what I have at home, but unfortunately, the Orbea did not have the short reach brakes I have! Consequently, I could not reach the brakes from the drops and even using them on the hoods just hurt the hell out of my hands. This is why we are seriously considering buying custom steel/titanium road bikes with S and S couplers, that we can take on these trips. It's not a big deal for DH, but it is for me.

[itself]

Here is a great suitcase that is legal for the airlines:

http://sandsmachine.com/ac_hard.htm

As far as coupling your bike, Bilenky Cycles will do this for you at a cost of course.

Crankin, thanks for the reviews of the tour companies. Other reviews are so welcome!

[sah]

I did the Woman Tours Kona trip this year. It was my first trip with them and they are a great group. I liked it so much I am on the Moab trip in October. All the women on the trip were fun and we had a great time riding.

[Thorn]

We've done many organized trips. Since I bike with DH, they were not woman-only tours. That said, on every trip we've been on there have always been solo travellers with us -- 50/50 split male/female although some trips have only women; others only men.

As stated earlier, it is the group that you travel with that really makes a difference. We've had aggressive, over organized leaders to laid back, let's all play-it-by-ear leaders. If you take the attitude that every trip is different and that to make the best of whatever Mother Nature or the fates of group organization throw at you, you'll have a great time.

We've done some Europe, but the last couple of years (when salaries dropped) decided to spend more time exploring US/Canada. We've had great trips in Kentucky, Glacier National Park, Burlington Vt to Quebec, etc. Each was different; each was great.

My suggestion....figure out when you want to go. Call and talk to the tour operators that are running trips at that time -- get references and talk to them, too. Figure out what you're looking for in a trip (e.g., riding distance, terrain, food, lodging, side trips, etc) and make sure you ask about those things to the company and the references. We've been on trips that we thought were awesome, but, trust me, some of the people we ride with would not have tolerated the terrain, or the lodging (hey, give me clean sheets and a shower and I'm happy, but other aren't).

That said, our two favarote domestic groups are Timberline (basic accomodation, it is about the riding, food is nourishing, but not 4-star. They do, however, attract low-key, fun people and since every week is some place new, the leaders are not bored with the route -- although they may be exploring it right along with you)

...and Go Sojourn (fancier, lighter mileage, it is about the experience, not the riding, more upscale, good food, nice lodging, planned side trips, etc, yet still not as pricey as some. We went from Vermont to Quebec with them and it was one of the best vacations we've had in many years. Some guests may get....uh...demanding, but the guides are amazingly good about reining them in--heck, watching the guides in action was almost worth the cost of the trip :p).

[Crankin]

Yep, the guides have a lot to put up with; being a lowly ride leader has given me an inkling of they deal with. The leaders of our trip to Spain last year told us that we were the most "together" group they had on a tour. We stayed together for the most part when riding... although spread out and everyone got along. I got a little miffed at the 87 year old guy (yes, he was 87) who told me to "get out of his line" when riding. But, he was a gruff old survivor of Communism, who I took with a grain of salt. I know I don't ride all over the road, so I guess he was having a bad day.
I don't want to sound anti- American, but the difference in this trip is that since it was a company based out of Europe, it attracted riders from all over. There were 2 other Americans, from California, but everyone else was from Australia, Canada, or the Netherlands. It made a real difference.

[kjay]

I've done a number of tours in the US and Europe but with a women's group I've ridden two tours in the US: the Big Island and Death Valley, both of which were with WomanTours, whom I highly recommend.

[Dog]

Thanks for the great tour company suggestions. Does anyone know if there are any organized tours where you haul your own gear?

[maryellen]

Adventure Cycling could be a great resource for that. Here's the link to the page for self-contained tours on their site. I've never done a tour with them but perhaps someone else can chime in re experience. They are well-established and do lots in the cycling realm other than tours as you will see from their website.

http://http://www.adventurecycling.org/tours/tourdescription.cfm?id=999901&menu=SC&t=sc11

[tulip]

I do at least one organized tour a year; sometimes two. They are my vacations. I don't do woman-only tours because that would exclude my SO, and we are riding partners. I've gone on tours in Vermont, Arizona, France (not organized tour but on our own), Texas (same as in France-on our own), Louisiana, New Mexico (on my own), and Virginia (lots). Upcoming are New York and Europe.

[Jaclyn]

Another satisfied WomansTour customer. I did my first tour with them. It was in Idaho, and we stayed the week at a condominium and did day trips in the Tetons. This was nice because I didn't have to pack every morning. The trip featured a daily, two hour bike maintenance class which helped me learn what I needed to be a confident rider. There was also a daily yoga class at a local studio. The guides were excellent and I still have fond memories of the other riders.

I also took a trip to Italy with Women's Quest. Colleen Cannon, the owner, does a fantastic job with her tours. Again, great guides and fellow guests. Several years later I rode LiveStrong Austin with one of the women I'd met on that trip.

I've also done tours with Backroads (Tour de France), Bicycle Adventures (San Juan islands camping and Napa/Sonoma), Experience Plus (Costa Rica), and Iron Donkey (Ireland).

The last few years I've had the confidence and time to put together my own tours. My husband and I have toured Oregon coast, Tucson spring training, Natchez Trace and are doing a France tour in August.

There are advantages and disadvantages to organized versus self supported tours but I suggest starting with an organized tour. There are hundreds of tour operators - most specialize on a region and have a clear vision of what they offer. Almost all the reports I've ever read have been of satisfied customers who've had a great experience.

[gozlin7]

This is an older thread but I'm thinking of this Alaska/Yukon tour (http://www.womantours.com/wt.alaskayukon.html) WomanTours trip for 2013. I've already signed up for their Around Lake Onario tour for next summer. It'll be my first with them.

Patty

[AnnieBikes]

I have done three long trips with WomanTours and loved every one of them. (Southern Tier, Underground RR, and Northwest Loop) They are worth the money for the food and the housing every night, great maps, cue sheets, and wonderful women! The comaraderie is unmatched on an all women's trip!

Patty, you will love the Lake Ontario trip. I just got back from a self-supported trip around the lake and it was just wonderful. WT knows how to do it right. You won't be sorry. I know several people going on the Moab trip. I am very envious! Not sure which one they are on, though.

I agree that after several tours, it would be much easier to try to do one on your own. That is why my husband and I did the Lake trip with two friends last month. My DH has done several self-supported trips after doing two organized trips and several supported cross state rides. We used Experience Plus for two of our trips (Ireland and Italy)....a bit pricey, but bikes are included (we took our seats and pedals)...but one was our anniversary! :D

[Crankin]

This is slightly off topic, but I don't think I would like an all women's group tour. I don't know, maybe it's me, but I find groups of women often have all kinds of weird dynamics going on. I have plenty of women friends, but I notice in group social situations, I always seem to be chatting with the guys, and I mean in a peer to peer way, not a flirting way. If I ride in a group, I like it to be mixed.
And I would not want to share my room with a stranger. I am not modest, but I am not in college anymore; no roommates except my DH.
There are all kinds of permutations of tours. DH and I are thinking of doing a semi-supported tour with our new bikes when we get them. Someone to carry our bags, but riding on our own.