Bike Tours for Beginners

[echomsky]

Hi - I am looking for suggestions on good bike tours for beginners. I enjoy my flat to rolling 12-13mph rides and would like to see the US. I can handle 40 miles per day... While I love the outdoors, I am not a camper and would need a good bed and shower (as in moderate to great accomodations - no need to lie). I would be going on my own but I'm not dead-set on an all woman tour. I've seen WomanTours and they look interesting. I looked at Backroads but had a hard time figuring out what levels the rides were. Since this would be my first tour, I wonder if I should do something shorter? 4-5 days? I'm open to suggestions...

Thanks!

[Jo-n-NY]

Hi there...My husband and I would like to tour the Napa Valley Wine Country. We are hoping to be able to do it next year, as I live on the east coase, so we will have to tack on plane fair.

Here is the link if you are interested. You didn't mention where you wanted to tour. If this one is as true as they say it looks like exactly the type of riding you are looking for. We are looking for pretty much the same type of riding. I want to enjoy my surroundings along with the cycling.

http://www.bicycleadventures.com/where/california.html

~ JoAnn

[maillotpois]

We did a Backroads "Epic" trip through the Alps a couple of years ago. This was not a beginner trip, nor did we want one, but it gave me a sense of what their beginner trips would be like and I think you would be fine! The guides are very supportive and always able to SAG you if needed. The support is really just great.

From what I heard from some folks who had been on easier Backroads trips, the intermediate and easy level trip sound pretty cushy. The rides are not too strenuous, and you generally have options of how far to ride each day.

Even on the epic trip we always had options of how far to ride.

I highly recommend them! We were planning on doing another epic trip to the Canadian Rockies last year but decided we just couldn't afford it. I am hoping to do another one soon!!

[bikerchick68]

I used Irondonkey tours to do a 6 day tour of Ireland. I did a self supported ride, which means they handed me a map and said see ya in 6 days! BUT, they have fully supported tours as well... the guy who runs it, Tony, was just awesome. This is very well set up and you stay in bed and breakfast the whole trip. Every AM you leave your luggage at the front door and when you show up at the next B&B it's there waiting for you!

The landscape is rolling with no true climbs. Rides were 35-50 miles per day. One of the best things to me was the fact that they have such loooooong daylight hours. So if you felt like sleeping in, or hanging out til noon, you could. Sunset was around 11pm! Also gave me plenty of time to stop and tour any neat sights, such as Kylemore Abbey and Ballynadich Castle. I used a rental bike, which was much heavier than my bike, but I was in no rush so it didn't matter! :) And much easier than dragging my bike thru Europe the rest of the time...:)

you can look at their tours here:

http://irondonkey.com/

[doc]

look up vbt.com, summerfeet.net, bikevermont.com and also adventure cycling and bike america. Have fun. I'm jealous

[Crankin]

I have been on 2 Trek Travel Tours, both intermediate level. They do have beginner trips. The support and guides are awesome. You always have a choice of mileage and the historical/food/accomodations are outstanding. It's not cheap, but worth every penny if you ask me. Backroads is also a good group.

[Veronica]

I've down a mountain bike tour with Western Spirit and Escape Adventures - they also do road tours. Western Spirit has a great site to help you pick a good level for you.

We did a road tour with Easy Rider last year. Also a very good company to work with.

Veronica

[bcipam]

I've done a number of Backroads tours. There are many from very easy to Epic. They are very good about describing their trips and I've been on what I would call an epic trip and fairly newbie riders did those rides as well. They plan for "bailouts" by the newer riders and if there's a big hill coming, give the rider the option to sag. I think Backroads is a first class operation but there are not the cheapest, in fact they are probably one of the most expensive but well worth it . Vermont Touring is good and if you can do Vermont in September, it's great riding.

[Jo-n-NY]

Vermont Touring is good and if you can do Vermont in September, it's great riding.[/QUOTE]

Did the Vermont tour have major hills? This would be for a road biking tour.

Thanks
JoAnn

[Crankin]

The vermont weekend tour I did (Trek) had major hills. I did not do the biggest (Mt. Mansfield) climb because i crashed the day before and i was really sore. In fact, most of the people were beginning riders and were in the van! So, you have options, so matter what.

[echomsky]

Thanks, everyone. These are great suggestions. Since I am going to have to save $ for my little bike tour treat, I am probably looking at the September time frame. So, please keep the suggestions coming. And if you do a great ride in the Spring/Summer, please let me know! Anywhere in the US (minus Alaska/Hawaii) would be interesting.

[bcipam]

I live on the West Coast where our hills are the East Coast's mountains so it's all relative. I thought there was very little climbing, nothing significant. If I remember there are different routes offered so you can pick easy to moderate. Nothing was that hard; not like doing Colorado or Utah. Most of the Touring Companies website provide detailed descriptions of routes and terrain.

[Geonz]

GITAP (Grand Illinois Trails and Parks) is one of my favorites, though it goes a little longer than 40 miles sometimes. The average age of the hundred or so riders last year was 56 (and my plans of riding off with a "carbon fiber man" didn't pan out, but I did end up with a rocking blues rendition of "holding out for a carbon fiber frame") - the emphasis is on the touring, not hammering. ( http://www.bikelib.org/gitap/index.htm )

[Aint Doody]

Hi there...My husband and I would like to tour the Napa Valley Wine Country. We are hoping to be able to do it next year, as I live on the east coase, so we will have to tack on plane fair.

Here is the link if you are interested. You didn't mention where you wanted to tour. If this one is as true as they say it looks like exactly the type of riding you are looking for. We are looking for pretty much the same type of riding. I want to enjoy my surroundings along with the cycling.

http://www.bicycleadventures.com/where/california.html

~ JoAnn

I have taken 2 tours with Bicycle Adventures, and I cannot say enough good things about them. I did the Wine Country 4 day in 2004 and the 6-day San Juan Islands tour in 2005. They treat you so well, and all the places we stayed were super. And the food was terrific. You won't be disappointed if you go with them. It may seem expensive, but you get a great value. Unforturnately I'm not going on a tour with them in 2006, but I will in 2007.

The first tour I went all by myself and made some wonderful friends--including the guides, who are all so very personable.

[Jo-n-NY]

Thank you for beginning this thread. It was a help to me also.

Thank you for your input on both Backroads and BikeAdventures. They both sound good. I rather wait longer and pay more money to be happy with our riding vacation.

~JoAnn

[withm]

check out Vermont Bike Tours. They are located in Vermont but run tours all over the world. I am going to Belgium & Holland with them in the fall. I have several friends that say their trips are fantastic. If you send for the catalog and DVD you will be may be hooked as quickly as I was.

http://www.vbt.com/

No affiliation, and can't wait for my trip to start.

Martha

[DeniseGoldberg]

...Since I am going to have to save $ for my little bike tour treat, I am probably looking at the September time frame. So, please keep the suggestions coming. And if you do a great ride in the Spring/Summer, please let me know! Anywhere in the US (minus Alaska/Hawaii) would be interesting.

I wasn't going to jump in here since my experience with supported tours was a long time ago - I switched to solo self-supported tours back in 1998, and I haven't looked back yet (although I don't rule out going on a supported tour again someday to allow me to ride somewhere that I am not yet comfortable on my own). But - I suspect that some of my thoughts may be useful as you attempt to choose your own first tour. It's quite possible that you've already thought of all of the questions, but just in case - here goes.

There are a lot of touring companies, both here in the US, and world-wide. And as you would probably guess, they are at all levels from a standpoint of price, the quality of their trips, the type of support that they offer, the places they visit, the miles available to ride, available activities in addition to biking.

First, decide on what is most important to you. Do you want to ride all day? Do you want to add in some hiking? Museum visits? Will you be happy if the riding distance is less than your daily target?

My usual purpose in going on a 1 or 2-week bike trip is to bike. Occasionally I want to add in some hiking, or I want to visit a special place in the area where I am touring. That's not true of everyone though; some folks would prefer to bike for part of the day and visit museums for part of the day. You need to decide what's most important for your happiness.

But - even though I say I want to spend most of every day biking, there are exceptions to that rule. Many years ago I went on a Backroads trip to Bryce, Zion, and the Grand Canyon. It was a 9-day trip with long biking mileage, but we had a day off in each of the 3 parks to go hiking. It was a fabulous trip.

Is there an area of the country that particularly interests you? You specifically asked about continental US - but without going to far afield, you could also find some interesting tours in Canada.

Ask for a detailed itinerary; do not rely solely on the description in the catalog or the web site. The detailed itinerary should include information (by day) on how many miles you can bike, and what other activities / sights are available.

Ask about the type of support that is available. Maybe you'll decide to take a trip with longer than your normal biking mileage each day - and you'd like the option of jumping in to the van rather than riding the full distance. Maybe you've decided to visit a hilly area and you'd like a lift up some of the hills. Maybe you've decided to take a tour of California wine country - if you decide to buy wine at some of the wineries you ride by, will the touring company pick it up for you and transport it to your home for the night?

Do you want to stay in luxury hotels? B&Bs? Camp?

Ask for references - especially for the tour that you've decided you want to take. As a solo woman, ask for references from other solo travelers. Assume that the touring company will only give you good references - so post a question on this forum too. It's quite possible that another forum member will have traveled with the touring company (if not on the same trip).

You're looking at traveling in September. That can be a fabulous month for a tour, but if you're looking at a date late in the month you can also run into weather issues depending on what area of the country you decide to visit. That's not to say that September is a bad month for touring - it's not. Just be prepared for whatever the weather wizards decide to throw at you.

Remember that someone else's definition of flat can be your hilly. As bcipam mentioned, the perception of hills in different parts of the country can be very different. In my experience, the hills in the northeast US tend to be short and steep, while the hills in the western states can be very very long (but perhaps not as steep for the full distance).

As you look at the cost of the tour, also look at whether the cost includes a rental bike or if that is an extra cost. Companies like Backroads and Trek Travel include a bike in the cost of the trip; for other companies renting a bike is extra.

Have fun planning and taking your trip! And be sure to tell us what trip you decide to take; I'd love to see a trip report too (at any level, you can see some examples in the Adventure Stories section).

--- Denise

[Kathi]

TRIRI, Tour of Rural Indiana, was my first tour. It's a tour of Indiana State Parks. They do a summer tour and a fall tour. Depending on the park you have a choice of camping or staying in one of the state park lodges. One of the things I like is they serve you breakfast and dinner.

The fall tour goes to parks that have lodging so if you prefer to stay in a state park lodge you have that option.

There can be some long days, you can't move the parks, and Indiana is hilly. Short hills but lots of them. Northern Indiana is a lot flatter than southeast and southern Indiana.

The organizers are sponsored through Bloomington Cycle Club and they are great. I've done 4 summer tours and 1 fall tour.

If possible the organizers arrange little side tours. One year we went to an old car museum another timewe went to a cat (tigers, lions, etc.) rescue center. They make a point of pointing out local things of interest. In southern Indiana we rode a train, with our bikes, to cut out the worst of the hills.

So far it's been the best organized and friendlest tour I've done.

Fall TRIRI is in Sept.