Favorite bike tour?

[chartman64]

My boyfriend and I have taken a couple of B&B bike tours, where they take your bags for you to the next B&B and you make your way via the route they give you, touring and taking pictures along the way. We had a great time doing this in England and Ireland, and are ready to plan another for 2007 or 2008.

We've talked about going back to do a different part of Ireland, or perhaps to Italy (we've to Italy before but didn't get to spend enough time there), or perhaps to Central Europe (where we've never been). We're open to just about any ideas.

If you've done something like this, where was your favorite trip, and do you have any recommendations for specific touring companies?

Thanks in advance for your stories,

Cindi

[emily_in_nc]

It's been a long time, but I'd definitely recommend Bike Vermont (http://www.bikevermont.com). In addition to tours in Vermont, they run tours in Ireland and Scotland. Very professionally run, lovely inns, they carry your luggage.

Emily

[bcipam]

Depends on whether you need first class or an adventure. If you like an adventure and a challenge, check out LAGBRAU (see lagbrau.com) - it's a ride across Utah and everyday was more beautiful than the next. Not an easy ride, but no matter, just beautiful scenary, nice, clear roads with no cars and good company. You start just East of Moab and end up outside St. George.

[Triskeliongirl]

I toured with Bike Mexico. The people were great, the tour was great the cost was pretty low. You do need to carry your own luggage (cuz the leaders are cyclists too!), but the routes are planned, accomodations booked etc.

[crazycanuck]

Hello,

Have you thought about coming down our way??? Are you a mtn biker??? Just thought i might suggest doing some of the events on the south island over the summer..Then combine it with doing the Queen Charlotte track.

Here's a few links i found whilst wandering the net...I've not heard about what the rides are like....( i could have posted more but i could be here for a while...)

http://www.groundeffect.co.nz/events.php

http://www.groundeffect.co.nz/hotrides/hotride.htm#

http://www.fat-tyre.co.nz/

Road & mtn bike choices http://www.bike-nz.com/biking-new-zealand/

And the last one..Intrepid travel..[url]www.intrepidtravel.com- check out the active adventures...
The gros morne one in nfld sounds cool!

I have to get away from the intrepid site before i ruin the computer from drool...

c

[Dogmama]

It's been a long time, but I'd definitely recommend Bike Vermont (http://www.bikevermont.com). In addition to tours in Vermont, they run tours in Ireland and Scotland. Very professionally run, lovely inns, they carry your luggage.

Emily

Could not agree more. Plus, the bikes are well maintained, the tour guides are really nice and accomodating and the groups are small.

When I went, my DH had just started cycling. The first night everybody was supposed to describe their cycling experience. I soon realized that I was WAY more experienced, but didn't want to sound like a know-it-all, so I just said, "Oh, I've been riding for a few years..."

The first ride was 40 miles. It took us 8 hours (you can do a lot of stopping & looking too, so it wasn't just peddling at 5MPH:eek: ). That night, people were pulling him aside & asking "How is your wife? Was the ride really hard for her?"

I just laughed. It's all good when you're on vacation.:D

[Eden]

Inspired by watching the Vuelta the hubby and I went to Spain and did a 2 week self supported / self planned tour around Andalucia. I did all of our booking for the bigger towns over the internet and for a few of the very small ones we found a place to stay when we got there. It was late in April so the tourist season wasn't really in full swing yet and we had no problems finding rooms and the attractions were not very crowded.
The food (and wine :p ) was great - the weather wonderful (in two weeks it sprinkled a little one morning) the country beautiful and the traffic sparce and respectful. It was windy though! I mean windy so that all windy days are now measured against our first days ride in Spain! The history down there is incredible - we got to go see the Alhambra in Granada, spent a day or two rambling around the walled district in Cordoba, saw hundreds of wild flamingos on a little lake and did a side ride up a mountain to see a most incredible park called El Torcal. I would highly recommend it as a fun place to go.

[chartman64]

Have you thought about coming down our way?

Actually, I have -- I've been to Australia and New Zealand several times but always on business, and there's never been enough free time to see very much. I've been fortunate to do a few day trips out of Sydney and Melbourne and to attend conferences in Perth/Freemantle, Adelaide, Brisbane and the Gold Coast/Surfer's Paradise, and once had a free afternoon to visit the botanical gardens in Wellington. I'll have to see if I can talk Greg into the concept.

Of course it'll also depend on what time of year we wind up being available to do it. With my work, I can pretty much pick and choose, but Greg's in the movie business, so he can only take vacation time between film projects. The "when" of a long enough window between projects is not easy to nail down. Once we know the window, we'll probably plan the destination based on what part of the world is experiencing the optimal weather and travel bargain season! (We prefer going somewhere when there are as few as possible other tourists, especially our fellow Americans. I love my country and the people when they're here at home, but so many of them can be horrid, embarrassingly stupid, awful tourists.)

[Team Dog Star]

A great weekend getaway is the Horsey Hundred outside of Lexington, KY during Memorial Day weekend. http://www.bgcycling.org/horsey.htm

This is a two-day tour that offers rides ranging in the 20-mile range to a century. The roads are nicely paved with little automotive traffic and take you alongside some of the most beautiful horse farms in the country.

[ridebikeme]

I too, wanted to do the Horsey Hundred this past spring. I made plans with friends that live in Indiana, scheduled time off from work, and checked out their website. I emailed a couple of different people from the club hosting the ride, and waited to hear from them.... and did I say I waited to hear from them? After a month went by, I went back on the website and emailed one other name that was listed on the site.... unfortunately with the same result....I heard NOTHING from anyone. So after repeatedly waiting to hear from three different people, I decided that I would do another tour.... too bad because I wanted to do that one. What's up with their club not responding to emails/ Do they want new people doing theri ride?

[Kathi]

Horsey is also my favorite ride. Last year I drove to Cincinnati from Denver, by myself, just so I could do it.

I missed it this year because of my knee.:mad:

If you like it another very good 2 day ride is the Old Kentucky Home ride in Sept. It starts at Louisville and goes to Bardstown. http://www.okht.org/

[ridebikeme]

As everyone has mentioned, it depends on the type of tour that you want. Another good website to check out is www.inmotionevents.net. I have done several of their trips and the are very well organized, and above everything else are beautiful rides! I did the Moosa ride in June and will be heading to the Lighthouse tou0r in Nova Scotia in early August.