Canada/US tour operators?

[Tri Girl]

I have not personally taken a trip with Adventure Cycling, but know someone who has. They HIGHLY recommended the company. Said the routes were planned out well with great roads, great support, and fun and energetic staff. I'm a member of Adventure Cycling and whenever I've called them up they've been very helpful.

[oz rider]

Thank you both for the info. I have a short list of a few trips that interest me but wanted to check out the operators to feel a bit more confident about them. Just a bit more research now.

[Tri Girl]

Which Adventure Cycling tours are you considering? Every year I look at their tour schedule and dream of doing one... just have to convince DH to let me go off on vacation and have fun without him (since I'm off in the summer and he has to work).

[stokerpam]

We rode w/Cycle Canada this August 2009 from Toronto to Montreal & loved it. Margot & Bud are nice & helpful w/o holding your hand the whole time. Our group had 17 cyclists who gelled into a big family together. Wonderful group! The trip was mostly on secluded roads or along the Lake Ontario bikeway. Toronto & Montreal are great cities to explore. Do NOT miss the lunch stop at Boulangerie Premiere Moisson the last day!

[stokerpam]

we've done a few (paved road) rides - pretty new to this too. All were well done & each was a little different. I loved these & highly recommend them:

Great Hudson Valley Pedal - Parks & Trails NY, From Albany to NYC. Wonderful, very historic, great food & sags @ interesting sites, relatively short distances but there are hills. Ride downstream along the beautiful Hudson River Valley. Rest day in Hyde Park, home of the Culinary Institute : ) Cross Hudson 5 times. Breakfast at West Point Acad. NYC was easier than expected & delightful. (camping)

League of Michigan Bicyclists offers various tours. We did the Eastern Upper Peninsula (MUP) and thoroughly enjoyed it. It's camping too & most of meals were provided due to the remoteness of the area. Historic & beautiful, along 3 Great Lakes & Mackinac Isl.

Have already posted Cycle Canada & Festivelo. My husband loves the BRAG - Bike Ride Across GA, which I haven't done. As a rule, club sponsored & ".org" rides are cheaper than ".com" commercial ones, depends on frills.

We are considering the LAGBRAU in Utah next year but the altitude/hill climbs concern us.

[oz rider]

Which Adventure Cycling tours are you considering? Every year I look at their tour schedule and dream of doing one... just have to convince DH to let me go off on vacation and have fun without him (since I'm off in the summer and he has to work).

hehe, I hope your convincing goes well. I was keen on the Death Valley loop and Tetons Yellowstone, but they both filled, plus Cycle Utah. And there was a longish Mississippi ride by another company that I liked, but I thought it would wait for me.

I liked the LAGBRAU too stokerpam, and it's good to hear your experience with CC. I've been more interested in roadie tours too. I looked at a few mtb tours but these others were higher on my list.

But I was intrigued by CC's Tour Arctic as soon as I saw it. So Merry Christmas to me: I've registered. I will need a new bike for it (insufficient tyre clearance on the roadie) so it's a bit more hassle, but it just sounds fascinating. Not sure I can do the Icefields Parkway that I keep reading about as well, so we'll see how things pan out over the next couple of months, depending on the bike. Bit excited!

[Tri Girl]

But I was intrigued by CC's Tour Arctic as soon as I saw it. So Merry Christmas to me: I've registered.

Oh that looks like a dreamy tour!!!! Now I've got another tour on my dream list. Congrats and Merry Christmas to you!!!

[oz rider]

Yes I keep reading about these bugs shootingstar. They're famous, hehe. And I've always been keen on the inside passage, so it was a bonus, even though it will be summer.

Sorry to add to your list Tri Girl.

I'm just waiting for the info package now and thinking about the practicalities, like the bike and whether I can fit in Icefields Parkway.