Becky,

My husband and I have done Bike Virginia and it is wonderfully well organized and run. We camped this year (always do!) and we just put all our stuff in the tent during the day. We never had any problems. There is nothing particularly valuable in the tent, some off-bike clothes, extra bike clothes and sleeping bag and pad, toiletries, etc. I carry my wallet with me on the bike in a handlebar bag. It is really nice not to have to move camp every day as we had to do at Cycle North Carolina. We liked coming back to the camp and enjoying the camaraderie in the campground. The showers were great, with plenty of hot water, though sometimes a long walk from the tent sites. Definitely bring a pair of crocs or shower worthy flip flops.

On the day you do move the camp (and I have not really looked into the schedule for this year yet) you pack up in the morning and take your bags to the truck. When you arrive at the next campsite, you go to the luggage area with the color of tags on your luggage (you get a color at the check-in). Then you haul your luggage to the campsite and set up! Moral of the story...travel very light!!! You don't need alot of clothes. It is very casual and you only wear the off-bike clothes a few hours in the evening, so you could wear the same shorts or capris for several days.

We switched to a three man tent after our first state ride in 2006 because our two man was just not big enough for us and gear! If you have one, I would definitely recommend it! We do not use a "sherpa" like Bubba or Pedro, as Tulip mentioned, because we have our own gear. It is great if you don't feel like putting up your tent. They also give you a dry, clean towel each day. There are pros and cons to using one of the services but we just like to do our own, not to mention the added expense.

The whole event was just so much fun. We talked our ride group from home into going and some stayed in a motel and some did the camping thing and we met up in the morning. We did the same routes (there are several choices each day) and everyone rode more or less together. There is always someone to talk to on the road and the rest stops were very well stocked. It was a really great vacation...I did not have to cook and we got to ride every day through some gorgeous countryside.

If you have any more questions, please don't hesitate to ask. You will love it! ...so much fun!!!