Touring with a group

[Crankin]

Two questions: what company did you use and what level was the trip rated at?
I've been on 5 group tours and on none of them were we expected to ride together. We did our first tour in Vt., so we could drive there, and there is no way people like on your tour would have survived.
Yes, a group of weirdos is a chance you take. We've had heavy drinkers, but in our case they were very strong riders. We go off by ourselves and we've done several tours with friends.
You need to choose your company carefully and read reviews. We are planning a tour with Backroads for the summer. It's easier terrain, so we know we may be stronger riders than others, but there's riding options each day and this is where we want to travel.
Hey, you you were in my neighborhood.

[Dogmama]

The ride was listed as "easy" for DH. So, I understood that we wouldn't be riding at 17mph - but seriously - some of these people hadn't been on a bike in a very long time. We felt bad for going off on our own but even DH couldn't stand the snail's pace and he is usually the one who rides slowly & stops to look at everything. I would never go on a running tour, even if it was listed as "easy" because I know I'd hold up everybody.

I did a cross state tour (9 days) many years ago and the suggested riding levels were very specific - able to ride 65 miles/day, through heavily trafficed small towns, etc. This was with a club, not an actual tour company, so nobody's livelihood was affected. Most of us were at that level & we had very few stragglers.

In the end - I'm pretty much a solo rider. I don't even really care for riding with large groups in town because I have to watch other peoples' wheels rather than enjoy the scenery. I have a few people I ride with but for the most part, riding with groups is too much trouble. Plus I like to leave & come back on my own. I rarely stop, so multiple "rest stops" become annoying. I like to leave on time too, so when people come screaming up at the last minute & need to unload their bikes and...oh yeah...air the tires, eat the energy bar...c'mon folks. Maybe it's my issues around people being late & assuming their time is more important than mine. Or maybe I'm overthinking this. Or maybe I really am turning into an old curmudgeon. I think it's the latter.

Crankin - you're the one who told me about Newburyport and the B&B "Blue" I think. That's the reason we went to Newburyport instead of Gloucester. Very good advice, as we did go to Gloucester and it wasn't what we thought. Newburyport was charming.

[emily_in_nc]

We did a Bike Vermont inn-to-inn tour many years ago and loved it. We did one ranked as "moderate". The group all rode at their own pace; there was no pressure to ride the same speed as anyone else. We'd regroup at lunch stops and then all meet up at the end of the day at the inn, no matter what time you got there. Although dinners were generally served family-style at long tables in the inns, there was no pressure to stick around after dinner if some wanted to stay and drink/socialize longer. Fortunately, the group was pretty compatible; I don't remember anyone being very annoying. Although being quite a bit older now, I think I am more easily annoyed by people.

[Crankin]

Glad you liked "Blue." I still want to go there, though it may be in the winter.
My touring experience has very much been like Emily's. I've always been quick to annoyance with people in these types of situations, but, really, I just do what I want while on tour, because I'm there for me. The thing I have marveled at the most is people who get back from a day's hard riding, stay in their sweaty shorts and sit and drink for hours, then sit and drink for hours after dinner. Don't get me wrong, I like a good bottle of wine, but geez, when you are climbing up 15% grades in Austria, there's a limit.
Then there are the the riders who are just there to ride fast and don't even look at the scenery. I'm not one of those, either.

[Dogmama]

My tour was Bike Vermont & the leaders & tour were very nice. I put the pressure on myself to ride with the group, now that I'm looking back on it. I just thought it would be rude to ride on. Ditto with socializing after dinner - thought it would be rude to retire to the room. Guess my momma trained me too well about being nice to people.

Crankin - Blue has an awesome location - right on the beach - but the hotel needs work. We had no heat in our room, the bed was old, lumpy and saggy and the slipcovers were stained. The sliding doors left gaps so flies were constant companions. I told the front desk about the heat in the morning but when we got back in the evening, nothing was done. It was 46 degrees. They brought us a comforter & a space heater. We left one day early & they didn't charge us for it but I got the impression that nothing would be done. They said the pilot light blew out in the wind (there was no wind) and nobody had heat (not true.) But, Newburyport is so charming that we still had a good time. Such beautiful country!