Bike Tour Vacations: Tips for Bike Travel

You know the bicyclist’s mantra: Four wheels good, two wheels better? What about seven wheels? That was the number beneath author and cycling advocate Joe Kurmaskie and his family as they biked across a good chunk of Canada in the summer of 2007. The journey, detailed in the forthcoming Blood, Sweat and Gears, saw Kurmaskie, his wife Beth, and sons Quinn (8), Enzo (6) and Matteo (1) pedal their way from Vancouver Island to Saskatoon, and across Nova Scotia, encountering hailstorms, herds of rutting elk and mile after mile of panoramic scenery.

A vacation by bike doesn’t have to be nearly so ambitious to be just as rewarding. Though bike touring companies have been operating since the 1970s, bike travel has become increasingly popular in recent years, and the range of tours offered, as well as the types of people riding, have expanded exponentially, for both regular cycling and mountain biking. You like wine and luxury hotels? Camping and beer? Yoga? Gelato? Building houses? Meeting other single parents? There’s a bike trip for that.

Why Take a Biking Vacation?

So, why would anyone spend her down time with a sore tush when she could be snoozing on a beach? “People have a preconceived notion that [a bike vacation] is more work than taking a road trip,” says Kurmaskie. “In fact, you have more time to enjoy yourselves and the sights, sounds, attractions than if you were in a car, because the entire day is part of the fun.”

Jim Sayer, executive director of the Missoula, Mont.–based nonprofit Adventure Cycling Association, says bike travel can be a great character-builder, for adults and for kids. “Every parent wants to teach their kids life skills and independence, and there’s no better way than on a bike trip,” says Sayer, who has first-hand experience bike touring with his 12-year-old daughter and 10-year-old twins.

 

• Cycling is a great way for families to spend time together and bond.

MoBikeFed

Bonus: After a day of cycling, there’s no need to feel guilty about pigging out at dinner and ordering dessert.

Guided Tours

If bike travel sounds your speed, the next step is deciding between a guided tour or a self-supported one. If you’re new to biking, have limited time to plan a trip or like the idea of a significant safety net, opting for a guided tour is a good bet. On these trips, you ride with a group, though at your own pace, and a support vehicle (that’s “sag wagon” in bike parlance) will carry your luggage and let you put your feet up if you’re too tired to ride. Most tours include stays at hotels (though some emphasize camping), and food is often a highlight of the trip.

One of the oldest and largest operations, Backroads, runs tours on five continents for groups that average 18 riders in size, but can swell up to 26. “The value in [a guided trip] is that you don’t need to do anything beyond booking it,” says Rich Snodsmith, guest services manager for the Berkeley, Calif.–based company. “Your hotels are planned, your activities are planned—we take care of it all.”

 

• See the world from your bicycle thanks to Backroads, offering trips on five different continents.

Courtesy of Backroads/Markham Johnson

DuVine Adventures in Somerville, Mass., and Toronto’s Butterfield & Robinson specialize in luxury tours, while Las Vegas’s carbon-neutral Escape Adventures runs eco-friendly mountain biking and multisport trips.

If you’re set on a specific destination, regional operators can have strong connections to the areas they ride through, while some cater to specific interests, including Bike & Build, which organizes cross-country rides to support affordable housing, and Ride Strong, a top choice among skilled endurance riders. Many companies will happily plan private group tours—perfect for extended families that want to get away together.

Next: Go It Alone and Gearing Up