CANC Shenandoah Valley Sampler –With Two Bike Festival

This Ride has been Cancelled

† Explanation of BAC Ride Fee – This fee is not included in the Estimated Cost and is non-refundable once submitted. The Ride Fee for US and Canada is $85 and $100 for all other countries, both are per participant.

Ride Description

OVERVIEW: This is a new, semi-fixed based tour designed to maximize riding in this beautiful area and minimize the need to pack and unpack.

Logistics for this trip are a bit different than for other BAC rides.  You will need to have your own car (or rent a car) and be able to transport your bike and your luggage to each of the areas where we will be staying. The trip is designed this way so that we can start rides in remote locations – far away from cars and traffic.

We’ll move south to north through Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley and will be based in three towns — Staunton, Woodstock and Warrenton. We’ll set you up for three days of loop riding from Staunton and Woodstock and two days of riding from Warrenton --  for a total of eight days of riding. The official start of the trip is at 6 p.m. on Day 1, when we will meet in Staunton for happy hour and introductions.

All of our riding will be on lightly traveled, well-maintained, sometimes hilly roads surrounded by horse and cattle farms, vineyards, mountains and valley vistas that will knock your socks off. We also timed the trip to coincide with two wonderful bike events: the two-day Shenandoah Fall Foliage Bike Festival in Staunton and the one-day Great Pumpkin Ride in Warrenton, Va. (Your trip fee includes registration for both of these events.)

Days 2, 3 and 4 – Staunton: The Shenandoah Fall Foliage Bike Festival is widely considered to be one of the country’s best fall bike events. We’re sure it will be a highlight of your trip.  

The two-day festival typically attracts some 800 cyclists and offers eye-popping scenery on well-marked routes from 10-miles-long to a century each day. There will also be plentiful rest stops with abundant snacks, a terrific lunch buffet on Saturday and a pancake brunch on Sunday. We’ll provide additional options for riding on our third day in Staunton. Or, using your own car, you can explore the town and environs, including the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library, or hike in nearby George Washington National Forest.

We will spend the night of Day 4 in Staunton and then we’ll move on to Woodstock in the morning, about 60 miles north.

Days 5, 6 and 7 – Woodstock: This is a sleepy little town with more great riding on low-traffic, well-maintained roads. We’ll offer cue sheets of 40-60 miles. It’s here that you’ll really get a taste of why this ride gets the 3B rating. Let’s be clear: it’s hilly here.

Some of the ride options may start from the hotel. Others will require a short drive (less than 15 minutes). We will spend the night of Day 7 in Woodstock and then, after breakfast, we’ll move on to Warrenton — about 60 miles north.

Days 8 and 9 – Warrenton: More great riding, plus the well-supported one-day Great Pumpkin Ride on Saturday, which typically attracts some 1,300 participants (and invariably sells out, so we'll be signing you up as soon as registration opens.) Costumes for the Great Pumpkin Ride are optional! The terrain here is moderately hilly. Again, route options will be 40-60 miles. You’ll have a choice of hilly and less hilly routes. But, again, there are no flat options. The trip officially ends after breakfast on Day 10.

RIDE RATING:  This trip is only appropriate for average to accomplished riders who are accustomed to riding hills and are committed to keeping up hill training in the months prior to the trip. Every route will have some sections with grades of 8-10 percent. If you are not in shape, you likely will not enjoy this trip. Due to the steepness of some of the grades, this is not an area that’s particularly popular with tandem riders. If you plan on bringing an E-bike, please mention this to ride leaders via phone or email before you sign-up for the ride.

In this part of the country, many of the roads have narrow shoulders and oftentimes no shoulder at all.  But we chose our routes because the traffic is so light.

WEATHER: October is an excellent month for riding in this area. Daytime temperatures average in the 60s and rain is typically sparse. (That’s why there are so many bike events held in this area this time of year.) But this is the mid-Atlantic and global warming makes our weather increasingly unpredictable (For instance, in 2016 and 2017, average temperatures in mid-October were atypically high — in the low 80’s. But in 2018, we participated in the Shenandoah Fall Foliage Bike Festival and temps on one day were in the low 40s. Brrrr.)

LODGING AND MEALS:  We will be staying in three different motels -- Hampton Inns or comparable. Two group dinners are included in the trip price. (Other dinners are at your own expense.) A hot breakfast is provided at all the hotels where we will be staying. Lunch, brunch and rest stop snacks are provided during the Staunton festival and lots of snacks are provided at rest stops on the Great Pumpkin ride.

LOGISTICS:  You must have a car to do this trip and you will be responsible for transporting your bike and your luggage to each of the towns where we will be staying. You will also need a car to get to some of the ride starts and to dinners. (Drives to ride starts are 10-20 minutes.) Ride leaders will not be able to provide transportation. Except for the three days of organized bike events, there will be no sag support. 

We will convene in Staunton, which is a 2 ½ hour drive south and west of Washington, D.C.  (D.C. is served by National and Dulles airports. If you are flying in, Thurgood Marshall Airport (near Baltimore) may be a less expensive option, but it is about 50 miles north of D.C.) We will, of course, provide detailed driving directions to all of the places where we will be staying, as well as to the ride starts and provide suggestions for where to eat for dinner. The trip will end in Warrenton.

The trip will commence at happy hour on 6 p.m. on Oct. 18 (Day 1). The trip will end after breakfast on Oct. 27 (Day 10).

COST & ADMINISTRATION.  The Estimated Cost for this tour is $2,100 per person (which does NOT include the standard domestic $50 BAC Ride Fee).  Included in the trip cost are nine nights lodging, nine breakfasts, two group dinners, cue sheets and gps tracks. Lunch and brunch are provided during the Staunton festival and lots of snacks are provided at rest stops on the Great Pumpkin ride. Your ride fee also includes registration in the two bike festivals. The deposit of $1,050 is due as soon as the Ride Director notifies that you have been accepted onto the tour. The remaining payment of $1,050 will be due June 1, 2019.  If hotels permit, we will have at least six happy hours on site at the hotels where we are staying. We’ll provide great snacks and soft drinks, but we do not budget for alcohol. You are welcome, however, to bring your own beer and wine to happy hour, provided the hotels allow it.

SINGLES & SOLOS POLICY:  Single riders are encouraged to attend and every effort will be made to find a suitable roommate. It is recommended that singles who want a roommate try to find their own. However, after receipt of the initial deposit, a single without a roommate will be placed on the ride and given until June 1, 2019 to find a roommate. If they are unable to find a roommate, they will have the option to receive a full refund (minus the BAC fee and payment processing fee) or pay the $1,000 solo supplement and stay on the ride. If a single pays the supplement, they may continue to seek a roommate, but must plan to participate without a roommate if necessary. The Ride Leader will assist by attempting to match singles who apply for the ride. Solo supplement payments need to be sent to the BAC office. Checks should be made out to “BAC” with a notation of the tour name included on the check. They should be mailed to: Bicycle Adventure Club, PO Box 23998, San Diego, CA 92193.

CANCELLATION POLICY: The BAC ride registration fee and payment processing fee is not refundable unless the entire tour is cancelled.  Refunds of tour payments will depend upon whether a replacement rider signs up, and on costs that can be recouped.  The amount refunded will be based on the principle that the tour’s remaining participants will not incur any additional cost as a result of cancellations.  If the cancelling participant is replaced, a refund will be made at that time.  If the cancelling participant can't be replaced, any refund will be determined after the ride and final expense report are completed.  If a single participant cancels and another roommate cannot be found, in addition to other costs that cannot be recouped the cancelling roommate may also be liable for the single supplement fee of the roommate remaining on the tour.  BAC encourages members to purchase trip cancellation insurance.

RIDE PARTICIPANT RESPONSIBILITY:  Please remember that BAC Ride Leaders are volunteers, and that successful tours depend on participants providing much of their own support.  Participants are expected to come to the ride well trained, in good health and ready to accomplish the required daily riding using well-maintained bicycles.  All participants should accept responsibility for a safe and enjoyable tour.  We encourage you to read the ride description carefully and respond to requests from the Ride Leader.  While on the ride, support your Ride Leader with offers to help with various tasks such as happy hour preparation and clean-up.  Please do not interfere with the ride by inviting non-participants onto any portion of the ride or tour.  Please keep the Ride Leader informed of any special request you may have and respect the Ride Leader's decisions.

SIGN-UP: To submit a request to join this ride use the "links" displayed above this Ride Description.  When you are accepted, the Ride Leader will move you from the Waitlist to the Pending List.  At this time you will receive an email notification to login to the BAC website to sign the release of liability form and pay the non-refundable BAC ride registration fee and the initial tour deposit ($1050) by credit card.  As soon as your deposit has been processed, your name(s) will be added to the Participant List. To contact the Ride Leader, "click" the name at the top of this Ride Description (or contact Rita or Harold by phone at 703.663.8003.)