Barns, Buggies & Bridges Amish Tour (II)

† 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

The Barns, Buggies, and Bridges is a 326 mile semi-fixed base ride from three locations; Bird-in-Hand, Manheim, and Lebanon, Pennsylvania. We will cycle through the heartland of scenic Amish and Mennonite farmland with historic sites dating from the Colonial era. Routes will loop out and back from the three base locations and two days require transfer to a new town.  The areas we will be riding in will vary from flat farmland filled with Amish families in the middle of harvest season, through the Middle Creek Wildlife preserve, to forested and somewhat hilly State Game Lands 156. We will explore eight covered barns, handmade ice creameries, through the Moravian hamlet of Lititz, past the Colonial era Cornwall Iron Furnace (tour included), a winery or two, the (infamous) Three Mile Island nuclear plant, and a 20+ mile stretch along the Susquehanna River. Accommodations will also vary from the bucolic Country Inn in Bird in Hand to the famous – and luxurious – Brasenhill Mansion in Lebanon. We will also be treated to a traditional meal at an Amish farmhouse.

RIDE RATING
The Barns, Buggies, and Bridges rating is 2B with an average elevation gain of 2335 feet and 46.0 miles in distance. There is one day that the distance is 54-56 miles, but there is an alternate route for that day that is only 42 miles.  Some of the challenging conditions include short climbs of 10% grade, some highway sections with limited shoulders and intersection crossings of routes with some heavy traffic. Each ride makes use of many different roads requiring careful following of the cue sheet. Riders need to be comfortable riding in some traffic. However, motorists are accustomed to cyclists and buggies sharing the highway (it is notable that PA passed a “3’ passing distance” law back in 2012)

All routes are listed on Ride with GPS here: https://ridewithgps.com/users/27438/routes (filter with BBB to see only routes for this ride). Similarly a summary of the distances, elevation gains, and grades are in this ride’s Ride Leader Docs.  If you wish to see this prior to requesting to join the ride contact the ride leader via email, greg@corwin.org. The app is going to be one of the best ways viewing the routes.  I encouraged you to get a Basic account that will allow you to download the routes for offline use. This will allow you to access the routes in areas where there is no cell service.

BIKE RENTAL & E-BIKES
There are several bike shops in the area that rent bikes (see Area Bike Shops - Lancaster Bicycle Club.pdf in the Ride Leader Docs). Participants that wish to rent bike will need to make arrangements to pick up and drop off rentals. Since the ride does not end where it begins this may not be an ideal option. E-bikes are allowed, but there are a few days in which recharging on the road will not be feasible.  Prepare to bring extra batteries.

WEATHER
Weather in Pennsylvania in September can range from very warm in the mid-80’s in the day to very cool mid-50’s at night. The average day time temp is 77°. Average precipitation is generally moderate to low and there is a chance for some rain. As the saying goes “if you bring your rain gear chances are you won’t need it”.

LODGING AND MEALS
We will be staying at the Country Inn in Lancaster (9/12-14), the Lancaster Inn in Manheim (9/15-16), and the Brasenhill Mansion in Lebanon (9/17-20). In order to accommodate more than 14 riders some participants will stay at the Lincoln House close by. Breakfast will be provided every morning, there will be five group dinners, and of course a Happy Hour every day.

Riders who plan to arrive earlier or stay beyond the ride dates are responsible to arrange their own lodging and transportation.

LOGISTICS: Riders will need to arrive in Lancaster by 5:00pm on the 12th for the initial meet and greet. You can either fly to Harrisburg International Airport then take an Uber to Lancaster (approx. $50 for 4 people), or choose to drive directly to the Country Inn in Lancaster. Luggage will be shuttled on the days that there is a change of hotels. At the end of the ride, arrangements will be coordinated to get you back to your cars in Lancaster. If you need to transport your bike with a bike box arrangement will be made to store and retrieve them.

COST & ADMINISTRATION
The cost of the ride is $1375 and includes all hotel fees, breakfast every morning, five group meals, happy hour, a commemorative jersey (and a surprise item!). Lunch on riding days will not be provided but there are places along the route to pick up something to eat. The cost also includes a tour of the Cornwall Iron Furnace. Due to the number of beds and rooms at the Brasenhill Mansion we are somewhat limited on space. Therefore a minimum of 16 and a maximum of 19 participants with be accepted.

Once accepted on the ride by the Ride Leader the participant will be required to pay a deposit of $675. The final payment of $700 is due on August 1, 2020.

SINGLES POLICY
Singles who do not want a roommate and are willing to pay the solo supplement cost of $525 will be placed on the ride immediately. 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.  Due date is March 25, 2020 (or when placed on the ride if the request is received after this date).

Singles that do not want to pay the solo supplement are encouraged to find one on their own. However, if you do not already have a roommate lined up you can still request to join the ride and we will do the best we can to assist in matching you up with another participant. Please let me know the preferred gender for a roommate, or indicate that there is no preference, to help accommodate you.

CANCELLATION POLICY
The BAC ride registration fee and processing fee are 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 canceling participant is replaced, a refund will be made at that time. If the canceling 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.

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 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 keep the Ride Leader informed of any special request you may have and respect the Ride Leader’s decisions.

SIGNUP
To submit a request to join this ride: click on one of the “I request…” buttons displayed above this Ride Description. The Ride Leader will contact you and if accepted you will be placed in the Pending List. You will receive an email notification to login to the BAC website to sign the release of liability form, pay the non-refundable BAC ride registration and the deposit. Once that is completed you will be placed in the Participation List.