St. John’s Loop, St. Augustine, FL

† 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: Come ride the St. John’s Loop and find a Florida that is rarely seen.  Included on the trip are two boat cruises.  The first a sunset cruise of St. Augustine bay front and the second is in Blue Springs State park Florida’s number one manatee refuge and natural wildlife habitat.  On this adventure, besides biking along the ocean, we will head inland and experience Old Florida’s historic places, natural springs, unspoiled parks, quiet rivers and small towns.  The group will meet in St. Augustine, on Monday, April 17 at the Hampton Inn and Suites, St. Augustine-Vilano Beach, in time for a late afternoon social hour and later our first of two group dinners.  We stay in St. Augustine for two nights.  On day 2 you can ride into St. Augustine and explore the oldest town in the US with its fort, lighthouse and of course the Fountain of Youth and/or you can do a 30 mile loop ride north along A1A to Guana River Preserve.  That evening we will take a sunset boat cruise from St. Augustine.

Day 3 has us biking south along the Atlantic, keep the water on your left, to Daytona Beach where we will be staying on the ocean.  Flagler Beach along the way is a good place for lunch.   Check out Finn’s rooftop restaurant!

On day 4 it’s more ocean views as we head further south to our destination of New Smyrna Beach.  Along the way we’ll take in “two views of one lighthouse”.  Will visit the Ponce de Leon lighthouse and see it again from across the water as we take in New Smyrna’s dunes.

Our destination as we head inland on day 5 is Sanford.  Hankerin’ for some catfish and sweet tea?….check out the Osteen diner along the route!  Be on the lookout for the “Tin Man” before you get to Sanford’s river walk along Lake Monroe, part of the St. John’s river system.

Get an early start on day 6 as we head for Deland stopping along the way at Blue Springs State Park for a boat cruise on the St. John’s river.  After the cruise we pedal on to downtown Deland for a two night stay.  You’ll want to check out the murals in this town.  On day 7, our second day in Deland, we’ll bike to De Leon Springs State Park where, if you wish, you can have a later or second breakfast of “cook your own” pancakes!

Day 8, our longest at 62 miles, takes us to Palatka but not before a stop at 3 Bananas for lunch in Crescent City on Crescent Lake, the bass capital of the world.  In Palatka check out the town’s murals, Ravine Gardens and Angels Diner, the oldest in Florida….great burgers!

Leaving Palatka on Day 9 we cross over the St. John’s river and stop by a historic beach house connected to Martin Luther King and Civil Rights history.  We’ll also visit the St. Augustine lighthouse.  It’s an easy 43 miles so if you like there’s time for more exploring of St. Augustine before returning to our hotel where we started.  We’ll have our second group dinner tonight and share memories of the ride.  The tour ends after breakfast on day 10.

COVID Requirements: All participants must be fully vaccinated and be prepared to present vaccination documentation for viewing by Ride Leader if requested.

Ride Rating: Given the flat terrain, average daily climb is 337 feet, and average mileage of 43 per day the ride rating is 1B.  However, we have 3 days that, on their own at 52, 60 and 62, would rate a “C”.  The route consists of some bike paths, roads of varying degrees of traffic and some with minimal shoulders.  When traveling in and out of towns there are the standard urban traffic conditions.  Applicants must be experienced and comfortable riding in these varying conditions.  Tandems and e-bikes are welcome on this ride.

Cue sheets, maps, GPS files:  The ride leader will provide “Ride With GPS” files approximately one month before the ride start.  Participants will receive an email containing a link to the EVENT file and will need to have downloaded at least the free version of the “RWGPS” app to receive the turn by turn directions.  RWGPS can be run on a smartphone.  Participants wanting cue sheets will need to print them from the file provided.

Weather:  The average high/low daily temperatures for the St. Augustine area in April are 82/59.  Rain occurs an average of 4 days in April and winds average 8 mph.

Lodging and Meals: A list of hotels has been provided in the itinerary found under the Ride Leader Document tab. Two group dinners will be provided and social/happy hours with beer, wine, soda and snacks, will be served early each evening.  Some type of breakfast items are included at the hotels seven of the nine mornings, the other two mornings breakfast is on your own.

The following are the hotels we are staying at: Hampton Inns,  Holiday Inn Expresses, Spring Hill Suites, Courtyard Marriotts, and a Quality Inn.

Logistics:  Participants should plan to arrive on April 17, 2023 and depart on April 26, 2023.  Free parking and bike box storage is available at the start hotel, Hampton Inn and Suites, St. Augustine-Vilano Beach, while on the tour.  Participants will be expected to ride each day from hotel to hotel.  

The closest airport serving St. Augustine is Jacksonville 52 miles away.  Some shuttle options to and from the airport that may be able to carry bikes as well as passengers are: Jack's Airport Shuttle (904-233-9574) and Airport Shuttle St. Augustine (904-825-0004).  Other shuttle services are available and, like these two, may offer discounts for more than one passenger.  UBER XL is also an option.

If you are shipping your bike contact A1A Cycle Works at 904-471-9009 in St. Augustine.  You can ship to them and they will assemble it for you.  They are a professional shop but only rent gravel and cruiser bikes.  If you want to ship your bike to the start hotel, Hampton Inn, Vilano Beach, contact them first at 904-827-9797.

Luggage:  A van will transport your luggage from hotel to hotel daily.  You'll be handling your own bag but we suggest limiting the weight to under 40 lbs.  You may want to bring along a small backpack too.

Tandems and E-Bikes: We welcome tandem riders and those who wish to ride e-bikes.

Cost & Administration:  The cost for this tour is $2,260.  The first deposit will be $1,500 and due when accepted on the ride.  The balance of $760 will be due December 1, 2022.  Participation numbers are based on lodging availability.  The cost includes 9 nights lodging, 2 group dinners, group social/happy hours, St. Augustine sunset cruise, boat tour of Blue Springs, State Park entrance fees, luggage transport, leader expenses and RWGPS links.

Singles & Solos Policy: 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 December 15, 2022 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 Ride Registration Fee and Payment Processing Fee) or pay the $1,130 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 by December 15. 2022.  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 Fees are not refundable unless the entire tour is canceled because the number of participants registered is less than the minimum established for the tour. 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 canceling roommate may also be liable for the solo 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 cleanup. 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 might have and respect the Ride Leader’s decisions.

Before participating in any BAC tour, you should assess whether your medical and travel insurance coverage is sufficient. BAC maintains insurance that covers expenses related to accidents. This coverage applies when touring inside the US, regardless of your nationality. It’s assumed that members’ personal insurance will cover medical emergencies such as sudden and unexpected sickness, so these have not been included in the BAC policy. You may want to consider personal coverage for emergency evacuation, as this is not included. The costs of treatment or quarantine for Covid and other unexpected illnesses are not covered. You should ensure that your vaccinations are up to date.

Sign-up: To register for this ride, use the sign-up links just above the Ride Description. After preliminary acceptance, you will be moved to the pending list and receive an email requesting you to go back to the BAC site to digitally accept the terms of the Release of Liability (ROL), and pay the non-refundable BAC Ride Registration Fee and Tour Deposit by credit card. As soon as your deposit has been processed, your name(s) will be added to the Participant List. BAC members with questions may contact the Ride Director by "clicking" the name at the top of this Ride Description.