Tour of the Moon and Beyond

† 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 town of Grand Junction is the home of the Colorado National Monument. This ride in itself is a classic ride with elevation gains, cliffs, hairpin turns, tunnels (short) , viewpoints, and a ride to be remembered! This ride is called the "Tour of the Moon".

But there are plenty of other rides in this same area that people are not aware of. The new River bike path, the wine and fruit tours, Reeder Mesa to Lands End Road, Little Park to Glade Park and beyond, Unaweep Canyon, Grand Mesa, a Farm country ride, and Douglas Pass. Many of these rides have 8% + hills and rewarding downhill descents. 

We have reservations at the Hampton Inn downtown Grand Junction, within walking distance to the old downtown and train station.  Bikes can be stored in the rooms. First Happy Hour will be at the Hampton Inn in Grand Junction at 5:00pm MT.

As a fixed base, it is your choice of what rides to do. There will always be a suggested ride of the day, but you are able to do anything you want. Grand Junction is also a mountain bike haven with plenty of courses and trails to choose from. It is only 12 miles from Fruita, which is a Mecca for Mountain Bikers.

Grand Junction is located only 30 minutes from the Utah Border in Western Colorado. With access to over 1.7 million acres of state and federally protected public lands, outstanding outdoor activities including biking, hiking and fishing are available, It has a population of over 62,000.

Bike Shops:  There are plenty of bike shops in town.  The Bike Shop 970 243 0807, Ruby Canyon 970 241 0141, and Bicycle Outfitters 970 245 2699, and REI 970 254 8970

RIDE RATING:  This ride is a 3B, which translates into 35-50 miles and with 1500-2500 ft. of elevation climb. However, most of the routes contain hills that are 8% or more and with the higher altitudes this has become a higher rated ride.  There are bike paths, shoulders, tunnels, curvy hairpins, and mostly considerate drivers.

Tandems and e-bikes are welcome. E-bike riders should be experienced with riding an e-bike and with the "rules of the road" as well as prepared to ride in a group setting. A caution to e-bike riders; hopefully your bike can attain the distance and elevation gains of a 3B ride.

This is a fix based tour without a support vehicle.  Participants are encouraged to have access to a vehicle for days that require remote starts (2 or 3 days).  Contact the ride leader if you are going to need support getting to a remote start.   

WEATHER:  The weather in Grand Junction can be between 60 degrees and the high 80's.  The ride leader suggest participants plan on riding in the morning.  Grand Junction can also have cold snaps or heat waves. 

LODGING AND MEALS: The Hampton Inn provides comfortable accomodations.  The Hampton has breakfast, pools, hot tubs, workout rooms, bars, and spacious rooms. It is located next to 3 other hotels that all share their ammentities. We will be allowed to use facilities in any of them. Because this hotel is downtown, there is an additional fee for parking: $58 per car for the week which is not included in the cost of the tour. 

Three group dinners and 7 BAC Happy Hours will also be included in the tour fee.  

LOGISTICS: If driving, Grand Junction is off I-70 . There is an Amtrak station within walking distance to the hotel and if flying, Walker Field Airport (GJT) has daily flights.  There are rental cars, Taxi's, and Ubers available from the Airport to cover the 6 mile drive to the hotel.

Participants are asked to bring their National Parks Pass or plan on paying park entrance fees.  Also a  headlight and taillight are required for 3 short tunnels in the National Park.   

HEALTH AND SAFETY: Vaccinations for Covid are recommended, but not required. Participants are expected to come to the tour in good health and ready to ride. Should someone's health become compromised and the group’s health and safety placed in jeopardy, a plan will be developed by the ride leader(s) and communicated to all individuals. The expectation is for the group to work together to mitigate any spread of infection or illness as a means to ensure the tour can continue as planned.

COST AND ADMINISTRATION:  In addition to the $50 non-refundable BAC fee, the estimated tour cost of the ride is $1350 based on double occupancy, and includes 7 nights lodging, 7 breakfasts, 7 BAC happy hours, and 3 group dinners. Also included GPS tracks, participants can print their own cue sheets and route maps from the provided links. It is assumed that the individual participants have operational knowledge of their respective GPS units. The minimum number of paid riders is 15 and the maximum is 18. A deposit of $750 will be due when you sign up. The remaining balance of $600 will be due on April 2, 2024. Solo supplements will be available for $750 also due on April 2, 2024

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 April 2, 2024 to find a roommate. If they are unable to find a roommate, they will have the option to receive a refund (minus the BAC fee and payment processing fee) or pay the $750 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.  A single participant has until April 2, 2024 to find a roommate or pay the solo supplement.  Solo supplement payments need to be sent to the BAC office by April 2, 2024. 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 canceled due to participation below stated minimum requirements. 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 RESPONSIBILITIES:  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 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.

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. Coverage is subject to a $1000 deductible. 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 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 Wait list 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 of $750 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.