Ride Director Comments

Ride Description

California, Central Coast & Wine Country

OVERVIEW:  This trip offers the best in Spring cycling in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties, enjoying both the coast and inland wine country. We'll meet in the college town of San Luis Obispo (SLO), and the next day head up the coast through Morro Bay, then inland to spend three nights in Paso Robles, home to many great wineries and wonderful rural cycling. We then head back to the coast and to the quaint town of Cambria where we’ll spend two nights and get the chance to ride up the coast to check out an Elephant Seal rookery and the southern end of Big Sur at Ragged Point and/or arrange a visit to Hearst Castle.  We’ll then head south along the coast to the surf town of Pismo Beach for one night and then head back to SLO, riding through the many vineyards that surround it. This visit we'll be staying downtown and will be there for the Thursday night Farmer's Market, a wonderful event of food and fun. After leaving SLO, we'll have a mix of coast and inland on our way to Santa Maria. Our next day is our longest ride, taking us south over rural roads through Lompoc and into Solvang. We spend three nights in Solvang, a quaint Danish-themed town which is part of the Santa Ynez Valley, famous for its wineries and the movie Sideways. Many options are available for riding on the layover days. When we leave Solvang, we ride inland through the heart of the wine valley along Foxen Canyon Road and return to Santa Maria. Our last day of cycling is back to our original hotel in San Luis Obispo through the tiny town of Arroyo Grande and continuing through the vineyards of San Luis Obispo County.

RIDE RATING:  The ride is rated 2B with an average of 43 miles per day and 2160’ of climbing. There are eight days of required point-to-point riding and five days of optional loop rides.  There are several days with longer or shorter routes available.  There is one long day of 58 miles and 3100’ of climbing and one fairly hilly day with 45 miles and 3300’ of climbing. Much of the riding is on lightly-travelled roads with little or no shoulder, but some is on the shoulder of state highways, therefore riders must be comfortable with traffic.

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 leaders 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.

CUE SHEETS and GPS FILES:  All routes will be available in RideWithGPS and printable route sheets and GPS files will be emailed to attendees.

WEATHER:  The temperatures should consist of highs in the high 60s to 70s and lows at night in the high 40s to low 50s, so mornings will be brisk.  Though it’s California, there is a chance for some rain as it’s still Springtime.

LODGING & MEALS:  The tour will include stays in an assortment of hotels and quaint Inns, with most considered mid-range, nice, but not luxury. Six breakfasts will be included, and all hotels not offering complimentary breakfast have restaurants on site or within close walking distance. There will be three group meals included. Overnight stays will be in San Luis Obispo (3 separate nights), Paso Robles (3 consecutive nights), Cambria (2 consecutive nights), Pismo Beach (1 night), Solvang (3 consecutive nights), and Santa Maria (2 separate nights).

LOGISTICS:  The tour will start and end in San Luis Obispo at the Courtyard by Marriott, 1605 Calle Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, CA.  On Thursday, May 8, 2025, we'll meet in the lobby at 5:30 pm for our first Happy Hour before heading out for a group dinner. The last riding day will be 21 May 2025, with departure the morning of 22 May.  We suggest flying direct into SLO or into Los Angeles or San Jose airports and renting a car to drive to San Luis Obispo or taking Amtrak. Cars and bike boxes can be left at the hotel free of charge for the duration of the tour.

BIKES:  We welcome both tandem riders and those who wish to ride E-bikes.  ***Of note, most of the hotels we will stay at are small, two-story without elevators, so participants must be able to carry their bikes and suitcases up a flight of stairs, as we cannot guarantee first floor rooms for all.

BIKE RENTALS:  Foothill Cyclery in San Luis Obispo offers rental bikes: www.foothillcyclery.com, 767 East Foothill Blvd Suite B, San Luis Obispo, CA 93405; (805)-541-4101. We highly suggest reserving the bike well in advance. All arrangements for bike rental are between the participant and the bike shop. The tour leaders cannot guarantee bike rental availability or quality.

COST & ADMINISTRATION:  Cost estimate of $2800 per person and includes $85 BAC fee,14 nights lodging double occupancy, luggage van, Happy Hours, a wine tasting event in Paso Robles, 3 group dinners, and 3 breakfasts. Deposit will be $1000 with the balance due 15 January 2025.  Single supplement is estimated to be an additional $1600. 

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 15 January 2025 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 $1600 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 15 January 2025 by check or Zelle. Make checks payable to “BAC” and mail to Bicycle Adventure Club, PO Box 23998, San Diego, CA 92193. Send Zelle payments to treasurer@bicycleadventureclub.org. Indicate the ride name when using either method.

CANCELLATION POLICY:  The BAC ride registration fee and payment processing fee is not refundable unless the entire tour is cancelled because the number of participants 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 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 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 tour 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 leaders. While on the tour, support your ride leader with offers to help with various tasks such as happy hour preparation and clean-up. Please do not interfere the tour by inviting non-participants onto any portion of the tour. Please keep the ride leader(s) 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 register for this tour, use the sign-up link displayed just above this 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 website 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 leader(s) by "clicking" the name at the top of this Ride Description.