Ride Director Comments

Ride Description

Overview:

Come to Oceanside California in October to enjoy beautiful Mediterranean – like climate with wide sandy beaches, great riding, lots of activities and an abundance of restaurants that offer ocean views and breathtaking sunsets. 

The lively beach culture, harbor, historic landmarks and museums offer a great variety of things to do in Oceanside.  Nearby is the California Surf Museum which traces the sport's history with a surfboard collection and exhibits on famous surfers.  The historical Oceanside Pier was originally constructed in the late 1800s and is the longest wooden pier in the Western United States. Step back in time by visiting the historic Mission San Luis Rey. It is the largest of the California missions and this national historic landmark is an architectural sight to behold. Every Thursday night downtown from 5-9 PM, Oceanside hosts the “Sunset Market “ which makes way for close to 200 vendors.  Here you will find everything from unique eats, live music, to global goods. After a day of biking don’t forget to visit the famous High Pie Shop located at the Top Gun House at 250 N. Pacific St in Oceanside or hit the beach for some relaxation and sun. 

This seven day fix based ride will take place in the city of Oceanside along the Southern California coast. We will be staying at the Best Western Plus Oceanside Palms at 909 N. Coast Highway. 

We are excited to offer this tour which was last done in 2017.  The near-perfect climate and breathtaking coastline is an invitation to ride, relax and enjoy what Oceanside has to offer. 

Oceanside is 38 miles north of San Diego and 50 miles from John Wayne airport in Orange County. The terrain offers a variety of rides some flat and some with rolling hills with the option for extended climbs. Ride options will take you through picturesque beach towns of Southern California. Each town has its own distinct and interesting personality that include scenic beach and ocean views. Southern Beach routes include Encinitas, Solana Beach, Del Mar and San Diego. Heading north we can go into San Clemente and Dana Point.  The ride inland takes you on the San Luis rail trail and up to Vista, Bonsall, Fallbrook or over to Escondido. The coastal bike route South will take you down to Old Town San Diego or further to Cabrillo National Monument with stunning views overlooking San Diego  before catching the  one-way commuter train or Amtrak to return back to Oceanside.

There is not one specific group ride required each day.  However there will be a suggested route which will be reviewed the prior night during happy hour. There is flexibility according to preference, ability, and terrain. For those interested, you can tour Mission San Luis Rey which is five miles away riding the bike trail. For this visit Ride leaders will send a reminder and provide more information closer to the date.  https://www.sanluisrey.org/

RIDE RATING:  2B 

Routes vary from relatively flat along the coast to moderately hilly inland. There are multiple cycling options for average to accomplished riders. The terrain is as varied as it is beautiful with daily averages of 23-60 miles and anywhere from 900 to 2400 feet of elevation gain. We will use bike trails and bike lanes but much of the riding is on lightly to moderately travelled roads, most with shoulders but some without. Therefore riders must be comfortable with traffic.  Because this is a fixed-base ride there are no mandatory ride days and IT IS NOT SAG VEHICLE SUPPORTED.  

On some days, participants will have the option to make the ride shorter by using bike friendly public transportation back to Oceanside.  Seniors (65 & over San Diego County) can purchase discounted transit tickets.  Experienced tandems and E-Bikes are welcome however Tandems are NOT currently allowed on the Coaster or Pacific Surf-liner Train. The ride leaders will most likely be using their E-bikes. 

Most Routes have been scouted and the ones we have not scouted we will use RidewGPS and google map to check out the condition of the roads. We have ridden the Coaster train from San Diego to Oceanside with our bikes (which was a breeze) since the train is designed to accommodate bikes. 

Also, the ride north to San Clemente takes us through Camp Pendleton. To get a base pass, you have to go to the visitor center and show your drivers license. It takes 45 minutes to an hour to do this. By doing this, we avoid riding the five miles on I-5. Take note you have to be an American citizen to ride through the base. 

WEATHER

Average Oceanside temperatures in October range from highs of 73 to lows of 44.  A light jacket is a good idea for morning starts because of the morning fog. You should also consider bringing full finger gloves, long pants, and light rain gear, because the mornings can be chilly until the fog burns off. 

LOGISTICS

Oceanside is located 50 miles south from Orange County airport (SNA) and 38 miles north from San Diego airport (SAN). Participants who fly in can rent a car to get to Oceanside, or you can take a short taxi ride from the airport to the nearby train station where you can catch the Metro-link or Amtrak Pacific Surf-liner Train to Oceanside.  For transportation from San Diego click this link. https://gonctd.com/schedules/   There is also the option to Uber if you don’t want to rent a car. 

However most who travel from out of state typically rent cars.  It can be handy to have a car for visiting historic missions, Legoland  and other points of interest in the surrounding area. Free parking is available on site. Ride Leaders can pick up participants from the Oceanside train station, if requested.  The Best Western Plus Oceanside Palms is located about 1 mile from the train station and a few blocks from the beach.  The first group meeting will be on October 10th at 5:00 pm. The tour ends after breakfast on October 17th. 

BIKE RENTALS

There are various bike shops in Oceanside and near-by Carlsbad.  Participants who are interested in bike rentals will need to make their own arrangements.  

You can rent at So CAL Bikes, 2028 S. Coast Highway, Oceanside  (760) 710-1478.  https://www.socalbike.com/   They have several road bike options and E-bikes are available. 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.

LODGING & MEALS
Our lodging will be at the Best Western Plus Oceanside at 909 N Coast Hwy,  which is the base for our tour.  (760) 721-1543   We will spend all seven nights there.  There will be two group dinners, Six Happy Hours* and Seven breakfasts. Social hours will take place on site at the hotel meeting room each evening and on site laundry facilities are also available.  The six social hours to include appetizers, wine, beer and soft drinks. The night of the “sunset market “we will have a short meeting so we can go downtown to experience the market. Lunch will be the responsibility of each participating rider during and/or after each daily ride.
*Note on Happy Hours:  Participants will be asked to assist on a rotational basis with set-up of happy hours. 

COST & ADMINISTRATION

The Estimated Cost for this tour is $1,250 and includes six daily social hours, seven breakfasts and two group dinners.  The initial deposit of $600 along with the BAC non-refundable Ride Registration Fee of $85 is due at time of sign-up.  The final payment of $650 is due August 1st, 2025 (along with solo supplement payments of $630 if applicable) 

MAPS & CUE SHEETS

A document will be posted in Ride Leader Docs that will have the link to give access to the RWGPS Event. From there we recommend that you print out hard copies of both the maps and cue sheets. Riders need to download all the digital routes from RWGPS prior to arriving to the tour. 

Note: Before the trip begins, it is up to the rider to know how to use his or her GPS device and/or RWGPS on your smartphone.

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.

SINGLES & SOLOS POLICY

A “single” is a member who signs up and wishes to share a room with another participant. It is recommended that singles who want a roommate try to find their own. After receipt of the initial deposit, a single without a roommate will be placed on the ride and given until August 1st, 2025  to find a roommate. If they are unable, they will have the option to receive a full refund (minus the BAC Ride Registration Fee and Payment Processing Fee) or pay the solo supplement and stay on the ride. They may continue to seek a roommate but must plan to participate without a roommate if necessary. If a roommate is found, the solo supplement will be returned. The Ride Leader will assist by attempting to match singles who apply for the ride. 

A “solo” is a member who signs up, does not wish to share a room, and pays the solo supplement of $630.  There are two ways to pay the solo supplement:

1.  A check made out to “BAC” with a notation of the tour name included on the check mailed to: Bicycle Adventure Club, PO Box 23998, San Diego, CA 92193.

2.   Zelle payment transfer using the following instructions: 

o    In your bank's website, add Bicycle Adventure Club as a new recipient with the email address treasurer@bicycleadventureclub.org

o    Initiate a payment

o    In the message block, enter the name of the ride.

Solo supplement payments are due by August 1st, 2025.  

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. 

INSURANCE

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 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.