Cycling Deep in the Heart of Texas

This is a fixed base tour that takes you on some of the most legendary cycling routes in the Texas Hill Country. You will see miles of springtime wildflowers on ranch and farm-to-market roads where you will spot longhorn cattle, sheep, goats, white tail deer and maybe even an armadillo! Fredericksburg, a town of 10,000 residents, is the cycling capital of Texas, and receives three million visitors annually. It boasts a German heritage combined with Texas hospitality. Many excellent eating establishments, boutiques, and art galleries and are within walking distance of our lodging and there are over 75 wineries and several microbreweries within a short drive. You may want to visit the The National Museum of the Pacific War, Luckenbach, the historic LBJ Ranch or hike the Enchanted Rock. Whether cycling, relaxing at our pool or spa, shopping, or eating and drinking - your visit to Fredericksburg will be a memorable one.

This eight night tour will be based at the boutique hotel, Inn on Barons Creek, where all rooms are suites with a bedroom, living room, two TV’s, microwave, coffee maker and refrigerator. These rooms surround the heated swimming pool which leads down to a lovely creek. A full breakfast is provided each day, and there will be storage for bike boxes and plenty of parking. There is a full day spa on site as well. And all of this just a few blocks from the historic Main Street district! 

Rides will originate from the hotel and will lead you quickly out of town to some very nice country roads. We will be able to see Enchanted Rock from a distance, visit historic Luckenbach, see the amazing wildflowers on the Willow City Loop, and ride the River Road to Comfort (known for its strong Union Loyalty during the Civil War and home to the oldest Civil War Monument). There will be one remote start from Kerrville to experience some very dramatic views and lots of climbing on that day! As a fixed base tour, you are free to take a day off at any time. 

There will not be any SAG support on this tour.

Ride Rating
This ride is rated 2B! based on the “short” rides offered each day. The “short” rides have an average daily mileage of 38 miles with 1570 feet of climbing over the 7 days of riding. Each day will also offer a “long” ride averaging 56 miles and 2840 feet of climbing per day. The rating for the long rides is 3C!  The “!” point is for some short sections exceeding an 8% grade and (on the long ride options) distances of about 30 miles between water and food stops on several days.  There are no mandatory ride days and there is no SAG support.

Cue sheets, Maps, GPS Routes
There will be detailed ride descriptions and audio-cue enabled RideWith GPS routes with annotated Points of Interest, food and water stops, and other route notes as audio and visual cues. Participants will receive an email with a link to the GPS files and that link will also be posted in the Ride Leader docs. 

Participants will need to download (at a minimum) the basic version of the RideWithGPS app to receive audio cues. This is important not only for turn cues, but for the points of interest along the way. Participants wanting cue sheets will need to print their own from the files provided. It is up to each rider to know how to use his or her GPS device before the trip begins.

Weather
April and October are the best months to be in Texas. The peak of the wildflower season is early to mid-April, where the famous Texas Bluebonnet (the state flower) can look almost like carpet. You will also see Firewheels, Mexican Hats, Pink Evening Primrose, and several colors of Verbena. The average low is 55 and average high is 79. The winds can be light to gusty, typically picking up in the afternoon. There are an average of 4 days of rain in April, but usually not an all day event. 

Lodging and Meals
We will spend all eight nights at the Inn on Barons Creek in downtown Fredericksburg. All rooms are suites as described above. Eight breakfasts are included and no lunches. There are plenty of casual restaurants with patios and a huge grocery store within blocks of the host hotel. The first night will be a catered group dinner and the last night will be a group dinner at the famous Hondo’s restaurant on Main Street. (More info on that later!) The other nights, you are on your own to enjoy some of the many great restaurants in town. There will be seven Happy Hours to include appetizers, local wine, local beer and soft drinks. These are not only for a drink and a snack, but to get to know follow participants, review the day’s ride and talk about the next day’s ride. 

Also included will be an afternoon visit to a winery for a tour and tasting.

Bike Rentals and Bikes
There are two opportunities to rent bikes in the area. Hill Country Bicycle Works (hillcountrybicycleworks.com) in Fredericksburg rents Specialized Roubaix and e-bikes. Mellow Johnny’s in Austin rents Specialized Allez, but no e-bikes (mellowjohnnys.com). There are no places to rent bikes in San Antonio. If you plan to rent a bike - do it EARLY! April is the busiest month for bike rentals in Texas. Tandems and E-bikes are welcome on this tour, and there will be a space to assemble bikes and store cases.

Logistics
The tour will officially start at Happy Hour on Saturday, April 10, 2027 at 5:30, followed by a catered dinner, introductions and some logistical and housekeeping discussions.  Happy Hours and our catered dinner will be in the Nimitz Room at the Walch Haus Conference Center located on the hotel property. Breakfast is from 6-10 am and rides will typically start around 9 am. The tour will end after breakfast on Sunday, April 18, 2027. 

If you are flying to Texas, San Antonio International Airport (SAT) is 70 miles from Fredericksburg and Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) in Austin is 84 miles.  In general, Austin-Bergstrom has more direct flights and slightly lower fares than San Antonio International Airport. While ride share services are available between these airports and Fredericksburg, you should consider renting a car. This would be handy for exploring the area off the bike, visiting wineries and for the remote ride start.

Costs and Administration
The estimated cost for this tour is $1600 per person, double occupancy. This fee covers eight nights lodging, eight breakfasts, seven happy hours, 2 group dinners, a winery tour and tasting with transportation to and from, scouted routes with GPS files, and sightseeing information. Gratuities are included for hotel staff and meals. 

A $800 deposit will be due 7 days after being accepted on the ride. The final payment of $800 will be due on November 1, 2026. There is an $85 non-refundable BAC Ride Fee to be paid when signing up.

Not included are bike rentals, lunches, museum admission fees or transportation to and from the airport. 

Health and Safety Requirements
Participants are expected to come to the tour in good health and ready to ride. Prior to the final payment for the tour, an infectious disease plan will be developed and communicated to the group. This will include possible actions for dealing with persons with an infectious disease on the tour that could affect their ability to ride or the health of others in the group.The plan will include items such as isolation protocols, testing, masking. distancing, and leaving the tour.

Singles and Solos Policy
A “single” is a member who signs up by himself or herself and wishes to share a room with another participant. A “solo” is a member who signs up by himself or herself and does not wish to share a room. It is recommended that singles who want a roommate try to find their own, however, after receipt of the initial deposit, a single rider without a roommate will be placed on the ride and given until November 1, 2026 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 of $85 and the Payment Processing Fee of about $45) OR pay the solo supplement cost of $795 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 none is found.The Ride Leader will assist  by attempting to match singles who apply for the ride. 

The solo supplement payment of $795 is due by January 15, 2027 and can be paid by Zelle or check.
To pay by Zelle:

• In your bank’s website, add Bicycle Adventure Club as a new recipient, with email address treasurer@bicycleadventureclub.org.
• Initiate a payment
• In the Message block, enter the name of your ride

If you have questions, contact Nancy Bohnett at nbohnett@bicycleadventureclub.org.  Checks should be made out to BAC with a notation of the tour name included on the check and mailed to:
Bicycle Adventure Club, PO Box 23998, San Diego, CA 92193.

Cancellation Policy
The BAC Ride Registration Fee and Payment Processing Fee 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 for someone canceling 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 not 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.

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 responsibly 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 Statement
BAC maintains two insurance policies: 1) United States 2) Foreign (all other countries). Both US and Foreign policies are considered secondary policies to your personal medical insurance policy. They are subject to a $1000 deductible and may not cover all expenses related to an accident. Copies of the current policies are located under the “Docs” tab on the BAC website. 

Before participating in any BAC tour, you should assess whether your medical and travel insurance coverage is sufficient. While touring in the US, the BAC insurance includes coverage for injuries due to accidents during the bike trip. Members’ personal insurance will need to cover medical emergencies such as sudden or unexpected illness (i.e. treatments for unexpected illness, including Covid, are not covered).

How to 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 go back to the BAC website to digitally accept the terms of the Release of Liability (ROL) and pay the Tour Deposit and the non-refundable BAC Ride Registration Fee ($85) 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 the Ride Description.