The Bicycle Adventure Club - Come Ride With Us!

Another Week in Sunny Palm Springs!

February 24th to March 4th

Ride Director: Linda Taunton
Ride Co-Director: Gerry Taunton
Report by: Margaret Kavanagh

A week in sunny Palm Springs was exactly as advertised even if the temperatures were lower than normal. Most of the participants were from much colder and snowier northern climates so they did not mind the cooler temperatures at all, it made for great cycling weather. The tour included accommodation centrally located in the heart of Palm Springs which made access to multiple restaurant options very easy for those on foot. The hotel, although a little past its prime, was still in a lovely location with large rooms and eminently appropriate for this tour.

Our tour leaders were very well prepared offering a variety of rides given the rating of the tour. There were two remote starts which were the highlight of the trip. These rides were the Joshua Tree National Park ride and the Box Canyon ride. The logistics to reach of these locations was well organized including a last minute option for a shorter ride on the Box Canyon ride. They also went above and beyond the tour requirements providing SAG support for stragglers or for those who missed the turn to lunch or who had bike issues.

Good lunches were provided on two of the rides where food options were non-existent. The opening and closing dinners were held in two different local restaurants and both places provided high quality meals. This was especially true for the closing dinner at a local French restaurant. Happy Hours were well organized with a variety of “nibbles” meeting the needs of all concerned. The routes, cue sheets and GPX tracks were impeccably laid out and well explained at Happy Hour each night. Safety was a top priority for every ride hence the routes followed designated bike lanes or quiet neighbourhood streets wherever possible. The destination rides were also very interesting. We had the opportunity to take in the Living Desert Exhibit, Thousand Palms Oasis and the Sunnylands Gardens. There were also optional rides to the Air Museum and the Tramway located in the local mountains.

I know this tour does not fit within the normal parameters for BAC tours from a cost perspective but there are enough affluent members within the club to make this type of tour work. Plus for those of us from cold, dark, snowy and wet climates, an escape to the sunny south is a welcome addition to our winter at any cost. Therefore, I would encourage more tours like this one in the future. Special thanks to Linda and Gerry for organizing a great tour and for their willingness to accommodate all requests from the participants and the flexibility to make them happen.