The Bicycle Adventure Club - Come Ride With Us!

Solvang in Spring 2026

April 12th to April 18th

Ride Director: Karl Reiche
Ride Co-Director: Becky Reiche
Report by: Lillian Nguyen

Solvang was our first BAC ride, and it couldn’t have been better. A wonderful group of 21 people from across the U.S. and Canada came together for a week of riding, scenery, and camaraderie through the stunning green chaparral hills of central California. This was a hub-and-spoke trip: we were given all of the GPS routes in advance, with no required riding days, and returned to the hotel each afternoon or evening. Plans for the next day’s ride usually began during happy hour the evening before. Karl and Becky, our ride leaders, selected a group ride each day with input from the participants, while those wishing to do something different made plans of their own.

I rode with the group on the first day. We stayed mostly together, each riding at his or her own pace and regrouping once or twice along the way. The terrain and scenery were beautiful — vineyards, small towns, grassy rolling hills, and quiet rural roads with little to no traffic. The hills were dotted with oaks, sycamores, toyon, sagebrush, ceanothus, manzanita, elderberry, and California buckeye. Along the way we spotted magpies, red-winged blackbirds, and titmice. We stopped for a group photo at the gates of Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch and shared a lovely lunch together at an outdoor café.

The days unfolded in much the same relaxed and pleasant rhythm. In the afternoons, participants rested, explored town in small groups or on their own, or continued cycling until the evening’s happy hour, when plans were made for dinner and the next day’s ride. Except for the farewell dinner, evenings were unscheduled, and we naturally broke into smaller groups for dinner. Solvang has many excellent restaurants, all within a few minutes’ walk of the hotel.

The routes themselves were delightful and varied. Some followed shady streams draped with Spanish moss. Others climbed and descended through grassy, wildflower-dotted canyons or led to the beach and back. One route took us through an old oil-producing area dotted with derricks. Still others were mostly flat, tracing river valleys lined with vineyards and vegetable farms. One day included a winery stop for a tasting in a beautiful outdoor setting. Throughout the week, we enjoyed endless California sunshine and mild temperatures that were never too hot or too cold.

Solvang itself is a charming and distinctive town, with buildings designed in a Danish style and several replica windmills scattered throughout. At the eastern edge of town sits Old Mission Santa Inés, with magnificent views, walking trails, and tours. It was an excellent week of riding on beautiful, quiet roads, surrounded by lovely scenery and good company.

Lillian and Ren