This is where it all starts. If you have reviewed our offerings, have assembled a group, and are ready to go then this is where you start the booking process. You will initiate the booking process for your group by filling out a group preferences questionnaire. Members of your group should have reviewed this page and shared their personal preferences with you prior to you starting this process. You will need to speak for the whole group when you answer the questions listed in the column on the right.
Group participants usually have something in common and they know each other, and probably have ridden with each other, prior to the trip. The common thread could be a club that they all ride with, a work group, or simply a group of friends that want to tour together. The more that your group shares common interests and experiences the more likely you will all enjoy your time together on the tour. Your group members should also have similar expectations for the ride difficulty and pace and you will ensure this by polling everyone's preferences.
We work with your group’s tour organizer to plan out the tour and customize it to the interests of the group. Once we book your group our focus is on route and activity planning for your tour. Your group’s tour organizer works to finalize the participant list as quickly as possible, and represents the group in our planning process.
We realize that it can be difficult to organize a group like this and get commitments from everyone in a timely manner. We will work with your group organizer to get your tour to come together over time. To aid in coordinating the preparation efforts for your tour we provide a discussion forum on our web site that is dedicated to your group’s exclusive use.
You may adjust your participant list up until one month prior to departure. (Third party hotel/motel and activities may have additional capacity and cancelation policies.) If a group with fewer than 14 participants wishes to absorb the additional cost per person we will work with the group to accommodate the smaller group.
When you are prepared to initiate a custom group tour and have your groups answers to the questions on the right send the answers in this email form.
Group Size
The minimum group size is 14 riders and the maximum is 22. At this time let us know how many you expect in your group. You can change this number up until 2 months prior to departure.
Destination
Our Tours~Tour Idea pages present "templates" of tours that you can choose from. You may vary these tours to suite your group or choose other areas that interest your group. Write a general description of where you want to go and we will respond back with a rough route proposal. From there we work together to refine the route to your specific interests.
Days of riding
Most of our tours are week tours. They typically leave on a Saturday and return the following Saturday or Sunday. The minimum tour is 4 days. The typical 4 day tour is a long weekend where we start on a Thursday afternoon and return on Monday afternoon. Long weekend routes should stay "close to home" to minimized the required travel time.
Layover/Activity Days
For these questions you should let us know 1) how many days you wish to be gone in total including travel time, 2) how many days you want to ride your bikes on, and 3) how many layover days you want to rest or spend doing other activities. A typical week tour includes 2 travel days, 4 or 5 riding days, and 1 or 2 layover/activity days.
Ride Pace and Terrain
When planning your route we need to know how many miles your group wishes to ride on an average day. The actual miles each day will vary depending on terrain and the available camping or lodging locations. We also need to know the maximum number of miles your group is willing to ride in a given day.
- Easy - 2-5 hours of riding 20-40 miles on flat or rolling terrain with minimal hills to climb.
- Moderate - 4-6 hours of riding 30-50 miles on varied terrain with possible steep hills to climb
- Aggressive - 5-8 hours of riding 40-70 miles on varied terrain with several ascents/descents over several thousand feet.
- Expert - 6-10 hours of riding 60-100 miles on varied terrain with steep ascents/descents over several thousand feet.
Wish to Explore?
Are you willing to put out the extra effort required to get off the usual route and see some unusual sights? This might involve extra miles on a side trip to see some curious or beautiful points of interest.
Overnight Accommodations
What kind of overnight lodging is your group comfortable with? Are you open to staying in a campground that may only have hand pump water and outhouses (we still provide showers, etc.). Do you prefer to camp as much as possible and keep the costs low or would you prefer to stay in motels whenever possible? Do you have specific locations that you would prefer to stay in motels but the rest of the time you are OK with camping? When staying in a town would you rather stay in an RV Camp near town or a hotel/motel in town?
- How many nights camping?
- How many nights in motels?
- RV Camp or hotel/motel?
Restaurant Meals
If you wish to have a special dinner outing with a meal at a restaurant while staying in, or near, a town please let us know.
Events and Activities
Depending on the route that you choose, some local activities or events may be available for you to include in your tour. Please see our Info & Events ~ Calendar page for local events that are available. Possible activities range from a simple museum visit or wildlife area visit to concerts, fairs, and rafting trips. If you give us some direction here we will search for some fun and unusual activities and propose them to you when we respond with a draft tour plan.
- Include any activities or events?
- Include local town attractions?
- Include wildlife and nature attractions?