Dear Solo or Social,
You’re spot on for calling out one of the first decision points of any long-distance bicycle trip. Who will I adventure with, how will the planning get done? There are benefits to booking a guided cycling trip and going solo! I know some cyclists who enjoy planning a bike tour as much as the tour itself.
Whether you’re an experienced touring cyclist or want to take your first bike trip, you’ll likely have a great time with either option. Admittedly, I could be a little biased, but let me make the case for a group tour, particularly with Adventure Cycling. One thing I really love about our tours is that they have a unique philosophy and flavor when compared with other group tours. It’s intentional that we are “leaders” and not “guides” on our tours. Our tours are about empowering participants to make their experience enjoyable and successful. In that way, you retain some of the independence and autonomy of a self-planned bike adventure.
Independence and autonomy are great, but what if you’re not sure you’re ready for that yet? Then I would really recommend a fully-supported tour. These are an excellent entry to bike touring because you can use a regular bike, and a vehicle will carry your stuff while you just enjoy the ride. I should know — I started out by participating in Adventure Cycling’s fully supported tours. And because these tours are still camping based, they are also more affordable than the average group tour you’ll find elsewhere, many of which use indoor accommodations.
These tours are also a nice number of people, not more than 50. That’s enough to have a variety of folks to hit it off with but not so many as to be overwhelming (and certainly not RAGBRAI numbers). Some people come on their own while others come with friends, a partner, or family members. I met the coolest people on these tours, and I credit them with inspiring me to make the leap to self-contained touring. Once I heard their stories of riding from beautiful place to beautiful place on their bikes, no vehicle support, I knew I needed to make that happen for myself.
At that time, deciding on a touring bike and outfitting it with racks and panniers seemed like a daunting enough task, so, honestly, it never even crossed my mind to plan my first self-contained tour myself. I was so excited to be able to peruse Adventure Cycling’s small group, self-contained tours, and I finally landed on Big Island Hawaii as my first. I still had to prepare, but I knew that much of the planning would be taken care of.
In answering this question, I wanted to dispel the idea that tours are just for beginners or people who don’t feel comfortable with planning.
I had some backpacking gear, but I was a bike touring newbie. I’m so glad that I had two leaders to help me prepare, and the other participants who had done this before had great suggestions for what to pack and what to leave at home. We also received reminders to leave room in our bags for group gear and group food — basically one fourth of our pannier space. My training and shake down rides were “fully loaded,” but 25 percent of that weight and volume were just placeholders for what I would actually carry on tour.
Sometimes people raise an eyebrow — or even protest — when I tell them about group shopping and cooking. The beauty of it is that you have access to a full camp kitchen, but you only need to carry about 7 percent of that gear! Plus, with a cooking rotation and 15 people, you only cook one day a week. How cool is that? You also end up with more variety in your meals compared to trying to shop and cook for just yourself every day.
Everyone who starts bike touring is going to have a “first tour” experience. Maybe it’s a bike overnight where the stakes are relatively low (always a good idea). Or maybe you will fly to Hawaii and spend 12 days on a guided cycling trip with complete strangers who become your good friends! It was a leap, but I felt well supported on that first self-contained tour. That’s the beauty of it: You don’t have to know everything before you get started. Observe, ask questions, try things, and know that you have a community of folks to support you.
Now let’s say you’re a seasoned veteran who knows how to outfit your bike, plan a route, and shop and cook. What’s the point of signing up for a group tour? Surely you could do it for less money on your own? Well, you may be right. Even though some things work on economies of scale, we still have additional costs associated with a tour. There are benefits to touring with a group, however, beyond having the logistics taken care of. You now have 14 new people who share your passion! Fresh faces, new ideas, and lively conversations. Honestly, I think the people who bike tour are among the most interesting and fun-to-be-with people that I know. Even if you have a solid touring partner or two, imagine that number several times over.
In answering this question, I wanted to dispel the idea that tours are just for beginners or people who don’t feel comfortable with planning. I know several cyclists who have been on more than a dozen Adventure Cycling tours. Trust me, they don’t need anyone to plan for them. They participate because they know the fun gets multiplied when it’s shared with new friends.
Another reason to consider a group tour if you already know what you’re doing is to explore a route that presents logistical or even safety challenges if you were on your own.
Another reason to consider a group tour if you already know what you’re doing is to explore a route that presents logistical or even safety challenges if you were on your own. Last year, I led Alaska Golden Circle, an 11-day self-contained tour that starts and ends in Juneau. After ferrying to Haines, you are almost immediately in a remote area of Alaska and the Yukon. It’s bear country, and even more importantly, there are long stretches without any services. You need to carry food for several days and plan out where to filter water. It’s certainly not impossible to do this route independently, but the reassurance of being in a group was appealing to many of the very experienced participants who signed up.
Sometimes, I meet folks in the bike travel community who obviously have all the tools to plan a biking adventure, so the thought of signing up for a group tour just never crossed their minds. If that’s you, hopefully I’ve piqued your interest enough to consider a guided group tour in the future. Whether you’re just getting started or have many touring miles under your wheels, you’ll get an experience through a group tour that will be a different flavor from a DIY adventure. Hope to see you out there!
The post Ask an Adventure Cycling Tour Leader: Should I Take a Guided Cycling Trip Tour or Plan My Own Tour? appeared first on Adventure Cycling Association.
