Most years I have done Tour da U.P which is a 5 day (with one rest day) tour. In 2014 and 2017 I have done Cycle Greater Yellowstone, which was 7 days in 2014 and 6 in 2017 (with one rest day ). Both are in August.
I will likely do Tour da U.P. again, partially because it is relatively close (<8 hour drive) and cheap ($425). I am leaning towards not doing CGY again as it is a long drive (18 hours over two days each way)
I’m looking for another fully supported tour. I’ve done some searching but no site has been right.
Criteria:
Days: 5-7
Max participants: 50-400
Accommodations: camping, preferably in parks, not schoolyards (easier with fewer people)
Mileage: about 60 a day – can be a bit more but no multi 70+ days
Terrain: Hills are Ok to a point (maybe 15,000 ft of climbing max) I like water
Distance: closer to SE MN the better, but am willing to travel if the tour is right
Cost: <$1000 ideally (CGY was a bit more)
Time of year: maybe not in August so I have some time between tours
Anybody have suggestions or links to good search sites?
Thanks,
Brian
There’s a bike tour that follows the Erie Canal that I’d love to do someday. 8 days, 400 miles, next year it’s July 8th-15th. Maybe a bit larger than the OP asks for; the website says there were ~650 riders last year.
I look at CGOAB almost daily – it is mostly self-supported tours (which I may also do)
I’m a member of ACA, I should re-look at their offerings
Trek ones seem to be hotel only and prices reflect that
Forgot a criteria – I have a road bike – well, technically a touring bike (Trek 520). I currently have 32mm tires. So while I can handle dirt better than a 23mm road bike tire I am looking for predominantly paved tour.
Katy Trail State Park in Missouri. I’ve done this one the past 7 years. It meets most of your criteria perfectly.
In 2018 we will be starting in St. Charles, Missouri and ending in Clinton, MO. Signups should start on March 1st, 2018 and can fill up fast.
Your Trek 520 will work great. I ride a Windsor Tourist with 700x32 tires and weigh about 215 lbs. I’ve never had a major issue with the crushed limestone even when wet (except that it makes a mess - fenders help a lot).
If you want to know more about the Katy Trail, here’s a helpful web site.
You could ride your bike on all the streets and bike trails on Mackinac Island. It’s got 70 miles of pavement. And no motorized vehicles, other than a few emergency ones.
Ha, I live across the river from the Wisconsin Driftless area (I live in the Driftless area of MN) I’ve done a bunch of day rides (and some overnights / weekends) in the region.