Frequently Asked Questions

We’ve been leading small-group bicycle tours since 1984. We recognize that a bicycle tour is a significant commitment, in both time and money, and we are committed to remaining the leader in providing the best value for both. Our small group size (never more than thirteen guests) allows us to stay in smaller, locally owned inns and lodges whenever possible, enjoy dinners without set menus, and prepare sumptuous picnic lunches along the routes. Our guides and staff really care, making every effort to deliver a personal experience for each guest on every tour with the flexibility to adjust the day for weather, and group and individual preferences. You’ve chosen a bicycle tour because you want an active vacation, and on our tours, we are active every day. Come explore what we ultimately strive for in a cycling vacation–which is to simply “Pedal Happy”.

Bicycle Adventures was founded by Bob Clark in 1984 in Olympia, WA to share his passion for cycling and travel. Todd Starnes and friend, Brad Barnard, purchased Bicycle Adventures in 2008 and moved it to The Puget Sound area where our Headquarters remain to this day, with our operations basecamp located in Wallace, Idaho. If you are lucky, you might meet Todd on tour. He joins our seasoned guides on half a dozen to a dozen tours annually to monitor quality and scout for new adventures.

We offer twenty-nine tour destinations in eleven states and another fourteen tour destinations in twelve international countries.

• Bicycles – Choice of a road bike or flat-bar hybrid bike, with options to upgrade to a pedal assist e-bike on most tours
• Expertise of our experienced guides
• Van and luggage support
• Deluxe lodgings
• Fine dining. Check the tour pages for meal exclusions on specific tours.
• Snacks and beverages between meals
• Helmet and Wahoo GPS device
• Equipment and guides for extra activities including kayaking, rafting, snorkeling, hiking as described on the tour pages.
• Visits to historic and cultural sites as included on the tour pages.
• Park and other entry fees
• Gratuities at meals and for all off-bike activities

• Airfare to and from your tour
• Pre tour and post tour hotel
• A meal or two, where you’ll have the opportunity to dine in a smaller group and experience your choice of local fare.
• Gratuities for Bicycle Adventures Guides
• Alcoholic beverages at meals, except during the post ride happy hour
• Personal expenses

If you’re not sure what type of tour is right for you, here are a few things to consider.

What is your riding experience level? You can search tours by All Levels, Beginner, Intermediate, or Advanced.

When do you want to travel? You can search tours by date on our tour calendar.

Where do I want to explore by bicycle? You can search by Domestic Tours, narrowing by state and, International Tours, narrowing by country. You can also search our tours by collection; New Tours, Our Most Popular Tours, National Park Tours, and Winter Escapes.

What if I only want to ride with my family and friends? Explore our private Adventure Takeover option.

We partner with Giant and Liv, the world’s largest bicycle designer and manufacturer, for our bike fleet. A road bike (downturned handlebars) or hybrid flat bar bike (straight handlebars) is included in our tour price. Pedal-assist e-bikes are available for a $200 surcharge on most tours. Please note, on our International Tour the bike model will differ.

We select the initial frame size based on your height and personal bike frame size, or stand over height measurement. Final fitting adjustments are made on the first morning of the tour.

You are welcome to bring your personal bicycle on any tour, however there is no discount for doing so. It is important that you be proficient in maintaining your bike during the tour. While our guides are experts at working on our fleet of bikes, they may not be as familiar with yours. We are usually able to accommodate tandems, recumbents and tricycles, but please call ahead with the dimensions before booking a tour.

For point-to-point tours, like Glacier Banff Jasper, please check with us to ensure we have room to accommodate your hard-sided bike box/bag. For shipping your bike to the pre-trip hotel, we recommend either Bikeflights.com or Shipbikes.com.

Like you, your fellow travelers will have a spirit for adventure and an eagerness to meet others. Groups bond very fast, and you’ll leave your tour having made several new friends. Often people who meet on a tour return together for another great adventure.

Typically, our groups are comprised of folks nearing retirement or enjoying retirement. On occasion a guest brings along their adult children or grandchildren in their 20s to40s, but most guests are 50 and better. In 2023, the average guest age was 65 years old. Our oldest guest was 86 and our youngest one was 13.

We pride ourselves on offering small group tours. We guarantee our domestic tours with four riders and our international tours with six riders. The max on most tours is thirteen, but can be smaller for various reasons, including national park restrictions, van size, etc.

We strive to have two guides on each tour, a head guide and a tour guide. One guide will ride with the group each day while the other guide drives the van and provides van and mechanical support, and snack and lunch breaks. On occasion, a tour of four will be run with one guide.

We see a lot of solo travelers on our tours and despite some folks initial concerns about traveling solo most riders rave about their experience and often making new riding friends .As a solo traveler, you have the flexibility to choose between sharing accommodations with another solo cyclist of the same gender or opting for a private room with a one time fee.

If another solo person of your gender doesn’t join the tour you reserved for, you will end up with a private room at no additional charge. Please note, if you are booking within 30 days of departure on a domestic tour or on an international tour that arrangements may vary.

Of course, you want to share these incredible destinations with your non-cycling partner. There are always options for other activities. Depending on the tour location, they vary; hiking, a spa visit, wine tasting or simply boosting ahead to that terrific beach might be alternatives. Call us to inquire about our non-cycling partner discount.

Yes! Bicycle Adventures is happy to work with you to meet most dietary needs you may have (vegan, vegetarian, Kosher, food allergies, etc.) Just contact us so we can set up the details properly. We’ll be happy to make sure you are well fed during your tour.

Now and then we receive questions about training plans for trips. While we don’t have training plans for specific tours, here are a couple of resources.

• Meg, our Guest Services Director, an avid cyclist and nutritional coach, wrote Training for Your First Bike Tour, a great read for first timers.
• Bicycling’s 16-week Guide to Planning for Your First Multi-day Bike Ride.
• Another option is to use Training Peaks, a training app.

Some folks want tours with plenty of elevation gain. We guide them towards the Epic series and Advanced tours. For a lot of us, though, hills can be a concern. When looking at the tour’s mileage and elevation gain, keep in mind that you won’t be riding all of it in one push. You will take breaks to see the sights, hydrate and have a snack, take a photo, and we’ll stop for a picnic lunch along the way. The tour is also van supported and so you can ride as much or as little as you want. It’s your vacation after all. If you want to avoid hills entirely, peek at our Rail to Trails Tours. They’d be a great fit.

Looking at a particular tour and wanting to know more? Just call us at 800.443.6060 – we’re happy to let you know what to expect.

When we put our schedule together, the weather gets considerable attention. Tours are scheduled at a time of year that will capitalize on cycling in good weather conditions.

For instance, Washington State gets most of its rainfall between October and May, so we schedule these trips from June – August. Conversely, Bryce & Zion (Utah) are often uncomfortably hot July through August, so we offer these tours in early spring and fall.

Life happens and we understand that, but as we get closer to our departure date, the amount we are able to refund diminishes. View our transfer and cancellation policy.

Adventure Rewards, the best loyalty program in the business: Our steepest discounts are provided to our returning guests through Adventure Rewards, our loyalty program. Learn more.

Annual October Sale: Each October we offer $300 off any new reservations for tours in the upcoming year. It’s a great time to book your tour for the following year!

Annual New Year, New Tour Sale: We like to ring in the new year with our annual New Year, New Tour sale. We offer $200 off any “New” tours; “new” destinations, “new and improved” itineraries” and “new” to the schedule.

Group Discount: With a minimum of 6 or more family and friends, you can choose any existing scheduled tour that has not been booked by anyone else for your own private Adventure Takeover option. Bring 8 or more and save!

Military: If you are active duty or retired military personnel (including the National Guard), just let us know. We’ll take 5% off your trip fee.

It’s easy. You can book online, or give us a call and one of our team will be happy to assist you with your reservation over the phone. A $600 refundable deposit per person is required at the time of your reservation with the balance being due 65 days prior to departure for domestic tours and 90 days prior for international tours.

You can pay your tour balance by credit card or check.

Credit card: Give us a call at 800.443.6060. We are available Monday – Friday, non-holidays, 8:00 am – 5:00 pm Pacific standard time.

Check: Please make checks payable to Bicycle Adventures and mail to:
Bicycle Adventures
c/o Evergreen Escapes
Attn: Shannon
2960 4^th Ave S, Ste 115
Seattle WA 98134

Guests often ask us for guidance in this area. Tipping tour guides at the end of the trip is at your discretion. The industry standard for guide gratuities on multi-day tours is 10-20% of the total trip cost for excellent service. Our staff works as a team, so you can give your gratuity to the head guide on your tour, and they will divide it equally among all Bicycle Adventures guides on any given trip.

You can pay by cash (preferred), check or many guides have Venmo or Zelle. If you use Venmo, or a similar cash sharing app, the guide’s email address or cell number should serve as their ID. (You will receive a list of their email addresses and mobile numbers at the beginning of the trip.)

Yes, Bicycle Adventures’ trips are commissionable. Please call 800.443.6060 or email us at marketing@bicycleadventures.com for details.

We’re always happy to answer your questions via email , by telephone 800.443.6060, or via our web chat. We’re available to assist you Monday – Friday, non-holidays, 8:00 am – 5:00 pm Pacific standard time.

As adventurers with a desire to see our world from the saddle of a bike, we’re always exploring new destinations for new tour possibilities. See what New Tours we have recently added and let us know if you have a dream destination that you do not see on our schedule. Maybe it will be our next new tour.