Adventure Cycling’s van-supported tours — where all personal and group gear is transported by a vehicle each day — have two leaders and up to 13 riders who camp most nights and share rotating cooking duties, akin to a self-contained trip but with the security and simplicity of van support.
Tours are camping-based trips with occasional indoor overnights.
Upon signing up for an organized tour, you will receive confirmation and preparatory materials, including a copy of Before You Go: A Handbook for Adventure Cycling's Van-Supported Tours (PDF/3,675 KB), which contains a packing list and training tips. About 60 days prior to your trip, you will receive a Tour Information Packet with specific details about your starting location, official bike shop, travel tips, and much more.
*Most trips do not include lodging or dinner on the last evening of the ride.
Your group will share responsibilities for food purchase, preparation, and clean up on a rotating basis. Vegetarian and special dietary needs will be accommodated, though food selection may be limited in some locations.
Most of the overnights will be at private or public campgrounds with a range of amenities. Depending on the nature and location of the trip, these facilities could range from RV parks with hot tubs to wilderness locations without running water. Indoor facilities such as motels/hotels, hostels, and churches are used occasionally, but on our more remote trips, some primitive camping is possible. Overnight facilities vary, but tents are typically pitched on large, flat, grassy areas. You will need a good freestanding tent with a ground cloth, a sleeping bag rated appropriately for the season and elevation of your tour, and a sleeping pad.
You should come to the tour physically prepared to ride the entire route. Vehicle support will be prioritized for use in medical and mechanical emergencies.
Tours require a degree of mechanical self-sufficiency. You should have the tools and skills necessary to change flats and perform minor mechanical adjustments.
The number of participants on a tour may be adjusted in response to demand and facility availability. Adventure Cycling reserves the right to make route and accommodation modifications without notification and to make alterations and substitutions to the itinerary as needed to improve the quality of the tour or to accommodate the comfort and well-being of our guests.
Adventure Cycling Association is an equal opportunity recreation provider that is an authorized permittee with the U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, and departments of transportation. Adventure Cycling Association is working cooperatively with these agencies to secure the appropriate permits.
In accordance with federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410, or call 202.720.5964 (voice or TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
Photo by Walt Mayberry
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