Touring - Any hints on organizing a bike tour?

I am organizing a weekend bicycle bicycle/camping tour.

It started out as just a small group of friends, but is starting to grow a bit larger than I had planned and larger than I have ever organized.

Does anybody have any suggestions for making this successful and safe?

Make sure you have enough food, sounds dumb but the most people are very hungry after a hard day of cycling.
They wil be pleased if there`s enough good food (will raise your credits as well :D )

just my two cents,

Try to get someone experienced (you) to lead, but also someone experienced to act as "lantern rouge" to follow up stragglers.

Be careful with who you invite!

And don't forget they are willing to help you with the things that need done.

Make sure everyone knows what to expect and what to bring--describe the camping conditions as fully as possible.

To some people, 'camping' means you throw a bivvy bag on the ground miles from nowhere, and a shovel and roll of TP are your bathroom facilities....to other people, 'camping' means sleeping in a cot inside a cabin with indoor toilets and electricity. Some people may expect to chop firewood and have a campfire, others may bring portable stoves, others may expect there to be a fully-staffed kitchen at the end of the trail. Being informed keeps people from bringing inapproriate equipment, or leaving behind what they'll need.

Meals are important to plan, too--if you eat at restaurants along the way, the kid who packed his food and brought $10 for emergencies is going to be out of it--conversely, if someone expects to buy their food along the way, and there are no stores, that's a problem. Make sure they know before starting what eating options will (or will not) be available.

Originally posted by blwyn
Be careful with who you invite!

And don't forget they are willing to help you with the things that need done.

Hee hee, good one, Blwyn. See you there.

This is all great input, guys.

Keep it coming!

Mike,

I just did a double century last weekend with 20 friends. We had a SAG wagon with trailer follow us, and meet up a specified intervals @ 25mi. with gatorade, etc. It also carried all our gear, it was a very big help, especially when we had a couple of guys take a tumble and bikes and bodies needed some repair!

One of the guys drove the route and created a table which had listed: cell phone coverage y/n, cumulative mileage, road, intersection, turns. Everyone had a copy and a map, so that no one was lost.

We prearranged the campsite. We divided into 4 groups, each was responsible for their finances, what meals and food they wanted, shopping it, cooking and eating together. By breaking it into groups we could offload some responsibilities and share cooking gear and tents.

Great advice, Alphageek. I was wondering how to arrange the SAG. You said it followed you. What does that mean? Obviously, it couldn't crawl behind your group at bicycle speeds. Did it go ahead and then wait?

I like the idea of breaking up into four groups - and a good reminder to give each person a map.

Yep, it crawled...and stopped ahead. The driver would try to hang back for stragglers or those having trouble, but as we neared the meeting points, they drove ahead so we would have the water and access to our munchies!!! :D

Originally posted by Inkwolf
Make sure everyone knows what to expect and what to bring--describe the camping conditions as fully as possible.

To some people, 'camping' means you throw a bivvy bag on the ground miles from nowhere, and a shovel and roll of TP are your bathroom facilities....to other people, 'camping' means sleeping in a cot inside a cabin with indoor toilets and electricity. Some people may expect to chop firewood and have a campfire, others may bring portable stoves, others may expect there to be a fully-staffed kitchen at the end of the trail. Being informed keeps people from bringing inapproriate equipment, or leaving behind what they'll need.

Meals are important to plan, too--if you eat at restaurants along the way, the kid who packed his food and brought $10 for emergencies is going to be out of it--conversely, if someone expects to buy their food along the way, and there are no stores, that's a problem. Make sure they know before starting what eating options will (or will not) be available.

Good suggestion inkwolf...the best ive heard yet...you'll always get people that see camping in another light. Being in boyscouts when i was younger <for the short time i was in it> i percieved camping as setting up your tent, chopping wood, cooking in the embers, crapping in a hole...etc...although we always did have that one guy that bittched and moaned about how much he wanted mcdonalds...

so anyways...yes, the best deal is to get the non-spoiled and adventureous type; because if you DO unexpectadly stop at a resturaunt, everyone will appreciate it; not expect it.

good luck! :thumbup:

Also keep in mind speed and hills.

There will be those that potentially will walk up the slightest incline, and others who hardly notice anything short of a vertical cliff face.

For some, the 'reasonable' speed will be in the region of 8-10mph on average - so 30-40 miles in a day is a good distance. Others will do that distance in 2-3 hours and be expecting close to 100 miles per day, even fully loaded with tent/stove etc.

So you might want to look at the long/hilly route and the short/flat route to get to the same place for the night

I think anyone that would "walk their bike up any slight incline" shouldnt even be on the tour.

Originally posted by Mikew305
I think anyone that would "walk their bike up any slight incline" shouldnt even be on the tour.

Then a SAG would not be needed.

I thought tours were supposed to be inclusive. I have never been on a tour, but if that was the attitude, I guess I wouldn't want to go.

In any case, some people who wouldn't dream of walking up anything short of Mt Everest on Day 1, might be ready for any excuse to walk on Day 6....

its all relevant then...walk now, not later. Walk later, not now.

Well, just to confirm, the crowd I am brining is mixed. All kinds of people are welcome. If somebody has to walk his/her bike up hills, I will be there with him/her.

This is meant to be a fun ride for a bunch of people who might not be bicycle Herculons - just interesting cats who want to have some fun biking together for a weekend - maybe meet some new people, do some camping, get a little excersize. That kind of tour.

You have got to plan plan and then plan for unforeseen circumstances. oh and maybe delegate some stuff for people to do. makes them feel more a part of the whole thing.

just a thought. good luck!

How about on-road safety? What is the best way to organize the group? Single file? Rear rider slightly to the left to push traffic to the outside?

Would it be smart to call the local police and let them know the route we will be travelling?

Any suggestions in this regard?

I have been on two tours. We all rode together, but other than that- we did our own thing. Expect everyone to sort of hang loose, whether someone wants to bring a stove or whatever. Or the rest of the group might eat in restaurants. Keep it free and unstructured and you will have less hassles. You take on too much responsiblity, you will not have a fun time.
Yes, there will have to be some organizing and general plan- but keep it free. Expect total agreement and you might find yourself disappointed. The larger the group the greater the problems, no matter how friendly you all are.
This is not just my experience, but hearing of others on their tours. Sometimes too much structure can cause friendships to end. Long tours together, I have heard of unforgetable conflicts.
But keeping it loose you will all come together in the spirit of fun when the moment is right- like around campfires- etc.
Never forget my first tour. It was with 12 of us. We all flew over to France and did Normandy and Loire. Great fun. Some disappointed. Could not keep many of us from stopping every other town for pastries. Think their average speed was like 8 mph.
On average only did 30-40 miles a day and that in like 12 hours, since in mid summer in Normandy, the sun goes down at about 11 pm. Those who wanted a more ambitious ride got pretty hostile. We eventually took off on our own and just about trippled the pace. Many never even got to the Loire valley.! We did. They were so into French pastries- they never got to see Lance in the Tour De France. We did. That was a major objective in all of our plans, before we left. Our tour was to meet up with LE TOUR.