Southern California rider looking to do an organized NE fall follliage tour.
 

Hello all:

I'm 56 years old, and never been to New England. I've always wanted to see the fall foliage, and I figure now's the time of year to start planning. I don't want the hassle of packing and shipipng my bike back east, so I've been looking at organized tours that include road bikes. Looking on the Internet, I see there are many companies that do these tours, but rather than just pick a company based on how good their website looks, I thought I'd ask here to see if anyone has a recommendation.

Thanks in advance!

OK, no first hand experience but I am a die hard happy member of Adventure Cycling Association which is dedicated to the touring cylist..

http://www.adventurecycling.org/guid...tours/vermont/

That sounds like a fantastic trip in a great part of the northeast for fall folliage. and the Northeast Kingdom is a great place to spend the fall!

If you join, you will get their magazine which also have ads for many different tours, some self supported, some guided, some cue sheet based....

Jay

check out the northampton bike fest

http://bikefest.nohobikeclub.org/

Also check out t
his group - I see they have an October ride. You could fly into Bradley airport in CT - and less than one hour drive to Northampton

http://www.ridenoho.com/accom.html

Backroads has a good rep.
http://www.backroads.com/trips/BVSI/vermont-biking-tour

http://www.biketour-reviews.com/Bike-Reviews.htm

You should be aware of the possibility of cold rain. Timing the foliage is also
an issue, it's not entirely predictable, and doesn't last long

IMHO, plan on a trip next year, on the 3rd or 4th week of August.
Most of the bugs and tourists are gone, but you have warm days and cool
nites, and the smallest chance of rain.

Except you need to bring your own bike, and it's not supported.

OP: Try VBT. They have a couple of tours in Vermont. In fact, their original name was "Vermont Bicycle Tours." They look like they allow you to choose from hybrid and road bikes. Unfortunately, the daily mileages are low, which is often the case with those types of tours. Maybe they can provide mileage add ons.

Note that riding in VT can be arduous, especially if you want to go W-E/E-W over the "gaps." And, as note, it can be tough to hit the peak of the foliage season. I went to high school in western Mass. and canoed and hiked in VT. Lot's of climate factors can affect the timing of prime "leaf peeper" season.

Still, there is a lot of nice riding there. Many picturesque roads passing by gorgeous farms.

Now's the time of year to start planning for next year. I think you will find that most hotels/Inns/B&B's will be booked solid already for leaf season this year. (Though I have never done a bike tour, I suppose there is a possibility that they pre-book blocks of rooms for their tour) I suspect even tours during the season are already full. But have a go. Weather can vary greatly day to day in New England. 80's one day, 30's the next with snow flurries. So if you can find a tour, pack a little bit of everything. Though I live in PA now, I was born and brought up in northern VT. Still visit as often as possible. I second the thoughts from previous posters. E-W/W-E routes can be a challenge, and the North East Kingdom is a trip back in time in some regards. Good Luck.

Haven't ridden in New England, but I have heard of ticks and Lyme Disease in said foliage. :eek:

Once you get the first freeze, the ticks are dormant. As well, not an issue on a road bike tour, unless you head into a lot of grassy area's or brush.

Vermont, generally, has been the go too place for foliage, a result of a greater mix of different deciduous trees that allow for greater variety of colors. The Berkshires, in western Mass. are a close second, IMO, it just comes a bit later. being further south and a lower elevation (typically). The Adirondaks, southern Maine and New Hampshire as well.

I'd be researching fall foliage bike tours in Vermont. It's possible to do Inn-to-Inn tours, where you ride your pace and route, while a company moves your luggage. The roads are all good, there are country stores seemingly at every intersection, so food and water is plentiful, plus they give you different routing options for distance, so you pick what you feel up to that day

There are a few shops that rent in Waitsfield, Vermont. I think a couple in Stowe, VT, also. Both of these Villages are on the 100 hwy(The Main Foliage Route through Vermont). Fitwerx is a high end road bike shop in Waitsfield. I doubt they rent bikes but, they are a good stop for any road cyclist. There are a lot of people set up around road cycling tours, here. The is a B&B in Huntington that caters to cyclists(can't remember the name) & Vermont Bicycle Tours in Bristol. Trek does something here, as well. I always see their vans full of cycletourists in the summer. I always enjoy the exploration side of cycling so, tours really aren't my thing. It's tough to find a bad route in VT, though. & the roads, though not terrible, aren't as nice as most would have you believe.