BenRidin

Registration is up: Giro D' Vino 2016 - Acampo, CA 2016 | ACTIVE
A bicycle tour of the Lodi's Wineries. (48mi)

The course is lined with vineyards and a beautiful river crossing along the Mokelumne. This route features the best wineries in the Lodi Appellation. Several of our wineries are nationally and internationally renowned and will be eagerly awaiting and ready to host. Ride is limited to the first 600 riders.

Hope to see you there!

Kilroy1988 

Looks like a great event. I live near Visalia and have been slowly creeping my way up north on my drives and rides has led me nearly as far as Stockton lately. If I can make it up for this ride then I surely will! Are there more details on the food offerings, or a map of the course and what it's about - will there be rest stops among the wineries, etc... What's the attraction beyond enjoying the view? Are there any particulars regarding the sorts of bicycles that can be used? Is it a competitive ride or just an open course?

The website link for Delta Velo is not working from the ride page you've posted... Is there a main site that can be reached? Thanks!

BenRidin

The Delta Velo site is down for maintenance...not sure when it will be up. Map will be posted soon. All rest stops are at wineries, where tasting is encouraged. All purchases made at wineries will be shuttled bake to start/finish.

vrooom3440

Signed up, this will be our 3rd or 4th year riding this event on our tandem. We describe this ride as "wine tasting by bike" and yes there are some great wineries and wines along the route. The Lodi area is particularly known for Zinfandel but there are other varietals around there as well.

The wineries DO get behind this event and provide great hospitality to bike riders. Lunch is usually at the Michael David Winery tasting "room" (they have picnic grounds out back, an outdoor tasting counter, an indoor tasting counter, a mini-deli/farmers market, and restaurant on site).

And you cannot beat the convenience: all winery purchases are transported for you back to the ride start/finish.

Yeah I admit it, we are fans ;-)

FrenchFit 

We've ridden this ourselves, had a blast. But just what do you get for your $55? Not much information ...

cccorlew

I love this ride. For your 55 bucks you get to taste a lot of wine, you get sag support, you get any wine you purchased delivered to the ride start. You get a post ride dinner.

Here's a link to my blog (canned search for Giro that shows a lot of photos and stories from over the years)
Curtis Corlew in Bicycle Land: Search results for Giro d' Vino

That said, I'm a bit annoyed with the ride directors. They used my photos of my wife on their Facebook page AND Active.com page without asking or compensating me in any way. They haven't responded to my message on Facebook. Does anyone know how to contact them? Their web site is still down.

Kilroy1988 

Are snacks and lunch available along the way as part of the deal? I'm not really drinking as of late, however much I enjoy the atmosphere of wineries...

cccorlew

Snacks at many winery locations, and LUNCH!

FrenchFit 

So, are you saying the wineries waive the tasting fee for flights? If I recall correctly, my little party of riders spent $60+ just tasting at Klinker Brick; if that's all including in the Giro then I support the charge.

cccorlew

Yep. No tasting charges.

FrenchFit 

Now we're talking. Are you speculating or is this on some website somewhere. Thanks.

cccorlew

I've done this ride numerous times (see my link upthread) and there has never been a tasting charge.

softreset

I'll second this. I've done the event 3 of the last 4 years and I've never had to pay a cent at any of the official winery stops, unless I'm buying product.

bikingshearer 

Of course, it does behoove one to not over-do the tasting, lest the CHP charge you on the way home . . . .

longbeachgary

Booze and bikes seems like a bad idea.

FrenchFit 

Usually I have our helicopter drop off us whenever we go for a little wine tasting, but I think it will be over on Catalina Island early Nov. So, what to do...guess it's just far too dangerous to wine, dine and bike.

longbeachgary

Not sure I get your point. You don't think it's idiotic to drink and then get on a bike?

softreset

If done with appropriate moderation and self-control, no. It's all about understanding your limits and ensuring you're not impaired. It's not illegal to consume alcohol and ride a bike. The legal limit is up to 0.079% and having a sip or two of wine over the course of severals hours on the bike is not idiotic. Getting smashed and riding a bike, absolutely is.

Of all the times I've done this event I've yet to see an incident among participants.

cccorlew

Perhaps surprisingly, in all the times I've done this ride I've never seen anyone appear inebriated. I know my wife and I share a glass and take small sips. We buy a lot and have it taken back to the ride start, but we, like everyone else, know we've got a lot of riding and that too much wine will make it a lot less fun.

But it seems like a very non-crazy event.

FrenchFit 

Sure, some people cannot hold their wine and ride, I guess the weight of the bottle in one hand pulls them off line. Of course, wine stains are the dickens to get out of white bar tape. Personally, I ride upright and hands-free, so it's safe.

Note: CaliCraft tap room grand opening this weekend. right off the CCC trail. https://www.calicraft.com/#california-bottled

longbeachgary

These seem like the same justifications that you hear from someone who gets in their car after having "just a few drinks". I have to be honest - if you guys drink and get on your bike and kill yourselves, I wont lose a minute of sleep. It's when your behavior results in the injury or death of some innocent person whether on a bike or behind the wheel that I find troubling.

Frenchfit - you really not as much of a dick as you try to make yourself out to be - are you?

FrenchFit 

Oh, yes I am. An Alt-Left officer of the court dick to be entirely accurate. I guess you will have to deal with it.

softreset

Well the good news, we won't see longbeachgary at the event.

And it sounds like the event is better for it.

Kilroy1988 

Until any of these folks has passed the legal BAC limit or actually done something stupid, I don't think you have a right to talk or speculate about their behavior. The event has been running for multiple years already - if anything had happened to question the safety or legality of the ride in the past I think it would not still be going on. A grand majority of adults can control themselves when they drink alcohol and I imagine this is particularly true when they're riding their bicycle 50 miles through the countryside.

Not to mention it takes about an hour for the liver to process the amount of alcohol in a glass of wine, and that it is unlikely any single tasting booth with offer even as much as an accumulated glass. So assuming a rider averages 12.5 mph and stops at four wineries for roughly an extra hour of time, then that means less than four drinks will be consumed in five hours, which would hardly count for anything even for a body at rest. The exertion of being on a bicycle for most of that time would put the accumulated effects of the alcohol somewhere around nil - the drinks for the first tasting would be far out of the blood system by the time the last winery was in sight. And that's not even considering the neutralizing effects of lunch, snacks and other beverages consumed along the ride.

(EDIT: For my example I am using typical standards based on adults of average weight and health set by law enforcement and drug educators.)

cccorlew

This event was, once again, a delight. We bought too much wine, but what the heck.

Here's my very very short post. I guess I've run out of things to say. But there are a few photos.
Curtis Corlew in Bicycle Land: Giro di Vino 2016