San Diego Hostels Xmas Bike Trip
12-01-07, 12:06 PM
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San Diego Hostels Xmas Bike Trip
It's that time of year again (actually a little late for the announcement, but whatever).
If you're trying to figure out what to do between xmas and new years and don't have a lot of family obligations in that period there's the San Diego Hostels Christmas Bike Ride
It's 6 days, 400 miles long and starts Dec 26 in San Diego, makes a big loop out to Palm Desert and back, and goes through all sorts of different SoCal microclimates. Sleeping is on the floor of community centers and things like that (but there are hotel options most nights). Breakfast and Dinner are included (generally each rider has to cook or clean for one meal), and it's way inexpensive for a 6 day tour: $350 including AYH membership.
I've been doing this trip almost every year since I moved to SoCal, and it's lots of fun. Don't let the youth hostels thing scare you off it you're over 15-- I think most of the riders these days are over 30, with many over 40 and 50 or more. It's relatively small-- 50 to 100 riders depending on the year, and the return rate is pretty high. Probably 50 to 70% of the riders every year are repeats, though most of them aren't doing it every year. Many of them come from all over the country to ride-- there's usually a bunch from the bay area, some from Seattle or Portland, a group from New York, and various other random places.
If you're trying to figure out what to do between xmas and new years and don't have a lot of family obligations in that period there's the San Diego Hostels Christmas Bike Ride
It's 6 days, 400 miles long and starts Dec 26 in San Diego, makes a big loop out to Palm Desert and back, and goes through all sorts of different SoCal microclimates. Sleeping is on the floor of community centers and things like that (but there are hotel options most nights). Breakfast and Dinner are included (generally each rider has to cook or clean for one meal), and it's way inexpensive for a 6 day tour: $350 including AYH membership.
I've been doing this trip almost every year since I moved to SoCal, and it's lots of fun. Don't let the youth hostels thing scare you off it you're over 15-- I think most of the riders these days are over 30, with many over 40 and 50 or more. It's relatively small-- 50 to 100 riders depending on the year, and the return rate is pretty high. Probably 50 to 70% of the riders every year are repeats, though most of them aren't doing it every year. Many of them come from all over the country to ride-- there's usually a bunch from the bay area, some from Seattle or Portland, a group from New York, and various other random places.
12-01-07, 03:25 PM
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It attracts a pretty broad range of riders-- from the usual bike tour type (non-luxury oriented) all the way up through the occasional pro racer or former world champion, and everybody's generally pretty friendly and fun.
