Overnight Trips:

Ride Leaders: Overnight Trip Policy

2012

Jan 27th - Feb 3rd

RIDE ‘EM TEXAS HILLS

Howdy pardners! Time to saddle up again and ride the roads of the Texas Hill Country. Our 9th annual bike trip is again headquartered out of Marble Falls, Texas, about 50 miles west of Austin. There will be eight days of riding, commencing the afternoon of Friday, January 27th, 2012, and ending the afternoon of Friday, February 3rd. There are no upfront costs. You will be responsible for your own meals, transportation, and accommodations.

This will be a regular TCBC A/B ride. Self-sufficient B riders are welcome to join us. Our routes will vary in length from 30 - 65 miles per day and will depart around 10:30 AM. Some routes will leave directly from the Best Western Motel in Marble Falls, whereas some start destinations will necessitate a short drive. Routes will not have been previewed or ridden since last year, so you must possess a “go with the flow” attitude. There is no sag service. Also, be sure that your bike is in good working order, as the closet bike shop is in Austin, 50 miles away. January / February is traditionally the coldest time of the year in Minnesota, making it the perfect time for a getaway. Come join us on the quiet, rolling rural roads of the Texas Hill Country. You won’t find the terrain as steep as some of the Wisconsin hills, but it’s not flat, hence the name. You will enjoy Texas BBQ, courteous drivers, acres of cattle ranches, horses, and maybe you will spot an armadillo. Most of all, you’ll find good biking with good people.

Good Times - Yee Haw!

You have several options for transportation: You can drive from Minneapolis to Marble Falls (1200 miles). Fly into Dallas (4 hours away), San Antonio (1 1/2 hours away) or Austin (1 hour away), rent a car and drive to Marble Falls.

As for accommodations:
Best Western (830-693-5122) This is where most people have stayed in the past.
Quality Inn (830-693-7531).
Hill Country Inn (830-693-3637) (slightly less for the budget inclined).
Hampton Inn (830-798-1895).
La Quinta Inn (830-798-2020)
Motel 6 (830-265-6565)

Rides will originate at the Best Western.

I would like to get some idea of the number of people coming. If you are interested, please call or email the Trip Leader. I would also like to coordinate car pooling for people driving down. If you have any questions or need more information, please call or email.

More info will be available later on our website: http://ridemtxhills.sports.officelive.com/default.aspx

Trip leader: Susan Evan, 612-729-1441, bikersusan-at-hotmail.com

Feb 25-Mar 3

BikeAZona - Full, contact ride leaders if you're interested in being on a waitlist----

Looking for a warm weather biking adventure this winter? Come join us for 8 days of riding in the Valley of the Sun from February 25 through March 3, 2012. We’ll continue with our usual format; you find a way to Phoenix and a place to stay and we’ll treat you to 8 days of biking in a short sleeve jersey under sunny, blue skies. This is an A/B ride, though we welcome and have previously had self-sufficient B riders join us. All routes have either a short- cut option or can be ridden as an out-and-back to accommodate riders at different levels. A third of the rides will start in Scottsdale and stay in the valley, include quiet city streets, bike paths or streets with bike lanes, and are relatively flat. The remaining rides take us up and out of the valley with three remote starts which will allow you to explore the Sonoran desert by bike. These routes all include some climbs, though we do try and finish with a nice downhill! All rides are on paved surfaces and include the option of a lunch stop during the ride or “late” lunch after we finish.

If this sounds like the getaway for you, then send us an email at katekovar@hotmail.com and we’ll put you on the email distribution list for further information on BikeAZona. In order to safely support out-of-town riders, we limit the ride to 50. You can confirm a spot with a $25 check which covers the cost of the Sunday night BBQ at our community pool, snacks and water at ride starts, and the cost of route scouting. If you cancel with less than 30 days notice and your slot doesn’t fill, you will be only be refunded $20. If you aren’t able to join us for the BBQ on Sunday, we will reimburse $10 for the cost of the meal.

Come on down and join us for some of the best riding in the Southwest! Scottsdale has been awarded the Silver level ranking as a Bicycle Friendly City by LAB since 2005 and is almost pothole free! And while you’re in town, take some time to explore the multiple attractions that bring snowbirds flocking to the Valley each winter.

We hope to see you biking in our winter hometown this year! Ride leaders Kate Kovar (katekovar-at-hotmail-dot-com) and Jim Pederson (jimpederson-at-gmai-dot-.com) Check the BikeAZona blog for the latest info here.

Mar 3-9

C Arizona

Phoenix Metro Area Bike Tour Saturday, March 3rd thru Friday, March 9th, 2012. These will be regular TCBC social C and B/C pace rides of approximately 25 to 35 miles with an option of longer routes on some days in Scottsdale, Mesa, Gilbert, Phoenix and surrounding areas. There will be some hills, and maps will be provided. There also will be social and tourist activities. Temperatures can range from 50 to 90 degrees. The average high for that time is 74.

Some of the rides will be the same or similar to the rides in 2011. There may also be a ride on the LRT into Phoenix and doing some riding there. There are bike shops in the Scottsdale and Mesa area where you can ship your bike. You will be responsible for your own transportation, lodging and meals.

Some of the committed ride leaders are John Hoffmann, Dave Murphy, and Jeff Ramberg. Plan now for a fun vacation to "C Azona" with the C bikers of TCBC.

If you are interested and wish to obtain e-mail updates on the trip and more details as they unfold, e-mail coordinator Andy Hartle at andyhar70-at-yahoo-at-com or 612-869-5915

Mar 11-17

CALIFORNIA, HERE WE COME!

Solvang, California Bike tour – Sunday, March 11th thru Saturday, March 17th, 2012.

Solvang is located about 43 miles north of Santa Barbara. The Solvang area is dotted with horses, wineries, nice restaurants, lovely green hills, and Figueroa Mountain. Above all, there is wonderful biking on beautiful country roads.

These will be regular TCBC SOCIAL A/B rides of approximately 35 to 65 miles with an option of longer routes on some days. Self-sufficient B riders are more than  welcome to join us.

We will be headquartered at Svendsgaard’s Danish Lodge in Solvang, where some of the daily rides will start. Some start destinations will necessitate a drive.

The only upfront cost will be $35.00 per participant to cover leader expenses, such as PRE TOUR lodging and gas for previewing the bike routes. Any surplus funds will be  returned. There is no cost for spouse, significant other or friends that are not riding.

You will be responsible for your own transportation, lodging and meals.  You have the option of flying into Santa Barbara or Los Angeles and driving to Solvang from there.

There are bike shops in the Solvang and Santa Barbara area where you can ship your bike.

To reserve your spot, send $35.00 along with name, phone # and email address to: Susan Evan, 5716 - 19th Avenue South, Minneapolis MN 55417. No deposit money will be accepted before September 1st. We are limiting this trip to 40 participants. Your $35 deposit is non-refundable unless we fill your spot from the “wait list”.

We have reserved a block of twenty-five rooms at Svendsgaard’s Danish Lodge in Solvang for approximately $70 to $80 per night. Please don’t make any hotel reservations until you are confirmed on the trip.

There was a movie in 2004 titled “Sideways” which was mostly shot in the Solvang area. You may want to view it to get a flavor of this part of California.

More info will be available on the website: http://biketripinfo.web.officelive.com/default.aspx

Your Trip Leaders are: Susan Evan, 612-729-1441, bikersusan at hotmail.com
and Gina McCrone, 612-220-4540, gmccrone at hotmail.com. Co-leader: Sue Blum.

Sept 17-22

Black Hills Rally

We will be doing the Black Hills Rally this year at the same locations as last year. Fun rides with challenging hills, great scenery and camp group camaraderie. Join us for a wonderful time in the beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota. It is recommended that reservations be made at the J-Bar Ranch ( http://www.rafterj.com/) as the most convenient location for ride starts and camaraderie of riders. However, there are numerous locations in the Hill City, SD for lodging. There will be 6 rides scheduled starting on Mon., Sept 17, 2012.

I will be limiting the number of attendees to 50 this year. Also, I will be charging a fee of $20/person for checking routes, making maps, etc. To reserve a place on the list send a check to:

Jack Uttermark
5271 East St.
White Bear Lake, MN 55110

I will construct a list of attendees and will share with all other signed up attendees for possible sharing of lodging and car pooling. The J-Bar Ranch is located near Hill City, SD approx. 600 miles from the Twin Cities.

See the latest info at the Black Hills Rally blog site by clicking HERE.

Trip archives

2011 Overnight Trips

2010 Overnight Trips

2009 Overnight Trips

2008 Overnight Trips

2007 Overnight Trips

2006 Overnight Trips

2005 Overnight Trips

2004 Overnight Trips

2003 Overnight Trips

2002 Overnight Trips

2001 Overnight Trips