Things Nobody Tells you about your Wine Country Tour
You pick up your travel pamphlet, you go to the Website of your Touring company, you’ve looked up their ratings, watched their Youtube videos, you have done all the homework and now you dream of leisurely riding through idyllic grape vineyards in beautiful and pristine rural roads filled with smiles and sunshine. Then you get to your Wine Country Tour and it’s nothing like you imagined, you’re disappointed and you may even be upset or had a bad experience with the Tour company. Of course, this is super disappointing, and hopefully we can help you get a better sense of what to expect on your Wine Country Bike Tour and some tips to help make sure your Trip goes as you had hoped for.
First of all, most of the Touring Companies we’ve reviewed are reputable companies, with a lot of experience and genuinely appear to want to provide customers with a great experience. Some of the smaller shops may actually be even more attentive, and personable than the larger companies, and some of the larger companies may have better processes for checking everything off a tried and true list to ensure they cover every detail to make sure you have a great time. If you look at the ratings and feedback online for most Touring companies in Wine Country, you will find that the vast majority of reviews are glowingly positive, and most people really do look like they are having a good time. As with with ANY set of reviews, you will find that there are ALWAYs a few negative reviews, and these aren’t just angry people, most of them have a legitimate gripe or something that they didn’t enjoy that negatively colored their experience. Some are just from really poor customer service, but I put a lot of these down as just expectations not meeting up with the reality of the offering. Many times what they were looking for is available, but just not the option they may have chosen either knowingly or more likely unknowingly. So this article calls out some of the common issues that come into play, so you can plan your experience accordingly, and make sure you choose what works for you so you have an awesome trip!
Dirty Little Secrets
Road Safety
A number of the reviews call out the Roads and in particular the concerns with safety. As a long time cyclist, I am always weary of cars, but also come to understand that we share the road with them and have gotten comfortable with them and how to handle them. However, if you are not a frequent cyclist, and haven’t reach the level of symbiotic relationship with cars yet here are some things to know. There are beautiful less traveled routes in Wine Country, that can take you through stunning scenery in quiet rural settings. However, there are many more miles that take you through the main thorough fares of Wine Country and some are essentially freeways with a bike lane. For example, Highway 29 through Napa is a two lane highway can have high speed cars passing you. You will also pass through Towns like Saint Helena, where you will experience typical car movement, traffic, parked cars, etc. in an urban environment. Both are beautiful locations, but they are not the scenes of a cyclist riding on a road surrounded by nothing but Vineyards. For the uninitiated, or unexpected, this can be scary. Recommendation, check with your Tour company, many of them very intentionally try to pick the best scenic and rural roads, but in reality there is not always a way to get you from A to B to where you want to be without passing through some of the heavier trafficked areas. They can give you options, and let you know what their route looks like and what to expect. Napa in particular has the Napa Vine Trail (NVT) that is 10 miles of Bike Path and will eventually be 40 miles from the bottom to the top of the Napa Valley. The Wineries, and area you choose may not be best setup for that idyllic ride based on the roads, as many of the most popular Wineries are off these main thorough fares. So often it is a trade off between ride experience, and wine experience. See our Articles on Bike Safety.
Your Bum
There are a number of people that have a rough experience because, well their butt is not comfortable. Road bikes in particular are almost pad less seats, really designed to rest the rider on their “sit bones” and to reduce the amount of friction for cycling over long periods. They are not super comfy but meant to be ridden for long distances and support the rider without injury. For the casual rider, not on their own bike, that can be challenge as your sit bones may not match those of the seat. Even on the more casual bikes that you will see from Rental shops, their larger and more cushioning seats may not sit well with you.
Recommendation, try getting out on a bike and sitting on a seat before you do your Tour if you do not ride. Your bum, just like any other part of your body needs to exercise. After that first exercise of a new body part, it will be sore and sometimes hurts, and your bum is no different. Make sure you loosen up, and stretch by having a pre Tour ride, and before your ride itself. Make sure that your seat is adjusted to your correct height FOR YOU, have the company fit you properly. Do not just jump on and ride the bike they give you without adjustment. This could hurt your back, knees, and bum. Some Rental shops do have more seat options, and some that are specifically designed to be more bum friendly, definitely ASK. Finally, check with the company on their policies, specifically will they exchange your bike, will they meet you or do you have to go back to the shop, and will they pick you up to continue your journey by car, and are there any fees involved. If they will pick you up, how long can you expect them to arrive. All things to know up front.
Wineries
Some of your are real oenophiles (lovers of wine), we get it – we love wine too! When you go on your Wine Country Cycling adventure, you want great wine! You’re in the region with some of the best Wines on the planet, so why not have an expectation that you’re going to have great wine. This is where another big expectation is often not met, and not because the Tour companies are trying to go cheap, or that they don’t select great wine, but this is where the subjectivity part comes in and you need to understand the philosophy of the Tour company. Some of you want to taste the best wines, and hit every cult winery possible – I mean, who doesn’t love Screaming Eagle, Harlan, or the next big cult wine. However, think of how a Tour companies works. They are trying to satisfy the greatest swath of customers, which means that not every taste can be accommodated. They really are trying to craft an experience, and try to pick routes that are more off the beaten path, more suited to casual biking, hopefully more scenic, and importantly working with Winery and Dining partners that will provide their guests with the best experience. A lot of times, these are small mom and pop wineries, that really cater to groups and partner with companies to have a great experience. Many of these wineries will offer a much more authentic and personable experience that will delight a lot of customers. That said, you may not find a lot of them on the Wine Spectator’s top lists, if at all.
Recommendation, if you’re looking for those top tier wines, check with your Tour company on the options, and what the itinerary is for Wineries on your trip, and if they have options to select different choices. Many do offer options to select across a wide variety of wineries across selected paths. If the options aren’t towards you’re liking, consider a self guided Tour or a Custom Private guided Tour.
Tasting Fees
You’ve got your whole trip planned, you’ve picked the perfect touring company, it was expensive, but hey it’s worth it because they include everything, the bike, lunch, guides, sag wagons, concierge pickup of your wine purchases. Then you find out it includes everything BUT the Wine Tasting fees, even though those are a significant portion of the “Tour.” Then the kicker is you find out some of those fees, particularly in Napa Valley, can be tens to hundreds of dollars in total for the day (It is not uncommon for tasting fees to run from $20-$50 dollars per winery).
Recommendation, this can be an unexpected sticker shock for many. Check with the Tour company on the Wineries available on the itinerary, and inquire with the company if they have any tasting deals, and what the tasting fees are for the Wineries, and what options are available. They may have discounts, or low cost (but still enjoyable) options available. Note, even if there are tasting fees, many of the wineries have options to waive tasting fees if you purchase certain amounts of wine, or signup for their Wine Clubs. This can really save quite a bit if you know you’re going to be purchasing wine.
Food Options
Some complaints of Tours were about the food on the Tour, many of the times it’s wasn’t that the food was bad per se, but that again it didn’t meet expectations. Most of the tours offer some type of picnic type lunch, catered from a local deli or restaurant. Some of these can be quite fancy, like Bouchon Bakery in Napa (Yountville) owned by Thomas Kelleher of The French Laundry restaurant fame. Many offer choices for special diets, including vegetarian, vegan, and gluten free options. Some of the comments were about how substantial the meals were (or lack there of), and others were about the limitations of food, outside of lunch. It you assume most of the cost of the tour are for the lunch, then you’re going to be disappointed and if that is the biggest value portion for you, you may plan your own and may get more bang for the buck where you want to spend it. It is also true, that before and after lunch, many wineries offer limited to no food options. So if you are expecting the equivalent of a Wine Gastro Pub along the way with each winery, think again. Many are just wineries, some have expanded to have some light food offerings, but don’t expect the wineries to be restaurants.
Recommendation, check if your Tour companies provide snacks, if you need something more than trail mix, and power bars, find out what their options are and what they mean by “snack,” and it’s never a bad idea to chuck something in your backpack that you know you will enjoy if you get hungry. Definitely, check out their lunch menu ahead of time, and if your idea of a Wine Country meal is more of Wine, Bread, Cheese, and Charcuterie, or something more substantial you may consider creating some of your own experiences. There are some lovely places to have a picnic and enjoy the scenery, and there are some amazing restaurants that serve full meals with a wide variety of delicious options. These may not be part of your tour, but you can plan your own and choose to spend time for a proper lunch, or choose a Tour Company with more substantial meals.
Distance
One thing I hear fairly frequently is some people are surprised by the distances. Depending on your Tour, and location the distances between wineries can be several miles (2-10 miles). For some that is not a lot of miles, for others that is an eternity. As you plan your Wine Country Cycling adventure, understand the route, the distance between stops, and the terrain of the route to see if you are up for it. Many people, even those that do not ride often, are amazed at how far and how quickly they can get on a bike on flat and rolling terrain in many areas of Wine Country and really wind up enjoying being outside, the exercise, and really taking in the environment and experience.
Recommendation, know your route, the terrain, and the limitations of you and your group. Assume on planning for the lowest common denominator. Not be to be demeaning to anyone in your group, but if you know or suspect someone will be slower and/or have a more difficult time, don’t assume that they will just “keep up” or plan to abandon them if they can’t keep up. You should plan on a shorter/easier/slower trip to ensure everyone enjoys the trip, not just the stronger riders. On hot afternoons in Summer, many of the routes can seem harder and longer, particularly in areas with no or limited shading, and more difficult terrain. Check with your Tour operator on distances between routes and to and from your start and ending locations, and if there are sag options to assist. Additionally, E Bikes are a great option to reduce (not eliminate) the effort and load of the ride portion.
Touring vs. Self Guided vs . Renting
These may all be synonymous, and for some there is little, if any difference except in price. I can assure you, that there are definitely major differences between these. So here are some of the differences on what you get, to help set expectations.
| Type | Expectation | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Tour | An Experience | You really do pay for what you get. You may not use all of their services, but they really do come in handy if you need them. First of all on a Tour really you are buying an experience, and the Tour company is really about managing that experience not just throwing you a bike and a sandwich. They will have bikes, they will assist you with the setup. They will load and unload them for you, and they will take you to the start and from the finish of the destinations. They will provide lunch, snacks, and water along the route. They will provide sag service to pick you up in case of mechanicals, or if you are just tired, or no longer want to ride. They will pick up your wine purchases, they will have some one guide you, and help you on the route, and be there is you get lost or have questions. They often will have a guide with you actually riding on the route. They typically have more than one person on the Tour to assist as guide, and sag (hard to do both). They have a carefully curated itinerary from experienced professionals, and often can get you to places where having to start from a rental shop on your own is not possible to get to. They may also have more unique experiences as part of the trip like walking through vineyards, and other experiences you can't get with rentals or self guided tours. They have setup all appointments and reservations with the wineries, and can get you in based on the Tour schedule not the wineries. Mostly what you get is peace of mind, you show up, ride, taste and enjoy yourself and let someone else take care of all the details. |
| Self Guided Tour | A Convenience | A self guided tour to some may sound like a "tour" and to others it may sound like a "rental." Reality is somewhere in between and depends alot on your provider. You can expect a curated itinerary, printed route maps, and recommendations. They will assist with bike setup, and they often will have a picnic style lunch setup at a predestined stop, usually a winery, along your trip. Some will pickup your winery purchases as well. They do not have someone along the route, they do not have a sag service to pick you up for anything other than a mechanical. If you do have a mechanical, depending on the rental company, they may come to exchange it. You may however, have to bring it back to the shop too, so check. Bummer if you got a flat, and had to get it back 10 miles to a shop, or if you had to wait an hour because you got a flat before they got to you. They generally have a number to call if issues, and someone answering that during the Tour. The point is, a Self Guided tour looks a lot like a Rental with some added conveniences. If definitely reduces some of the planning effort, and they generally will give you some of the better options available than if you planned your own without doing a lot of research. This can save you considerably over a full service tour, but you will generally be limited to where the Rental shop is located, and have to deal with many of the situations that may arise on your own. |
| Rental | A Bike | This is the cheapest and most flexible option, but with awesome power comes awesome responsibility. You can definitely get the most bang for the buck with this option, and the most flexible itinerary. You will not get a curated itinerary, they may have suggested routes, but you get to plan your own. Which can be awesome as you can select your own wineries, your own food stops, your own pace, bikes, etc. However, you will have to deal with reservations, timing, and setting up appointments and making sure the times work out along your path. Often, it is hard to judge how long each tasting experience will be, and how long it will be to get from location A to B, people definitely misjudge this and why not if you're leisurely having a great time. If you get stuck, including a mechanical, most of the Rental shops will expect you to bring the bike back to them. If you get tired, and no longer want to ride, you're out of luck they will not pick you up. Also, where ever you pick up your bike, this is where your ride starts and ends, so while your route in mind maybe only 10 miles from the start to the last itinerary, you may need an additional 10 miles to get back to the rental shop. If you are comfortable doing your own planning, or have taken a few tours and been to the area and know what you want and like, this can be a fantastic option. Wine Country Cycle is a great site to help you along the way to make your trip great! |
Conclusion
These are a few of the major reasons that folks do not enjoy their Wine Country trip as much as they could have. Most of these can be managed by planning ahead, and setting your expectations correctly. If you know what the road conditions are going to be like, know which wineries and wines you’ll be tasting and if that meets your needs, and if you have a better understanding of the bike options, comfort, and ride distances you are more likely to have an awesome time than not. If some of those expectations are not set, and you are met with something very different, chances are that may be enough of a disappointment to color what otherwise would have been an amazing trip. Keep looking at the bright side, know what you’re getting into and plan an awesome trip.
Enjoy the roll!