Van Supported Tours
You want fun, good food, gear-free riding, and other like-minded people to share the road? Then consider one of our popular van-supported tours. Adventure Cycling’s van-supported tours offer all the thrills of a classic, self-contained tour: a group of around 13 riders, camping, and shared group cooking. But you’ll spend your riding days free of personal and group gear since we provide a van to do all the heavy lifting, and two experienced leaders will make your tour one to remember. The group may also use the support van to take side trips that would not be reachable otherwise. We offer van-supported versions of our epic, cross-country adventures and many one- to two-week tours. We include occasional motel overnights (one every 10 days) on longer trips.
“The route and terrain were fantastic, offering many miles of solitude and quiet. I also really enjoyed the group — all very friendly and quite collaborative as a new found travel family.”
Learn More about our Van Supported Tours
What is included in the price?
- Adventure Cycling Tour Leaders
- All meals*
- Accommodations**
- Support Van
- Maps and cue sheets (most tours have digital mapping available)
- Safety triangle and a gift
- Park entry fees for National and State Parks
- Use of group cooking equipment, tool kit and first-aid supplies
*Meals typically start with dinner on day one and end with lunch on the last day, and include group meals. You may choose to supplement our traditional meal schedule with other meals on your own.
**The overnight for the last day of the trip is typically not included.
Level of Support
Our van supported tours have two of our tour leaders with you, one driving the van and trailer and the other riding sweep. The van will carry your gear from overnight to overnight - you just need to bring with you on the bike what you need for the day, including any clothing you might want, bike repair tools, and lunch and snacks. You'll shop for food and cook in small, rotating groups. You should come to the tour physically prepared to ride the entire route. Vehicle support will be prioritized for use in medical and mechanical emergencies.
Before You Go
Upon signing up for an organized tour, you will receive confirmation and preparatory materials, including a copy of Before You Go: A Handbook for Adventure Cycling's Van-Supported Tours (PDF/3,675 KB), which contains a packing list and training tips. About 60 days prior to your trip, you will receive a Tour Information Packet with specific logistical details about your starting location, the designated bike shop, shipping your bike, making travel arrangements, and much more.
Meals and Group Cooking
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are provided for each day of the trip. Your group shares responsibilities for food purchase, preparation, and clean up on a rotating basis. Vegetarian and special dietary needs will be accommodated, though food selection may be limited in some locations.
Accommodations
Most of the overnights will be at private or public campgrounds with a range of amenities. Depending on the nature and location of the trip, these facilities could range from RV parks with hot tubs to wilderness locations without running water. Indoor facilities such as motels/hotels, hostels, and churches are used occasionally, but on our more remote trips, some primitive camping is possible. Overnight facilities vary. You will need a good freestanding tent with a ground cloth, a sleeping bag rated appropriately for the season and elevation of your tour, and a sleeping pad. We strive to find showers as much as possible, but there may be some nights that they are not available.
Being Prepared
Adventure Cycling tours are a great way to get out and explore new places and meet new friends. You should plan on coming to your tour prepared to ride, both physically and with the correct equipment. Check out our Before You Go booklet (PDF) for more information on training and packing. You shouldn't come to your tour planning to ride into shape, as coming to the trip ready for anything will have you enjoying it from day one.
Be sure to read the full tour itinerary, including the Adventure Level, Terrain, and Technical Difficulty ratings to make sure that you prepare fully for the tour. If you have additional questions about the tour, please reach out to us at tours@adventurecycling.org.
Weather on our trips is highly variable and can be unpredictable. Your Tour Information Packet will have some information about weather for your tour, but you should come prepared to ride in all riding conditions no matter where your tour is or what time of year it takes place.
Mechanical Support
Van supported tours require a degree of mechanical self-sufficiency. You should have the tools and skills necessary to change flats and perform minor mechanical adjustments. We will carry a group kit with general tools that will work for most bikes. You should bring any specialty tools and parts that you may need, especially on more remote tours where access to bike shops is limited. Our leaders have some basic mechanical skills, but are not trained mechanics.
Disclaimers
Participation on an Adventure Cycling Association tour is physically demanding, strenuous, and potentially hazardous. By registering and joining the tour, you assume the risk associated with your participation.
While we strive to find routes that are off the beaten path, many of our trips must use roads that can be heavily trafficked in order to get us to our overnight location, a grocery store for grocery shopping, or an attraction along the way. Your leader will cue you in to these sections during your daily map meetings. Traffic volume, shoulder width, and road conditions are not part of a tour's difficulty rating system.
The number of participants on a tour may be adjusted in response to demand and facility availability. Adventure Cycling reserves the right to make route and accommodation modifications without notification and to make alterations and substitutions to the itinerary as needed to improve the quality of the tour or to accommodate the comfort and well-being of our guests.
Adventure Cycling Association is an equal opportunity recreation provider that is an authorized permittee with the U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, and departments of transportation. Adventure Cycling Association is working cooperatively with these agencies to secure the appropriate permits.
In accordance with federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410, or call 202.720.5964 (voice or TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
- June 2023
- July 2023
- August 2023
- September 2023
- October 2023
Photos by Walt Mayberry | Steve Powell
Tour Team Top Picks
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- Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania
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Self Contained. Immerse yourself in a long weekend of cycling and camping in the spectacular Pine Creek Gorge of central Pennsylvania. Come join the challenge and fun of pedaling on an entirely car-free trail through the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania, and gain a new natural perspective of this beautiful part of our country.
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- Utah Parks
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Inn to Inn. This eight-day tour through the glorious red-rock country of southern Utah offers an irresistible mix for the traveler who enjoys riding self-supported but to prefers to sleep indoors and eat meals in restaurants.
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- Lake Tahoe
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Inn to Inn. Crisp mountain air, stunning vistas, and a pristine alpine lake — what more could you want out of an epic weekend on two wheels? On this long weekend tour, we’ll enjoy the altitude of the Sierra Nevada as we circumnavigate the stunning Lake Tahoe, the largest alpine lake in North America!