Soon the Bike Virginia Tour will celebrate its 30th birthday. During those years an estimated 20,000 participants have explored Virginia’s scenic, historic, and rural roads on two wheels.
The Right Blend of Hotels and Camping
Camping has always been a core part of the event with about 50% of riders camping and the other half enjoying hotels. The event offers full service camping for those who like to sleep under the stars and to meet growing and changing needs for hotel lodging, the tour began offering a hotel Concierge service through Alpine Cycle Connection. “Alpine selects hotels that meet our standards and works with the hotel staff to make sure our riders receive priority attention,” said Executive Director, Kim Perry. “That allows us to concentrate on the critical aspects of headquarters operation and riding logistics while Alpine makes sure our hotel guests are cared for.”
In 2016, the event also added a Family Camping area and services for families with kids, a growing segment of the event.
More Food Choices
Eating is always a priority of cyclists. Bike Virginia has worked on creative and innovative strategies to bring great food to their riders throughout the day. In 2015 and 2016, planners used a ‘food court’ style lunch giving riders more dining choices. “It became increasingly difficult to have buffet style food that met dietary needs and preferences. Caterers had a difficult time providing the quality of food we require to the large crowd we host,” said Perry. After careful evaluation, Bike Virginia moved to a food truck-food court style lunch. Riders loved it. Riders exchange a token for lunch at any of the vendors. In addition to offering more options, a big upside of this formula is that those same vendors stay on site and offer dinner and snacks for sale too. “It’s been really terrific, it has not only added variety, but also increased the services on site at the event headquarters; we are very pleased with this upgrade.”
The event has also sought out ways to offer better ‘comfort station’ food in recent years. A serious blow was dealt to the event when Virginia Health Departments changed regulations regarding road-side food. “In some communities, we were no longer allowed to serve peanut butter sandwiches,” said Perry. In the face of this adversity the event added what they call Premium Rest Stops where catered food and treats provided by the much loved Mama Ralphael’s catering. “The tomato sandwiches and root-beer floats are a huge hit!” said Perry.
Loops and Cars
“In the past, we found more riders wanting to move their car to the second town versus leaving it behind,” said Perry. This was a big logistical challenge for riders and planners, which was solved with an innovative format rework in 2015. A truly revolutionary change allows the riders to enjoy more route options each day and added the convenience of having their cars nearby every day. The event now rides in one location for three days in the first town with multiple route options from 20-100 miles. On the 4th day, riders move their own gear and cars to the next destination. From there they enjoy 3 more days of riding on a variety of routes. On the last day, they pack at their leisure and leave. “This plan allows us to eliminate one way routes which were troublesome for some riders due to the distance. It also adds a much more relaxed feeling to the final days. We stay longer and truly enjoy the second location,” said event route planner, Shane Cusick.
Pedal, Smile, Repeat
A true vacation experience, the tour offers a relaxing environment for you to enjoy riding and relaxing. A full complement of services means you are pampered and entertained, on the bike and off. Bike Virginia continues to innovate without losing the focus on taking guests to the most interesting historic sights and beautiful communities, giving participants a true taste of the richness of the Commonwealth.
For more information and to register, please visit http://bikevirginia.org
