Let's say you just want to ride about a couple of hours through some ridiculously gorgeous areas and after that you want to spend the rest of the afternoon wine tasting by van at some of our fine local wineries. Well, then we have the perfect wine country bike tours for you. These cycling and wine tasting tours of California's Central Coast offer the best of both worlds.
In the morning on these California wine country cycling tours we shuttle to the very best stretches of cycling in the area (perhaps a stunningly beautiful stretch of coast or a lonely country road with virtually no traffic and dramatic hills rising on either side). After the ride we enjoy a gourmet picnic lunch, usually at a local winery, and then wine taste at 2-4 wineries in the afternoon. Tasting fees are included in the tour price and if your hotel is in the general area of the ride, we can pick you up and drop you off. What a perfect, carefree day!
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“We had a ball. You and your wife have a fabulous operation. We were wholly gracious for the friendly guidance and for not rushing the tour as we sipped vino throughout the area.”
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All of our California wine country cycling holidays are guaranteed to be private exclusive affairs. Once we meet you at the start of the tour, we are yours for the rest of the trip. Our guides will cater to your personal preferences and can change the tour (within reason) to fit your needs. No one else will be on the tour. Our minimum booking size is two people and our prices vary according to your group size. Treat yourself to our personalized service!
| BIKING: Ranchita Canyon / Paso Eastside |
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Northeast of Paso Robles are a series of stunningly beautiful
canyons, with hardly a car in sight. These canyons are lined with
picturesque vineyards and offer amazing views back toward Paso Robles
the farther you get into them. We've chosen two of the prettiest
canyons in the area for this California wine country cycling tour - Ranchita
Canyon and Hog Canyon. The cycling is not overly strenuous, although there is
one short hill that connects these two exquisite valleys. In the
afternoon, the wineries east of Paso Robles offer their wines to
us. Some excellent choices are Sylvester, J. Lohr and Eberle.
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| BIKING: Pacific Coast / Paso Westside |
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Combine the best of Pacific Coast Highway biking in the area with the wineries west of Paso Robles and you have an unbeatable combination. In the morning we shuttle up to Ragged Point at the very southern tip of Big Sur. Climbing on our bikes, we cycle down an isolated and pristine stretch of Pacific Coast to Cambria, stopping to visit a colony of odd looking elephant seals along the way. With no major hills, this is perhaps the easiest way to take in some of the world class scenery by bike that the area has to offer. After a picnic lunch at a cozy seaside park, we head inland by van to taste the wines on the west side of Paso Robles. Lone Madrone, Castoro Cellars and Windward are among our favorites. |
Depending on interest, we can also work in an olive oil tasting at Willow Creek Ranch. Coast and wine - an unforgettable combination and the perfect day trip for a California wine country cycling holiday.
| Distance | 21 miles | |||
| Difficulty | Moderately Easy | |||
| Terrain | Mostly level with some short ups and downs | |||
| Price per person, by group size (bike rental incl.) | ||||
| 2 | 3 | 4 | 5-9 | 10+ |
| $169 | $159 | $149 | $139 | $111 |
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“Virginia was wonderful... She made sure that we were comfortable with the bikes and explained the route perfectly. We loved seeing her on the side of the rode at various intervals to offer assistance and educate us about what we were seeing. Lunch was wonderful. We also very much enjoyed her calm and peaceful air. Thanks so much for the wonderful day!”
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All our morning bike / afternoon wine taste tours are fully guided tours that include everything to make your time with us as pleasant and care free as possible. Included in the price of the tour are:
It is challenging to come up with a difficulty rating system that is relevant for everyone. A very fit cyclist might consider our "Moderately Strenuous" trips to be not hard at all, while someone who exercises infrequently or is not used to cycling might find a "Moderately Easy" tour to be quite a challenge. Our bicycle tour rating system is based on the approximate fitness level of a casual recreational cyclist who rides at least once per week and rides over fifteen miles on a regular basis. If you ride less or more than this, please adjust your expectations of the tour accordingly. To flesh out the rather subjective difficulty rating, we also include the distance for each tour and a terrain description. We are also available by phone to discuss the difficulty of any of our tours.
We feature Norco Performance Bikes. You have the choice of a hybrid bike with upright handlebars or a road bike with drop (racing style) handlebars. Both bikes are designed for efficient travel on the road and have Shimano components. Both styles have a map case attached to the handlebars and the hybrids also have a rear rack bag to store gear. We stock a variety of frame sizes to fit your needs. Please supply your desired bike type, height and pedal preference when you reserve a trip so we can pick the appropriate bike for you.