Tallahassee Fixed Base Tour

March 14-25, 2024

March 14-16 and March 23-25 are Optional

Where in the winter do we go next?  Of course - Tallahassee, Florida is on everyone’s cycling bucket list!  Tallahassee is nestled between the Gulf to the south and Georgia to the north.  There is a variety of hilly and flat cycling in the Tallahassee area.  Many of the rides will be remote starts and a few from the hotel.  Please note that this cycling week will require your own transportation for the remote starts. - Rich Brookler

There are 3 parts to this tour: 1 – getting there.  2 – being there.  3 – coming back from there. 

Part 1*.  Day 1.  March 14.  Drive from NJ to Charlotte, NC.

Part 1*.  Day 2.  March 15.  Cycle in Charlotte, NC.

Part 1*.  Day 3.  March 16.  Drive to Tallahassee, FL.

 

Part 2. Day 1.  March 16.  Meet in Tallahassee at the brand-new Drury Plaza Hotel.

Part 2.  Day 2-6.  March 17-22.  Cycle in and around Tallahassee.  Various routes will be created – some leave from the hotel and some will be remote starts.  We’ll go south (flat) to the Gulf beaches and north (hilly) to Georgia.  We’ll go east and west!

Part 2.  Day 7.  Tour ends.

 

Part 3*.  Day 1.  March 23.  Drive to Fayetteville, NC.

Part 3*.  Day 2.  March 24.  Cycle in Fayetteville, NC.

Part 3*.  Day 3.  March 25.  Drive to NJ.

*Details for Parts 1 & 3 will be shared when we know who will be driving.  The approximate cost per room is $160 per night.

Pick your parts!

Tour Cost – Tallahassee Only:

• 2 People sharing room: $700 per person.
• Single: $1,400.

Any unused money will be returned to participants in full.

Daily Rides. 

There will be 2 published rides per day – short and long.  It is assumed that rides will naturally break up into smaller groups with similar riding speeds.  The leaders can’t promise that the slowest person will be with a group.

Ride Schedule:

Day	Level	Name	Miles	URL	Remote Start
1	B	Aligator Point Loop	58	https://ridewithgps.com/routes/44526083	Yes
1	C	Aligator Point Loop	28	https://ridewithgps.com/routes/44526926	Yes
2	B	St. Marks Lighthouse	66	https://ridewithgps.com/routes/44502294	Yes
2	C	St. Marks Lighthouse	31	https://ridewithgps.com/routes/44748872	Yes
3	B	Tallahassee Loop	50	https://ridewithgps.com/routes/44502355	No
3	C	Tallahassee Loop Short	35	https://ridewithgps.com/routes/44748976	No
4	B	Tallahassee Loop North	61	https://ridewithgps.com/routes/44483423	No
4	C	Tallahassee Loop North	44	https://ridewithgps.com/routes/44749032	Yes
5	B	Thomasville Long Loop	47.5	https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45087576	Yes
5	C	Thomasville Short Loop	38.6	https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45087567	Yes
6	B	Lake Talquin Loop	50.4	https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45087612	Yes
6	C	Lake Jackson Loop	25	https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45087630	Yes
TBD	B&C	Panama City Day Trip	39	https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45102049	Yes

SAG and Support Vehicles.  There will not be any ‘official’ SAG or support vehicles for this tour.  However, if there is a non-cycling partner that would like to provide cycling support using their vehicle – we would gladly accept!

Lodging: 

In Tallahassee we will be staying at the brand-new Drury Plaza Hotel.  Rooms will either have a king or 2 queens.  The tour leaders will have a suite for tour participant gathering purposes.  This hotel has a ‘free’ breakfast and Happy Hour (https://www.druryhotels.com/menu) .  The hotel happy hour is from 5:30 to 7:00pm.  Each evening we’ll have our own Happy Hour (somewhere in the hotel or the leader’s suite) and we can also participate in the hotel’s Happy Hour – details to be determined.  During our Happy Hour we’ll have a sandwich station, which will enable participants to make lunch and gather snacks for the next day.

Dinners will be on your own.  Participants are encouraged to share plans and invite others to join.  There will be no planned group dinners.

Singles and Solo Policy:

If you decide to register with a roommate, please let us know that when you are signing up.  If you don’t have a roommate in mind, we will publish a list of singles with whom you can try to pair up.  If you decide to participate without a roommate, you must pay the solo supplement.  

Cancellation: 

Refunds will depend upon whether a replacement rider signs up, and on what costs can be recovered. The amount refunded will be based on the principle that the tour’s remaining participants will not incur any additional cost as a result of others’ cancellations. If the canceling participant is preplaced, a refund will be made at that time. If the canceling participant can't be replaced, any refund will be determined after the ride and the final expense report is completed. You are encouraged to purchase trip cancellation insurance and know what it covers and what it doesn’t.

Ride Participants:

Remember that Ride Leaders are volunteers and don’t provide luxury services available on much more expensive commercial tours.  Successful tours depend on everyone being courteous and knowledgeable on cycling protocols. Your bicycle should be in good working condition and be able to be serviced, by local bike shops, if needed.  For instance – this means that a 30-year-old bicycle may not suit you if there are any issues during the week.  All riders should arrive in good health and conditioning and be able to complete the rides they choose. We will not be having an official sag.

Tour Participant Safety Responsibilities:

• Must always wear a cycling helmet on bicycle – not negotiable.
• Must have a very bright red rear blinking light – not negotiable.
• Must have a rear-view mirror on helmet or handlebars – not negotiable.
• Must have route on handlebars via GPS, cell phone, or printed copy – not negotiable.
• Must have front white headlight, which makes you more visible to oncoming traffic and needed in case you get delayed and are cycling in the dark.

COVID Precautions:

As the COVID-19 pandemic evolves, so will our tour requirements.  Depending on the COVID-19 situation from where tour participants live, along with our destination, we might have some combination of:

• Vaccination recommendations – we recommend that all participants to be ‘Up to
  Date’ as per the CDC at that time.  (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/stay-up-to-date.html)
• Possible rapid antigen testing before and, possibly, during the tour if COVID-19 rates 
  spike up prior to our tour.
• Decisions will be made based on the current science and communicated with enough time for participants to ‘change their minds’ about participating.