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| Frequently
Asked Questions
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Tell me about self-guided touring? What about luggage transfer? Q. Tell me about self-guided touring? What about luggage transfer? A. You will find that it is easy to bicycle and be your own tour guide, with more information than you would get on a guided tour - at a much lower price. Take away the worry of trip planning; finding good roads to bike on, figuring out distances, finding scenic locations and accommodation and camping for the night. Travel when and where you want with cycling companions of your choice. Enjoy that special restaurant, inn, bed and breakfast or campsite. Enjoy the most scenic areas of Ontario, mostly on less busy paved secondary roads and some bike paths. We spend a lot of time developing the routes, rejecting many busy regional roads and highways that are prominent on road maps in favour of quiet local roads. There are several different ways to keep your luggage with you. For cyclists who want to bicycle a short distance each day best option is to stay in one location and bicycle from there for several days, either in short loops or out and back on the same route. For additional days you can move to another location and bicycle from there as well. Experienced long distance cyclists carry what they need with them, either in panniers or a trailer. If you don't want to do that there are other ways of travelling with your luggage. Bicycle touring groups can provide their own support vehicle. Often a family member will agree to be the driver. Those who want to bicycle less distance may be glad to take turns driving the support vehicle. The driver of the support vehicle can bicycle back to meet the other cyclists after driving to the destination for the day. In some areas we are able to arrange luggage transfer service however it is expensive. Inquire if you want this aervice. Return To Questions Q. When can I bicycle in Ontario? A. June, July, August and September are the best for bicycle touring in Ontario and Quebec. You will miss the tourist season traffic in June and September. In Ontario plan on starting no earlier than Victoria Day Weekend (around May 24) and ending no later than Thanksgiving Weekend (around October 15). The bicycling season is shorter in Northern Ontario and you should plan trips from June to September. For early or late season touring select one of the routes in the most southerly parts of Ontario - particularly the Essex Shores area where the bicycling season is several weeks longer. For more weather information check out the Environment Canada Weather Forecast Return To Questions Q. Can you tell me about Custom Routes? A. We would be glad to plan a bike tour just for you. You just need to tell us your desired starting and end points, distance per day, total distance, type of accommodation desired and any special interests. We provide a complete route map and guide with attractions, accommodation, restaurants and a bike repair shop list; customized to meet your specific needs. Weekend and week-long packages are available. We can make any reservations that you require for accommodation, bicycle rentals, camping and connecting transportation. Turn by turn route guides with no scheduled itinerary or reservations are available for some areas at a reduced price. Return To Questions Go Custom Route Information Q. Can you tell me about your Route Guides? A. BIKE ON TOURS offers a new Ontario Bicycle Touring Atlas. It includes long distance linear routes across the province and loop routes, suitable for day trips or weekends. The atlas has full color route maps and a selection of the most convenient and best restaurants, bed breakfasts, inns, motels and camping. You will also find information on bicycle repair shops, beaches, natural areas, wineries, theater, festivals, historic sites, Mennonite and Native Canadian communities. Return To Questions Q. How soon will my order be delivered? A. Your order will be delivered quickly. Most orders are processed within three business days. Select shipping by Xpresspost for two day delivery in Canada, three to five days to the United States. If you have time constraints please let us know in advance of placing your order. We can ship to a forwarding address if that helps. Custom Routes take longer. Return To Questions Q. Are your route guides available from stores? A. The Bike Tour Atlas, published by DunMap, is available in a limited number of retail stores. Ask your local bookseller or cycling shop. Return To Questions Q. Can I call you on the telephone about a custom route or questions that I have? Most of the custom routes that we have done for customers have been completed with communication by e-mail only however some customers prefer to talk to us by telephone. Since we do not have regular office hours and are often not available to properly respond to telephone calls, we do not publish our telephone number. Please e-mail first with your telephone number, the best time to reach you, and what your touring interests are. Our telephone number is made available to our clients. Return To Questions Go To Route Guide List Q. |