A Google search for Weekend Bike Tours returns 2.6 million results which seems like a lot until you realize that googling “bike tours” returns 37 million results. Are weekend bike tours less popular? It depends who you ask. They are hugely popular with participants but not very popular with tour operators. Here is a summary of companies that offer weekend bike tours in the US.

Summer Feet Cycling

We consider ourselves the leader in the weekend bike tour business. We currently offer 5 tours all along the coast of Maine. Our tours often fill quickly because Portland is only an hour flight from NYC, Philadelphia, and Washington DC. Our tours all visit one location and spend 3 days cycling from a central hub. We offer weekend bicycle tours in Acadia National Park, Camden, Boothbay, Portland, and the Kennebunks.

Exploring Acadia – An Acadia Weekend features the best cycling in Acadia National Park including the Park Loop Road, the Carriage Roads, and the Schoodic Peninsula.

Sailboats and Summer Folk – A Camden Weekend Bike Tour visits the charming town of Camden, cycles around Islesboro Island, and features a sunset sail on a classic wooden sailboat.

Island Hopping – a Portland Weekend Bicycle Tour explores the wonderful city of Portland and the Islands of Casco Bay.

Beaches and Backroads – A Weekend in the Kennebunks cycles through Maine’s famous beach communities of Kennebunk and Kennebunkport.

Sunsets and Swing Bridges – A Boothbay Weekend offers a little more challenging tour of the Boothbay Peninsula.

POMG of Vermont offers weekend tours in Vermont

Dorset Weekend this 2 day tour stays at the oldest continuously operating inn in the country

Henry Farm Weekend follows colonial era dirt roads to charming towns

Echo Lake Weekend visits the town of Woodstock, which has no above ground power and phone lines because the Rockefeller’s thought they ruined the view and visits  Happy Acres Farm a working maple syrup farm where you can taste the different grades of maple syrup in the farms kitchen.

Vermont 100/200 offers guests the opportunity to ride back to back centuries that take you from Southern Vermont to the Canadian Border.

Undiscovered Country offers weekend trips in California

The Carmel Valley and The Monterey Coast features the famous 17 mile drive and the charming towns of Carmel and Monterrey. They offer a shuttle to/from San Jose making it real easy for folks from the bay area to join.

Kiss of Death which doesn’t sound like that much fun to me but offers serious cyclists a chance to challenge themselves. The climbs include many of the hills featured in the popular “Death Ride” without the crowds.

Solvang Santa Barbara Tour features the beautiful area and its up and coming wines. With a much more moderate climate than Napa it makes for a great wine and cycling getaway.

Sonoma Wine Country and Coast features the quieter side of the famous Napa and Sonoma wine regions.

Staying in California Wine Country Bike Tours offers a one day guided wine country tour with the option to add several days of self-guided cycling.

Switching to mountain biking Magpie Cycling Adventures offers several 3 days tours in the Moab Area.

They have what they describe as a challenging 3 day tour of the White Rim Trail around Canyonlands National Park and a 3 day Lockahart Basin tour near Moab that they run as group departure.

Looking to ride rail trails? Then check out Wilderness Voyageurs 3 day ride along the  C & O Canal. This is a shorter version of a 6 day tour that allows you to ride from Pittsburgh to Washington D.C.

TREK Travel offers weekend tours to a number of locations

Wine Country Weekend featuring the Russian River, Dry Creek, and Alexander Valleys.

Vermont Weekend that features Northern Vermont around the Stowe Mountain Ski area.

New Mexico Long Weekend visits Taos and Santa Fe and allows ample time for gallery browsing or serious cycling.

Moab Road and MTB Long Weekend offers guests the opportunity to enjoy both road and mountain biking in this wonderful cycling mecca

Zion Weekend offers a 4 day hike and bike exploration of Zion National Park

If you do not have time for a week long vacation, a weekend bike tour lets you maximize your fun.

Check out our new Maine Multi-sport tour. Multi-sport tours are not new to Maine but we feel have put an exciting and a little more hard-core edge to them.

Our new Boats, Bikes, and Boots is an entirely non-motorized traverse of the Maine Coast. Starting in Port Clyde participants will bike to Camden, Sail across Penobscot Bay, Kayak across Blue Hill bay to Mount Desert island, and hike through Acadia National Park to Bar Harbor. Although the days are hardcore, the evenings will still feature Maine’s premier inns and fantastic food. Here is the itinerary.

Pick Up / Drop Off

Portland, Maine (PWM)

Day 1 – Arrival and Orientation

Leaders will collect you in Portland, Maine and transfer you to Clark Island. Once settled into our inn, we will fit bikes, enjoy a warm up ride and get an overview of the week’s adventures that await us.

• Day’s Activity: Warm Up Ride of 15 miles
• Lodging: The Craignair Inn

Day 2 – The Adventure Begins

We begin our ride exploring the quiet peninsula of Spruce Point before cycling to Birch Point State Park and the spectacular Owls Head Light as it stands guard over Penobscot Bay.  Our ride then takes us to the eclectic village of Rockland, home to the Farnsworth Museum of Art, which features an extensive collection of the art of the Wyeth Family, The Island Institute dedicated to preserving Maine’s Island communities, and a number of charming shops and galleries.  We finish our day in the picturesque town of Camden on the shores of the Penobscot Bay.

• Day’s Activity: Cycling 30 or 54 miles
• Lodging: the Inns at Blackberry Common

Day 3 – Set Sail for Castine

Today you will race with the wind as we sail across Penobscot Bay, one of the great cruising grounds in the world. Your day-long adventure will allow you to discover the joys of sailing, and discover the rock bound coast from a new perspective. In the evening we will offer a refresher course for any one who wants to improve their paddling skills before tomorrow’s kayak excursion.

• Day’s Activity: Day Sail of the Penobscot Bay
• Lodging: The Castine Inn

Day 4 – Across the Peninsula and Across the Bay

An early start has you pedaling across the Blue Hill Peninsula to the town of Blue Hill. From here it is time to trade your bikes for a kayak. Next stop Acadia. We will spend the day paddling across Blue Hill Bay and land on Mt Desert Island, home to Acadia National Park.

• Day’s Activity: Sea Kayak 12 miles
• Lodging: tonight’s lodging is yet to be determined

Day 5 – Traversing Acadia National Park

Grab your boots and your day pack as today we will hike from inn to inn through the splendor of Acadia National Park. Our hike will take us through old forests, along burbling streams, and to the summits of several mountains before we descend into the town of Bar Harbor and our hotel featuring several ocean front hot tubs.

• Day’s Activity: Hike 11-13 miles
• Lodging: The Harborside

Day 6 – To The Summit

Choose your poison. Today’s goal is the summit of Cadillac Mountain, the highest peak on the Eastern Seaboard. You can hike, you can bike, or you can do both. In the evening we enjoy a farewell dinner at a local favorite.

• Day’s Activity: Your Choice!  Hike or Bike or Both
• Lodging: The Harborside

Day 7 – Relax and Savor the Accomplishment

Enjoy a leisurely morning before it’s time to shuttle back to Portland.  The plan is to leave Bar Harbor around 10:00am, stop in Belfast, Maine for lunch and some exploration, and then continue on to Portland.  You can expect to be back in the Portland area by 3:00pm.

After watching a whole bunch of cruise commercials and being enticed by all the images of active people, I found myself scanning the Royal Caribbean website to check out what type of adventures that cruise line offers. On the Caribbean cruise I viewed Royal Caribbean listed the following highlights;

• Hike Jamaica’s Dunn’s River Falls or mountain bike in Costa Rica’s rain forest
• Snorkel with stingrays or go horseback riding on the beach
• Dive 800 feet below sea level in a research submarine
• Discover the inhabitants of a coral reef on a glass-bottomed boat
• Visit Labadee®, one of Royal Caribbean’s exclusive and private destinations
• Commune with ancient civilizations by climbing mysterious Mayan pyramids

Outside of the rather strange offer to bend the time space continuum to allow their guests to commune with ancient civilizations,  many of the highlights are similar to the highlights that might be featured on an adventure travel itinerary. Which raises the question, is the adventuring of cruises good or bad for the Adventure Travel Industry?

I  can see arguments for both sides of this question. I believe that anything gets people outside being active is good for the person . I hope that if people have a  positive experience cycling, hiking, climbing, kayaking it will inspire them to do it again and maybe incorporate more active elements into their next vacation or even make adventure the centerpiece of their next vacation. Heck, 13 million people took cruises in 2010, we get all of them on a bicycle for even half a day and we have the beginning of a movement.

After staring at the computer screen for 20 minutes, not counting the obligatory check of FB, I realized that was all I had on the the subject and that my mind, freshly back from communing with ancient civilizations to get their take on the issue, (the were not much help as all they wanted to do was play Angry Birds on my iphone), I had a lot to say about why big cruise lines are bad for the Adventure Travel industry.

It has absolutely nothing to do with competition. I don’t stay awake at night because worrying about the Love Boat crushing my business like ice at the frozen Daiquiri bar. 26 million people can take cruises and it will not affect my business.

The biggest threat the major cruise lines make to the adventure travel industry is success. The better their Costa Rica and Belize itineraries sell the larger the threat becomes. Spend an afternoon in Bar Harbor, Maine when there are 3 cruise ships in town and cruisers outnumber locals 3 to 1 and you quickly see how cruise ships totally dominate the landscape.  Once cruise lines start dropping 2500 passengers a day in rain forrests and at coral reefs their footprint will be forever altered. The more their guests enjoy adventure and activity the more areas the cruise lines are going to push into that business.

Of course the cruise industry will argue that they are having a positive impact in the millions of dollars for every port they visit and that they creating prosperity. Once businesses get hooked on the crack that is the easy money that is selling t-shirts to cruise passengers all the sustainable methadone in the world will not save them.

Cruise lines,and by cruise lines I mean the big boys Carnival, Royal Caribbean et al, not the smaller responsible adventure based companies,have no soul.If Hunter Thompson were alive he would probably being getting ready to write fear and loathing on the Enchantment of the Seas. It is the soul and the passion of the participants and the tour operators that make for the best adventure trips.  Can Royal Caribbean save adventure travel, no but they certainly can destroy an area’s ability to be a draw to true adventure travelers.

We are exited that our new Family Bicycle Tour is now live on our website.  Redesigned for 2012 the trip highlights the best of the Maine Coast and Acadia National Park. Here is the Itinerary.

Day 1 -

Leaders will collect you from your hotel in Portland, Maine for the transfer to Bar Harbor and the start of your trip. We stop along the way to visit the Penobscot Narrows Bridge Observatory and to explore Ft Knox a well preserved civil war era fort. After lunch we continue on to Bar Harbor where we join Captain John on his lobster boat  to pull traps and learn all about lobsters.

Cycling Options: we won’t be on our bikes today

Lodging: First of 5 Nights at The Harborside Hotel

Day 2 -

Today is all about pedal power. We spend our day cycling the carriage roads of Acadia National Park. These wonderful car free roads wind through the interior of Acadia National Park past ponds and lakes and through pristine forests. We pause at the Jordan Pond House for lunch and to enjoy their homemade ice cream. After lunch enjoy a swim or some family time before we head to Mount Desert Oceanarium and we enjoy a lobster feast over looking the ocean.

Cycling Options: up to 34 miles

Lodging: Second of 5 Nights at The Harborside Hotel

Day 3 -

Our morning begins with a kayak excursion. We join our local guides and paddle quiet waters and coastal inlets in search of seals, seastars, and bald eagles. In the afternoon we offer an optional kids only hike and leave you a free evening for family exploration.

Cycling Options: we kayak today!

Lodging: Third of 5 Nights at The Harborside Hotel

Day 4 -

Today we enjoy an hour-long scenic ferry ride across Frenchman Bay to the Schoodic Peninsula, an off the beaten track section of Acadia National Park. We hop on our bikes and pedal the rock bound coast stopping for lunch and time to explore the rocky coast.

Cycling Options: up to 36 miles

Lodging: Fourth of 5 Nights at The Harborside Hotel

Day 5 -

Grab your hiking boots.  It is time to summit. Today we will climb to the top of Cadillac Mountain, the first place to the see sun in the United States. From the summit we enjoy panoramic views of the Maine Coast. From the summit choose an extended hike or a shuttle back to town to relax.

Cycling Options: we’ll be hiking today!

Lodging: Final Night at The Harborside Hotel

Day 6 -

After breakfast we start working our way south to Portland. We stop in the charming town of Camden to hop on a classic schooner. Help raise the sails and then relax and as we experience Penobscot Bay the same way the explorers did 400 years ago. We return to Portland by 4:00 pm and say sad goodbyes as we drop you off at either the airport or a local hotel.

Cycling Options: there will be no cycling on our final day

As usual Outside magazine gave it’s annual plug for Portland Maine as one of the best places to live.  See the video here. Check out why on a bike. we offer:

5 hour Portland Bike Tours featuring 5 lighthouses, Casco Bay and Portland’s history

A 3 day bike tour of Portland featuring great food, island exploration, and fresh lobster

and a 6 day bicycle tour featuring Portland and the Kennebunks

Summer Feet Cycling is currently offering specials on Canada and Maine Bike Tours

Watch the Savings Accumulate! Book any week long guided cycling tour of Maine or Canada by December 31, 2011 and save $100 per person.

The savings don’t stop there though!  Watch the snow fall in Portland, Maine for the month of January 2012 – for every inch of snow that is recorded, you will receive an additional $5 off per person.  The average snow fall in Maine is 19.3 inches for January – that right there would be an additional $95 off per person – great for a new pair of snow boots!  Mention “Watch the Savings Accumulate” when booking and then keep your eye on the weather in Maine.  Maximum discount offered per person is $250 (that’s 30 inches of snow – WOW!)

For those interested in only a weekend long cycling vacation in Maine, book by December 31, 2011 and receive a flat discount of $100 off per person.  No snowball effect for the weekend long tours.

Discounts reflected on your invoice.  Specials cannot be combined with other offers and do not apply to previously booked trips.

Visiting Portland, Maine and looking for something fun to do. We are now offering 5 hour bike tours of Portland.

Your ride starts along a bike path through Willard Beach – one of Portland’s most charming communities to Bug Light, which marks the entrance to the Portland Breakwater. We explore the lighthouse, enjoy the great views from the park, and learn about the liberty ships built during the Second World War.  From here we cycle on to the Spring Point Lighthouse, the Portland Harbor Museum, and Fort Preble a 19^th century stone fortification. We continue through Portland’s charming beachfront community before cycling onto Shore Road, one of Portland’s most exclusive addresses.  Next stop is the majestic Portland Head Light. Our cycling continues past ocean front farms to 2 Lights State Park where you enjoy gourmet picnic of local foods overlooking the ocean.

Spend the 4th of July discovering Acadia National Park on a Maine Bike Tour. We are offering a $100.00 per person discount  on our July 1-3 Exploring Acadia Tour

PORTLAND, Maine—Summer Feet Cycling, a bicycle tour company that specializes in high-quality, once in a lifetime bicycling vacations in Maine, recently announced two new Maine weekend bike tours for the 2011 season. These two new short weekend bike tours offer cyclists the chance for a quick getaway to enjoy the sights and sounds of Portland or an opportunity to explore Maine’s gorgeous Kennebunks. Best of all, these bike trips offer easy to moderate cycling, so they are even appropriate for travelers that aren’t necessarily avid cyclists.

Go Island Hopping In Portland

On this Portland bike tour, spend three exciting days exploring a city that publications like Forbes, Bon Appétit, and Outside have recently selected as one of the best places to live in America.  Aside from being an outdoor-lovers paradise, Portland is rife with culinary treasures, coastal beauty, and historical points of interest. Highlights of this tour include exploring Casco Bay by boat and bike, visiting five of Maine’s 71 lighthouses, accommodation at The Danforth in Portland’s historic West End, savoring gourmet Maine cuisine, and explorations of Peaks Island, Chebeague Island, Cousin’s Island, Falmouth, and much more. Dates: July 8-10^th, 2011. Price: $875 per person (single supplement $200 per person). Hybrid Bike Rental: $60. Road Bike Rental: $80. Two mileage options are available.

Spend A Weekend Exploring Maine’s Coastal Beauty

On this bike tour, cyclists will spend three days exploring the seaside towns of Kennebunkport, Kennebunk, Arundel, and Cape Porpoise – collectively known as The Kennebunks. These towns are saturated in maritime history, from times of salty sea captains, to a thriving ship building industry, and the fisherman who for centuries have made a living off the coast’s rich marine resources.  Today, the stately homes of the sea captains are welcoming B&Bs; boat building is still present, including a boat building school just four miles from town; and many a locals make their living on the sea as lobstermen and fishermen. Highlights of this tour include enjoying culinary delights like feasting on lobster caught by one of Kennebunkport’s own lobstermen, exploring Maine’s rocky coastline from the comfort of a bike, taking an evening sailing trip aboard the Schooner Eleanor, getting an up close and personal experience with the history and culture of this area, and much more. Dates: September 16-18, 2011. Cost: $975 per person ($200 single supplement). Hybrid Bike Rental: $60. Road Bike Rental: $80. Two mileage options are available.

For more information about these tours or other Summer Feet Cycling tours, visit www.summerfeet.net

Here is the press release for our new trip.

Summer Feet Cycling

CONTACT: Stephanie Parnell

TEL: 832-755-7661

E-MAIL: Stephanie@adventuremedianews.com

WEB: www.adventuremedianews.com

Click Here for Media Kit.

Summer Feet Cycling Announces Fundraiser for The Bicycling Coalition of Maine

PORTLAND, Maine—Summer Feet Cycling, a bicycle tour company that specializes in high-quality, once in a lifetime bicycling vacations in Maine, Utah, New Zealand, Nova Scotia, and Quebec announced that it will be hosting a Maine cycling and camping tour that will help raise funds for the Bicycle Coalition of Maine.

“I love the BCM because by advocating for cyclists, they are also advocating for healthy lifestyles, a greener planet, and engagement with our natural environment,” said Norman Patry, Owner of Summer Feet Cycling.  “All of these causes that they represent are causes that I feel are worth supporting which is why we decided to do this fundraiser.”

This trip, which is one of Summer Feet Cycling’s most popular cycling tours is being offered as a camping trip and includes a seven day/ six night trip from Boothbay Harbor to Bar Harbor and then on to the summit of Cadillac Mountain. During the seven days of cycling, travelers will experience some of the best cycling in all of New England. Guests will travel to some of Maine’s most iconic places, see over a dozen lighthouses, and discover the beauty and charm of Maine’s quintessential small, coastal towns.

Highlights of this Pedal The Coast tour include exploring the Maine coastlines hidden coves and breathtaking scenery by bicycle, enjoying a private sunset sail on a classic wooden schooner, sampling delectable Maine fare like lobster and smoked salmon, fresh blueberries, the local favorite “whoopie pies”, and much more. Two cycling tour routes are provided for both moderate and experienced cyclists. Dates: September 4-10, 2011. Price: $1195 per person. For more information about this tour, visit www.summerfeet.net