By Dr. Kim Perry, Executive Director 
Thinking about joining the Bike Virginia Tour this year? Here are a few comments and answers to help you make registration decisions if you’ve never attended Bike Virginia.
1. Register now or later? The ride has a 2,000 rider cap, we’ve filled up prior to registration cut off 3 of the last 5 years. If you want to guarantee a spot at the tour we recommend signing up early. Registration opens in December for the following summer’s tour. You can register for the full tour or sign up for single days. Teams of 8 or more get a discount.
2. Camping or Hotel? This totally depends on your style. Camping in tent city is fun. There are tons of other riders around, a casual relaxing environment, and everything you’ll need within a short walk. Camping and the transfer of your camping gear from one tent city to the next is included in the registration fee.
Hotels are located within about 10 miles of tent city. Riders are responsible for booking and paying for their own hotel rooms. We’ll provide you with a list of our official hotels (official hotels typically offer a discounted event rate, and may also offer special services). You might like this better if you don’t rest well when you camp. We offer a luggage transfer service for hotel guests on the tour (we move your gear to your next hotel and back to the finish area) for an additional fee.
3. Do I need to buy meals? Registration for the ride includes Lunch each of the 5 days that we ride. A breakfast plan is available for an additional fee and offers 5 breakfasts, conveniently located at Tent City. A dinner plan is also available for purchase and offers 3 catered dinners. Dinners are held at or near the event entertainment for the evening such as festivals, concerts, etc…
We often have food vendors in tent city that sell coffee, breakfast items, snacks, and dinners. This varies from year to year based on the vendors located in that community. Otherwise, riders go into the local towns for meals.
4. When and Where do I ride? Riders leave Tent City between 7 and 9 am each day. There are typically 2 route choices for the day, they vary in distance and difficulty. You will ride on marked bike routes that have eye-level signs and other markers to help you navigate. Our signage teams post the signs each morning and remove them at the end of the day.
5. Should I come alone? Definitely. Don’t skip a fun tour just because no one can come with you. Many riders come by themselves. There are a lot of great people to meet and ride with including singles. It’s a great tour for women either alone or in small groups because you’ll be in good company with other riders for camping, riding, and entertainment.
