Riders have asked to be able to opt out of meals during the 2013 Bike Virginia Tour. After some changes to our planning we’ve made this possible.
We recognize that a one size fits all plan does not work for everyone. We recognize that there are many special diets and allergies. Our Executive Director has a long list of food allergies herself and carries all her own food. We want to be accommodating, we just want you to fully understand that the most convenient way to be sure you will have meals is by taking part in our all inclusive meals plan.
Our intent in 2013 is to move to offering all meals as an “All Inclusive Package” because it was often challenging for riders to get food when they did not participate in the offered breakfasts and dinner plan. Small towns may not have the number of restaurants to support the dining demands on a Bike Virginia night. Food vendors are not reliably available for our camp locations, it’s gotten harder and harder to get food vendors to attend our event because we can’t promise revenues.
Shuttling riders to dining locations has become increasingly challenging. With town centers closing and fast food taking over in may rural areas, other dining options now include the “along the interstate chains” and as a result the possibility of arranging shuttles has gotten harder. Because centralized dining locations for shuttles have become a problem it means more time on the busses, more stops, more travel time between camp and dining locations.
Please note the following information if you choose not to participate in the “All Inclusive Meals Option”.
Transportation to get outside meals will be on your own.
We will provide some shuttle services in 2013 with a focus on sightseeing, not dining. In our surveys riders want to see historic sites and unusual points of interest so we’ll concentrate our transportation services on offering these services.
If you need your car for getting meals once we have moved to Botetourt you will need to arrange taking the Car Shuttle to retrieve your vehicle or catch a ride with a friend. Alpine Cycle Connections will provide the Car Shuttle for an additional fee.
Please do not count on food vendors being available at camp. We may be able to offer vendors, but their capacity, menu, and hours of operation are not known at this time. It’s very hard for us to entice food vendors to take part in the tour. This another reason we’ve moved to offering convenient meals.
You may want to bring your own food. If’ that’s the case then consider camping with Cycle Logistics or Mayberry Sherpa Service. They may offer “ice and cooler” services.