TransAmerica: Section 1

TransAmerica: Section 1

27-Day Epic Bike Tour

Tour Information

Date: 09/05/18 - 10/01/18
Meet: Florence, OR
Time: 2:00pm
Tour Price: $6390
Single Upgrade: $2400

Join us for the first and westernmost section of the TransAmerica – the classic bicycle route across the country. This will be the first of four sections of the 4200-mile TransAm that we’ll hold in four straight years. Do one section or all of them to complete the entire route west to east with the wind at our backs.

This year, we’ll dip our tires in the Pacific Ocean in Florence, Oregon and head east across Oregon, Idaho and Montana, ending our tour in West Yellowstone, the gateway to Yellowstone National Park. We’ll run each subsequent section of the TransAmerica during the next three years, picking up where we left off the prior year. Join us for this epic tour!

Call Us!

The tour is filled, but call us. We may be able to squeeze you in.

Advanced

Advanced

1167 miles through all types of terrain. Average of 47 miles per day including 4 rest days.

All hotel lodging for 26 nights, all breakfasts, dinners, & snacks on cycling days, SAG support along the route, luggage transfer, detailed maps, cue sheets and GPS files, mechanical support and instruction, state line crossing parties, celebration dinner and trained guides.

$500 but we recommend bringing your own bicycle.

Fly into the Eugene, OR airport and take a 1½ hour shuttle to Florence, OR for the start of the tour. The tour ends in West Yellowstone, MT. You may be able to fly out of that airport or you can take a commercial shuttle to the Idaho Falls, ID airport to get home.

Sue Lincoln

Sue Lincoln
Tour Leader/Chef

Cy Pugh

Cy Pugh
Tour Leader

Tour Details

DAY 1: We’ll meet for an orientation at 2:00pm Then we’ll make sure our bicycles are ready for the trip and have our first dinner together. 0 miles.

DAYS 2 - 26: The days will quickly fall into a comfortable rhythm. We'll start early with a light breakfast provided by our inn or the hotel. Then we'll pack our bike bags with snacks of raisins, nuts, energy bars and peanut butter sandwiches. We'll make sure we have an extra layer of clothing and a rain jacket with us. We leave on our own, usually between 8- 9am and cycle at our own pace.

We follow the cue sheets that have been meticulously prepared for us, along with the expert Adventure Cycling maps and optional GPS directions. We each ride at our own pace, sometimes alone and sometimes in small groups and we stop where we want along the way.

About every twenty miles, we’ll meet our SAG vehicle. It holds water, snacks, tire repair tools and a first aid kit. Even if we don’t need anything, we’ll stop to chat and talk about the wonderful tailwind or the panoramic view. If we’re too tired to bike anymore, we’ll take a ride in the SAG vehicle to our hotel for the night. The SAG makes sure everyone is in safely at the end of the day.

Once at our hotel, we find our luggage, (delivered earlier by the WomanTours van and trailer,) check-in to our room, and meet our roommate. Most of our hotels are chains and most of us will be in double occupancy rooms. We rotate roommates every night, unless you’ve requested the single room upgrade. There’s time to shower before dinner and perhaps take a dip in the hotel pool.

If anyone has experienced bike problems during the day, we’ll use the time before dinner to work with the guide to fix it. If it’s a more complicated repair, the bike will go to a trained mechanic at a nearby bike shop.

Then we eat dinner together, served buffet-style outside. Our traveling chef prepares hearty and healthy dishes from our trailer kitchen. While she will accommodate guests with specific allergies and provide a nonmeat protein source for vegetarians, she cannot adhere to everyone’s likes and dislikes. You'll need to be flexible. If you require a vegan or gluten-free diet, there will be a small surcharge.

After dinner, the guide holds a map meeting to discuss the highlights of the day and to go over the details of the next day’s route. We'll celebrate every day that we cross into a new state. When we reach West Yellowstone, we'll celebrate with a special meal. Average of 47 miles per day.

DAY 27: We’ll say our good-byes this morning and head home. If you have the time, plan to spend a few days visiting Yellowstone National Park on your own. 0 miles.

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS:

Willamette Valley

Cascade Mountains

National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center

Adventure Cycling Headquarters

Salmon & Lochsa Rivers

West Yellowstone – Gateway to Yellowstone National Park

Oregon, Idaho and Montana

TO JOIN: Sign up online or call us to make your nonrefundable, nontransferable registration deposit of $300. The first payment of $2,000 is due March 1, 2018 and $1000 of that payment is nonrefundable and nontransferable. The balance of the trip fee is due by June 15, 2018.

DISCOUNTS: If you’re doing our Southern Tier or Route 66 tours in 2018, we’ll offer you a $600 discount on this TransAmerica tour. Take another shorter, domestic WomanTours trip within six months of the TransAmerica tour and receive a discount of 10% off the other tour. Make your payments by check and receive a discount of 2%.

CANCELLATION & REFUNDS: The $300 registration fee is nonrefundable and nontransferable, but holds your space. Our cross-country and epic tours usually fill to capacity. One half of your first payment of $2000 is refundable should you cancel prior to June 15, 2018. The remaining $1000 is nonrefundable and nontransferable. There are no refunds for cancellations after June 15, 2018.

TRIP INSURANCE: We highly recommend trip cancellation insurance, especially for a trip of this magnitude.

MORE DETAILS: Help on training, transportation, packing, and an itinerary will be sent upon receipt of your registration fee. We will also mail you periodic Prep Talk newsletters to help you prepare for the trip. Contact us if you'd like contact information of past participants.

SAG VOLUNTEERS: We use 3 volunteers to drive a support car during this tour. Each driver works once every third day supporting the riders until the last cyclist finishes for the day. She provides food, drinks, flat tire assistance and moral support, and becomes an integral part in the success of the tour. In return, each volunteer receives a discount of 40% off the full tour price. If you’re interested in a position, please email or call us.

TransAmerica Section 1 Epic Tour Itinerary

Date Location Miles
Sep 5, 2018 Florence, OR 0
Sep 6, 2018 Eugene, OR 78
Sep 7, 2018 Rainbow, OR 57
Sep 8, 2018 Sisters, OR 44
Sep 9, 2018 Sisters, OR 0
Sep 10, 2018 Prineville, OR 54
Sep 11, 2018 Mitchell, OR 47
Sep 12, 2018 John Day, OR 69
Sep 13, 2018 Baker City, OR 80
Sep 14, 2018 Baker City, OR 0
Sep 15, 2018 Halfway, OR 54
Sep 16, 2018 Cambridge, ID 57
Sep 17, 2018 New Meadows, ID 47
Sep 18, 2018 Riggins, ID 34
Sep 19, 2018 Riggins, ID 0
Sep 20, 2018 Grangeville, ID 51
Sep 21, 2018 Kooskia, ID 40
Sep 22, 2018 Powell, ID 72
Sep 23, 2018 Missoula, MT 58
Sep 24, 2018 Missoula, MT 0
Sep 25, 2018 Hamilton, MT 47
Sep 26, 2018 Sula, MT 42
Sep 27, 2018 Dillon, MT 51
Sep 28, 2018 Dillon, MT 48
Sep 29, 2018 Ennis, MT 71
Sep 30, 2018 West Yellowstone, MT 71
Oct 1, 2018 Home 0