HeartCycle encourages participation in the sport of bicycling at all levels. The enjoyment you derive from your tour is largely dependent on choosing a tour that suits your ambitions and experience. The most important thing you need is a good attitude. Whether you are looking for a leisurely tour or a challenge, our tours have something for everyone. Our volunteer leaders and SAG teams are there to help.

For the safety and enjoyment of all tour participants, carefully consider the difficulty of the tour you select. Reading the tour description will ensure you select a tour that matches your riding abilities and preferences. Tour leaders evaluate the distance per day, elevation gain per day, terrain, average gradient, vertical feet per mile, pavement (smooth, chip-seal, or gravel), and tour duration to determine the level of a tour. Review our Tour Ratings to find the perfect adventure for you.

Adequate training is essential for enjoyment of your HeartCycle tour. Try to begin your training 3 to 4 months prior to the tour. Consider the rating of your selected tour as well as its scheduled departure. For example, incorporate hill climbing into your schedule if your tour involves mountainous terrain. If necessary, discuss your training schedule with the tour leader.

Two HeartCycle tour leaders are responsible for organizing member-led tours. One rides near or at the front and the other towards or at the back of the participant rider group. We try to keep our riders within 30 minutes of each other. Participants who ride at a slower pace start earlier than faster riders who leave a bit later. Two SAG personnel support member-led tours. Our support vehicles leapfrog the riders throughout the day to check on riders and give a lift to those needing to catch up. We offer food and beverages including a full lunch at prearranged SAG stops. The support vehicles carry your luggage to the next hotel. Day bags are accessible at SAG stops throughout the ride. On a HeartCycle tour, you will feel included with our group SAG stops, lunch stops, happy hour/map meeting gatherings, and group dinner(s).

On your profile page, detail any special dietary needs and food restrictions, e.g., glutenfree, peanut allergy, or the like. Our SAGs try to accommodate everyone, although bringing specific items you know work for you is an option.

You may register one of three ways for a HeartCycle tour:

1. Single supplement—Allows you to room alone or with a non-riding companion (for domestic tours, the cost is usually 50% more). Single supplements may be limited due to room availability. See the tour description or contact the tour leader.
2. List a roommate of your choice—On your profile page, you can fill in the name of a roommate. Ensure that they are in fact signing up for the same tour.
3. HeartCycle-assigned roommates—If no preferred roommate is listed, leaders will assign a roommate of the same sex. Neither the HeartCycle board nor tour leaders take responsibility for any unforeseen circumstances that arise out of such rooming arrangement

Yes, non-riding partners may join most member-led tours. Vendor-led tours, however, typically do not allow non-participants. Refer to the tour description or contact the leader.

• If you register as a single supplement, your non-riding partner can share your hotel room at no added cost from HeartCycle. 
• Non-riding partners need their own vehicle if the tour changes hotels.
• Let the tour leader(s) know in advance of the tour if they want to join a group dinner, so space may be made. They will be charged for their meal.

Tour leaders can provide the hotel details after you register. The hotel may extend the group rate for additional nights. Any additional nights would be at your expense.

Tours vary between 10 and 30 riders. See the tour description for the rider limit.

To the extent possible, HeartCycle recommends using your own bicycle for comfort. Our vendor-led tours usually have bike rentals available or included in the cost. Having your bicycle checked and tuned by a trained mechanic is strongly recommended to ensure your bike is safe and fully prepared for the tour. Especially important is making sure your tires are either new or in excellent condition.

Class 1 (up to 20 mph) and Class 3 (up to 28 mph) electric bicycles that assist the pedaling rider are allowed. Tandems are welcome on most of our tours. Any recommendations or restrictions will be listed in the tour description. Note the following:

• The racks of our club’s Sprinter van are rated up to 50 lbs./bike, and such heavy bikes may only be accommodated on the inside trays (one on the front rack and two on the rear). Therefore, we can only accept e-bikes that are 50 lbs. (22.7 kg) or less.
• The e-bike participant needs to be able to place their e-bike into or on a SAG vehicle, when necessary, without the assistance of a SAG driver.
• The e-bike needs to have sufficient battery capacity to assist the rider to complete the longest day in the tour. Extra batteries may be carried in a support vehicle, but even then, the e-bike must be able to be ridden between SAG stops without any recharge capability enroute during the day.

Typically, each rider contributes 5-10% of the tour price to a group tip fund on member-led tours. Tipping is optional but your tip shows your appreciation for the hard work and preparation of the volunteer tour leaders and modestly compensated SAG team. Cash is the preferred method for tipping. A club member will volunteer to gather and distribute the tips evenly between your HeartCycle leaders and SAGs at the end of the tour. Click here to view our Guidelines for Tipping on a Tour. On vendor led tours, we encourage each rider to tip the vendor guides individually.

• Deposit is due when you register.
• The balance is due 90-100 days before the tour starts. See tour description for details.
• If you register for your tour within the 90-day window, the full amount will be due upon registration.
• See our Payment, Refund and Cancellation Policies payment policy for additional details. 

Log into your HeartCycle account, under the Tours dropdown menu select My Tours. Your current tour registrations will be shown. Navigate to the tour for which you want to make final payment and click the My Registration button. In the window that opens, use the dropdown menu under Action? to select Pay Remaining Balance (status will become: Confirmed. Paid in full.). The balance will be processed through your PayPal account.

Click here to view our Payment, Refund and Cancellation Policies for more information.

Log into your HeartCycle account, under the Tours dropdown menu select My Tours. Your current tour registrations will be shown. Navigate to the tour from which you want to cancel and click the My Registration button. In the window that opens, use the dropdown menu under Action? to select Cancel (status will become: Cancel/Drop pending.). The HeartCycle registrar will process your cancellation according to our Payment, Refund and Cancellation Policies.

No, although we strongly recommend you get travel insurance for every HeartCycle tour. Look for a travel insurance company that offers comprehensive coverage including medical expenses, travel cancellation, and lost luggage. For a comparative analysis of travel insurance companies and their policies, you may consider https://www.insuremytrip.com or call them at (800) 487-4722. HeartCycle does not endorse, recommend, or make any representations about the above website.