2007 Frequently Asked Questions

• Registration
  • What are the fees for the 2007 tour and what do I get?
    • The tour fee for 2007 is $595 which includes, most meals (see Food below), SAG support and route information, camping sites, a water bottle, and a cycling jersey.  Depending on the selections made during registration, there are additional fees that may apply. There is a bus transportation fee of $30 from the Holiday Inn in San Jose to the ride start and $15 fee for bus transportation from the ride end in San Francisco back to the Holiday Inn in San Jose. An advanced bus reservations are required. If you transport your bicycle in a Bike Case (either hard or soft), there is also a $25 fee for storage and handling.
  • When does registration open?

    • Registration will open January 16, 2007. In 2006 the Tour filled on the first day that registration was open.

  • How do I register?
    • Registration will be conducted online at this website starting January 16, 2007.
  • How many riders?

    • Sierra to the Sea is limited to approximately 130 riders, which with the addition of our volunteer Staff totals to some 150 bicycling enthusiasts. We all wear names tags, so by the end of the week you will have swapped cycling adventures with many new friends.

  • Where and when does the tour start?
    • The Tour starts Saturday, June 16, 2007 at:

      Holiday Inn San Jose (formerly Hyatt San Jose)
      1740 North First Street
      San Jose, CA 95112
      408-793-3300

      Note this is a different hotel than was used in past years. For those that reserved a place on the chartered buses, it leave at 8:30 AM for the trip to the ride start and the Tour's first overnight campsite. The bus transportation fee is $30 to the ride start and $15 from the ride end Note that there is no refund for these bus fees if you cancel your reservation.

  • What if I don't want to take the bus from San Jose to Bear Valley or from San Francisco back to San Jose?
    • Guests are welcome to get to the ride start on their own, whether driving or cycling and/or do the same after the ride end. 
  • When do we sign-in for Tour?
    • The Tour's Registration Center will be open at the Holiday Inn San Jose from 6:00 to 8:00 PM on Friday, June 15th, and from 7:00 to 8:00 AM on Saturday, June 16th. If you are joining the Tour at the ride start, the Registration Center will be open from 7:00 to 8:00 PM on Saturday, June 16th at the ride start.
  • When do the riders come from?
    • This map shows you where those who have registered for the 2006 Tour come from. As you can see riders come from all over the United States.



 

• Food

• Are all meals provided?

  • We provide all dinners except in Calistoga (plenty of restaurants). Dinners are provided by caterers and regularly receive rave reviews from our guests.  Breakfast is provided in at some of the camping areas.. A light breakfast (coffee, juice, muffins, bagels) is provided in Olema.  Lunch is provided only in San Francisco.  Our route takes us through many towns with ample opportunities to buy lunch at restaurants, delicatessens, and grocery stores (One guest: "Every year, I bring a dozen PowerBars on tour...and then bring them home.").

• I am vegetarian.  Will meals provide vegetarian options?
  • One of our perennial riders (8 years in a row so far) is vegan, so we keep checking with her to make sure we are providing appropriate fare.  So far so good.  We remind our caterers each year that, as they express their culinary creativity, they should continue to accommodate our vegan and vegetarian guests.
• Camping

  • How much baggage can I bring on the tour?

    • Two duffle bags limited to 40 pounds each. No hard suitcase, backpack frames, coolers, lawn chairs, camp stoves, large radios, or alcoholic beverages are allowed.  Please avoid bringing fragile or breakable items, as we load and unload about 200 bags every day.

  • Are tents and sleeping bags provided?
    • No, each rider who chooses to use a tent and sleeping bag must provide their own.  Late in the week we spend two nights near the ocean, where overnight dew makes a tent welcome.
  • Is all my gear transported to the next campsite each day?

    • Yes, we transport your two bags between each campsite.  We do not transport bags to hotels with the exception of Calistoga, where we will designate a short list of supported hotels.  Although the tour is intended as a camping tour, some guests choose to stay in hotels some nights.  Those guests should bring a daypack, which they can load with their overnight gear each afternoon in camp and then cycle to and from their hotel.  Calistoga is our Wednesday, June 21, stop, where we will drop off and pick up bags at the three hotels listed for Calistoga on our hotel list.

  • Will you shuttle me to hotels and will you reserve rooms for me?
    • Camping is provided every night, but you may wish to spend one or more nights in a hotel. You are responsible for your own hotel reservations and payment. See a list of nearby hotels (PDF file). Other hotel accommodations are not recommended as they may be located far from camping and dinner. Transportation of an overnight bag will be provided to and from any of the recommended hotels in Calistoga on Wednesday only.  Saturday in Bear Valley and Monday in Ryde, we camp right by a hotel.  For all other days, each rider is responsible for his/her own transportation between campsite and hotels, including bicycles and overnight supplies. We recommend bringing a daypack into which you can stow these supplies at the campground so you can bicycle to your hotel on these nights and return them to the campsite in the morning.

• Routes

  • How many rest stops each day?

    • Typically two. However if there are two routes, you may see only one rest stop. There may not be a rest stop on the last day as it is a short ride to San Francisco with lots of little towns along the route. Weather conditions might necessitate some changes to the daily rest stop plan.

  • How many SAG vehicles?

    • Two SAG vans, each of which typically sets up a rest stop and then sweeps the course.

  • What is the daily mileage and feet climbed?

    The miles and climbing for each day are as follows.

    Day	Mileage	Climbing
    Saturday	None	None
    Sunday	72 mi	5,500 ft
    Monday	73 mi	2,400 ft
    Tuesday	61 mi	1,200 ft
    Wednesday	57 mi	4,000 ft
    Thursday	58 mi	2,200 ft
    Friday	56 mi	3,200 ft
    Saturday	40 mi	3,300 ft
    Total	417 mi	21,800 ft
    Daily average	60 mi	3,100 ft

  • Are GPS routes available for the tour?
    • No, for 2007 there is no plan to provide GPS files. However our Routes Chair has posted some of the routes on an external website at: http://www.routeslip.com/user/Routearrows. Please use these for your prelimienary review only. The actual route sheets will be distributed to all guests upon checkin.
  • What kind of bike will I need?
    • We recommend a well-maintained multi-speed road bicycle with triple chainrings.
    • Some riders ask if they can get by with a double chainring. A strong, skilled rider could do the entire route with a double ring and many do. However there are a lot of variables in that equation. The weight, fitness and age of the rider, quality of the bike, the size of the rear cluster, any added loads on the bike, miles that day etc. The following is a more detailed description of each day. Each rider will need to make their own judgment taking into consideration these factors.
    • DAY ONE has some hills that could get your attention, like the climb out of the canyon on Sheep Ranch Rd. It's maybe 10% in a few spots, but the whole climb is less than 0.8 mile. There are a couple of moderate 6%+ climbs on the northern end of Sheep Ranch Rd as well.
    • DAY TWO has a few short "roller coaster" climbs west of Sutter Creek, before Ione. After Camanche Reservoir, it's easy sailing all the way to the Ryde Hotel.
    • DAY THREE. Flat and easy, well except for those "killer hills" west of Rio Vista
    • DAY FOUR has some notable climbs. "Cardiac Hill", south of Lake Berryessa, is on Hwy. 128 so it's less than 6%, usually well under 5%. Some other short hills, also around 5%, are lurking before the one long one, Ink Grade Rd up to Angwin. It's about 4 miles and has a few spots near the bottom over 7%. The majority of the climb is fairly gradual, and is nicely shaded on the north side of the mountain. My favorite descent on the tour (other than Hwy. 4) is the one down into the Napa Valley on White Cottage!
    • DAY FIVE starts out with some early hills on Franz Valley and Franz Valley School Rd., your favorites!. Again, short, and never over 7% or so.
    • DAY SIX is new this year, everyone heads for Occidental then west on Coleman Valley down to the coast on Hwy 1. There is a "bailout" option south to Hwy. 1 which avoids the hills on the eastern end of Coleman Valley and the hilly sections of Hwy 1 around Bodega Bay.
    • DAY SEVEN The only other climb of note is on Panoramic Hwy. up Mt. Tamalpias. The last climb is the one up to the Golden Gate Bridge on the bike path. It's steep but so amazing how could anyone complain, except that the tour is almost over.

• General

  • What else about the bike?

    • We strongly recommend two water bottles or hydration pack. You may want to consider a handlebar bag or other carrier for jacket, sunscreen, camera, route/cue sheets, etc.

  • Is there a masseuse available on the tour?
    • We will have two massage therapists on tour, who will provide afternoon and evening massages for $60 / hour.  Check with them on tour for availability and to sign up for a time.

  • What will the weather be like?

    • The weather for the most part is clear in June, although showers are possible. Temperatures during the tour, however, can range from near 100 degrees in the Sacramento Valley to 35 - 60 degrees in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and along the coast. Bring appropriate cycling clothes to accommodate these temperature extremes.  Early in the week, most wear shorts, t-shirts, and sandals.  In Duncans Mills and Olema, evening and morning fog prompts many people to layer, wearing wool caps and gloves (One guest: "My only footwear are cycling shoes and river sandals; sandals are great in the heat, convenient in the showers, and with wool socks they are warm when it's cool out."). For current weather conditions check...

• What if I have a mechanical problem with my bike?

  • We have a superb mechanic along on tour.  He rides each day, but is available in the evening to help with many repairs.  Major repairs or replacement of specialized parts may require going to a bicycle shop.  Please have your bicycle in good condition before embarking on the tour.

• Can I buy an extra jersey, beyond the one I get for doing the tour?
  • Yes! You can pre-order extra jerseys and matching vests. Some will also be for sale on the tour.
• Are there any videos of past tours.?
  • Watch short video clips from the tour: Pacific Coast Highway & Tomales Bay & Go For 50. (These files play in Microsoft's Media Player or Apple's Quicktime Player).
  • Bob Thompson, an ACTC club member, also produced this 30 minute video of the 2006 tour.
• What if my question is not answered here?
  • Please email Registration Coordinator with your question.