We are an “on” road tour company except when we utilize the Mickelson Trail in the Black Hills. This converted rail to bicycle trail has a hard crush limestone surface which runs through the heart of the Black Hills and we use it for about 1/3 of each tour in the Black Hills. For those who bring their road bikes, we will rent a cross-bike to use just for the Mickelson Trail.
We accommodate both the casual and serious cyclist on most of our tours with standard routes between 28–32 miles a day with the flexibility to add 10–25 miles daily for the hardy rider. (The Bad Devils Tour is an exception with 40–60 miles per day and is hilly.) Some of our routes have many downhill grades as well as steep and long hills easily avoided by riding in the support van. Because most of our routes have intermittent hills which are harder to eliminate, cyclist need to be comfortable with sustained low incline climbs by pedaling in low gears to enjoy the tour. With the possible exception of the Northern Hills and Badlands weekend tours, previous experience riding in hilly terrain is needed. Each of our tours is rated as Easy, Moderate or Challenging to assist our guests in picking out the right tour.
Yes, and we are experienced in handling and hauling these types of bikes. Also, most tandems, trikes and recumbent bikes do just fine on the Mickelson Trail because their tire size is 32c or bigger.
Our guests describe our tours as low traffic due to our routes utilizing back roads, a bike path (Mickelson Trail), roads with good shoulders, or roads that are scenic and require vehicles to travel slower than normal. In a few cases where this is not possible, we ride the busy sections by mid morning, shuttle you over the busy sections, or not schedule the tour (i.e. The Badlands) during the peak busy season.
Our group size on each tour is between 8 and 16 people, however, the Bad Devil Tour is limited to 10 guests. We specialize in personalized and friendly tours.
Your tour fee covers two guides, van support, accommodations (double occupancy), a scheduled pickup and return to airport or designated area, luggage transfer, all meals (including lunch), park entrance and trail fees, and snacks and beverages. It does not cover private attractions, single occu- pancy, alcoholic beverages, guide gratuities or extra transportation request.
It is an attitude and a philosophy that drives our company culture. The result is that we conduct our tours in a relaxed, friendly and personal way and offer-up options and flexibility to allow you to choose the experience you want each day.
They are personalized and have character because we utilize unique B&B’s, executive lodges (4 bedrooms), historical lodges, modern cabins & guest ranches in beautiful settings.
Yes. They need to be at least 10 years of age and know how to ride bicycles on roads and keep up with their parents or legal guardian. The Badlands National Park Tour is the most fun for kids. Any person 4’10” or smaller must provide their own bikes.
Our dinners and breakfasts are varied with a mix of home cooking, fine dining and casual eating. Riders have flexibility where they choose to eat for lunch and they are given $12 for each day to cover lunch expense. We do our best to accommodate special diet needs, but our vegetarian guests are sometimes challenged with limited options due to our western culture, but most of the time their needs can be met.
We have Specialized Sirrus cross-bikes with straight handlebars with 700 X 35c tires and you may bring pedals and seats (with seat post please) and we install them for you.
It depends. Call us and we will visit with you about our capacity on your particular tour to handle two bikes.
Normally, our weather in the Black Hills is good after mid-June through September with moderate day time temperatures (60-80 degrees Fahrenheit) and low humidity. However, the weather in the Black Hills and South Dakota can have wide fluctuations, so come prepared for extremes including hot, cold and rainy weather; layered clothing and rain gear is a must! Note temperatures in the Black Hills usually average 10 degrees cooler then in Rapid City, so do not ignore our instructions for coming prepared for 40 degree temperatures, even in July.
If you are from Illinois, they are mountains. If you are from Colorado or Montana, they are hills. Our accommodations in the Black Hills are located from 5,000 – 6,000 feet above sea level and most of our guests do not have a problem adjusting to the altitude. But, if you are from sea level and fly in on the arrival day, you may feel “the altitude” on your first day’s ride, especially if you choose to cycle up a big hill or two. If you have a history of adjusting slowly to a change in altitude or have breathing issues, come a few days early and stay at 5,000 feet or higher to get a head start on acclimatizing.
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