Bike Trips Without the Heavy Wallet

Stock up on those energy bars. In much of the United States it will soon be warm enough to spend the day outdoors without the Gore-Tex, and cyclists will be eager to hit the road.

But how and on what programs? You could choose a group tour that costs hundreds per day, but why would you?

Dozens of states and bicycling organizations sponsor tours every year for as little as $20 a day (and there’s one listed below for only $10 per day), covering camping, baggage support and, frequently, food and beverages.

The key to these rates is the National Bicycle Tour Directors Assn., a network of bike organizations--of which many are nonprofit and run by bike enthusiasts, not entrepreneurs looking to make a buck.

Consequently, most of their tours are super-cheap and beloved by regular as well as occasional riders.

The NBTDA Web site, www.nbtda.com, allows you to search where and when you would like to ride and how much you are willing to spend. You can choose a specific area of North America or just plug in a price and time range and see what comes up. Most tours limit the number of riders, so it’s important to reserve early. And in many cases you’ll have to take your own camping gear and other supplies, but vans or buses will carry everything except you and your bike.

Here is a sampling of what I recently found for this spring and summer, priced at less than $400 per person:

* A four-day trip through Cajun country will take place from April 18 to 21. The 200-mile “Cycle Zydeco” ride is a leisurely journey through French Louisiana; local favorites, such as crawfish and red beans and rice, are served along the way. The cost of participation: $200. Camping and luggage support come with the fee. Call (800) 346-1958 or go to www.cyclezydeco.com to find out more.

* From June 9 to 15, the Oklahoma FreeWheel group winds its way through Oklahoma and a small section of Arkansas. The price for adults for the seven-day tour is $70--$10 per day!--and that includes camping, luggage transport, maps, portable toilets and snacks. Children ages 6 to 14 pay $40. For information, visit www.okfreewheel.com or call (918) 592-BIKE (2453).

* Wisconsin is a bike-crazed state, and one testament to that is its eight-day “Great Annual Bicycle Adventure Along the Wisconsin River” (or GRABAAWR). The 500-mile tour starts near the upper Michigan border and follows the river down to the Mississippi River at the Iowa border. Most of Wisconsin is flat or slightly hilly, and the weather for this ride, starting June 29, should be nice. The fee: $180 for camping and luggage transport. For details, call (888) 575-3640 or visit www.bikewisconsin.org.

* Farther west, you can wind through 400 miles of Wyoming over six days for $135. The “Tour de Wyoming” runs July 21 to 26 and includes camping, trucks to carry your bags, some snacks and beverages, T-shirts and daily continental breakfast. Go to www.cyclewyoming.org or call (307) 742-5840 for more information.

* At the northeast tip of the United States, an eight-day bike tour departs July 26. The ride, called the “Lighthouse Tour,” makes its way through parts of Maine and Nova Scotia, covering 360 miles. This tour is a bit more expensive than the others ($390), but it includes ferry fees, hot showers, most meals, support vans and a T-shirt, as well as baggage transport and camping. Call (207) 743-9018 or visit www.canamwheelers.com.

It might seem obvious, but you’ll need to be in decent shape and to ride fairly regularly to make it through a bike tour and not be miserable. As a general guide, the tours with special rates for children or families are a little less demanding.