The excellent cycling in Santa Barbara county is evidenced by the large number of commercial tours offered here by more than twenty companies. Some multi-day tours are run out of one or two central locations, others from a progression of them with your luggage carried for you. The map shows cities where tour lodging is located.

In addition to tours, there are many day rides ranging from a casual smell-the-roses pace to challenging 200-mile rides. Check our home page calendar for an updated listing of all rides and tours as details become available.

The country roads around the Santa Ynez Valley offer superb cycling. Photo courtesy of Cycling Escapes.



Highway 246 between Solvang and Buellton passes through an avenue of deodar cedar trees.



A popular cycling ride is along Foxen Canyon Road. Photo courtesy of Chez Schnitz.


Smiling cyclists pause for their souvenir photo in front of the Ballard Inn. Photo courtesy of Central Coast Outdoors.


This is a happy biker in Santa Barbara. Photo courtesy of Santa Barbara Adventure Company.


Roads in the Solvang area pass miles of vineyards, ranches and undisturbed land. Photo courtesy of Cycling Escapes.

America by Bicycle. They have long distance rides all over the US, one of which is "Ride the West" that takes cyclists from Astoria, Oregon to Newport Beach, California. You can do the whole ride, or just the section from San Francisco south. They spend nights in Santa Maria and Solvang along the way. Phone them at 888-797-7057, or email abbike@aol.com.

Backroads Touring Company. Backroads is offering 6-day tours down the Big Sur coast, ending with 3 days in the Solvang area. Phone them at 800-462-2848 or email them here.

Bicycle Adventures. They offer 5-day and 7-day tours down the Big Sur coast to the Santa Barbara area. Elegant lodging, regional cuisine. Phone them at 800-443-6060, or email office@bicycleadventures.com.

Butterfield and Robinson. They offer custom tours in the Santa Barbara and Solvang areas for the dates that suit you and your group. "A healthy balance of style and substance." Phone them at 866-551-9090, or email info@butterfield.com.

Carmichael Training System. CTS offers professional training camps for cyclists and for triathletes. Individual attention with world-class analysis will boost your confidence on your bike. Professional mechanics, follow vehicles, the same hotels as the pro teams. Phone them at 866-355-0645.

Central Coast Outdoors. They will put together a tour to serve your needs, either a self-guided one or a tour led by experienced cycling guides. Road and hybrid bikes are available to rent. Their tours encompass Monterey, San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties. Rides can be single day or multiple-day; they can include all meals and lodging, or consist of expert recommendations. Phone them at 888-873-5610, or email info@centralcoastoutdoors.com.

Chez Schnitz Cycling Camps. Three-day and seven-day cycling camps include rides of 30-80 miles each day in hills and mountains in north Santa Barbara county, out of Los Alamos. Camps include lodging and ride support. Phone them at 743-3123, or email david@chezschnitz.com.

Cycling Escapes. They offer a challenging 6-day "Bicycle Tour of Solvang Wine Country" out of Solvang, ranging from 30 to 100 miles long. Bike rental is available. All meals, hotel, guide, mechanical support, shuttle from and to the Santa Barbara airport are included. Phone them at 714-267-4591, or email them here.

Fitness 805. This group is based in Santa Barbara and their goal is to improve your overall fitness through biking combined with strength training. They offer road cycling, mountain biking, and spinning sessions. Phone them at 705-5790, or email them here.

I Bike Santa Barbara. Shuttle service between Santa Barbara and the Santa Ynez Valley is provided for one-day wine country tours. Includes Specialized hybrid bike, helmet, knowledgeable guide, picnic lunch, and tasting at two wineries. About 15 miles of riding with sightseeing stops along the way. Tours depart daily from Santa Barbara and Goleta. Phone them at 705-7998 or email them here.

Planet Ultra. They offer multi-day tours and one-day rides of 65-200 miles. Includes a week-long Solvang Spring Tour, two 200-mile double centuries, a 100-mile century, a 60-mile metric century, all based out of Solvang, with riding around the Santa Ynez Valley. Email them at embassy@planetultra.com.

Santa Barbara Adventure Company. They arrange bike trips that get you close to nature and away from crowds. Guided mountain biking, road cycling, kayaking, hiking trips, plus excursions to the Channel Islands or wineries, for one or several days are possible. Phone 898-2222 or email them at letsgo@sbadventureco.com.

Santa Barbara Fitness Tours. In addition to road bike, mountain bike, and electric-bike tours, they offer kayaking trips and surfing lessons. Road and mountain bike escorted rides for all levels of ability. Bike rental available with or without tours. Phone 628-2444 or email them at mitch@SBFitTours.com.

Santa Barbara Wine Country Cycling Tours. 3630 Sagunto Street, Santa Ynez. Choose tours from half day to a full week of cycling with support vehicle, Specialized road bikes, wine tasting, gourmet dining and first-class accommodations. Bicycle rental. Different weekend tours offered every week of the year. Longer tours include Carmel to Santa Barbara, Morro Bay to Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara to Paso Robles, and wine-dine bike tours. Email info@winecountrycycling.com or phone 686-9490.

SCOR Cardiac Cyclists. SCOR is a nonprofit that started conducting bicycle rides as a means of rehabilitation from heart attacks. They now manage the two largest rides out of Solvang each year—the Solvang Century (50 or 100 miles) in March and the Solvang Prelude (25 or 50 or 64 miles) in November. Thousands of cyclists join in the rides with accompanying festival, BBQ and raffles. Phone them at 562-690-9693 or email bikeride@roadrunner.com.

Solvang Triathlon Camps. They offer several multi-day camps for triathletes, either co-ed, or women-only. All camps are based out of the Meadowlark Motel in Solvang. They involve bike rides of 30-80 miles a day. Phone them at 303-669-6958 or email info@solvangtriathloncamps.com.

Trek Travel. This is a branch of Trek Bicycle company. They offer many well-managed tours that include Santa Barbara county. They have Solvang Bike Camps, San Francisco to Santa Barbara tour, and Santa Barbara Wine & Beach tours. Phone them at 866-464-8735, or email them here.

Undiscovered Country Tours. They offer tours all over California. They have a 3-day weekend getaway out of Solvang. And a 6-day tour with lodging in Santa Barbara, Solvang, Santa Maria and Avila Beach, daily rides 30-60 miles. Includes lodging, meals, van support. Phone them at 877-322-1667, or email them here.

Women Tours. They offer tours for women all over the US, one of which is a 6-day tour in Santa Barbara county. You'll spend 3 nights in Santa Barbara, then 2 in Solvang. Includes lodging, most meals, experienced guides, and van support from/to the Santa Barbara airport or Amtrak station. Phone them at 800-247-1444, or email info@womantours.com.