I wanted to update you on what we’re planning to ensure we are running our upcoming trips in a responsible way. Let’s all embrace a spirit of cooperation!

We’ve been adjusting our policies, procedures, and guidelines to help reduce the risks associated with COVID-19. However, we cannot fully eliminate all the risks associated with COVID-19, but we are prepared to help minimize those risks to some degree and run our trip as responsibly as possible.  Ultimately, it’s up to each individual to decide whether those risks are acceptable before deciding to travel with us. We want you to do what’s best for you. Check out this video or read below to learn about our plan.

(The plan below was updated November 1st, 2020)

This is a distilled summary of our plan in Tucson and California for 2020 and 2021. If you’d like to see our detailed protocols and procedures, click on the link at the bottom of this page.

Guide Testing & Optional Guest Testing

1. The Cycling House staff will be getting COVID-19 tests before each trip. We want to make sure we’re healthy before the trip starts.

2. As of now, guest testing is not mandatory for this trip but we strongly encourage that you get tested before the trip. If you do this in your hometown before you travel, that’s great! If you’d like to get tested after you arrive in California or Arizona, there are multiple testing centers. Contact us to learn about testing before your trip.

Note: We believe that testing does not take out all potential risk and we will still be doing the following:

Pre-Trip Screening

Your health has always been a top priority on our trips, and moving forward we’ll be implementing a pre-trip guest screening process. The process is based on new standard operating procedures developed among a number of companies within the outfitting and guiding world.

• Upon arrival, all guests & staff are required to fill out a COVID-19 pre-trip screening regarding their health and recent travel activities. 
• All guests will be asked to sign an additional COVID-19 risk and liability waiver that will request compliance and address exposure. 
• All guests will be asked to adhere to our COVID-19 Code of Conduct.
• Temperatures will be checked for fever upon arrival at the trip starting point. Please understand that a reading of ≥100 degrees will mean we are unable to welcome you on the trip.
• Feeling sick before your trip? You’re not allowed to attend. But don’t worry – we’ll offer you a full refund or 100% transfer to another cycling house trip in the future.

What else is changing?

Ride Style. We’re looking forward to getting out on the bike with you! We’ll be enjoying the best these places have to offer. We’d like to give everybody a little more space on the bike, so we won’t be doing the standard tight group riding model that many of you have experienced. Of course we’re going to have support vans and guides on the routes, but the riding style will be slightly different. We would love it if we could spread out just a bit on the bike. In addition to our support on the rides, we’ll have cue sheets and GPS units for those who want them. 

Meals. 

• We won’t have the standard buffet that we’ve had in the past to limit communal touchpoints and the guides or staff will be plating meals or meals will be take-out style in a to-go container.
• Lunches – we are currently planning to enjoy lunches outside in the open air – sometimes picnic-style, sometimes at a dining table. 
• Dinners – We currently plan on enjoying dinners outside. Due to the weather, we may be forced to eat inside. For those that are not comfortable with dining inside, a take-out option is available. 
• Breakfast can be enjoyed inside the dining area or if you’d like to do a “takeout” breakfast, we’ll figure out a way to accommodate that. 
• Due to the fact that we plan on doing so much outside, please bring a jacket! 

Shuttles. When we shuttle, it’s mandatory that guides and guests wear face masks when in the vehicles. Also, masks will need to be worn when indoors in public areas/communal indoor areas.

Social distancing and good hygiene.  We’re going to be social distancing on this trip (6′) when at all possible. Hand sanitizer will be prevalent. High fives and fist bumps will happen virtually/at a distance. (This can be awkward, but kinda fun too!)

Though our trip plan has evolved and it’s a little different than what we’ve done in the past, we’re confident we can deliver a great experience.

– Owen Gue, President

If you’d like to dive into the details of our new plans related to travel during the COVID-19 pandemic, please check out our detailed COVID-19 Ops Plan here.