Frequently Asked Questions About Dog Days Wine tour
How early can I register and get on the road
The registration area will open around 6:30 AM that morning. The century riders will want to be on the road around 7 and certainly by 8 a.m.. If you are riding the shorter distances you will want to be on the road no later than 9 or 10 a.m. Our rest stops will have staggered times of operation which should be posted in the main pavilion.
Can I register the day of the event
Certainly – many people wait until later to register for a lot of reasons. It makes some of our planning more challenging and you'll take your chances on merchandise which are determined by pre-registrations. You should not expect to be able to get a cookout ticket that late. We cannot anticipate this very accurately.
What kind of support will be offered
We will have drivers covering and positioned along the routes. They will be able to assist with simple mechanical problems and flats only. Also they will transport anyone not able to complete the route. First aid supplies will be available for the rider to self-administer.
What are the routes really like
As we said, mostly flat with some rolling areas. The century route has some hills to enjoy. The routes are almost entirely on country roads but a few highways need to be crossed.
Can I buy wine on the ride? Do I have to carry it on my bike?
Yes, you can purchase some wine bottles at each of the wineries if you wish. They take cash, credit cards and checks. If you anticipate that you might want to make a wine purchase, make sure to carry money or credit card with you. Prices range from $6 to around $18. Your wine will be delivered back to the starting area for you. Be sure your name is on the bag. You will be able to enjoy your purchase at the cookout if you wish.
Is it safe to drink wine and ride
The wine that will be offered to you for sampling at the wineries will be in 1 oz. portions. These are for tasting so you can make a purchase decision, the same as any wine tasting. How one or two ounces affects you varies per person based on body mass and amount of food also ingested. We do not suggest that you sample very much wine at the rest stops.
We do suggest that if you do sample the wine, you also have plenty of food along with the samples. Cheese and crackers go well with wine for a reason. In the case of a ride, some carbs and protein will help balance out the effects small amounts of alcohol might have. Hydration is always important on rides like this and extra hydration will help dilute any alcohol in your system.
I'm a slow rider; will you close up while I'm out on the road?
We will not close our registration area before all riders have returned. The support vans will sweep the routes late in the afternoon; any riders not back by 5 will be asked to ride in the van. The cookout is scheduled for 1 to 5; the last rest stop is scheduled to close before 4.
I'm new to rides like this. Will the routes be marked?
We will use a route marking system unique to this event. We use a wine bottle with an arrow point to indicate every turn and sometimes to indicate going straight through an intersection. We use the standard 2 signs before and one after the turn method. Each of the three routes will have different colors. There will be a sign at the start to show you what the route marker looks like.
Will I be able to freshen up before the cookout?
The starting place (a pavilion) has running water and flush toilets but no showers. You will be able to rinse off your road grime but that's about it. If there's any consolation to it, we'll all be about equally "fresh."
The literature lists massage for this year - How does that work?
We expect to have one or two massage therapists on hand to offer basic muscle massage for a modest fee. When you return from your ride you will make your appointment then. A separate area will be set up for this. This is offered as a service to our guests - all fees are kept by them.
How early can I register and get on the road
The registration area will open around 6:30 AM that morning. The century riders will want to be on the road around 7 and certainly by 8 a.m.. If you are riding the shorter distances you will want to be on the road no later than 9 or 10 a.m. Our rest stops will have staggered times of operation which should be posted in the main pavilion.
Can I register the day of the event
Certainly – many people wait until later to register for a lot of reasons. It makes some of our planning more challenging and you'll take your chances on merchandise which are determined by pre-registrations. You should not expect to be able to get a cookout ticket that late. We cannot anticipate this very accurately.
What kind of support will be offered
We will have drivers covering and positioned along the routes. They will be able to assist with simple mechanical problems and flats only. Also they will transport anyone not able to complete the route. First aid supplies will be available for the rider to self-administer.
What are the routes really like
As we said, mostly flat with some rolling areas. The century route has some hills to enjoy. The routes are almost entirely on country roads but a few highways need to be crossed.
Can I buy wine on the ride? Do I have to carry it on my bike?
Yes, you can purchase some wine bottles at each of the wineries if you wish. They take cash, credit cards and checks. If you anticipate that you might want to make a wine purchase, make sure to carry money or credit card with you. Prices range from $6 to around $18. Your wine will be delivered back to the starting area for you. Be sure your name is on the bag. You will be able to enjoy your purchase at the cookout if you wish.
Is it safe to drink wine and ride
The wine that will be offered to you for sampling at the wineries will be in 1 oz. portions. These are for tasting so you can make a purchase decision, the same as any wine tasting. How one or two ounces affects you varies per person based on body mass and amount of food also ingested. We do not suggest that you sample very much wine at the rest stops.
We do suggest that if you do sample the wine, you also have plenty of food along with the samples. Cheese and crackers go well with wine for a reason. In the case of a ride, some carbs and protein will help balance out the effects small amounts of alcohol might have. Hydration is always important on rides like this and extra hydration will help dilute any alcohol in your system.
I'm a slow rider; will you close up while I'm out on the road?
We will not close our registration area before all riders have returned. The support vans will sweep the routes late in the afternoon; any riders not back by 5 will be asked to ride in the van. The cookout is scheduled for 1 to 5; the last rest stop is scheduled to close before 4.
I'm new to rides like this. Will the routes be marked?
We will use a route marking system unique to this event. We use a wine bottle with an arrow point to indicate every turn and sometimes to indicate going straight through an intersection. We use the standard 2 signs before and one after the turn method. Each of the three routes will have different colors. There will be a sign at the start to show you what the route marker looks like.
Will I be able to freshen up before the cookout?
The starting place (a pavilion) has running water and flush toilets but no showers. You will be able to rinse off your road grime but that's about it. If there's any consolation to it, we'll all be about equally "fresh."
The literature lists massage for this year - How does that work?
We expect to have one or two massage therapists on hand to offer basic muscle massage for a modest fee. When you return from your ride you will make your appointment then. A separate area will be set up for this. This is offered as a service to our guests - all fees are kept by them.