Opinions - Graham Baxter tours

[khjr]

I'm considering Graham Baxter for a tour - desired level of support is minimal - I want someone to pick a route, rent hotels, carry my stuff, and feed me edible food per agreement. I'm a competent bike mechanic, but would like a ride if I break something irreparably or get caught in the storm of the century. Experiences? direct or otherwise

Thanks,
Karl

[dbrk]

In 2000 I met up with the Graham Baxter Tour that took a bus load to see Paris-Roubaix. They knew exactly what they were doing and it was a great day. This wasn't a riding tour, just a go-see-the-race opportunity. My conclusion was that it was well worth the cost because unless you knew exactly where to go, you'd see very little of the race without their guidance.
So I can say I had a really positive experience with this outfit.

dbrk

[PanTerra]

I was on a Graham Baxter tour to France to see Lance win his 6th TdF. This was one of their more moderately priced packages, not the ones with all the bells and whistles. Accomodations were fair, but that is what we paid for. We were fortunate to stay in one hotel for about 6 nights which was better than other friends on a different GB tour where it was a different hotel almost every night. We had Carlos from Spain, pictured below, as a tour guide. It was his first time and he spoke in a broken English, but good enough, he was great. Our bus driver sometimes gave us the impression that he didn't like his job, but he really did take care of us. Our bikes were transported in a trailer, pictured below, in somewhat of a secure situation. However, my rear tire was slashed by the rear tire holder bracket in the trailer. That's my Tommasini laying on the left side of floor of the trailer, before they hung it up and ripped the tire. Fortunately some one had a spare until I got to a bike shop later on that ride. Our bus would usually just drop us off and they told us what time to be back to catch the bus, or where it would come get us. There was no ride support, at all. You are on your own. Overall, the whole experience was great. However, when we convened back in England with the other GB tour groups, we found out that our great experience was not shared by everyone else. We did hear some horror stories about other tour guides. The middle picture is one of the hotels by the big fountain at the end of the Champs Elysees.

Funny story about Carlos. As we were riding to the Alpe d'Huez TT stage start, Carlos and a few others were riding along as one of the girls in another group sees Carlos, looking like he came right out of the Tour peleton, and pulls up right beside him. She says in kind of a coy voice, "Hi, I haven't met you yet, what's your name." To which he replies in this thick Antonio Banderas-like accent, "My name...is ... Carlos." Evidently the girls husbund was well within earshot of this short conversation and moved right on up in between them and was very adament in becoming part of the conversation. :no:

[TriJim]

I'll let you know in a couple months - I've already paid the deposit for their TdF Challenge 2 (L’Alpe d’Huez to Mount Ventoux) in August and the L’ETAPE DE LEGENDE in September. :beer:

Jim B.