undiscovered country bike tours

So, I decided to fly out with BA (another seamless flight BTW) to a pal's place in Orinda just outside San Francisco. It was raining cats and dogs when I got there and had to hold off on my first training cycle ride (post injury). When the weather abated, I borrowed my pal's bike and set off. I should point out that Orinda and the surrounding area is fairly hilly. I crawled up a couple of inclines and then zoomed downhill at breakneck speed. I heard something go pop and duly braked. Given my age and general state that of delapidation, I duly checked myself first. Nothing. I then checked the bike. The front wheel spoke had snapped in two. Ride over. So, I did a search for a bike rental that delivered. I found Undiscovered Country Tours (www.udctours.com). The website is truly excellent. It allows the user to select and configure the bike of their choosing. After a few clicks, I selected a Specialized Roubaix with all the trimmings including pedals for the shoes I brought from the UK. Payment was seamless as was the communication (which was achieved by email). A day or so later, Mike personally hand delivered the bike. Mike gave me detailed insight about the bike and the popular routes in the area. I thanked him and looked forward to getting the show on the road. A day or so later, I set out and realised I had selected the wrong pedals online. An emailed photo of my cleats to UDC resulted in Terry getting in touch and explaining in a very nice way that I had selected the wrong cleats but could get the ones I needed. A day or so later, Terry turned up and duly replaced them. Simple. The following days saw me do the 3 Bears, Skyline Boulevard and, as per Mike's suggestion, an attempt at Mount Diablo (reached 2600ft but had to turn back to loss of light). All I can say is that UDC were brilliantly professional, competent and enthusiastic about their business and the excellent service they offer. They also are very personable and experienced enough to be understanding about my embarrassing mistake (pedals). They truly saved my ride. For this I am grateful. If you are in the area, get these guys to sort you out with a bike or even a tour. They clearly like what they do and are indeed very, very good. And they collect the bike when you're done. Brilliant.

Superb! One word says it all. Service is excellent, bikes are high end, tuned and running perfectly and central location in the Bay Area. Reserved my bike on line (web site is outstanding and easy to navigate) and Mike had my bike ready to go when I arrived (Mike was fantastic, friendly and full of information on local rides). He even had the fit set up using information I provided on their web site when I booked the bike. Didn't have to change anything on the bike setup. Lots of options for bikes depending on your riding preference, prices are comparable to other shops I rent from when I'm on the road. (I'm a business traveller who rides road bikes. I try to get out as often as possible when I'm on the road to keep my fitness).Shop is clean, well set up and you're even welcome to have a shower to freshen up after your ride.Can't say enough, I will be back next time I'm in San Jose. It's always a pleasure to come across a local business run properly and who care about their customers.

My wife, son and I did the Central California tour with Daryl and Laura as our guides. We had a fantastic time. This was a great tour for the following reasons:-the routes are extremely well planned. We saw a wide variety of scenery on pretty decent roads through beautiful rolling hills, with some challenging climbs. The routes are available in .fit format, which loaded up on our Garmin cycling computers and tracked almost perfectly. We loved the rides.-The hotels were all nice, and the Santa Ynez Inn, which was the last hotel we stayed in, was exceptional.-Most importantly, Daryl and Laura were extraordinary guides. We had a lot of fun riding with them and spending time with them. They were both so nice, personable and great cyclists. We definitely want to ride with them again. We thoroughly enjoyed our trip and would definitely travel with UDC and Daryl and Laura again.

Away from my home country (France) for a business trip, I wanted to do something good this WE: Biking!I found this site searching on the Web. I decided to go after looking at reviews on TripAdvisor and others.The web site is very simple to use.The bike was perfectly fitting me thanks to the 4 dimensions I gave as per the web site. Easy to pay (Smartphone, Paypal...).The pick-up option was good to me (Monday morning at hotel and not that expensive).Bottom line, great long ride on Sunday up to pacific ocean with a good bike

Our fearless leader, Chris D, strong-armed our group of 8 into going on this trip which he had discovered, researched and analyzed on the web. His research led to an epic event of which I speak for all that the experience was superb. From the outstanding guides, Michael and Harold, to the wonderful accommodations along the way, this company is nothing short of first-rate. Although each of us considered ourselves advanced cyclists we were all tickled to see our "loaner bikes" were an upgrade to our $2000.00 bikes back at home....Any need or request you have in regard to your bike will be handled in an instant if you are fortunate to have Michael or Harold as a guide....they are truly there to help and turned into great friends to each of us. The hotels were terrific, the food fantastic and Big Sur speaks for itself. If you want to do the Big Sur on a bike this is your go-to place....UDC deserves all the accolades it has received in TA, and I would not hesitate to do another trip with this outstanding group of people who could write the book on doing bicycle tours.SBN

I just did the UDC Monterey Coast and Carmel Valley Tour with Daryl and Laura, and I'd recommend doing a tour with those two. I'd certainly like to do another UDC tour some day, and I'd specifically look for a tour with Daryl and Laura as guides.I'm more of a serious cyclist, and my wife is more of a recreational rider, but Daryl and Laura took good care of both of us. The ride organization and support was first rate, and I had a fantastic time. Riding through Carmel Valley and along the Pacific coast was some of the best riding I've ever done; I don't have scenery (or climbs) like that at home ;)I rode a UDC bike, and it fit pretty much just like my own bike; I just had to send UDC some basic measurements of my own bike, and they set up the loaner bike based on that. They'll send you a simple guide to measuring your own bike.

I was in San Francisco for a conference and had two days when I could go riding but didn't want to lug my bike on the plane. I found udcbikerental.com and submitted measurements from my current bike using their size form. I ordered the rental and they delivered it right to my hotel in downtown. The bike was in great condition. I was able to put my shoes, helmet, kit and go for a ride up mount tam. I was very impressed with Mikes help on the phone. If I am in this area again I will for sure look them up.I can't express how happy I was and convenient it was. They even picked the bike back up at my hotel.

Being a keen road bike rider, I wanted to rent a road bike while I was in San Fran for the day. Got a great Specialized Roubaix delivered to my hotel, fitted to my exact measurements and with a saddle bag included. Communication via email was great...they told me when they dropped it off and when they picked it up again. Awesome experience and would highly recommend it to anyone who wants to go for a bike ride in San Fran!

My husband and I rented bikes and did a self guided trip on the Monterey Coast and Carmel Valley. We are not die hard bikes but we really enjoyed the trip. The rides were hard for us as we weren't in the best of shape (April is early for bike riding in the Midwest). We were able to follow the gps with no problems and did complete all four days of biking. We enjoyed the suggested restaurant stops. It was a little scary riding on Hwy. 1 on the way to Big Sur but the scenery was outstanding. The hotels were awesome, very different in style. It was a little tricky figuring out the pick up and drop off of the bikes but they were very accommodating. Experienced 2 flat tires and were able to change them with a little phone assistance, as I said we aren't die hard bikers. Would definitely recommend this tour!

Outstanding experience with a weeklong Scott rental during an Exec. Ed. program at Stanford. Everything was as promised -- bike setup, delivery, and equipment. Website reservation system couldn't be easier and office team is wonderfully helpful. Also arranged a guide for first day ride, who helped open up the best roads around Palo Alto. Wish these guys were everywhere I travel!

The BEST!I visit family in the Palo Alto area often and was considering buying a bike so that I could ride while visiting. I decided to try renting. I rented a carbon road bike (Scott Foil) through UDC and did it all online. Easy interface, and I was surprised at the number of set up options they would manage. When I picked up the bike it was exactly as I had specified. Perfect fit. Correct pedals. Tool kit with necessary pieces. Everything. Tasteful rental labels. See pic. The salesperson was knowledgeable, helpful and friendly. The prices were very reasonable. I've rented bikes in several cities in the US and this is by far the best experience I've had. If you are ever near Los Altos and need a bike for a day, weekend, or more this is THE place to go. I won't be buying. I'll be renting from UDC.

Rented road bike for 3 weeks. Excellent price and value, Bike was a Scott Pro CR 1 and set up properly acc'd'g to my request. Perfect fit. Road 14 out of 21 days and bike helped me set Strava KOMs in my age group. Staff friendly and knowledgeable. I chose to drive an hour to Los Altos to pick up bike rather than delivery charge. Second time using UDC and would highly recommend.Brian B

the best bike rental in the bay area. booking online was easy and the bike was ready and in excellent condition when i came to collect.very friendly service and a welcome chat about my planned route and a suggested change.

I was visiting the US from Singapore on business and found I was going to be in San Jose over Memorial Day week-end. Getting withdrawal symptoms from not cycling, I thought I would find out if I could rent a bike. I did this over the web from New York and I found several shops in the vicinity. I called around and Undiscovered Country said they could fit the bike I chose (a Scott road bike) with Speedplay pedals. It's hard enough renting a bike you haven't ridden before, buying new shoes and cleats and then riding on the "other side" of the road without falling off your bike because you can't unclip. Next, they delivered the bike to my hotel before I arrived (at a small cost but very welcome). After arriving I had to rush from the airport straight to the nearest bike shop to the hotel that sold speedplay cleats (La Dolce Velo who were also awesome and took me on their shop ride the following morning), Now i had to check the set-up. It was perfect! I didn't need to alter a thing and it was just like riding my Trek back home. While I was at the bike shop not having seen the bike at the hotel, I also bought a spare tube, arrived at the hotel to find the saddle bag had 2 cartridges and a tube inside and, nice touch, a little name plate on the back with my name on. Altogether a wonderful experience! I hope to come back and do the same again.

Our group of 6, 3 couples enjoyed a private UDC tour. On our last evening over dinner we reflected on our 9 days riding and all agreed it was an outstanding experience; the weather was spot on, tour was well organized with great support from Daryl and Laura, people we met were friendly, hire bikes performed well, the coast was spectacular and we all enjoyed the great riding.