Santa Barbara Wine Country Cycling Tours - Ballard, California

Bill Henley

My wife and I have a penchant for bike tours, especially ones that offer a personal touch. That’s exactly what we found with Santa Barbara Wine Country Tours.

From the get-go, we knew we were in great hands with Corey, who's not just the man behind the operation but also the owner of Dr J's Bicycle store. Corey really knows his stuff, both in the cycling and tour business.

His tour company has everything from electric to road to hybrid bikes, and he was super accommodating when we wanted to switch things up during our 5-day trip.

Now, let’s talk about the rides. Riding through the Santa Ynez Valley as well as the Santa Barbara area, was like something out of a dream. And our guides? Chris, Mike and Luke knew the place like the back of their hands. They filled us in on local history, guided us down the most scenic routes, and made sure we were riding at a pace that was comfortable for us. It really felt like a custom-made tour and it turns out, it was! Custom tours are actually something they specialize in!

As if the cycling and scenery weren't enough, Corey and his team also had our accommodations and dining covered. We stayed in some truly beautiful hotels and dined in the area's best restaurants. Need to make a last-minute change? No worries, they were always on hand to make sure everything was perfect.

But wait, there's more! On two of our days, when we stopped for lunch at wineries, we were treated to delicious meals catered by Louise. Every bite was a delight and paired perfectly with the exceptional wines we got to sample.

And don't let the 'small company' tag fool you. These folks can handle groups of any size, from just two people (like us) to as many as 60, all without losing that personal touch that makes them so special.

So, if you're thinking about a trip to Santa Barbara’s wine country, look no further. We couldn’t recommend Santa Barbara Wine Country Bicycle Tours more highly. It’s not just a tour, it’s an experience you’ll cherish. Cheers!

Lori Esser

My husband and I had such a great time on a tour with Scott. We started out at the tour shop in Ballard where we were fitted to our bikes. We were both offered gel seat pads, which made for a comfortable ride. We opted to do the tour on hybrid bikes and we did not regret it, although folks who don't typically ride might enjoy e-bikes a bit better. Just a personal preference.

Scott was an incredible tour guide, always making sure all was to our liking: speed, distance, etc. He was so knowledgeable about the area and its history, not to mention just about one of the nicest people you could hope to meet.

The scenery on the ride was beautiful as we rode through different parts of the Santa Ynez Valley. Our first major stop was at Olive Hill Farm, a quaint little store in Los Olivos selling excellent olive oils and balsamic vinegars. After our tasting there, we rode a bit more before stopping at a family-owned winery for lunch. The wine tasting and lunch were held on a beautiful patio area, overlooking the vineyard. An absolutely lovely experience!

We did not have to worry about any purchases we wanted to make, as the bike company sent someone to pick up our wares and met us back at the shop when we were done. (There was NEVER any pressure to make a purchase, so don't let that concern you.)

Out of a 5-day trip to the Santa Barbara area, this bike tour was actually my very favorite part. Thank you, Scott for making this so fantastic!

Andrea Bishop

Corey and his fantastic team at Santa Barbara Wine Country Cycling Tours delivered the most amazing 7 day cycling trip for our group of 8 women a few weeks ago. At our request we booked 4 guided biking days, 1 self-guided day and 1 hiking/rest day.

The area is ideal for cycling and there’s lots of variation so our rides were unique, stunningly beautiful, and challenging every day (but in our case always with the security of the sag wagon close by on our guided days). Corey’s team went over and above to make sure we were always safe, comfortable, well-fed, and tired by the end of the day. The bike rentals were great quality and Corey’s guys took all the time we needed to make sure they fit well. We were grateful to have the guided days – it allowed us to modify routes as needed when we got tired or wanted to go further, saved us time with navigating the sometimes complicated routes and allowed us to learn about the area as we went along.

(As an aside, the previous reviewer Bonnie was also in my group and just for the record the broken seat she refers to wasn’t Corey’s – it was one that she brought with her and put on her rental herself the morning of the self-guided day and he still offered to come fix it).

The catered food was over the top good and reservations made on our behalf for accommodations, meals, and wine tasting went smoothly and were fantastic choices in every single case. The guides were knowledgeable and interesting.

This trip was remarkable value for dollar especially compared to some of the bigger bike touring companies that we researched. Also we got so many great tips and suggestions because these guys are local and know the area so well.

I’ve had some time to reflect on our experience and I still have heard nothing but good things about the whole trip from the rest of the crew. I don’t have a single improvement to recommend. The trip was so successful that we’re planning on returning again next year, but I have a feeling we’ll be an even bigger group since the word has spread on how much fun we had.

Sid Indermaur

The bikes from here were delightful … my partner enjoyed the ebike they rent and I enjoyed the delightfully tricked out carbon fibre road bike. I would recommend taking your own mobile phone mounts if you plan on using them for navigation as the bikes came without any mounts.

Chap who rented us the bikes was charming and would no doubt provide good tour guiding but we didn’t use their guided tour so I can’t comment.

McKensey Richmond

Fantastic tour guide led us on a beautiful mountain bike ride. Knowledgeable staff.
Great customer service. Wonderful overall experience.

Bonnie Steward

These guys are awesome. I did a six day cycling tour with some friends in October. Corey went over and above good customer service. The rides were tailored to our level. The routes had outstanding views. One day were had a rest day and I decided to go for a ride with two friends. My seat broke in the middle of nowhere. Corey offered to drive all the way out to us with an Allen wrench. He also organized fantastic restaurants for us to eat at which was included in the price. They take care of everything.

Donna S

July 2017--Took our adult daughter on a cycle/wine tasting day with SBWCCT--Fun, moderate, scenic ride with a winery/lunch stop at the halfway point. Delicious, fresh, gourmet food, nice wine, beautiful setting. Our guide, Chris , was great--knowledgable about the area, friendly and made a point to get to know each of us during the ride. We all had a great time, were very satisfied and happy with this company. We plan to ride with them again! Thanks SBWCCT!

Judy Lau

Just returned home from a 7 day 6 night amazing “vines to coast” tour with our group of 8 ladies. Corey and his staff of biking guides, caterer and hiking guide were all wonderful and friendly. Corey was so accommodating, customizing our bike outings and driving us to wineries. Lots of advantages to going with a local company as they all really knew the area- we got historical info of the area during our rides and hike, all the restaurants and hotels were also first-rate. The bicycles were all Specialized Rubys, they were so comfortable- some were even brand new. We all felt so well taken care of. The scenery, wine, food, accommodations and rides were all outstanding. We are already planning our next trip back with Santa Barbara Wine Country Cycling.Tours. Can’t say enough about their professionalism and hospitality.