Bike Catalina - Avalon, California

Todd B.

My girlfriend and I did the 1:00 pm "Ridge Route" tour in October. Yvonne, our guide, was terrific. She was very responsive answering my questions by email and text prior to our arrival. We met her in Avalon and were taken up to the airport in her SUV where we had plenty of time to get the bikes ready, change clothes and look around the airport. The weather was perfect and we enjoyed a 10 mile self paced ride back to Avalon. The first 7 miles is flat with some rolling hills. The road is a combination of dirt, pavement and occasionally some rough pavement but the mountain bikes provided to us were perfect for the terrain. There are some breath taking views of the ocean at various spots as you ride back from the airport. The last 2 miles are downhill with about 1,350 ft of descent. This section has smooth pavement. There was very little traffic on the route. There were a few tour vehicles and maintenance trucks but everyone was driving slowly and gave us plenty of room. Once we got back into town, we had time to ride around Avalon a little before we had to return the bikes. This tour is a nice way to bike in the interior of the island without having to start in Avalon and ride up a steep 2 mile climb to get up where the great views are.

Paul B.

Wow, what an amazing trip! There is no finer way to be introduced to Catalina’s interior than by Yvonne of Bike Catalina!

First a personalized guided drive from Avalon to the airport, showing points of interest and the island’s history along the way, while familiarizing you with the route you’ll take by bike on the way down, then an introduction to the airport snack bar and grounds, and finally assigning you your personally-sized rental bike with good front suspension, clean-shifting gears. and hydraulic disc brakes.

Then you are free to ride down at your group’s own desired pace. Yvonne made the trip up so nice, I think my wife would have been happier spending the rest of the day with her than me LOL!

Our hotel manager told us that long-time visitors to the island told him that this was their favorite thing they’ve ever done on Catalina and I feel the same way! I’ll be doing this trip again on my next visit, no question! Highly recommended!!!

Patrick K.

I have used their service with my friends and family multiple times. Most of the time we take their shuttle from Avalon up to the airport and ride back usually within 2 hours. We have also backpacked the TCT and met them at the airport, exchanged our backpacks for their bicycles, then rode the bikes back to Avalon to finish off the adventure. We have NEVER had any issues with the services or quality of the bikes.
The experience itself is great. We love to grab beers or lunch at the airport then take our time riding back. There are some strenuous hills so expect to sweat. The end has a pretty fun downhill that can be dangerous so go slow and watch the corners for cars! The quality of the bikes are great and they give you a good helmet and water.

Sam

At 1120 today, I called the number listed on the website as I could not book the 1pm tour. The number did not answer, and the voicemail says to text the number at the very end for a quick response. I texted the number and got a very quick response from Yvonne saying she could accommodate the two of us.

We met her in front of the Vons, don’t be fooled by the location by the airport google says, and she transported us along with 5 others in her car. She clearly knew the entire history of the island and was a great tour guide the entire 45 minute drive to the airport. Along the way, she pointed out other things to do and how to maximize our time on the island.

Once we arrived at the airport, we went inside to get very well priced food and drinks ($8 Kona and $3 corn dog which was amazing) and picked up a very cool Catalina Airport shirt with an F4U Corsair. Apparently they used to land and still land at the airstrip for air shows. There was no rush by Yvonne and she told us to take our time and hangout. There is a very friendly cat named Dusty that clearly wants pets nearby at the airport. She is very cute.

The two of us are into road cycling and have done some mountain biking before. The bikes used are Marlin 7’s which is definitely an intermediate bike that is more than capable of handling the terrain with ease. The 10 mile ride according to my Garmin had 653 feet of elevation gain with 2172 feet of descent. So it is a very relaxed bike ride with a few hills. I think anyone in decent physical condition at any age can do this. Even if you decide to opt out of the ride at the airport, Yvonne said numerous times she can pick you up at any point in the trail if it is too difficult.

BUT the best part of the experience was how relaxed it was. Even after returning from the ride, Yvonne said we could use the bike for a while after we were done. So we went to the Sandtrap for their happy hour and then the golf pro shop. Having that leeway and not a strict timeline was so great and relaxing. Overall, I could not have imagined a better experience with better views or narration. This was truly a 10/10.

Pro tip: if you pay with cash, you can avoid a credit card fee. I would call and ask her if you can do that.

Dortha H.

We had such a great time! Yvonne was super friendly and knowledgeable about the area... pointing out cool things to see on our way back and offering suggestions to make our trip even more memorable. We had a fabulous time and enjoyed the views! We highly recommend making this trip.

Shar C.

The owner/guide is absolutely lovely, the tour was 100% worth it! Yvonne took a bunch of photos of us at the airport-in-the-sky, then met us at the ferry to bring us our luggage after the breathtaking ride down. The views are phenomenal!

Marcin S.

Their Ridge trip is possibly the best way to explore Catalina if you only have one day! Bikes were great, the experience was very convenient, the family that runs the business was lovely. Highly recommended!

Nathalie F.

We had the most amazing experience! Yvonne is so amazingly sweet! The service was great! She’s so knowledgeable about the island, she taught us so much and Her son is the cutest and he is so smart! We had lunch at the air port and it was delicious! The bike ride back to town was amazing! So scenic! Best 10 Mile bike ride ever! If you have the opportunity to do it! I’m telling you DO IT! So much fun! I will forever recommend this to anyone going to Catalina Island 🏝️❤️