CYCLING -- If you're dreaming up a plan for a bicycle tour in 2015, check out the recently released list of 2015 early, epic, and educational tours from Adventure Cycling.

The Missoula-based bike touring association has a delicious schedule of group tours you can join as well -- as well as educational sessions that teach riding/touring/camping skills for cyclists.

When I enrolled to be a leader for Bikecentennial TransAmerica bicycle tours in 1976, I took the group's leadership training course. (Bikecentennial later became Adventure Cycling).  That four-day course saved me months of trial and error learning and gave me skill set and confidence to make that summer a success that goes down as one of my most memorable adventures.

When my oldest daughter started planning a major bike tour, I suggested she enroll in one of the Adventure Cycling courses. She traveled to Denver for the course and she'd agree that the sessions such as on-the-road bike repair, camp cooking and logistics plus social and riding skills are worth the investment. 

Here's what Adventure Cycling is offering in 2015:

Educational Courses

• Introduction to Road Touring | Florida, April 5-10 | Virginia, May 3-8 | Wisconsin I, June 13-18 | Wisconsin II, June 20-25 | Oregon, July 26-31
• Introduction to Dirt Touring (NEW!) | Maine, June 14-19 | Montana, July 21-26
• Leadership Training Course | Florida, January 22-25 | Texas, April 23-26 | Oregon, May 14-17 | Indiana, June 1-4 | Massachusetts, September 21-24
• Under 30 Introduction to Road Touring | Florida, March 15-20 | Texas, March 22-27
• Women's Introduction to Road Touring | Virginia, May 10-15 | Oregon, July 19-24

If you're interested in joining a group for a bicycling trip, consider this wide range of options:

Epic Tours

• Pacific Coast, September 8 – October 22: After a three-year hiatus, this self-contained autumn adventure is being revived. It follows Adventure Cycling's most popular route.
• Atlantic Coast (New!), April 30 – July 1: Follow the spring and summer blooms north from Ft. Lauderdale, FL, to Bar Harbor, ME, on this van-supported tour.
• Western Express – TransAm (New!) | Van Supported | June 7 – August 22
• TransAm | Self Contained | May 2 – August 2
• North Star | Self Contained | June 13 – August 12
• Southern Tier | Self Contained | September 13 – November 16
• Southern Tier | Van Supported | March 8 – May 4
• TransAm | Van Supported | May 17 – August 7

Early Self Contained and Inn to Inn Tours

• Puerto Rico (NEW!) | Inn to Inn | January 11-22
• Florida Keys | Self Contained | January 17-27 | January 31 – February 10
• Outer Banks | Inn to Inn | May 2-9 | May 10-17
• C&O Canal/GAP Spring | Self Contained | May 16-24 | May 23-31

Early Fully Supported and Van Supported Tours

• Southern Arizona Road Adventure, March 7-13: Get a jump on spring and summer cycling in the sunny Sonoran Desert, featuring moderate mileages.
• Natchez Trace, Van, April 11-18, April 19-26: NEW! April is a magical time on this All-American Road, a nearly continuous greenway linking the antebellum cities of Natchez, Mississippi, and Nashville, Tennessee.
• Southern California Vistas, Van, March 15-21: NEW! Forget about the cold and treat yourself to a sun break.
• Texas Hill Country | Fully Supported | April 11-17
• Ragin' Cajun Country | Fully Supported | May 2-8
• Florida Gulf Coast | Van Supported | February 21-28 | March 1-8
• Death Valley Loop | Van Supported | February 28 – March 6 | March 7-13 | March 14-20 | March 21-27
• Big Bend Loop | Van Supported | March 28 – April 5 | November 1-9