Resist. Which means that, despite what you’ve heard, Oklahoma isn’t flat. Up there, a 6 percent grade feels like 10. At mile 75, pose in front of Mt. HAWAIIThe Road to Hana The result of that research—the 50 routes presented here—is not a definitive list, but rather a starting point. Truly great cycling routes can be found in all 50 states, from Maine to Hawaii. Drop a pin and you’ll find a beautiful ride. Looking for a Sportive? In the comments below, tell us what your favorite ride is, in your state. Pennsylvania’s Amish country features multiple ice-cream stops,  languorous hills, countless horse-buggy sightings, and cornfields longer and deeper than a Willa Cather novel. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io, Nine Ways You're Destroying Your Cycling Gear, Why You Should Ride the New Empire State Trail, 6 Things You Didn’t Know About Fat Biking, Colorado’s Mt. Irvine, California, USA: 200 miles: F: DOUBLE: Feb 13 2021 Peninsula Century Spring Classic: Sister Bay, Wisconsin, USA: 25,50,62,100 miles: C: CENTURY: Feb 15 2021 Tucson Spring Training Cycling Camp: Tucson, Arizona, USA: 6 days: B: TOUR: Feb 16 2020 Tri-County Hill Hopper There are also good lists at Apidura, Bikepacking.com and Bikepacking.net. Do not contact Gravel Cyclist directly or post questions concerning the events, we are not the event promoters. Cycling Tour Kent | Go to know Everything on December 27, 2014 at 11:02 am Across State Bicycle Tours » Biking Bis – This is great! One favorite is a 45-miler that takes off from the city center—where you can get doughnuts topped with bacon—and heads north on Apple Valley Road, then returns on a spectacular one-laner through Payneville. From cycling to bike racing to century rides to cyclocross, use our resource to find bike events, races, training tips and much more. TENNESSEEKilling Me Softly Our Mission. Discover your next cross country bicycle adventure. The elevation profile of this 64-mile ride—held each July—looks like the EKG of a 10-year-old watching The Shining. This includes a series of National Park tours in the United States and Canada, an annual Pedal the Peaks Bicycle Challenge and a Coast-to-Coast cycling adventure from Seattle to Boston. Cycle America apart from the competition. Cycling Events Near You. To hit the best of them, start in Columbia, Illinois, and roll over hills that add up to about 3,500 feet of elevation gain. His Medio Fondo route, a 62-mile loop past country estates, secluded forests, tiny towns, and rock-strewn creeks, is staged in September but serves as the perfect Garden State sampler anytime. Two-sided tropical-ocean panoramas for hour after easy-breezy hour. 2018 and 2019 Gran Fondo Calendar. Giro d’Italia (11th May to 2nd June 2019) Giro d’Itlaia is a highly respected European multi-staged … This 85-mile ride starts uphill, but the payoff will be worth it as you enjoy the scenic mountain views of one of the most visited state parks in New Hampshire. Over the course of 35 miles and 2,000 feet of steady climbing, you can leave the Vegas Strip and ride around the screaming-crimson cliffs and fossilized sand dunes of Nevada’s most severe geological mash-up. At Cycle America we're working hard to make this summer the best ever and we look forward to For maximum variety, climb up Center Road for 360-degree views, then coast the shoreline flats. Something for your cogs to chew on: Locals claim that an uphill section near Lincoln is the steepest stretch of paved road in the United States, at 24 percent. Ice-cold Lone Stars and BBQ at Harry’s in Willow City. WASHINGTONLopez Island Why? If you’re a mountain biker, you must hit Moab—obviously. You get limestone bluffs and babbling brooks, a few mean dogs, and abandoned trailers. Don’t miss Bowers Harbor, home of the Jolly Pumpkin Brewery and its Belgian ales. Rushmore, then roll into the granite monoliths of Custer State Park. Stay in touch and please know that this was essential when considering the health and well-being of everyone involved. As the highest peak east of the Mississippi, Mitchell is great practice for billy-goat climbers—and it’s the site of the infamous, 102-mile Assault on Mt. Location: Les Saisies, France. Mitchell Welcome to your calendar for the best organized cycling events near you! Wrap up the 2020 cycling season with the ultimate backwoods challenge on Saturday, NOVEMBER 7th at MULBERRY GAP! One of them, Sunbeam, is only feet from the road. Private and Secure. Evans—the highest paved road in the United States, at 14,265 feet—a few times in his life. There are three beaches in Watch Hill, including one that was home to an old Spanish fort. We don’t recommend Tucson in the summer, but the city is one of the country’s best cycling destinations from December through to March, when conditions are … Blame the owners of Gran Fondo Cycles in Nashville for coming up with a 100-miler that gains 7,500 feet—even though you never climb more than 400 of them at once. St. Helens blew, leaving a hole almost 2,000 feet deep. UTAHThe Whole Enchilada At 20 miles, grab a country-ham sandwich and a locally made Ale-8-One soda at the store in Spears. Bikers share the road with cars on … The payoff? Cycle America is bicycle touring, first and foremost. The rim alone offers 3,900 feet of climbing, with constantly shifting views of the nation’s deepest, bluest water. Beyond these cold calculations lies pure paradise, with roadside waterfalls, verdant cliffs that plunge into turquoise waters, and towering eucalyptus trees. (MotoFish Images). No bucket list will ever be complete without the Race Across … Here are five of its best … Calendar of Gravel Fondos, Century Rides, Tours and Charity Rides. Fenwick Island to Rehoboth Beach and Back, Western Bartholomew and Eastern Brown County. Connecticut is known as the “Land of Steady Habits,” but up in the northwest corner, riding out of the colonial-chic town of Litchfield, it’s more like the land of steady hills. In 62 miles, Maui’s gorgeous Route 360 has 620—yes, 620—curves. Loops range from 30 to 200 miles; our pick is the 94-mile “climbing” route, with a lung-sucking grunt up 2,500-foot Mt. It is necessary to postpone all tours until 2022 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Catch a glimpse of the cliff that was home to the Old Man of the Mountain for almost 200 years (until the rocky landmark collapsed in 2003), and stop to gawk at the Mt. VIRGINIASkyline Drive Bad­lands National Park is an arresting mix of bentonite clay buttes, red scoria rock cliffs, prairie grasses, wildflowers, and juniper. Compare the best Sportives & Road Cycling Events in the USA as well as local events near you. Coast through quaint Maeystown, where store signs read Open by luck or accident. You can’t talk about cycling here without talking about the Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa, the oldest and largest multi-day bicycle tour in the world. The following tables contains most of the major self-supported bike races that are at least 700 km long and the clock never stops. Be sure to refuel at the gas station in Swan Valley, which serves mint chocolate chip ice cream. There aren’t many places you can climb for four hours straight.” From Idaho Springs, the highway passes shallow Echo Lake and breaks out of treeline into a rocky, lunar landscape. “I look at it as a journey and an adventure.”. And they make for what mere mortals call sufferfests. Traverse City is one of the most popular bicycling destinations and has been awarded one of “The Best Small Towns in the US for a Vacation” in July 2018… Find out more » OLD WORLD WISCONSIN June 5 @ 8:00 am - June 12 @ 5:00 pm | Recurring Event . Where: Colorado. “How can you beat a ride that swings by a restaurant that serves the best coleslaw in the world?” asks Tracey Bradnan of Century Cycles in Cleveland. Actually, let’s call it Wilber Square—because most roads around here are straighter than a yardstick and sit at right angles to each other. Yes, please—on a 31-mile stretch of singletrack that follows the Ouachita (Oh-Ah-Sha-Tah) River and undulates through hardwoods, racking up 6,000 feet of climbing. Greylock Start in Jackson, pedal past Wilson, climb over Teton Pass into Idaho, glide through Victor and Alpine, then head back through the Snake River Canyon. “Evans isn’t the steepest or craziest mountain I’ve ever done,” he says of the 6,575-foot, 18.4-mile ascent. Just before the ride’s 6,627-foot high point in Hanna, refuel with biscuits and gravy under the awnings at the Cheyenne Crossing Café. This 21-mile loop out of Greenville ascends 2,054-foot Paris Mountain, the star attraction of the USA Cycling National Championships course in May. ALASKAAnchorage to Seward over Turnagain Pass But lest you think New Mexico is all dream catchers and desert, remember that within 85 miles this loop crosses two 9,000-foot passes, circles 13,161-foot Wheeler Peak, passes near the D.H. Lawrence Ranch and Shrine, and swoops downhill through spruce and aspen forests. If you can’t make it in August for this annual century, do yourself a favor and ride the 103-mile course on your own. The leisurely 64-mile route follows rural roads past the home of the nation’s first carousel (built in 1870), and tops out at the Watch Hill Coast Guard Station with big views of Block Island Sound. Coast-to-Coast Journey. MICHIGANOld Mission Tackle the route in three leisurely hours if ­you’re sightseeing, or blow through it in less ­than two if you’re in the mood to crank. Or maybe it’s the landscape—an idyllic mix of small ponds (those namesake “kettles”), big lakes, wide valleys, and hills all piled up by Ice Age glaciers. Hell, end it at Lulu’s too, because owner Lucy Buffett brings in great live music and “sometimes her brother, Jimmy, drops in,” says Kirk Iverson of the East Alabama Cycling Club. The best section is pure bliss: The 22-mile stretch that includes Back Mountain Road twists through the hardwoods of Monongahela National Forest, serving up forever descents that test your mettle in corners. Frederick County has three covered bridges, two of which are more than 150 years old, and you can cross all of them in a mellow, 50-mile circuit pieced together by the Frederick Pedalers. Pedal these 98 winding miles through Acadia National Park and you’ll pass rocky cliffs, secluded coves, and lighthouses—and climb up 1,530-foot Cadillac Mountain, the park’s high point and the first spot in the United States to catch rays from the rising sun. After completing all four notches, catch your breath at Gypsy Café in Lincoln and indulge in cuisine from around the globe. Our trip is designed for those who want to ride one, several, or all nine weeks for the full northern experience. We asked one simple question: What’s the best ride in your state? Subscribe to Bicycling for more of the good stuff. Stop at Halfway to Hana for the best banana bread on the island, then refuel at the finish line with fresh ahi tacos and short ribs from Braddahs BBQ. Planet Ultra’s Mission is to create for you the finest endurance cycling and running events in the Southwest (CA, NV, UT). When you get to the corner of Lopez Road and Military Road, there’s a weathered yellow bike mounted way up on an equally weathered barn, and it’s such a made-for-Instagram photo op that hundreds of cleats have beaten a path into the grass, just to capture a perfect and nostalgic image. They even have a motto: “Less Gears = More Cheers.”. Cross State Trips MAINECadillac Challenge Loop Then catch the 6 p.m. Alaska Railroad—complete with a bar car and a double-decker glass-topped viewing car—and chug past jewel-blue glaciers back to square one before the 11 p.m. sunset. (Jason Gould). Get a taste on a 66-mile route that warms up on the Great River Road along the Mississippi and passes within a half-mile of where Field of Dreams was filmed, notes Mark Ploegstra of the Dubuque Bicycle Club. North, there’s 14,259-foot Longs Peak. “If I had one last day on earth,” says bicycle tourer Lynn Pilato, “I would ride the rim at Crater Lake.”. How we test gear. The time-tested recipe for the best ride in bluegrass country? “Not many people can say they’ve been up here with a bike,” Kiefel says. KANSASGypsum Hills W ith a 40,000-mile national cycle network, the USA is ideal for holidaymakers looking to saddle up and see the natural world. Gear-obsessed editors choose every product we review. Tackle the 55-mile option for the Tour of the Litchfield Hills, which passes 200-year-old white-steeple churches and wends past Rockwellian villages where property lines are still marked by stone fences. Climb 8 percent through the Kentucky River Palisades, home to the world’s best bourbon distilleries. LAMB stands for Lincoln, Appalachian, Middlebury, and Brandon. National Park Tours On Colorado’s Mt. Try these, see how they stack up against your own favorites, then add to our growing list of instant classics. Cut to the chase and try the last quarter of the route, which starts in Marion and rises 5,275 feet in about 27 miles, with steady pitches between 8 and 10 percent. VERMONTThe LAMB Ride A tribe of fun-loving New Orleans cyclists meets every Thursday at a rotating series of bars. IDAHOSun Valley to Stanley Make that 20. MARYLANDCovered Bridges Get Stoned Begin on the flat GHS Swamp Rabbit Trail, circle around the mountain’s backside, and cross over and drop back into town. At 108 miles, this ride is a two-breakfaster. How’s this for drama: More than 7,000 years ago, a volcano here erupted with a force 40 times as powerful as when Mt. The Wilmington Grand Prix in Delaware, the AMGEN Tour of California (an 8-day race and the most important in the USA), the Tour of the Gila in Silver City, New Mexico (check out the Criterium - the race’s best day for spectators) and the Black Hills Fat Tire Festival (near Mount Rushmore in South Dakota) are all in May, while the Tour of Lawrence, Kansas and Crested Butte Bike Week in Colorado happen … When you’re a USA Cycling member, you’ll be treated like a pro at our races no matter what skill level you are. “You can ride 50 miles and see 10 cars total, and you can start and finish at Dag’s, a great ice-cream shop with unique flavors.” Try persimmon, heavenly hash, or a concoction called coffee and brownies. Top 13 Cycling Cities in the US When the chill of winter is gone and the days are finally longer, it can only mean one thing: It’s time to pump up the tires, strap on your helmet and hit the trails in America's top cycling … Tamalpais, thrilling descents through redwoods to windswept grasslands, and beach-side rollers out to Point Reyes Station—where the Bovine Bakery has been handing out warm chocolate croissants for 20 years. “About the only thing we lack here are the long cols of Europe,” says Bill Ruddick, executive director of Gran Fondo NJ, which includes rides from 18 to 103 miles. The mileage and elevation gains are challenging and doable. Recognized by the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee and the Union Cycliste Internationale, USA Cycling is the official governing body for all disciplines of competitive cycling in the United States, including BMX, cyclocross, mountain bike, road and track. Ore excavation created steep hills; 500-foot-deep pits have turned into emerald lakes; and the trails are some of the most exquisitely flowing stretches of dirt in the Midwest. Whether you cycle cross country in one year or over several, this is a journey of a lifetime. “I’ve ridden in nearly all corners of Indiana and 23 other states, and my favorite ride is from Columbus heading west into the hills,” says Connie Szabo Schmucker, advocacy director for Bicycle Garage Indy. OHIOThe Longest Covered Bridge in America Bicycling participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. They’re what Vermonters call “gaps”— passes that crisscross the spine of the Green Mountains. Cattle wandering across the highway. MISSOURIThe Katy Trail We are. WISCONSINKettle Moraine Join us for a supported cycling trip through the most majestic scenery this continent has to offer and discover the hospitality, style and pace that sets Given the scenery, lack of traffic, and opportunities to explore, you’ll want to take your time pedaling the island affectionately nicknamed Slowpez. As we prepare for another spectacular touring season we look forward to hearing from you and hope to ride with you this summer. West, there’s the endless Rockies. They dress according to a rotating series of themes (Big Mustache Ugly Sweater, superheroes, cartoon characters, The Big Lebowski). Mountain biking in Arkansas? ALABAMAThe Fort Morgan Ride But not many places are like Alaska, where June sunlight stretches to 20 hours, roads meander past fjords, and caribou outnumber people.