chinotex

So I moved from Houston Texas to Northern Virginia, the land where stop signs and stoplights seem to impede your path wherever you try to ride. In Houston, there was a charity ride practically every weekend, and it seemed there were hundreds and hundreds, if not thousands, of people at each one of them. It seems the rides in the Capital region (VA/DC/MD) aren't as well attended. I really enjoyed cruising down the roads of Texas, being able to ride in a paceline for a while, stop at a rest stop if I wanted to, and pick up another paceline when I got back on the road. You would also see the same people at all of these rides, randomly passing them or being passed, and it seemed like there was just a huge community of people out there enjoying the open road. It seemed there was more of a critical mass for these things in Texas. The rides I've signed up for, sometimes driven hours for, and even stayed overnight in hotels for seem to be less well attended and I've found myself alone on the road for long stretches when I'm really there in order to ride in a large group for a change.

So what are the most popular charity rides in the Capital region? Are there any that are really popular and get huge turnouts? I know a lot of people here are selective about who they ride with but I'm more interested in feeling like a part of a much larger cycling community, like we had in Texas.

StanSeven

Not charity rides but there are lots of good centuries. Bay Country just passed. The Seagull on the eastern shore of Md is in four weeks. The Potomac Peddlers annual century is coming up.

chinotex

Sorry, that's what I really meant. Usually the $50 registration fees are for some cause or another.

I've got this coming weekend (Sept. 15-16) free and am looking for a century to do before I head out to Vegas the following week for the Viva Bike Vegas ride. There are three this weekend, all pretty far from my place near DC, and before committing the $50 and at least a 1.5 hour car ride I want to make sure it's worth going to and not just 30 guys who always ride together and who I won't be able to keep up with. That's what I liked about the rides in Texas, it was like a solid river of riders that you could jump into or out of at your leisure.

idc

Quite a few on this weekend
https://ohbike.org/events/calendar/index.html

There's also the Alpine Gran Fondo which is a bit further out but over 200 riders registered so far, 300 if you include shorter route riders.


Backroads, Reston Bike Club and Seagull are some of the more popular Century rides around here, afaik.

ks1g

Welcome to the area. Also check the Pedalers (unofficial PPTC) Gogle email group here: https://groups.google.com/forum/?fro...forum/pedalers Search recent threads for "Area Century Events" to get a good list. idc's link to the Oxon Hill Bike Club is pretty thorough.

Registration for PPTC Back Roads has a cap and will likely fill up very soon. The rides on the east side of Chesapeake Bay are pretty flat, wind can be an issue. Seagull Century (Salisbury,MD) is HUGE, good luck finding lodging anywhere near Salisbury. Rides in NoVA, western MD, and SW of DC area tend towards hilly (Reston Century ~6,000 ft climbing, Civil War Century ~ 7,000, PPTC Back Roads ~5,000+). Anything involving Skyline Drive or the Appalachian ridges between VA & WVA will be VERY Hilly (Alpine Grand Fondo). Speaking of GFs, there is one 10/6 in Richmond (Tour of Richmond Grand Fondo) and another one in early October in Frederick MD (similar terrain as Civil War but 10,000 ft climbing). There are a number of Tour de Cure and MS 150 rides in the region, several of those in the May & June timeframe. I think the nearest Livestrong ride is in Philly. Alzheimer's Association does a Tour de Canal (C&O Canal towpath) around Labor Day. Check those organizations' web site for specific events.

JimF22003

St. Marys Century this weekend: https://paxvelo.com/

songfta

The Potomac Pedalers' Back Roads Century is sold out, and there will be no day-of-ride registration.

Other local events (not a complete list):
- 9/15 - St. Mary's Century (formerly the Amish Hundred), Leonardtown, MD (rolling-to-flattish)
- 9/16 - Boys & Girls Club Cycling Challenge, Crozet, VA (www.bgcchallenge.org - a full-on charity ride, rolling-to-hilly)
- 9/30 - Cannonball Century, Hartwood, VA (hilly)
- 10/6 - Sea Gull Century, Salisbury, MD (very flat, typically wind-laden, big pacelines, big crowds)
- 10/6 - Culpeper Century, Culpeper, VA (more hilly)
- 10/13 - Savage Century, Newark, DE (lots of rollers, some steep)
- 10/21-23 - Shenandoah Fall Foliage Bike Festival, Staunton, VA (rolling-to-hilly terrain, lovely foliage)