Is there a bike version of a 5k?
 

In my area, there are 5k's almost every weekend. Some charity or community event where everyone gets together and walks or runs for fun/a good cause. Is there a bike version of that?

I have seen a lot of bike rallies that have shorter family ride options that range from 5 to 20 miles. Check out the Wheel Brothers website and they have a listing of all the bike rallies in Texas and many of them have shorter options.

There are charity rides ... think there was a thread not long ago about those.

There are also "organized rides" ... usually hosted by a local bike club. Many offer varying distances. The one I did last weekend offered 36, 55, 68 and 100 mile routes. There's a fee to enter (usually less than a charity ride), and what that gets you depends on the ride. Last weekend it got me SAG support for the route, stocked rest stops with water, gatorade, snacks, etc ... and it included a spaghetti and meatballs dinner after the ride.

They're not races, but rides. You ride them at the pace you choose. There's usually a cut off time when SAG support stops and the rest stops close down.

At even 10 mph it would last only 20 min., so I doubt it. As noted, there are plenty of longer fundraising and organized club rides.

Cycling an running are apples and oranges when comparing distances. Most organized charity rides offer multiple distance options, just as some Marathons offer shorter routes. I started two years ago with the San Diego Bike the Bay, which offers only one distance, 25 miles, but is very popular since it allows bikes on the Coronado Bay Bridge for that one day per year. It is held by the SD Bike Coalition to raise funds for bike paths. At the time it was my longest ride to date. I will be doing a full century in six weeks, but still do the Bike the Bay because it is cool. I did it this year on a fixie to keep it challenging. http://www.strava.com/activities/77526433

The century I'm riding has several options. http://ridetvc.com/registration/. I've heard of Waxahatchie, but am not sure if that is "Hill Country". Hills make for a very challenging ride for beginners.