Best Website for finding Rides/Events in each state?
 

I am trying to plan my organized rides for 2016. Last year i only rode in my current home state of Texas, but this year I am starting with a goal of eventually riding an organized event in the lower 48/ all 50 states. It will definately take me several years to accomplish. I am looking for suggestions either for the best events or websites for each state. I am not intrested in races, (my current average speed is 13mph). I have looked in the regional forums, but havent seen what i'm looking for. any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

You can try this one: https://www.ultracycling.com/

And my Links page has links to all sorts of events: Charlene (Machka) - Links

This is pretty comprehensive for non-race events in CO 2016 Colorado Bicycle Rides and Events
The site also has lists for other states bordering KS, but I've never looked at them.
For multi-day events, see Across State Bicycle Tours » Biking Bis

Clippedin.bike is a good website for the AZ area. Not sure how much it covers outside of this region though.

Since you are starting in Texas take a look at Texbiker.net for all of the bike news, events, experiences.

"Best ride" kind of depends. Some of the smaller one-day rides can be very nice, not so crowded, and fun. The big rides with thousands of riders are good too. And then there are the challenge rides, the "brutal", "horrible", etc rides.

...

I don't know of any comprehensive list. When I see a ride report or a mention of a ride that sounds interesting, I'll save a link into my "next year" bookmarks.

google "(state) bicycle events" can usually help. For instance: Kentucky bicycle events doesn't come up with a state list, but the big clubs do show, and they have yearly rides.

Kentucky bicycle 100 mile ride worked even better. The 100 mile events usually have shorter distances too.

...

Old Kentucky Home ride in September from Louisville is popular.

The Horsey Hundred in the Bluegrass area at the end of May was great, well organized, and scenic.

I dont nessecarily need the ABSOLUTE BEST ride but I do want to make sure, that the ride is "worth doing" especially for events further from "home". Overall I dont want anything too "brutal" but there are a few bucket list rides (Rough Riders 200, RAGBRAI, 3states 3 mountains). I hope to attempt in a few years, mostly looking for scenery/history. Thank You for all the suggestions so far.

Texbiker, thanks for the website, I have already developed a few "regular" events in Texas that I have done in the past but there are alot more rides to choose from.

I have been putting on a ride for 11 years now in West Virginia. The "Bridge to Ridge". It will be in September this year

For Michigan, The League of Michigan Bicyclists is the place to go for a list of rides. I wish every state had something so well put together.

League of Michigan Bicyclists Home Page

For casual, "show & go" shop rides and such, http://www.groupride.com has a good selection.

Thanks for that Michigan link. I cut my teeth on a cycling lifestyle in Southeast Michigan in the 1970’s and it’s good to see how interest has grown, and to see some of the rides from back then still going, e.g. DALMAC.

For seven years now, there have been some informal Annual Rides by subscribers to the Fifty-Plus Forum held in conjunction with organized rides. We usually look for an organized ride on a Saturday, to make it a weekend event, with various lengths to accommodate all participants. You can go to this post for descriptions of the rides. Three times we’ve gone to the OneHelluvaRide in Chelsea, MI.

At the beginning of each of the threads listed, there is a flurry of suggestions for rides all over the country.

(BTW, I’ll drop a suggestion here for an event in Boston in September, “The Hub on Wheels”:

Boston Bikes

"Join us in 2016 to bike through a car-free Storrow Drive, explore historic neighborhoods, and take in views of the Boston Harbor with thousands of other cyclists. The ride starts and finishes on City Hall Plaza in downtown Boston, with three different routes to choose from.

"The Hub on Wheels city-wide bike ride is fully supported and safe, with three routes that provide 10, 30, or 50 miles of harbor views and hidden pathways, river greenways and Boston’s wonderful and eclectic neighborhoods. Storrow Drive is completely car-free, as is the entire 10-mile route.

"You haven’t seen the Hub until you’ve seen it on two wheels!")

Other than the above, you could check various local cycling clubs; in Metro Boston, the main one is the Charles River Wheelmen, and the North Shore cyclists are pretty active.

PS: I forgot to mention, in case you are unaware, there is a Regional Ride Forum under Community Connections on Bike Forums.

If you have a specific state in mind, I think if you google bike events in ***** you will get the information you want.

If considering Georgia, look into BRAG. Multi day tour across Georgia (My understanding is the route is running from Atlanta to Savannah this year) It is held in June and is a fun week. Bicycle Ride Across Georgia is the site

Check out the Great Ohio Bicycle Adventure in June. It was well-praised by some experienced cycle tourists I have met on Bike Forums. I may even ride it this year after reading the website, though I am a native of Ohio's archrival state (Michigan). :eek:

Gran Fondo Guide has extensive lists, although they seem to be rewritten press releases, they are great for seeing what's available.

Active.com has searchable lists for Centuries and Mountain Biking. Active handles registration for some events, and might only list events they're running. The cycling stuff is a little sparse, but there are lots of running events.

Non-profit Columbus Outdoor Pursuits runs many rides in central Ohio, including GOBA and the Tour of the Scioto River Valley (55th annual ride Mother's Day Weekend!).

@rm -rf - Not an organized ride, but The Bourbon Trail is on my bucket list. There's a passport you pick up at any stop; when you visit all 9 member distilleries, you get a free t-shirt. There's a 114-mile trip that hits 6 distilleries, and a 50 mile loop that hits Woodford Reserve, Wild Turkey, and Four Roses.

Edit: Spelling.

A lot depends on what you're interested in. One day events? Multiday events? Organized rides? Disorganized rides? BUDGET?

For example, in Oregon:

Cycle Oregon is one of the most popular multi-day rides in Oregon. It is a reasonably well supported multi-day ride, and relatively expensive.

On the flip side:

Pedalpalooza is more of a conglomeration of local Portland bicycle events during the summer, most of which are FREE.

You could knock out two states in a day or two with the annual STP ride.

Aside from the big events, here in Eugene, there are just daily/weekly rides one can join such as the Eugene Gears Rides. Here are the January 2016 rides scheduled, and all free if you wish.

You could snag a few states if you do the RAAM, although it may not be the choice for the casual rider.

There have been some people that have done a challenge to do the top 50 or 100 hill climbs across the USA. Not necessarily organized events, but there are published lists of mountains.

If I was you, either choose big supported events like Cycle Oregon or Ragbrai (iowa), or select a region, then post on the regional subforum. Then pick out several smaller regional events you can hit over a week or two in the summer such as the Portland Pedalpalooza, interspersed with other rides. The Portland area C&V group often also does a ride during Pedalpalooza. Or, maybe choose a dozen big multi-day tours, and then also do smaller local events to fill in.

If you're already planning on flying, I wouldn't ignore Hawaii. There may be some winter events.

Do you have a folding bike? S&S Coupled bike?

Here's one that works for me. CAAM Events | ALL the Events. ONE Site.

Thanks for the links everyone, its amazing how some states have great listings that are easy to find using google, etc and others just dont seem to have anything. (Atleast no organized "master list" site and few others). I plan on it taking me atleast 3-5 years to complete my goal but i want to get my research and "plan of attack" done so that I ride a "good" ride, not just a ride to check off the state (though some states this will probably be the case). Some states I will save for my "bucket list ride" like RAGBRAI and Rough Riders 200. Other states I will do the ride as part of a sightseeing/tourist trip like New York, Arizona, Hawaii, Florida, etc. Those states are atleast 2 years away while i pay off my house and get my finances in order. Once my house is paid off, my budget will increase SUBSTANTIALLY and I can really focus on the "flying" states.

For the next two years I am budgeting approx 1500/year so I will have to stick fairly close to home and focus on the "driving" states, those in single days driving distance (thank the lord for low gas prices) or those on the way to visiting family in the Carolinas where I can "sneak in" a ride coming/going or plan visits to family arround rides I want to do (but dont tell my family i said that ;). ) I am already a member of American Airlines frequent flier miles program since they are the only ones who fly out of the small local airport near me and I am looking into getting their Credit Card to help stretch my traveling budget.

I want to do organized/supported non-competitive events. Mostly interested in single day rides but multi day rides where I can ride a single day and do more than one state in a weekend/trip (ex ride in one state on saturday then do the second day of a two day ride in another on sunday before heading home); or rides where i can do more than one state in a single ride (3 state 3 mountain challenge, Assault on the Carolinas) I also have a few multi day rides like RAGBRAI on my bucket list.

I have posted in the regional forum for rides in LA, MS, and AR march/april, but so far no luck. I have a tentative ride in LA in October (bike the big easy) but just cant find much for LA.

I'm finding much more info about 2015 rides than 2016 rides, even those rides with annual events and January/February registration.

Have you done many large organized rides? Apparently many people enjoy them. Others get overwhelmed by the sheer number of people.

As mentioned, the STP is a 1 or 2 day ride, and hits a lot of Washington, and a little Oregon. But, maybe you could find something else in Oregon to follow it with. Or, perhaps start in Oregon, and take the train to Seattle, then ride back.

I have done 4 organized rides last year ranging in size from about 300 riders to 12,000 at the Hotter'N Hell Hundred in August. I really like doing them partly because paying for a ride commits me to keep training. If I pay my $30 to do the 50 mile ride, I am less likely to get lazy and skip working out. I also like getting to see new areas with the "security" of a planned route, rest stops and SAG support. Nearly all of my rides are solo with the exception of events so its nice to ride with others.

@scatterbunn, where in the Carolinas do you visit?

GH

Yes, I just registered for NorthWest Tour (Leelanau area in June.) The ride filled 45 minutes after registration opened. And of course you know about Helluva Ride. The good ones prosper.

@ColaJacket, I have family in Raleigh, Morrisville, Charlotte, and Asheville, in NC and Columbia, Sumter, Greenville, Florence and Beaufort SC. I will probably do multiple rides in each of these states.