Annual bicycle tours and festivals in Delaware, Maryland, DC, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia.
Annual non-profit events listed here are open to all cyclists. For officially-sanctioned racing events, check the cycling organizations such as NORBA and US Cycling.
Date
Event, Location, Distance
Late April
Ocean to Bay Bike Tour Bethany Beach, Delaware
20 or 50 mile leisurely tour through the Quiet Resorts Area hosted by the Bethany-Fenwick Area Chamber of Commerce, $25.
Late April
PedALS for Hope Columbia, MD
Fun Ride (10 miles), Quarter Century Ride (25 miles) and Half Century Ride (50 miles), to raise money for the fight against ALS, $15 registration + $50 minimum fundraising (2006).
Five Boro Bike Tour New York City
About 30,000 riders participate in the largest bike tour in the US. The route starts in Manhattan and passes 42 miles on traffic-free streets through the Bronx, Queens, and Brooklyn, ending at a festival on Staten Island. Entry fee is $43 to $55 for adults, $25 for ages 14 and under (2008).
Early May
SCU Quad County Metric Green Lane, PA
Choice of seven routes 10 to 76 miles in length, hosted by Suburban Cyclists Unlimited, $20 early reg includes T-shirt, $25 late (2005), includes a rest stop snacks, sag, post-ride meal
Mid May
Tour de Chesapeake Matthews, VA
Two days of bike tours (17, 40, 60 or 80 miles) along the shores of Chesapeake Bay, $50/$65 (2008)
Mid May
Pedal Pittsburgh
Tours (6 to 60 miles) of the city's landmarks to benefit the Community Design Center of Pittsburgh and the revitalization of the city. Entry fee $20/25 (2008)
Mid May
Ride For The Feast DE & MD
Ride 140 miles from Rehoboth Beach, DE, to Baltimore, MD, over two days. All proceeds go to Moveable Feast, a Baltimore-based non-profit organization that provides hot nutritious meals to homebound people living with AIDS. Entry fee $50 plus $1,200 minimum donation (2008)
Late May
Bicycle Film Festival New York City
Four day festival of short and feature bicycling films from around the world
Late May
Mountain Bike Race at Marsh Creek State Park Eagle, PA
5 and 10 mile race hosted by the Wallace Trail Preservation Association, $15 (2005)
Late May
BikeJam Cycling Festival Baltimore, MD
RecRide and bike races ($20-$30 registration fees), kids’ pavilion, Bike and Health Expo, bike trials stunt show
Early June
ROAR! (Ride on for Autism Research), Baltimore, MD
Choice of 10, 25 or 50 mile bike rides in support of the Kennedy Krieger Institute's autism research and treatment program. Entry fees: $25 (2008)
Early June
Bike 4 Sight Media, PA
Choice of metric century (100 km), 50 km, 25km, 13 km scenic country routes and 2 km family ride. Longest rides tour grounds of Winterthur Museum and Country Estate. Event benefits the Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired. Entry fee: $35 (2008) includes food and prizes
Early June
River and Wind ChallengeConfluence, PA
Metric century ride (62 miles) past wind farms, 5 bridges, scenery, waterfalls and historical train station in support of the Salvation Army-Somerset Service Center. Entry fees: $55 (2008), includes t-shirt, door prize, food and drink
Early June
Tour Of Mercer CountyGreenville, PA
Full service bicycle tour with routes of 25, 62, or 100 miles, $15 early-bird fee (2006) proceeds benefit Mercer County Trails Association.
Early June
WMBA Fat Tire FestivalPeekskill, NY
Poker Rally, Clunker Bike Toss, Bicycle Limbo Contest, Guided Rides, Slowest Rider Race, Wheelie Race and other events
Mid June
Long Island Tour de CureOld Westbury, NY
Choice of 15, 32, 72 miles along the Gold Coast of Long Island in support of diabetes, $20 + minimum $100 fundraising (2006), includes snacks and drinks
Mid June
Pedal for a PurposeNew Freedom, PA
Choice of 25, 38 miles, or metric century on roads or on the North Central Rail Trail to support a cure for Huntington's Disease. Entry fees: $25 + pledges (2005), includes t-shirt, snacks and drinks
Mid June
Tour-de-Belt Harrisburg, PA
20-mile bicycle ride on the Greenbelt circling Harrisburg, $10/20 (2004)
Mid June
Freedom Valley Bike Ride Philadelphia 9/72 miles
Choose one of 9, 16, 32, 64 or 72 mile loops in support of the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, registration fee $30/$40 (2007)
Late June
Bike Virginia Virginia
With over 2,000 cyclists the five-day tour covers a different route each year (35-65 miles/day), $250 (2008) includes lunches and camping, meal plans and lodging are optional
Late June
Raccoon Rally Allegany State Park, NY
Western NY Mountain Bike Association hosts a trials event, road race, downhill competition, cross country race, and fun rides. Entry fee: $20 (2003)
Pittsburgh BikeFest
Series of rides and bicycle-themed events are organized throughout two weeks in June/July by Bike Pittsburgh to celebrate bicycling.
Late June
Jack Robinson Memorial Bike-A-Thon Lewistown, PA
Choice of 5 mile, 50 km, 100 km, and 100 mile routes through central Pennsylvania to benefit the United Way of Mifflin-Juniata, $15-$25 +$50 minimum sponsorship (2005)
Late June
Yankee Express Schuylerville, NY
Three-day event: double century ride to NYC, one day of rest to attend a Yankee's game and then a double century back to Schuylerville, (2008)
Early July
Cycling the Erie Canal 400 miles
Eight-day, 400-mile bicycle tour from Buffalo to Albany along the Erie Canal is organized by Parks and Trails NY. About half the route is off-road on the completed portions of the canal towpath. Registration fee $520/$575 (2007) includes camp site, snacks and 2 meals per day. A weekend option costs $200.
Early July
Delaware Double Cross & Metric Century Middletown, DE
Choice of 31 or 62-mile loops, this event is the shortest and flattest state double crossing in the US. Sponsored by the White Clay Bicycle Club, $13 advance /$20 day of race (2005)
Late July
Tri-State Trek Boston-NYC
Three-day 275 miles bike ride from Boston to New York to raise funds for the ALS Therapy Development Foundation to find a cure for Lou Gehrig’s disease, $125 registration plus minimum $1650 fundraising (2005)
Late July
Great Big FANY Ride NY
Seven-day 500 mile bike ride across New York from Niagara Falls to Saratoga Springs, $235 (2005) includes camping
Early Aug
Cycle for Conservation, Northern Virginia
18- and 32-mile route along the Washington and Old Dominion Trail to benefit Northern Virginia Conservation Trust, $25 entry fee (2003)
Early Aug
Montreal Double Double, Schuylerville, NY
Three-day event: a double century ride to Montreal, one day of rest and then a double century back to Schuylerville, (2008)
Mid Aug
Wild 100, Elk River, WV
100 km (62 miles) mountain bike race with an 8,000 foot elevation climb, limited to 200 expert riders, entry fee $100-$125 (2005)
Mid Aug
Great Hudson Valley Pedal, Albany, NY
Six-day, 200-mile bicycle tour from Albany, New York to New York City through the scenic Hudson Valley, organized by Parks & Trails New York, reg fee $475/$525 (2007) includes 2 meals per day, snacks and camp site
Mid Aug
CanAm Invitational, Buffalo & Niagara Falls, NY
Bike 35 miles, 62 miles, or 100 miles organized by Niagara Frontier Bicycle Club, starts on the waterfront in Buffalo, crosses into Canada then along the Niagara River to Niagara Falls and back along the NY side, reg fee $45/$50 (2008) includes lunch, and T-shirt.
Late Aug
SCU Lake Nockamixon Century, Doylestown, PA
Winner of LAB's "Best Century" award. Choice of six routes 23 to 100 miles in length to scenic Lake Nockamixon, hosted by Suburban Cyclists Unlimited, $25 (2005) includes a rest stop snacks, sag, post-ride meal.
Early Sept
Amish Country Bike Tour Dover, DE
Join 1,500 cyclists on 15, 25, 50, 62 and 100 mile loops throughout the Amish countryside west of Dover, sponsored by Kent County Tourism, proceeds benefit Central Delaware YMCA and Amish Country Schoolhouse, $25-$30 (2008), includes four food stops and post-ride picnic.
Early Sept
New York City Century Bike Tour NYC
Ride 15, 35, 55, 75, or 100 miles on bike lanes, greenways, parks and low-traffic city streets. Five rest stops provide food and drinks. Entry fee: $50-65 (2008) includes snacks and an organic cotton t-shirt
Early Sept
Southern Maryland Century Bicycle Ride Charles County, MD
Bicycle tour of Southern Maryland with food and drink at rest stops, map and cue sheet, and on-road SAG support. Choice of 30, 63, and 100 miles routes. Entry fee: $15-20 (2003)
Mid Sept
Scenic Schuylkill Century Philidelphia, PA
Join 1,000 fellow cyclists for a 25, 38, 65 or 100 mile tour on quiet roads around Philadelphia, Montgomery and Chester Counties hosted by Philly Bike club, breakfast at the start, 4 rest stops, a pizza bash at the finish and SAG/mechanical support, $20-$30 (2008)
Mid Sept
Bike Philly Philidelphia, PA
A family-friendly bike tour celebrating the freedom of car-free Philadelphia streets for cyclist of all skill levels, distances of 10, 20, 35 or 50 miles, $35-$50 (2008)
Mid Sept
Bike MS: The Great New Jersey Country Bike Ride Morristown, NJ
Bike MS tour passes through natural wildlife preserves, historic towns, farmlands and the back roads of New Jersey’s countryside; 20, 50 and 100 mile options available; $35-$75 plus $350 fundraising (2008) for National MS Society
Mid Sept
AIDS Ride for Life Ithaca, NY
Choice of 50, 85, or 100 rides around Cayuga Lake, seven pit stops, dinner festivities, $20 to $40 reg fee (2008) plus minimum fundraising $300/$500 in support of the Southern Tier AIDS Program.
Mid Sept
Pedal the Lakes Greenville, PA
Full-service tours of 32/62/100 miles in the Western Pennsylvania Amish countryside featuring four lakes — including one where the ducks walk on the fish! Entry fee: $15 (2006) proceeds benefit Mercer County Trails Association.
Mid Sept
Adirondack 540, Ticonderoga, NY
One to four laps of a 136-mile loop through the High Peaks of the Adirondacks, $75-$275 (2008)
Mid Sept
Endless Encounter XC Weekend Racing Festival New Milford, PA
4 mile cross-country mtb loop, hill climb,kids race, Huffy toss, night rides, live music, entry fee: $20-25 (2006).
Late Sept
Bike MS: Best of the Blue Ridge New Buchanan, VA
One or two day event with choice of 25, 50, 75 and 100-mile routes along the Blue Ridge, fall colours, themed rest stops, $40 reg fee + min $250 (2008) fund raising in support of the MS Society.
Early Oct
Tour de Bronx, NYC Choice of 25 and 40 mile routes, followed by Jazz Concert. Free registration and snacks (2007)
Mid Oct
MS Bike Tour New York City
Choose from a 30-mile traffic-free route or 60- and 100-mile routes which travel through the Lincoln Tunnel and over the George Washington Bridge, $35 plus minimum pledges of $75 (2007) to benefit National Multiple Sclerosis Society
Shenandoah Fall Foliage Bike Festival, Staunton, VA
Weekend of road rides (15 to 100 miles) through the Shenandoah Valley, $80/$105 (2008) includes lunches, snacks and t-shirt
Late Oct
Between the Waters Bike Tour, Cape Charles, VA
Choice of routes 20 to 100 miles along the shores of Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic, $35/$45 (2008) includes lunch, snacks and t-shirt
