Where can I find more community cycling events that happen in interesting locales?

March 9, 2009 8:27 PM

I'm looking for annual community bike rides around the world, particularly where there's a big participation or closing of regular streets. As an example, I've done Chicago's Bike the Drive and just found out about Perth's Freeway Bike Hike. Are you aware of anything else that's similar?

I'm open to suggestions that welcome cyclists, rollerblades or scooters. I'm very bad at all of them so don't discriminate. I guess it goes without saying that I'm not looking to compete, except if it's for last place.

It doesn't need to be on freeways, but something epic is cool. I'm also not looking for things like critical mass really.

posted by kaydo to Grab Bag (22 answers total)

Sydney to the 'Gong, which closes the Harbour Bridge.
posted by Fiasco da Gama at 8:39 PM on March 9, 2009

Excuse me---that's the Spring Cycle which closes the Bridge.
posted by Fiasco da Gama at 8:43 PM on March 9, 2009

San Francisco will be doing the Sunday Street closures again this year

Old site that will likely be updated soon
Some info about the plan for 2009
posted by bottlebrushtree at 9:09 PM on March 9, 2009

NYC has the 5-borough bike tour, the Century bike tour and the MS bike tour, all different and all meeting your requirements.

Google is your friend.
posted by JimN2TAW at 9:13 PM on March 9, 2009

Minneapolis Bike Tour around the lakes
posted by ALongDecember at 9:29 PM on March 9, 2009

Tour de Fat. Not coming to Oz any time soon, I imagine, but it hits a number of cities in the US (especially the American West) every year. In addition to biking, there are crazy costumes. And beer. Lots of beer.
posted by McBearclaw at 9:33 PM on March 9, 2009

Response by poster: You guys rock, these are great suggestions so far. Not constrained to events near me, so I'll be checking these out.
posted by kaydo at 9:38 PM on March 9, 2009

London Freewheel closes off many of the most well-traveled roads in London one Sunday a year. Last year, 50,000 cyclists toured from Trafalgar Square to Buckingham Palace to Tower Hill.
posted by Londonita at 10:23 PM on March 9, 2009

Portland, OR has the Bridge Pedal every year. Some of the bridges are multi-use all year round, but for the Bridge Pedal they shut down the other bridges to auto traffic to allow bikers and others to use them.
posted by friendlyjuan at 10:29 PM on March 9, 2009

Miami has started holding Bike Miami days where they close down parts of downtown to all traffic except bikes. It's not a ride as much as a bike (and outdoors) "celebration," but you'll still find a great turnout.
posted by achompas at 1:19 AM on March 10, 2009

Boston has the Hub on Wheels, which is a fun ride going up and back a closed-down Storrow Drive (plus longer routes that peel off partway through).
posted by Dr.Enormous at 4:24 AM on March 10, 2009

The Montreal Bike Fest has night & day rides with tens of thousands of people.

Not so much an organised ride, but in Ottawa/Gatineau about 50km of roads are closed to traffic every Sunday from Victoria Day to Labour Day - Sunday Bikedays. If the weather's good there's thousands of people biking / blading / jogging / walking.
posted by valleys at 6:21 AM on March 10, 2009

In Adelaide, you can participate in a public leg of the Tour Down Under.
posted by polyglot at 6:50 AM on March 10, 2009

The Trek Across Maine is a three-day ride with about 2,000 participants, going from the mountains to the ocean (so it must be all downhill, right!?). Notes from my first year riding it.
posted by mikepop at 8:10 AM on March 10, 2009 [1 favorite]

Moonlight Classic in Denver Colorado. Looks like it's a closed course for the first time this year.
posted by BoscosMom at 8:45 AM on March 10, 2009

RAGBRAI - From the site: The Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa, is an annual seven-day bicycle ride across the state. Heading into its 37th year, RAGBRAI is the longest, largest and oldest touring bicycle ride in the world. RAGBRAI is sponsored by The Des Moines Register.
posted by bristolcat at 9:09 AM on March 10, 2009

Saint Paul has a bike tour as well; thirty miles of it is closed to traffic.
posted by anderjen at 9:39 AM on March 10, 2009

St. Louis has the midnight Moonlight Ramble.
posted by sulaine at 9:44 AM on March 10, 2009

BikeDC does a big thingie every year where they block off 20 miles or so of DC roads. I participated last year, and it was pretty spectacular. And there's tonight's Full Moon Bikes and Wine ride.
posted by MrMoonPie at 9:54 AM on March 10, 2009

Cincinnati has the Morning Glory Ride every August, with part of the course closed to traffic.
posted by komilnefopa at 8:03 PM on March 10, 2009

Response by poster: Thanks everyone, this is universally brilliant. I'm compiling everything for reference and will post back here shortly
posted by kaydo at 3:35 AM on March 11, 2009

Around the (Port Phillip) Bay in a day
posted by pompomtom at 5:01 PM on June 23, 2009