Bicycling clubs, non-profit organizations and private groups host memorable one-day cycling events that center on a tour along a marked route of varying lengths with food and rest stops and other features. What makes them unforgettable? In the case of the Bloomin’ Metric, held in late May near the Connecticut coastline along Long Island Sound, and Tour de Tahoe in September, at Lake Tahoe, the attraction is the scenery as well as the camaraderie among riders of all ages who return year after year.
These rides offer older riders a chance to pedal at their own pace either alone or with a group. They are perfect for those who don’t have the time to join famous multiday events like RAGBRAI (Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa), who don’t wish to be part of a huge group like the 35,000 who participate in New York’s Five Boro Bike Tour and Montreal’s Tour de L’Ile, or who are not ready to spend the money it costs to vacation on a luxurious outfitted multiday tour in a bike Mecca like Tuscany or the Sonoma Valley of California.
According to Curtis Fong, owner of Bike The West and director of both America’s Most Beautiful Bike Ride and the Tour de Tahoe, 65 to 70 percent of entrants in these rides are over the age of 50, while about two-thirds of them are male.
Bike Rides with Entertainment, Food, Boat Cruises
Top rides have added attractions. Almost all donate a portion of the proceeds to a charity. There may be a festival featuring entertainment and food, such as those associated with the Escape New York ride in September in Manhattan and the Tour des Chutes in July in Bend, Oregon. A boat cruise combined with a shorter ride is offered at Tahoe’s America’s Most Beautiful Bike Ride and the Tour de Tahoe every September
There are also unique challenges, such as the Triple Bypass, a ride in central Colorado where the aim is to climb three 10,000-foot mountain passes.
Bloomin’ Metric – 100 Kilometers
Starting from a park near East Norwalk , the Bloomin’ Metric winds through the wealthy, flower-bedecked Connecticut shoreline of Fairfield County at a time when estate gardens are resplendent and adjoining forests are in full bloom.
Sound Cyclists, the ride’s sponsor will mark the 35th anniversary of the Bloomin’ Metric in 2012. As the name implies, the longest ride option is a metric “century,” or 100 kilometers (62 miles), while the shortest is 25 miles.
Tour de Tahoe - 72 Miles
This ride, which circumnavigates Lake Tahoe through both Nevada and California, is almost identical to America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride every June, which celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2011. (Registration for the 2011June event is closed.) It includes challenging climbs. For more leisurely riders there is a 35-mile option that includes a boat cruise, and riders of either distance are invited to an after-ride pool party.
Sources
Sound Cyclists Bicycle Club
Bike The West Website
Curtis Fong Personal Interview
Ragbrai Website
Bike New York Website
Team Evergreen Website
New York Cycle Club Websote
Velo Quebec Website
Tour Des Chutes Website
Grace Lichtenstein - I prefer "seasoned" to "senior" but whatever term you use, I have been an outdoor adventurer for most of my adult years. I am a cycling ...
