The deadline to apply for that rolling bicycle party called the Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI) is coming up on April 1.
So many people want to ride, that the Iowa event organizers limit participation to 8,500 riders chosen by lottery. That's why you have to apply by April 1 for an event that starts July 24. Online applications for RABRAI can be found here.
RAGBRAI is just one of 57 multi-day rides I have listed for 39 states at my State Bicycle Tours website. Nearly all the rides are sponsored by nonprofits or fund-raising organizations. I've only added tour company rides where I couldn't find any alternatives. Most of the bicycle tours cover 350 to 500 miles in a week. Some of the fund-raisers are just for a weekend.
When I first started bicycling these cross-state tours — I've ridden in Cycle Across Maryland, Bike Virginia, and Ride Across Washington — the events required cyclists to ride 60 to 80 miles a day from one end of the state to the other.
Lately, however, many of the state tours have instituted layover stops where bicyclists can either ride a loop or rest for a day. Others also offer short-mileage and long-mileage options on some days. This opens the ride up to more bicyclists with varying abilities.
Links to websites for all the rides are available at my State Bicycle Tours website.
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