Pitch your tent. Sleep. Strike your tent. Ride. Pitch your tent. Sleep. Strike your tent. Ride. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.
This is the routine on most week-long across-state mass bicycle tours. It's a common drill as the community of cyclists moves from one host location to the next.
After using that method to visit state parks around Indiana for 28 years, the Touring Ride in Rural Indiana (TRIRI) is experimenting with a bicycle touring concept used elsewhere and based on a bicycle rally.
Single park
The 2011 TRIRI organizers are choosing a single state park — Spring Mill in June and Clifty Falls in August — as their base of operations. Cyclists can choose from a selection of loop rides from those parks over the four-day period.
This benefits the TRIRI organizers as they don't have to find a week's worth of host sites, connect them by cycling routes, and work out the logistics of moving luggage, food caterers, medical equipment and more from one site to the next.
Some cyclists might like this as well. They won't have to find their gear after a long day in the saddle, pitch their tent, and then be awakened at dawn by the clicking of tent poles coming from those wanting an early start.
See links to more Multi-Day and Across-State Bicycle Tours in 2011
History
TRIRI got its start in 1983 under the sponsorship of the Bicycle Garage in Bloomington and The Bicycle Garage of Indianapolis. Current director Barbara Anderson writes about those early years as it grew from 25 cyclists to 100 riders when the Bloomington Bicycle Club came on board as a sponsor in 1986.
The Indiana State Parks came on board in 1989, enabling use of state parks as campsites. They also provided four large tents for dining, a mobile stage with a sound system, a semi to carry luggage and three SAG vehicles, and a handful of staff members.
This year, TRIRI says participants should expect 100 to 200 other cyclists on the routes ranging in length from 25 miles to 100 miles.
Other Indiana rides
TRIRI also offers RAINSTORM (Ride Across Indiana – Same Thing Only Ride More) and September Escapade.
RAINSTORM comprises six centuries, culminating in the 160-mile ride from Terra Haute to Richmond. All overnights are in state park inns or hotels. The September Escapade offers five nights of camping in three different state parks.
Other rally-style bicycle tours
Launched a few years ago, the Alabama Magnificent Bicycle Adventure is a 7-day ride staged out of one location. This year it's the Chewacla State Park. One bike route is offered each day.
In May, The Great Western Bicycle Rally is celebrating its 47th year in Paso Robles. Based at the Fairgrounds over the Memorial Day weekend, cyclists can camp, RV or stay in hotels in town. There are 21 choices of rides of varying lengths and difficulties.
The Maine Bike Rally is a three-day event, scheduled in Brunswick next year from July 8-10. The 22nd annual event in 2010 offered numerous on-road and off-road rides, as well as a a time-trial event.
The Northwest Tandem Rally switches between Washington state and Oregon on an annual basis. In 2011, the tandem cyclists will meet at the Mukogawa Fort Wright Institue in Spokane, WA for the Four of July weekend.
See TheTandemLink for a list of other tandem rallies around the US.
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