10 multi-day bicycle tours worth considering

Must admit that I'm burned out on Bicycling magazine's monthly barrage of top 10 product lists or 10 ways to get faster, fitter, finer in 30 days.

But here's one that caught my attention: 10 of Bicycling magazine's favorite multi-day tours.

You could make the argument that any such bike tour you're fortunate enough to take would be a favorite. Here's their lineup:

(Shameless self-promotion alert: By the way, all of these, and many, many more, are listed at my state by state list of Across-State and Multi-Day Bicycle Tours.)

1. Bike Florida Forgotten Coast Tour, March 24-30. “World class seafood and beautiful beaches…”

2. Ride the Rockies, June 10-15. “For those who like mountain passes…”

3. GRABAAWR (Great Annual Bicycle Adventure Along the Wisconsin River), June 16-23. “The only bike adventure where you can claim a photo with the world largest Hodag, a mythical Wisconsin beast….”

4. Tour de Kota, June 17-22. “… experience the prairies and rolling hills of three states — South Dakota, Minnesota and Iowa.”

5. Bike Virginia Tour, June 22-27. “With only two campsites, struggling with your tent is minimal…”

6. Michigander Bicycle Tour, July 14-20. “… lets even the most time-crunched cyclist participate in a multi-day tour.”

7. Bon Ton Roulet, July 22-28. “The region is famous for its wine production, and the event features free pickup for wine purchases…”

8. RAGBRAI (Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa), July 22-28. “… bills itself as a rolling celebration..”

9. MassBikePike Tour, Aug. 2-5. “… smaller, more intimate touring experience.”

10. Cycle Oregon, Sept. 8-15. “… nightly performances feature entertainment from country rockers to clog dancers…”

I would have liked to have seen Biking Across Kansas, GOBA (Great Ohio Bicycle Adventure), BRAG (Bike Ride Across Georgia), Ride Around Washington and the AIDS Lifecycle down the California coast on the list, but then that would have made it an unmanageable 15, not a neat package of 10.

A word to the wise — you need to register for these soon. While spaces in RAGBRAI and Ride the Rockies are based on a lottery, some of these others, such as Cycle Oregon, fill up fast.

Photos from my Biking Across Kansas photo collection.