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The 25 Best Bike Rides in the World Right Now

Tour de France stages. Classic British Columbian downhills. Epic gravel grinds in the American heartland. These bucket-list rides are guaranteed to be the most fun you can have on two wheels.

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Let鈥檚 be clear: this is a subjective list, and you鈥檙e going to curse us on social media before you even read it. But just know that this roundup of the best rides on the planet鈥攃ulled from my own personal experience of riding bikes for the past 30-plus years, as well as聽the advice of passionate cycling friends鈥攊s just gravy. My favorite rides have always been the ones that leave from my garage. But even though聽bikes are a great form of environmentally friendly recreation and transportation doesn鈥檛 mean we all don鈥檛 daydream about century-distance rides through the European countryside and 蹿补迟-迟颈谤别听别辫颈肠蝉 across the Mountain West.

So here goes.

(Crotteur/Wikimedia Commons)

Colle de Finestre

Piemonte, Italy

Style: Road climb
Miles: 11

The Dolomites, in northern聽Italy, are worthy of the hype, but that鈥檚 not all the country has to offer cyclists. The Piemonte region, in the northwest, is also riddled with great climbs and is perhaps even more steeped in Italian cycling culture. Start from the town of Susa, in the Cottian Alps, find your way to the town of Fenestrelle, and if you have the legs, include the Giro d鈥橧talia鈥檚 famed , an 11-mile haul that averages a 9聽percent grade and gains some 5,558 feet.


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403 to 401

Crested Butte, Colorado

厂迟测濒别:听Cross-country singletrack
Miles: 18

At its best, mountain biking is equal parts aesthetics and whoop-it-up fun, and these two Crested Butte stalwarts鈥斺攁re among the sport鈥檚 best. Featuring natural flow (no machine-made berms here), expect loamy singletrack, a few sportingly steep corners, and ample high-altitude climbing. Also plan on ripping through wildflowers so tall that they beat your hands, elbows, and even shoulders in some weirdly beautiful masochistic embrace as you fly on by.


(Rob Meendering Photography)

Barry-Roubaix

Hastings, Michigan

Style: Gravel (plus a race)
Miles: 22, 36, 62, or 100
When: April 13

The organizers of the call it the largest gravel race in the world, and with 3,500 contestants, who are we to doubt them? There鈥檚 tons of prize money and whatnot, but really, the Barry is more of a celebration of cycling and a spring throwdown than it is a race. The huge peloton is filled with people excited to cast聽off the winter blanket and embrace a new riding season, and we love everything about it, especially the fact that the 100-mile route is called Psycho Killer. Want to ride it another weekend? The race organizers put聽together a that you can tweak to choose your own adventure.


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Mount Taranaki Circuit

New Plymouth/Taranaki, New Zealand

Style: Road
Miles: 77

New Zealand is worth visiting for way more than its road riding, but you might as well get in some exercise while you鈥檙e enjoying perhaps the friendliest country on earth (at least judging by the Kiwi skiers we鈥檝e known). This ride circumnavigates an active 8,000-foot stratovolcano on the聽North Island and includes 4,600 feet of elevation gain. The route can be tackled solo anytime during the southern summer, but if you want to immerse yourself in local culture while clocking some serious miles, sign on for the , which happens again in聽January. More than 1,000聽cyclists聽participate, and if you鈥檙e a total hard-ass, you can loop it twice, as 11 people did last year.


(Marius Maasewerd/Swiss Epic)

Swiss Epic

Graub眉nden, Switzerland

Style: Cross-country singletrack
Miles: 155

The world鈥檚 best mountain bikers are coming from Switzerland these days for a reason. It鈥檚 the riding, people. And this year,聽, a five-day, 155-mile stage race, heads to Graub眉nden in the country鈥檚 southeast, near the ski towns of St. Moritz and Davos. Pro mountain-bike racers consistently tell us that the Swiss Epic is the hardest鈥攂oth technically and in terms of climbing鈥攐f all the mountain-bike stage races, and we expect more of the same from Graub眉nden, which has over 10,000 miles of rideable trails that pass through pine forest, along treeless high-Alpine ridges, and across cold mountain streams. Sign up聽for this year鈥檚聽race,聽August 20鈥24, only if you鈥檙e crazy serious. Everyone else should use the race route as a guide for an epic ride at their own pace.


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Logan Mill to Sugarloaf to Magnolia

Boulder, Colorado

Style: Gravel and paved
Miles: 40

Boulder is famous . It should be known for its steep dirt. On a gravel bike, head up the Boulder Creek Path to Four Mile Canyon, then bang a left on Logan Mill and follow signs for the Escape Route, a forest-fire egress that鈥檚 steep enough to put you on the rivet. From there it鈥檚 on to Sugarloaf Road (paved and dirt) and the Peak to Peak Highway (paved). Make sure to stop at in Nederland to refuel on pecan sandies and a macchiato for the big ring push聽down Magnolia Road to the Boulder Creek Path to complete the circuit. And this is but one of a half-dozen mixed-surface聽routes above Boulder that are nearly devoid of cars and feature soaring views of the Continental Divide.


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Tour of Flanders

Flanders, Belgium

Style: Cobbles and more
Miles: 162

Until the gravel-bike boom, we鈥檇 never have called the brutal cobblestones and trampled dirt paths of Belgium farm country among the best riding in the world. Watching the pro peloton barely survive spring-classic events like the on skinny-tire bikes made for fun racing but abysmal riding. But that鈥檚 changed. Armed with a modern gravel bike with 40-millimeter tires and a more comfortable body positioning, these heritage routes are now doable, especially if you keep to the dirt edges and don鈥檛 punish yourself on the cobbles. Focus your ride plans on the Flemish Ardennes in East Flanders, where the cobbled climbs beat the hell out of racers but will give you riding like you鈥檝e never experienced.


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A-Line

Whistler, British Columbia

Style: Downhill mountain-bike trail
Miles: 1.5

Twenty-one years ago, was old-school singletrack with nice natural flow. The trail that鈥檚 evolved since has been credited with the invention of the purpose-built flow trails that now dominate not just downhill parks聽but our local trail systems, too. The basic idea? A sustainable trail complete with capping soil, bermed turns, long-distance sightlines, and a range of gnar options, so mountain bikers can lay off the brakes, lean their rig way over, and catch smooth air. And far from being left behind, A-Line continues to get better every year.


(Edu_Ruiz/Pixabay)

Alto de Arrate

Basque Country, Spain

Style: Road climb
Miles: 2

Longtime Tour de France fans have heard about the great climbers of Basque Country for generations, but relatively few Americans ride there. Which is weird, because the western Pyrenees rival France with its mix of mountains, beaches, hamlets, and dining. Stage out of San Sebastian and ride the from both directions. The two-mile climb appears frequently in the Vuelta a Espa帽a and annually in the Tour of the Basque Country. Think lush countryside and 10 percent grades鈥攚ithout the touristy T-shirt shops of France.


(LithiumFlash/Wikimedia Commons)

Clawhammer/Black Mountain

Pisgah National Forest, North Carolina

Style: Technical singletrack
Miles: 12.5

Located in the 500,000-acre Pisgah National Forest鈥擭orth Carolina鈥檚 fat-tire dreamland鈥 is a rooty, rocky technical ride with a 7.5-mile beast of a climb thrown in. The ascent takes you to a ridge that contours two summits before you gird yourself for a rollicking, scare-your-spleen, four-mile, 1,900-foot descent that comes at you quickly. Be sure to wait for a few sunny days to dry out the course before you attempt this one. It will be worth the wait.


(Miwok/Wikimedia Commons)

Col de la Croix de聽Fer

Le Bourg-d鈥橭isans, France

Style: Road climb
Miles: 20

Of the Tour de France鈥檚 most famous climbs, the Col du Galibier聽is sketchy with too many tunnels, Mont Ventoux is聽windy and isolated, and the famed Alpe d鈥橦uez is totally overrated (the top looks like a聽kitschy tourist shop). But the steady climb up the pass of聽 (the Iron Cross)聽runs some 20 miles and gains some 5,000 feet in the French Alps near Le Bourg-d鈥橭isans and is, in my estimation, the most scenic in France.


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The Whole Enchilada

Moab, Utah

Style: Singletrack
Miles: 35

Purists might scoff at the notion of a shuttle ride earning top status on a compilation of bucket-list rides, but before you start hating, make sure you actually ride this 35-mile, 8,000-vertical-foot descent. There are various starting points, but begins high in the La Sal Mountains and passes through at least three distinct ecosystems before finishing right beside the Colorado River just six miles from downtown. The scenery is stunning, and the riding is fast and largely directional (it鈥檚 rare to see anyone heading up). It鈥檚 also in no way an easy day on the bike. You鈥檒l still climb 1,500 vertical feet, and if you鈥檝e ridden technical trails before, you聽know that bike handling still burns a lot of energy.


(Dan Krauss/AP)

Rebecca鈥檚 Private Idaho

Ketchum, Idaho

Style: Gravel
Miles: 20, 60, or 100

Ketchum is famous for its endless and fast-flowing singletrack. It could just as easily be known for its gravel offerings. That鈥檚 in part because this is Idaho, where paved roads are scarce. There are plenty of amazing routes you can tackle by yourself, but if you sign on for ,聽founded by famed endurance racer , also known as the Queen of Pain, you can choose from 20-, 60-, or 100-mile routes, which you can ride solo, with a partner, or even tandem. Don鈥檛 let the Labor Day weekend聽discourage you鈥攈igh summer in Ketchum means temperatures聽in the high seventies, and you鈥檒l rarely swelter. We also love that Rusch isn鈥檛 afraid to throw buttery singletrack into the course. Gravel bikes love baby singletrack.


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Vuelta al Cotopaxi

Cotopaxi, Ecuador

Style: Cross-country singletrack
Miles: 90
When: November 9鈥10

One of the toughest mountain-bike races on earth, the climbs 4,000 feet over a mix of trail surfaces, none of which you鈥檇 describe as purpose-built and all of which you鈥檇 describe as grueling. It鈥檚 so hard that, unlike the Leadville Trail 100 race, which is roughly the same distance, most humans could never finish it safely in a day, so be prepared to camp near the summit. Sounds miserable, but with 250 two-person teams signing up to to do again and again, it鈥檚 worth checking out this year. If you don鈥檛 want to race, the trails around Cotopaxi make for .


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Vermont Gran Fondo, a.k.a.聽the Gaps

Waitsfield and Warren, Vermont

Style: Road
Miles: 100

You can head out any old summer day and try to knock off all six of the 鈥済aps鈥 (northern New England speak for mountain passes) around Waitsfield and Warren, Vermont, or you can settle for just four gaps and sign up聽for this June 29聽. Organizers change up the route every year,聽but it generally covers 100 miles and 10,000 feet of climbing. The state鈥檚 lush countryside and fully supported aid stations are such a draw that Coloradans and Californians make the trip.


(Max Pixel)

Alpine Panorama Route

St. Margrethen to Aigle, Switzerland

Style: Road tour
Miles: 300

One of nine officially designated bike tours in Switzerland, National Route 4, also known as the , is itself nine stages long and covers 300 miles while gaining 30,000 feet in the mountains and the rolling hills of the Swiss foreland.聽You鈥檒l ride past bucolic farmland, mountain passes and gorges, castles, and tidy chalets with self-pay apple-cider stands. The well-marked route is great for self-guided tours, and if you鈥檙e feeling fit, try the dramatic punch up to the ski station of Saas-Fee.


(C J B Scholten/Wikimedia Commons)

Tai Mo Shan Downhill

Hong Kong

Style:聽Downhill mountain-bike trail
Miles: 18+

Named for the tallest mountain in Hong Kong, which it descends, is really a series of trails that takes you from Tai Mo Shan Country Park, past the Tai Lam Chung聽Reservoir, and all the way to the Gold Coast, if you chose. Expect steeps, rock gardens, and berms, with drops up top聽and terrain聽that mellows聽out somewhat as you descend until you reach the fast, beginner-friendly trails around the reservoir and, eventually, the ocean. You鈥檒l want a dual-suspension bike with plenty of travel and a friend or taxi to shuttle you, as it鈥檚 a big climb to the trailhead.


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贵贸颈补

Algarve, Portugal

Style: Road
Miles: 20+

The word has long been out among regular tourists that Portugal is more affordable and less crowded then the rest of Western Europe, but that news is only now reaching the cycling community. The Algarve region, in the country鈥檚 far south, is a perfect mix of culture and rolling terrain, and it features a great assortment of category 2, 3, and 4 climbs, with stops along the way for coffee and pastries. From the town of Alm谩dena, head through the聽foothills of anachronistic Portugal and , the region鈥檚 highest peak. For steeper聽climbs, head north to Manteigas聽and fuel up for the effort with a 鈥淪uper Bock鈥濃攁 local beer.


(Pinnedgrit)

Belgian Waffle Ride

San Marcos, California

Style: Gravel
Miles: 133
When: May 5

This sufferfest soothes its 13,000 feet of elevation gain and roughly 130 miles with waffles and beer. That鈥檚 great, but we mostly love it because, unlike some other gravel beatdowns we know, happens in May in sync with Europe鈥檚 spring classics, the spirit of which it has been designed to replicate, so you (probably) won鈥檛 die of heat exhaustion.


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Dale Ball Trails to the Winsor Trail

Santa Fe, New Mexico

Style: Cross-country singletrack
Miles: 25+

You鈥檒l have to love climbing for this one. Leaving from Santa Fe鈥檚 central plaza, you鈥檒l climb the 聽and find your way to the Santa Fe National Forest and the Chamisa Trail, which has two routes that ascend聽about two miles to the Winsor Trail, a steady, 9.3-mile doubletrack grind that tops out after 7,000 feet of climbing. But that means there鈥檚 7,000 feet of descending ahead of you. And better yet, it all聽ends in the village of Tesuque, whose namesake market is home to the best taco and enchilada plate and margarita around.


(wwoods/Wikimedia Commons)

Mount Washington Hill Climb

North Conway, New Hampshire

Style: Road climb
Miles: 7.6
When: August 17鈥18

It鈥檚 been called the hardest hill climb on earth, and in terms of actual bike races, . The average grade is 12 percent, after all, and some large sectors sustain 16 to 18 percent, while the last few hundred feet max out at 22 percent. That鈥檚 steep enough that in spots you鈥檒l have a hard time maintaining traction on your rear wheel. Sadly, the only time you can ride this treasure is during the actual race (and its one practice ride), which benefits the Tin Mountain Conservation Center. That needs to change, because cyclists that don鈥檛 have $350 to spend on the entry fee should get the chance to test themselves, too, but the benefit is worthy if you have the cash.


(Dave Silver/Wikipedia)

BC Bike Race

British Columbia, Canada

厂迟测濒别:听Singletrack
Miles: 200+
When: July 4鈥12

The best ride is the one you鈥檙e on right now. Which is why we鈥檙e including the in this roundup. Instead of telling you which section of trail in B.C.聽is our favorite, you can tell us. The race covers seven stages and includes the rooty, loamy聽boreal riding that western Canada is famous for. It can be grindingly technical. It can be fast and flowy. What is constant is Canadian beer. In short, it鈥檚 like cycling: wildly diverse in its excellence and all the better for it.


(Courtesy Giba Gorge)

Giba Gorge Mountain-Bike Park

Pinetown, South Africa

Style: Cross-country and downhill
Miles: 15+

Technically, it鈥檚 not one ride but seven, but if you find yourself in South Africa with the need to shred dirt, head to 17 miles northwest of Durban and the Indian Ocean, where you鈥檒l shred berms, rock drops, and bridges and push yourself on fast, fun climbs. Anchored by cross-country trails like the Blue Route, a ten-mile loop that鈥檚 one of the most popular rides in the country, the park also features downhill and enduro trails to give your full-suspension rig a workout, as well as聽BMX and supercross tracks聽and horse-riding routes.


(Aquarianbydesign/Wikimedia Commons)

Mount Tamalpais to Point Reyes

Marin County, California

Style: Road
Miles: 94

You can ride as part of the Mount Tam Century or on your own whenever it suits you. But you must ride it. Our friends that are familiar with the route rave about both the ride quality of its beautiful California tarmac and the views as you emerge from the fog of the redwood forests. Loops in this area can run any length you like. We聽recommend the 94-mile option that聽includes the climb up 2,560-foot Mount Tamalpais, but whatever route you choose, you鈥檒l likely gain 3,000 feet or more.


(Jos茅 Luis Rodr铆guez C./AP)

Breck Epic

Breckenridge, Colorado

Style:听颁谤辞蝉蝉-肠辞耻苍迟谤测
Miles: 220+
When: August 11鈥16

Breckenridge is home to聽some of the longest and most rollicking backcountry rides in North America, but figuring them out on your own can be a lesson in orienteering. Better to sign on with the ,聽a six-day race/ride that will see you tackle a 35-to-50-mile loop of the region鈥檚 most amazing trails each day for six days. That鈥檚 a staggering amount of high-country singletrack and聽would involve much cursing and map reading to navigate on your own. Days three (Guyout), four (Aquaduct), and five (Wheeler) are the most memorable, and you鈥檒l finish each stage in the tent with a recovery sandwich known as a Big Johnson: PB&J with fluff and potato chips smashed in.