Bruce's 2003 Cycling Event Prefs

Select event listings copied from Suburban Cyclists Unlimited calendar.

May 2003

Sat. May 3: Farmlands Flat Tour, Brookdale Community College, Lincroft, NJ. 18, 25, 38, 50, 62, 100 miles. Pre-registration $20 by 4/19, T-shirt $5, lunch $6; T-shirt and lunch must be ordered with pre-registration. $25 day of event, no lunch or T-shirt. Central Jersey Bicycle Club, Howie Glick, 3 Tracy Drive, Fords, NJ 08863; phone 732-225-HUBS. CJBC@comcast.net Download brochure (PDF). (Updated on 3/3/03)

June 2003

Sat. June 7: Get Ready Metric, Pennsville, NJ. 32 or 64 miles. Enjoy easy pedaling through flat to slightly rolling terrain of the farm country of southern New Jersey. Start out from historic Fort Mott by the Delaware River and ride the first 32-mile loop. Then enjoy lunch by the Riverview Pavilion and call it a day, or continue on to the second 32-mile loop. $14 pre-registration until 5/31; $17 day of. South Jersey Wheelmen, P.O. Box 2705, Vineland, NJ 08362-2705; 609-848-6123.

Sun. June 8: Wachovia (First Union) USPRO Championship and Liberty Classic races, Philadelphia, PA.
These professional races are spectator and volunteer events. See Volunteer Information or download volunteer application (PDF). The 2003 dates were obtained from the UCI calendar (Union Cycliste Internationale - International Cycling Union) in Switzerland.
NOTE: Dates on the UCI calendar are in European format "Day/Month/Year", so 08/06/03 on the UCI calendar is June 8, 2003. (Updated on 3/13/03)

Sat. June 14: Ride for Autism, Brookdale College, Lincroft, NJ. 7, 13, 25, 35, 50, 62 or 100 mile routes through scenic central New Jersey. $40, free T-shirt for pre-registration by 5/13, includes breakfast and lunch. Registration is limited. $50 registration on the day of the event is subject to availability. No additional pledges required. Proceeds benefit the NJ Center for Outreach and Services for the Autism Community (COSAC). Andy Abere, 522 Highway 9, #189, Manalapan, NJ 07726; phone 732-521-2722. (Listed on 2/16/03)

New Event! Sat. June 21: Summer Fest Bike Tour, Clayton, DE. 16, 31, or 62 miles on mostly flat terrain with some rolling hills. All-day music festival and food after the ride. Benefits St. Joseph's at Providence Creek, an historic site that is home to educational and community service projects. $25 until 6/15, $30 after. Ray Parker, St. Joseph's at Providence Creek, P.O. Box 919, Clayton, DE 19938; 302-674-3213. (Updated on 3/19/03)

July 2003

July 5-27: Tour de France - official English-language site. (Listed on 1/6/03)

Sun. July 6: Delaware Double Cross, Middletown High School, Middletown, DE; 31 or 62 miles. Many cross-state bicycle rides are measured in hundreds of miles and many days. The White Clay Bicycle Club offers a chance to cross and "double cross" an entire state in only 31 total miles over flat terrain. In addition to the traditional route, there is a second 31-mile loop that heads south of Middletown to Clayton for a total of 62 miles. $12 pre-registration, $18 day-of event; children under 12 free with paid adult. White Clay Bicycle Club, c/o Pieter Jongebreur, 39 Hunting Ridge Rd, Newark, DE 19702; 302-738-1299.

August 2003

Sat. Aug. 2: Princeton Event, West Windsor, NJ. New start location for 2003: Mercer County Community College, Route 535 (Edinburg Rd). Choice of 7 routes: 50, 65, or 100 miles flat; 16, 25, or 35 miles rolling; or 62 miles hilly. One of the biggest one-day rides in NJ with 1,800 riders in 2000. $25 pre-registration, postmarked by 7/18 to receive a free T-shirt. $25 after 7/18, but no shirt. Registration fee includes lunch after the ride. Princeton Free Wheelers, Inc., P.O. Box 1204, Princeton, NJ 08542-1204; 609-882-4PFW (4739). Download brochure (PDF). (Listed on 2/26/03)

Sat. Aug. 9: Bridgeton Zoo Ride, Schalick High School, Centerton, NJ; 25, 50, or 100 miles, 8:00am start. The route is mostly on rural roads in Salem County, with flat to slightly rolling terrain. The 25-mile loop and first 50-mile loop have a rest stop at the Bridgeton City Zoo, and both loops follow the same route back to the high school. A second 50-mile loop is offered for century riders. Lunch is available from a deli near the high school and a discount coupon is part of the ride package. $14 pre-registration until 8/1; $17 day of. South Jersey Wheelmen, P.O. Box 2705, Vineland, NJ 08362-2705.

Sun. Aug. 17: Covered Bridge Metric Century, Lancaster, PA; 15, 31, or 62 miles. The terrain is rolling with a few small hills, and the rewards are stunning vistas of the richest farmland in America. Seven covered bridges and a lunch stop on the 62-mile ride. Shorter routes get lunch at the end. 2,585 riders in 2002. Winner of LAB 2001 "Best Biking in America!" awards for Best Country Tour and Most Scenic ride. $10 by 7/15, $20 after. $15 for T-shirt, only available with pre-registration by 7/15. Lancaster Bicycle Club, P.O. Box 535, Lancaster, PA 17608-0535. (Updated on 3/26/03)

Sat. Aug. 23: Shore Fire Century, Middletown High School, Middletown, DE; 35, 65, or 100 miles. Ride on beautiful flat to gently rolling routes from Middletown DE to points west of Dover, including Maryland's eastern shore. Four rest stops on the century route. $15 pre-registration. $20 day of event, but no shirt. Fee includes lunch stop and event souvenir. White Clay Bicycle Club, Jim Montgomery, 302-731-5371. Download brochure (PDF). (Updated on 3/22/03)

September 2003

Sat. Sept. 6: Amish Country Tour, Dover, DE. 15, 25, 50, 62, or 100-mile scenic flat routes. Mass start at 8:15am near Visitors Center, Federal St, Legislative Mall. Four food stops on the century; post-ride picnic and live music. Kent County Tourism Convention and Visitors Bureau, 435 North DuPont Highway, Dover, DE 19901; phone 1-800-233-KENT. kctc@visitdover.com (Updated on 1/26/03)

Sat. Sept. 20: Githens Center Bike-A-Thon, Lumberton, NJ. Start at the Florence L. Walther School. 10 and 25 mile rides and 1,3, and 5 mile walks begin at 10:00 am. 50 and 100 mile rides begin at 8:00 am. Registration fee is $35 for adults and $20 for children (waived if you raise $100 or more in pledges). Refreshments and lunch will be provided. T-shirts available for first 75 registrants. Githens Center (Burlington County Cerebral Palsy Association), 40 Cedar St, Mount Holly, NJ 08060; phone 609-261-1667, fax 609-261-1844. githenscp@aol.com

Sat. Sept. 20: Jersey Devil Century, Parvin State Park, Centerton, NJ; 25, 50, 75, 100, or 125 miles. Wander in and out of three southern New Jersey counties - Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem - where the terrain is flat to slightly rolling. After tackling the first 25- or 50-mile loops, the ride returns to the park for one of the best food stops of the summer. You may then continue on a new 50-mile loop or on either of the first two loops on which you have not already ridden. Ride all three loops for 125 miles. $14 pre-registration until 9/12; $17 day of. South Jersey Wheelmen, P.O. Box 2705, Vineland, NJ 08362-2705. (Listed on 1/20/03)

October 2003

Sat. Oct. 4: Fall Bicycle Flea Market, Lehigh Valley Velodrome, Trexlertown, PA. $5.00, 9:00 am - 2:00 pm. Gretta 610-967-8033.(Listed on 2/6/03)

Sat. Oct. 11: Sea Gull Century, Salisbury University, Salisbury, MD. Join 6,000 riders on this major end-of-season event. Flat terrain, but Eastern Shore winds can be brutal. Pre-registration required; no day-of event registration. Salisbury University, Campus Box 3046, 1101 Camden Avenue, Salisbury, MD 21801-6860; 410-548-2772.

Full SCU Calendar & Past Events

Full SCU 2003 Events Calendar

2003 SCU Past Events

2002 SCU Calendar

2001 SCU Calendar

2000 SCU Calendar

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Links to Other Calendars

For additional event listings, the following on-line calendars are recommended:

BCP calendar

Bicycle Exchange Ride Previews (OH, PA, and WV)

Bicycling Magazine’s Event Finder

Bike Highway

Bicycle-Rides.com is a searchable database of bicycle events, shops, and clubs throughout the continental United States. When you use this calendar, set the "Not before" date to today's date in order to not display past events.

Bikeride.com

C-Quad Cycling's Ride Finder (DE, MD, NJ, NY, PA, and VA)

League of American Bicyclists (L.A.B.): www.bikeleague.org/rideguide.htm and www.bikeleague.org/bestbiking/index.html 
Also, see the L.A.B. "Best Biking in America!" 2000 and 2001 winners.

Local Sport (bicycling, running, and multi-sport events)

The Good Cyclist - 1,000 charity rides in 37 countries.

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Things to Consider When Selecting a Ride

  1. What is the terrain — Flat, rolling, or hilly?
  2. What is the location of the ride — City, suburban, or rural?
  3. Number of participants — Do you like big rides or do crowds make you nervous? Some big events, like Bike New York or the Sea Gull, have thousands of riders. Other events have such a small turn out that you can pedal for miles without seeing another rider.
  4. Is there a special attraction along the route; for example, a lake, an historical site, the ocean, or Amish farms?
  5. How many rest stops are provided, and what is the distance between stops?
  6. What is provided at the rest stops — Just water, commercial snacks, or home-baked treats?
  7. Is any food available at the start?
  8. At the end of the ride, is lunch provided, just snacks, or no food at all?
  9. Are a T-shirt and lunch included in the registration fee? Some clubs charge extra for each.

Bicycling in Connecticut

Bicycling in Delaware

Bicycling in New Jersey

Disclaimer

All rides and activities posted on this list are the sole responsibility of the individual organizers of and participants in the ride or activity. All participants in rides and activities appearing on this list do so at their own risk and assume responsibility for all hazards, injuries, and other risks inherent in such rides and activities. Roads will be open to motor-vehicle traffic; extreme caution must be used while riding.

Unless stated otherwise, all events provide a cue sheet, marked route, and SAG support. There are no ride leaders for these events, and you ride at your own pace. When requesting information by mail, please send a S.A.S.E. to the sponsor. All distances are listed in miles. To convert to metric: 31 miles = Half Metric Century (50 km), 62 miles = Metric Century (100 km).

Does not list other clubs' rides that conflict with the major SCU events (May 4, 2003 - Quad County Metric and Sept. 14, 2003 - Lake Nockamixon Century). Commercial tours are not listed other than from sponsors of SCU or at the discretion of the editor. Triathlons and amateur races are not listed on this web site.

(Source list prepared by Jack Elias, SCU Assistant Webmaster, 4/17/2003)