About the Bike Virginia Tour Event
The Bike Virginia Tour is a 6 day bicycling festival. The event is a program of Bike Virginia the non-profit and hosts on average 1,600 cyclists from across the country and international locations for 6 days of bicycle touring in Virginia. Sometimes we visit surrounding states too!
Riders heading out on tour in the early morning sun.
The 2014 event will be held June 20-25. Over 400 miles of route options will be available.
Location
The Tour travels around Virginia to a new location each year so you can learn the fascinating history and see the amazing scenery. In 2014 we will be visiting the region from Chesterfield to Williamsburg for a great vacation adventure. There are lots of things to see and do like visit historical sites, outdoor recreation, shopping, dining, and sightseeing, wineries and breweries in the region.
We call the tour a “Giant Loop Tour”. See a route overview here… We begin in our first host community, ride there for a few days, then venture out to a second location. We ride at that second region for a few days, then we bike back to the start. In Chesterfield Virginia headquarters will be based at Pocahontas State Park for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, June 20-23. Daily rides go on unique routes that are loops, all begin and end at headquarters. Lunch will be served to you when you return each day.
We are also offering a special women’c cycling clinic in 2014 on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Read more…
On Monday, June 23, “Move Day” the entire tour group strikes out and moves to a second host community, which will be based at Chickahominy Riverfront Park near Williamsburg. Headquarters is based there for the second half of the tour, 3 days. We again enjoy unique loop rides from that spot during our stay. Lunch will be waiting on you at the end of each day’s ride. Every day of the tour you’ll have a chance to ride on new roads and see new things.
On the final day, the 6th day of the tour, we ride back to headquarters 1 in Chesterfield. Cars can be left at the first headquarters for the entire tour. We’ll move your gear so all you have to do is have fun. See more detailed information in our planning section.
How Many Days?
Riders can register for a single day, a weekend escape, or the full 6 day tour. See 2014 prices on our Registration Page. On the tour, riders enjoy a variety of routes, we generally have options from 20-100 miles. Other days we offer only a single route of about 50 miles. Some days are good for “laying over”, enjoying non-bike activities if you wish to take a day off. On the 2014 tour we will offer just over 410 miles if you ride all the longest route options.
The type of riding varies each year. Some years we visit more mountainous areas to see beautiful overlooks, other years we are in open valleys and farmland. Each tour is given a difficulty rating. On average the primary bike route for each day is about 50 miles long. On some days we offer shortcuts, on some days we offer longer extension options. In 2014 we will offer 2 Century route options, Saturday and Tuesday.
Read more general information about riding with the Bike Virginia Tour here…
During the day the tour rolls by amazing sights like beautiful farmland and manicured vineyards. We visit interesting locations and historical spots for rest stops. A catered lunch is served at the end of the route at headquarters. Cyclists taking part in the tour will camp or book reservations in hotels. Read more about the accommodations here… There is a full schedule of entertainment and other off-the-bike activities are an exciting part of our bike tour. In 2013 we offered live music, outdoor movies, karaoke, river tubing, kayaking, museum visits, and shopping excursions.
Bike Virginia is a great way to spend time with the fun people in your life.
The Bike Virginia Tour is something you’ll never forget! Our riders come back year after year to see their friends from around the globe and to explore new regions. Join us and you’ll be sure to make memories that last a lifetime.
Visit the gallery and watch our video to see what all the buzz is about.
Check out the Frequently Asked Questions for additional information.
The Organization
The Bike Virginia Tour is organized by Bike Virginia, a 501(C)(3) non-profit organization that works to improve Virginia through cycling initiatives.
We use funds generated by the tour to support projects each year across the state that improve biking. Some of the work we do:
- Promote bicycle tourism for rural and urban communities
- Help get bicycle education into school systems
- Work with elected federal, state, and local leaders to support bicycling- recreational and transportation
- Connect people with places to ride and riding companions. (Be sure to check out the new RIDE GUIDE project.)
- Help businesses become more bike friendly
- Advise communities on being better for biking
- Help Virginia see the benefits of supporting bicycling from tourism to wellness to recreation
- Give grants for bike projects
- Consult with communities that want to offer bike events and programs
- And, inspire people to get out on the bike so they can experience the simple joy of riding
Our Press Kit and Economic Impact Study are available on this website.