The Roads That Made Us - A Rapha Guide to Riding to the best cycling destinations in the USA

We’re not treading new ground by telling you that America is vast. Plenty of artistic and literary work has been created from road tripping this behemoth from ocean to ocean, but we think that to truly know this continent, you have to ride it. So, what are the best cycling routes in the USA? Where do you even begin, with 50 states of wildly different topography?

Ancient misty forests in the Pacific Northwest, sun-baked pop-cultural icons in Southern California, a burgeoning yet still widely underappreciated interior up to the towering, oxygen-starved Rockies. Ride on the myriad of roads between Atlantic and Pacific and you shall not come away disappointed.

Curated by ride leaders and seasoned locals from our Clubhouses and Rapha Cycling Club hubs, this is an ode to American riding and the nation's beauty through the lens of the people who know it best.

Chicago: Spring Road to Hinsdale

Terrain: Flat, fast, long straights

A punchy ride taking you through the southwest suburbs, with the best long straights and open roads you can get this close to the city.

Bainbridge Island Tour

Distance: 30 miles (approx. 48 km)

Duration: 2 hours

Terrain: Rolling 

Just a short ferry ride from downtown Seattle, this 2-hour, 30-mile loop around Bainbridge offers some of the best riding the Pacific Northwest has to offer, including lush evergreen forests, stunning views of the Olympic and Cascade mountains and constant rolling hills. Bainbridge is also home to several local pro cyclists, so eyes peeled for fast-moving locals.

Bridge to Bridge Loop

Duration: 2 hours

Terrain: Rolling 

A quick 2-hour loop across Lake Washington via its iconic floating bridges (I-90 and 520) and around Mercer Island, an area sometimes called the world's largest outdoor velodrome.