Coast to coast and way beyond, the 50 best rambles in America

The snow is turning slushy in the Rockies. The dogwood is about to bloom in the Southeast. Home-again cardinals are bickering with blue jays over nesting rights in Ohio. And the monsoon season hasn't begun to wet the red dirt of Taos. It's the perfect moment to wrench your bicycle out of the closet's chaos, shovel through your drawers for bike shorts, and hit the trail.

But — and isn't this the cyclist's eternal lament — exactly which trail? Have you conquered all the best paths where you live? Have you even heard of the best road rides nearby? Or in the neighboring state? Well, maybe you have. But just as likely, you haven't come close.

Thus, enter the experts. Us. As a public service to cyclists the country over, we've identified the absolute best ride in every state, from Maine to Montana. Throughout winter's doldrums — when the leitmotif of pedal, pedal, pedal dominates cyclists' thoughts because it can't occupy their time — we manned the phones, polling our auxiliary experts: riders, bike shop owners, park rangers, even hospital personnel. (We said the best rides, not the least hazardous.) We coaxed and begged until our information yielded definitive results — the 50 sweetest rides in America, with a special nod to our favorite in each of the nation's six regions. Some prevailed for scenery (soak up Montana's Going-to-the-Sun Road). Others, because they scared us silly (you try screaming down North Carolina's Ox Creek Plunge without, well, screaming). And still others were chosen just because we do like to cozy up to a nice bit of slickrock — especially in Illinois.

So, as that famous cycling band Steppenwolf once parenthetically suggested, just head out on the highway, looking for adventure. All of America is waiting. Get pedaling.

Illustration by Michael Custode