Popular Bike Rides in Traverse City
Traverse City, Michigan is home to some incredible road riding and unforgettable single track. We’ve put together just a few of the can’t miss, every-local-knows-it routes that we want you to experience in the region. Whether you’ve lived here your whole life and need a new route or are just squeezing in a ride during your trip, you’ve going to love every pedal stroke.
MAPLE CITY LOOP - 32 MILES, 2,000 FEET
One of our all-time favorite rides in Leelanau County, the Maple City Loop is long enough to see some of our favorite rides, but still possible to fit in on a weeknight!
OLD MISSION PENINSULA - 42 MILES, 1,300 FEET
Primarily flat, this is the standard and unforgettable ride along the peninsula’s shoreline. Check out East and West Bay, and swing by the famous Old Mission Lighthouse at 45 degrees latitude!
GRAVEL RIDE - 34 MILES, 1,600 FEET
The (infamous) There Will Be Blood Ride offers a big chunk of northern Michigan’s finest gravel. Largely flat, there route begins and ends with some long, gradual climbs up and away from East Bay. The roads tend to be pretty sandy late June through late August, so you’ll want at least 35c tires during that time of the year.
WINTER FAT BIKE RIDE - 12 MILES, 500 FEET
In town during the winter? Rent a fat bike or bring your own and enjoy the Winter Sports Singletrack, groomed by Northern Michigan Mountain Bike Association December 1 - March 1.
PEDALIN’ BEANS’N’BACK - 40 MILES, 1,500 FEET
A mostly flat amble north to Lake Leelanau where you’ll find a nice cup of coffee and the best baked goods in the County. Add in more climbing by going over Herman or Kohler, or come back the way you came to keep it under 1,000 feet of climbing.