Where We Ride
The Bike & Build routes offered riders a wide variety of options. From regionalized routes to cross-country excursions, every rider would get the chance to experience some of the finest views in the nation.
Central U.S.
May – Aug
Not too North, not too South, not too early, not too late. Central United States (CUS) was the Goldilocks of our route list. Shortly after the first build in Yorktown, VA, riders tackled the infamous and enchanting Blue Ridge Mountains. As riders pedaled through the ever-stretching Heartland, they followed the decades-old path of cross-country cyclists tracing segments of the TransAmerica Trail.
The Midwest eventually gave way to the charms of the Rockies including the Tetons and Yellowstone National Park. Riders then experienced some of the best-kept secrets of the West in locales like Jackson, WY and Missoula, MT. After the last build day in Eugene, Oregon, CUS ends at the Pacific Ocean in Florence, OR.
The Route
Drift West
July – Aug
Starting in Portland, OR and ending in Bellingham, WA, Drift West participants spent 3 weeks and 800 miles exploring the highlight reel of the Pacific Northwest. Geographic icons like the Hoh Rain Forest and Olympic National Park are punctuated by “megacity” celebrities Portland and Seattle, which allowed riders to experience the area’s renowned topographic diversity in full.
Drift West’s six build days were just as impressive as the surrounding terrain and feature a different affordable organization at each stop. Smaller affordable housing organizations, like Makah Housing Authority and San Juan Community Home Trust who do local, specialized work, are a primary feature of Drift West and offered riders a variegated perspective of affordable housing issues.
The Route
Southern U.S. Route
May – Aug
Starting in Jacksonville Beach, SUS riders spent their first 2 weeks hugging the Gulf of Mexico en route to New Orleans. Riders then moved on to Texas and then linked up with historic Route 66 to head on to the best of the West – the Land of Enchantment, and two nights camping in the Grand Canyon. The team’s final build day was with one of Bike & Build’s favorite partners in Palmdale, CA (Antelope Valley YouthBuild). A few days later, they saw the Pacific in beautiful Santa Barbara.
Northern U.S. Route
June – Aug
Northern United States (NUS) is one of Bike & Build’s original routes, having been around since 2003. Kicking off in Portsmouth, NH, riders started traversing New England mountains on day one, rolling through the Green Mountains and the Adirondacks en route to Niagara Falls.
The Midwest will play some of its aces, as riders swooped through Ann Arbor, Grand Rapids, Chicago, Madison, and St. Paul and spent close to two weeks in Minnesota, dontchaknow. Then the west started to call and the route skimmed the Canadian border through North Dakota and Montana with Glacier National Park waiting on the other side. The route was capped off by the Cascade Mountains in Washington and wrapped in Bellingham.
