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Other stories in "Spring"

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• Road Trip/Wildflowers in bluff country
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• Enticing the tourist
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• The mushrooms are coming
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• Connoisseurs of concrete
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• Snap up copy of new biking guide
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• On the road in Wabasha
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• Hot date
  On new bike tour, pedal halfway and take a boat back.
• Birds, and birders, are on the move
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• Pioneer for a day
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• Pitch in, and your stay is cheap or free
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• A room in the Zona Romantica
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• Guest List/Andrew Slade's Top 5 North Shore campgrounds
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• Do It Now/Sign up for sports camp
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Sightseeing on $20 a day

See the best of the Midwest from the seat of a bicycle.

As people who like to ride bikes know, an organized bicycle tour is one of the great deals of vacation travel.

Why pay big bucks to an "adventure'' outfitter when you can join a local tour for very little? You could pay Timberline Adventures of Denver $1,800 for its tour of Missouri's Katy Trail — or you could pay Missouri state parks $250 for the same thing, albeit with accommodations in tents, not hotels.

For anyone who's reasonably fit, bike tours are the best possible way to see the countryside, and sponsors do everything for participants except pedal and set up tents.

On rides that benefit good causes, you're almost guaranteed that fellow riders will be people worth knowing. One of the best is Minnesota's TRAM; you have to raise at least $300 for the MS Society, but riding will cost you about $20 a day.

Now is the time to think about signing up. Some tours fill, and others increase their fees as the ride approaches. Fees include a camping space, hot showers, snacks, gear shuttle and on-road support.

Katy Trail Ride, June 16-20. Missouri's crushed-limestone Katy Trail is the longest developed rail trail in the nation, 225 miles from St. Charles (near St. Louis) to Clinton, roughly along the Missouri River. Cost is $250 for adults, $200 for children 14 and under and $700 for a family, including breakfast and dinner daily. 800-334-6946, www.katytrailstatepark.com.

Red River International Bike Tour, June 16-20. This 300-mile tour starts and ends in Grand Forks, making a loop on the North Dakota side of the Red River up to the Canadian border and back through Minnesota, with overnights in Turtle River and Icelandic state parks in North Dakota, Pembina and Old Mill State Park in Minnesota. Fee is $135. 701-780-9424, www.rribt.com.

GRABAAWR, Great Annual Bicycle Adventure Along the Wisconsin River, June 21-28. This 490-mile ride follows the Wisconsin River from its headwaters near Eagle River to Prairie du Chien on the Mississippi. Cost is $240 through April (then $270) plus $60 for motorcoach transportation from Prairie du Chien to Eagle River. 608-843-8412, www.bikewisconsin.com.

Midwest Scenic Tri-State Ride, June 23-27. This 260-mile loop, now in its second year, may have the most scenic route in the region, starting on the Mississippi in Lansing Iowa, and traveling through bluff country to Coon Valley, Wis., along the Root River State Trail to Lanesboro, Minn., and on to Decorah, Iowa. Cost is $195, half-price for children 5-9. 608-341-8854, www.midwestscenic.com.

Habitat 500, July 13-19. This 500-mile tour benefits Habitat for Humanity. This year, it makes a loop through central Minnesota, from Monticello to Hutchinson, New London, Little Falls, Onamia, Foley and back to Monticello. Registration fee is $150 until March 31 (then $175), and minimum pledge is $850. 612-331-4439, www.habitat500.org.

RAGBRAI, The Register's Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa, July 20-26. This year, the granddaddy of bike tours is 471 miles, starting near Omaha and cutting through the middle of the state, with stops that include Ames, Tama, North Liberty (near Iowa City) and Tipton, ending at Le Claire, just north of the Quad Cities. Fee for the week is $125, and passes for the 8,500 week-long riders and 1,500 daily riders are chosen by lottery; the on-line deadline is April 1. 800-474-3342, www.ragbrai.org.

SAGBRAW, Schramm's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Wisconsin, July 27-Aug. 2: This year, the relatively leisurely tour starts in La Crosse and heads east to Lake Michigan. The tentative 360-mile route includes stops in Tomah, Mauston, Baraboo, Waupun and Kewaskum. Cost is $240 through April (then $270), plus $60 for motorcoach transportation from finish to start. 608-843-8412, www.bikewisconsin.com.

Bike Northwoods, July 5-11: This 360-mile ride starts on Chequamegon Bay in Ashland. The tentative route heads south to Galesville in the bluffs above the Mississippi, with stops in Drummond, Hayward, Rice Lake, Menomonie and Pepin. Cost is $300 through April (then $330), plus $60 for motorcoach transportation from finish to start. 608-843-8412, www.bikewisconsin.com.

MS TRAM, The Ride Across Minnesota, July 20-25: This tour benefits the Minnesota chapter of the MS Society. This year, it's traveling from the Iron Range to Lake Superior, starting in Grand Rapids and following the Mesabi Trail to Chisholm, then continuing to Biwabik, Two Harbors and Duluth. Registration fee is $50 through June 30, with a minimum pledge of $300. 612-335-7950, www.mstram.com.

Tour da U.P., Aug. 3-7: This ride through Michigan's Upper Peninsula benefits Teaching Family Homes of Marquette. This year, it's traveling a loop through the southern U.P. from Menominee and includes two nights in Iron Mountain, with a layover day for whitewater rafting at Piers Gorge or visits to other attractions. Cost is $375 by June 15. 906-249-5437, www.teachingfamilyhomes.com.

Mickelson Trail Trek, Sept. 19-21: This crushed-limestone trail in South Dakota's Black Hills stretches 109 miles between Deadwood and Edgemont, over more than 100 converted railroad bridges and through four rock tunnels. Fee is $150 by July 15. 605-584-3896, www.mickelsontrail.com.

Last updated on August 4, 2008