Tour de Lakewood › About
Everything you need to know about Lakewood’s 12-hour cycling event — no peloton required.
Tour de Lakewood is a free, community-organized cycling event that takes place entirely within the city limits of Lakewood, Ohio. On July 11th, 2026, riders of all ages and abilities are invited to explore Lakewood’s neighborhoods, parks, and streets on two wheels.
Unlike a traditional race or gran fondo, Tour de Lakewood has no mandatory course, no required distance, and no entry fee. You choose how long you ride, where you go, and what pace you keep. The only requirement is that you enjoy yourself and approximately stay within city limits.
Think of it as the Tour de France, except that it's nothing like the Tour de France. It's a fun, casual event for the community.
The first edition took place in 2025 — a small, informal ride with a handful of people, three categories, and more questions than answers. We’re still figuring it out as we go. 2026 is the second year, and we’re hoping it’s bigger and slightly better organized.
The Format
The event runs 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM Eastern. We'll do a fun ride under 10 miles to start, and then you're on your own.
Choose your own route through the city. Cover as many neighborhoods as you like, or stick to your favorite stretch of Detroit Avenue. There are no wrong turns, except maybe into Lake Erie.
Use Strava, Garmin, or any GPS app to record your ride. Then upload your GPX file to the Route Analyzer to see how many miles of your ride fell inside Lakewood city limits.
After the event, community results are posted on the Results page. Three leaderboards: most total distance, most map coverage (what % of Lakewood you covered), and most elevation gain. Bragging rights guaranteed. We’ll also try to have an after party somewhere. Details to come.
Participation
Tour de Lakewood is open to everyone. You don’t need a carbon road bike, a heart rate monitor, or a Strava subscription to participate. If you have a working bicycle and a few hours to spare, you’re in.
Past participants have included families on cruiser bikes, lifelong commuters, serious cyclists using the event as a training day, and total beginners on borrowed bikes from the garage.
Ride for an hour or two. Grab a coffee. Enjoy the city. No metrics required.
Already know every shortcut? Challenge yourself to discover new streets.
Log as many Lakewood miles as physically possible in 12 hours. Dominate the leaderboard.
The best excuse for a family bike ride around the neighborhood all year.
Event Details
No registration required. Show up on the day, ride, and that’s it. Registration details will be posted here as the event approaches.
Absolutely not. Ride one mile or fifty — it’s entirely up to you. The event is about participation and exploring the city, not hitting a specific number.
Any bike that can safely roll on paved roads. Road bikes, mountain bikes, hybrids, e-bikes, cargo bikes — all welcome. Lakewood streets are paved and suitable for most tire widths. The most challenging terrain is approximately the hill on Edgewater Drive.
The Route Analyzer is a tool where you upload a GPX file from your GPS device or Strava and it calculates how many miles of your ride fell within Lakewood city limits, along with the percentage of the city you covered. Great for settling arguments about who actually rode more of Lakewood.
Yes! Ride solo or with friends — whatever you prefer. There are no required group starts and no organized group rides, so you have full flexibility. Form your own peloton.
The event happens rain or shine. That said, use your judgement — if conditions are unsafe, prioritize your safety. Post-event results don’t require a perfect weather day.
Absolutely not. ASO has not been notified. The yellow jersey is symbolic. No one is drafting behind a team car on Madison Avenue.