(Bike) Rides of the Century

Put your summer cycling to the test this month and next. Fall bike-ride season is here, so take a break from your usual club itinerary, celebrate Lance Armstrong's return to competitive cycling and venture out to see another part of your state or even country. The following are some of the most beautiful or challenging stretches of roads in the U.S.

You may have to battle some newbies at the start of your ride, but once you get out ahead, it doesn't matter. At the end of the day, after 100 miles, the perks of good food and drink combined with positive-karma points earned for raising money for a worthy cause make for a meaningful weekend.

ithinkiCanyons, Sept. 20, $60 registration, $50 students, $200 relay team of four.

If you're a masochist, head to Salt Lake City for the second annual ithinkiCanyons ride, which features 12,000 feet of climbing over 110 miles. The cause is to end homelessness, with proceeds going to health-care provider the Fourth Street Clinic, and the rigor designed to symbolize the challenge the homeless encounter in their everyday battles. The ride reaches its highest point around mile 45, when cyclists climb Big Cottonwood, topping out at 8,526 feet.

Tour de Whidbey, Sept. 27, $70 registration, $110 tandem team.

If peaceful, idyllic surroundings are more your cup of Powerade, venture out to Puget Sound in the state of Washington and ride 100 miles on Whidbey Island. Originating at a farm in the center of the island, the figure-eight Tour de Whidbey layout takes cyclists through rolling terrain that gains nearly 8,000 feet while providing gorgeous views of the sea. The Tour, which benefits the local Whidbey General Hospital, might be good for couples who want to stay a while. A ferry ride away from Seattle, the island is famous for its Penn Cove mussels, artists' collective, beautiful beaches and estate-grown wines.