Strambecco rates the Best Road Cycling Events Southwest 2025 based on factors including reputation, route quality, location, rider feedback, and the event’s or race’s overall uniqueness. Spanning California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico, the Southwest terrain features of Strambecco’s best list include mountains, canyons, mesas, buttes, high broad basins, plateaus, desert lands, and some plains characteristic of the Basin and Range Province. The entire southwestern region features semi-arid to arid terrain. The list includes events in Northern California marked by old-growth forests, spectacular coastal routes, and generally cooler temperatures.
If we had to pick the best of the best road cycling events Southwest 2025, or those you’d classify as bucket list events, we’d recommend two Northern California events, Levi’s Gran Fondo in the Spring and Tour of CA Alps (aka The Death Ride) in July. We’d also recommend the Utah-Cache Gran Fondo in the Fall. We find a strong correlation between the best events and professional event producers. The Southwest premiere event producers include Outside Events, Life Time Events, and the Gran Fondo National Series.
Strambecco does not list every event. We strive to identify and review events that are special and noteworthy. If you have suggestions on other events we should consider or review, please get in touch with us here or send us a note at editors@strambecco.com. You can also see some of our other best guides here:
El Tour de Zona operates as a fully-supported three-day cycling tour that prioritizes exploration and camaraderie over pure competition. Based in Sierra Vista, Arizona, this event from the Perimeter Bicycling Association combines…
The Sea Otter Classic transforms Monterey County into cycling’s ultimate playground, hosting over 300 events across four days that span every discipline imaginable. From mountain bike enduro in Fort Ord’s rugged terrain…
This 60-mile gran fondo follows the spectacular La Sal Mountain Loop Road, showcasing some of Utah’s most diverse terrain in a single ride. The route winds alongside the Colorado River before climbing…
The two-day festival offers riders a choice between two distinct routes showcasing Moab’s diverse terrain. The Gran Fondo follows the 63-mile La Sal Mountain Loop Road with 5,500 feet of elevation gain,…
The Belgian Waffle Ride Gran Fondo takes the legendary BWR festival atmosphere and translates it to pure road cycling. Held alongside the famous gravel race in San Diego, this event offers three…
L’Étape Las Vegas brings the legendary Tour de France experience to the American Southwest as the sole U.S. destination for the L’Étape by Tour de France series. Organized by the same group…
The Gran course showcases the legendary Nebo Loop climb, a challenging ascent that gained prominence as a featured climb in the Tour of Utah from 2010 to 2018. This iconic route takes…
This annual Italian-style ride through Cache Valley in Northern Utah has earned recognition as one of the premier gran fondos in North America and continues to grow as one of Utah’s largest…
The Death Ride has evolved from a modest gathering of 17 friends in 1978 to a legendary cycling challenge that attracts riders worldwide seeking to test their climbing prowess against the Sierra…
The Tour de Big Bear unfolds across multiple challenging routes through the San Bernardino Mountains, reaching elevations up to 8,500 feet. The centerpiece 100-mile century starts at 7 am from Bear Mountain…
The Enchanted Circle follows the entire 85-mile Enchanted Circle Scenic Byway through Northern New Mexico’s high country, taking riders counterclockwise from Red River through Questa, Taos, and Eagle Nest before returning to…
Started in the 1980s by two Logan cyclists seeking to create an American equivalent to the grueling one-day European classics, LoToJa has evolved from a seven-rider challenge into one of the nation’s…
Starting at 8,074 feet in the Sierra mountains, the Mammoth Gran Fondo delivers one of cycling’s most spectacular high-altitude experiences. What sets this event apart is that 75% of the route is…
The Valley Spokesmen Bicycling Club celebrates 42 years of the Mt. Diablo Challenge, an 11.2-mile climb up one of the Bay Area’s highest peaks. The event transforms South Gate Road through Mount…
Former pro cyclist Phil Gaimon created this unique fondo that combines challenging riding through Malibu’s Santa Monica Mountains with an impressive cookie operation—10,000 gourmet cookies strategically placed at aid stations throughout the…
El Tour de Tucson stands as Arizona’s largest participative cycling event, drawing nearly 7,500 cyclists from around the globe to Tucson the Saturday before Thanksgiving. This 40+ year tradition brings together riders…
