BIG 'OL PEDAL PARTY. Ranging from 60- to 175-mile routes, the Wisconsin Bike Federation's massive annual ride is coming to the Chippewa Valley next year. (Submitted photo)

Hundreds of bike enthusiasts will be pedaling their way through the Chippewa Valley countryside next summer when the Ride Across Wisconsin comes to Eau Claire for the first time in its 10-year history. 

The cross-country ride, a fundraiser for the Wisconsin Bike Federation, began in 2015 as a 175-mile trek across the width of the state, from the Mississippi River near Dubuque to Lake Michigan in Kenosha. This past summer, it ran from La Crosse to Milwaukee. Next year, on July 12, Ride Across Wisconsin will be taking a victory lap, and for the first time traveling around one region of the state instead of cutting across it.

"There are many reasons for these changes," the Bike Fed says. "We want to show off more of the amazing cycling in our state, we want to give communities that are not on the border the opportunity to 'host,' we want more daylight, and – yes – we just want to try something new." 

While specific routes are still being determined, the event will include 175-, 100-, and 60-mile rides around the Valley, departing from Phoenix Park and crisscrossing the region's urban and rural scenery, including some iconic spots. 

Ride Across Wisconsin will highlight the Chippewa Valley's beauty as a cycling destination while bringing hundreds of bikers (and their families) to town. Keep an eye out for details as they develop at wisconsinbikefed.org.

Keep up with Wisconsin Bike Federation on Facebook and find more information at wisconsinbikfed.org.