Dating back to 1981, the Chico Wildflower Century is one of the oldest, prettiest and best-run century rides in the country. And if the spring winds kick up or it’s excessively hot, it’s also one of the toughest 100-milers out there.
New this year only will be the Wildcat 125, a 125-mile route to help CSU Chico celebrate its 125th anniversary. That should put early-season legs to the test.
The ride is limited to 4000 riders. The pre-registration deadline is April 15. Late registrations will only be accepted if there is still space available. 
Chico has been named one of the top cycling communities in the nation for both its transportation and recreational riding. If you’ve never experienced its two-wheel charms and community spirit, there’s no better time than the spring. There’s huge Bidwell Park right in town, the ride up Honey Run Road through Butte Creek Canyon, a steep climb up Table Mountain to fields of wildflowers, screaming descents and miles of bucolic and flat farm roads.
The Wildflower is noted for its great ride support from volunteers and local companies like Knudsen Juices and Sierra Nevada Brewing Company. Its food stations feature plenty of fresh fruit and baked goodies like streusel-date bars, banana-walnut bread, and raspberry granola bars. In fact, it’s been said that the food on the Wildflower is so good that you can either ride for time or for weight.
In addition to the standard Wildflower 100 with 4,300 feet of elevation gain, riders can opt for the Mildflower 65 with less than of 2000 feet of climbing, or the Flatflower routes of 30 and 60 miles that have no climbing.
For more info on this and other rides put on by the Chico Velo Cycling Club, check out ChicoVelo.org.
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