11th annual event invites thousands to pedal across San Diego-Coronado Bay Bridge

Participants who complete new loop to receive commemorative patches – Proceeds from community ride to support better biking in San Diego

San Diego CA— The views keep getting better for San Diego’s iconic Bike the Bay event offering a rare opportunity to ride across the world-renowned San Diego-Coronado Bay Bridge. Participants of all bike-riding abilities will travel through five cities along the distinguished Bayshore Bikeway path to take in the region’s breathtaking sights. For the first time, participants will have a chance to embark on an optional off-road portion adding natural habitat and undeveloped areas to the lists of “awe” riders will experience.
Bike the Bay remains the San Diego Bike Coalition’s biggest fundraiser of the year, supporting the organization’s efforts to advocate for and protect the rights of all people on bikes from Imperial Beach to Oceanside. Special to this year, the scenic ride will feature an optional eight-mile gravel loop route hosted by the San Diego Mountain Biking Association – welcoming adventure-seekers with mountain bikes, hybrids or gravel bikes to cruise through picturesque scenery. This new route starts just off the Bayshore Bikeway at the west end of Main Street in Chula Vista, weaves through dirt trails and returns to the Bayshore Bikeway loop.
“We added the gravel loop option to Bike the Bay this year to offer a new way for riders to experience the joys of biking in our beautiful region,” says Bike Coalition Executive Director Andy Hanshaw. “It also allows our Bike the Bay veterans to add a new challenge to their summer tradition.”
On Sunday, August 26, Bike the Bay invites community members and their bikes to Embarcadero Marina Park South on Harbor Drive where the ride will kick off in two waves beginning at 7 a.m. A lane on the San Diego-Coronado Bridge will close to cars to allow participants to pedal the 2.1-mile bridge safely and in a car-free lane.
The remainder of the 25-mile route (33 miles including the gravel loop addition) rolls through five cities along the nationally renowned Bayshore Bikeway path – Coronado, Imperial Beach, Chula Vista, National City and the City of San Diego.
After completing Bike the Bay, participants can enjoy live entertainment, food trucks and a Coronado Brewing Co. Beer Garden at Embarcadero Marina Park South. To celebrate the ride’s new gravel loop, the Bike Coalition will distribute commemorative patches to all those who complete the new loop.
Registration, course maps and other information can be found at www.bikethebay.net. Registration is required and should be done as early as possible as previous years have sold out. A portion of Bike the Bay proceeds benefit the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition, an organization advocating for and protecting the rights of all people who ride bicycles.
For information about this year’s corporate sponsors and sponsorships, please visit http://www.bikethebay.net/participate/sponsors-vendors/. For more information on the San Diego Bike Coalition and making San Diego County a better place to ride bikes, please visit www.sdbikecoalition.org.