San Diego CA – Want the best view of San Diego County? Grab your bike and ride Bike the Bay— the only opportunity to pedal across the renowned San Diego-Coronado Bay Bridge followed by a loop on the newly expanded Bayshore Bikeway. Participants in this causal 25-mile ride will experience some of the county’s most breathtaking waterfront views during the 7th annual Bike the Bay ride on Sunday, August 24, 2014.
Bike the Bay presents an opportunity for folks of all sorts to pedal through some of San Diego’s most remarkable neighborhoods—Coronado, San Diego, National City, Imperial Beach and Chula Vista. The event begins at 7 a.m. at Embarcadero Marina Park South on Harbor Drive in San Diego, with an expected sell-out attendance of more than 3,500 cyclists.
The San Diego County Bicycle Coalition (SDCBC), a host and beneficiary of Bike the Bay, organizes the event to encourage biking as a fun and efficient alternative to automobiles.
“This is a unique chance for bicyclists of every level to see San Diego County as they never have before,” said Andy Hanshaw of the SDCBC. “There is no other opportunity to bike across the celebrated San Diego- Coronado Bay Bridge and take in the magnificent view from outside an automobile.”
The picturesque ride starts at the Embarcadero Marina Park South, and journeys over the 2.1-mile Coronado Bridge. One lane of the bridge closes to cars in order to accommodate the thousands of bicyclists expected to take part in the early morning event.
After crossing the bridge, the primarily flat course meanders along bike lanes through the quiet streets of picturesque Coronado and onto the Bayshore Bikeway; San Diego’s premiere bike attraction. This bicycling path surrounds the entire San Diego Bay. Participants in Bike the Bay have a special opportunity to cruise on the completed parts of this premiere bike path.
Riders continue through Imperial Beach, Chula Vista and National City on dedicated bike lanes and bike routes. The ride ends at Embarcadero Marina Park South for post-ride activities, entertainment, food and a New Belgium Brewing Beer Garden. Most riders can expect to complete the fairly flat course in 2-3 hours.
As well as refreshments along the route and bike repair stations, riders receive a commemorative t-shirt (exclusive Bike the Bay cycling jerseys are also available) and entry into the post-ride festival. Helmets are required and regular rules of the road will apply. Spectators are encouraged to support their riders at key mile markers sponsored by local companies and organizations.
Registration, course maps, and other information can be found at www.bikethebay.net or by calling 619-269-6873. Registration is required and should be done as early as possible as previous years have sold out. A portion of Bike the Bay proceeds go to 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 call 619-977-2989 or email info@bikethebay.net. For more local bicycling opportunities, please visit www.sdcbc.org.