Bike to Bay reaches its 10th anniversary Sunday, Aug. 27, as bicyclists come together in a non-competitive environment to ride along the 25-mile Bayshore Bikeway that surrounds the San Diego Bay and goes through National City and Chula Vista.
“There’s no competition, there’s no race, there’s no time,” said Andy Hanshaw, founder of Bike to Bay. “It really is just a chance to come celebrate bicycling.”
Hanshaw said when he first created the event in 2007 he did so with the purpose of highlighting San Diego’s bike scene.
“When I moved here (from Oregon) and started riding more, I really thought that (the Bayshore Bikeway) was a special bikeway and I thought we could look at a community-wide event that would feature that bikeway,” he said.
The bike ride starts at 7 a.m. and finishes at 1 p.m. at the Embarcadero Marina Park in downtown San Diego as riders navigate through San Diego, Coronado, Imperial Beach, Chula Vista and National City. Riders will also get to ride on the Coronado Bridge. All riders will return to San Diego for a post-ride festival with food, beverage, beer garden and entertainment.
For the 10th anniversary, Hanshaw said he expects about 3,500 riders participating in the event, compared to the 1,800 in its first year. He said riders will receive a special commemorative medal and be welcomed by elected officials and celebrities such as NBA legend Bill Walton.
Register for the event at: www.bikethebay.net. This is an all ages event.
Bike to Bay raises money for the San Diego County Bike Coalition, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the safety, connectivity, and quality of life for bike riders in San Diego County.
Hanshaw said with about 3,500 riders, some from outside of San Diego, this event allows cities like Chula Vista and National City to get on the biking map.
“It gives these cities a chance to shine,” he said. “Every time we do this ride somebody comments about things people didn’t know before they did this event or they hadn’t seen on the bikeway before.”
Hanshaw said now that the event has reached the 10-year mark, he can’t wait to see what the future has in store.
“I’m really happy and proud of what the event has become,” he said. “We are just going to continue to roll with it, and grow it and look forward to the next 10-years.”
