Changing conditions are a part of any cyclist's ride. A sudden branch that comes down up ahead, or pedestrians redirecting their courses, or even the wind can make a rider rethink his or her next five hundred feet.
But many a rider has fallen a little in love with city street rolls, courtesy of CicLAvia and other metro-minded bike events. Which means that turning the handlebars back to the nature path can require a little rerouting.
That nature path we speak of? It's the Los Angeles River, which is the birdy, bridge-laden setting for the LA River Ride, which wheels back again at the start of summer. As it will again on Sunday, June 22.
It's a fundraiser for the LA County Bicycle Coalition, the organization behind the yearly roll.
And like the big Wilshire and downtown and in-the-city rides, the paths are numerous. Yep, they're set at the LA River Ride, but there are ten lengths to choose from, with two start and finish locations (The Autry in Griffith Park and The Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach).
The shortest ride? It's fifteen miles and is billed as "the Family Ride." The longest? It's a full-on century. And is there a kids' ride? Always.
There are a few fun rolls in the middle, like an Explorer Ride and a Long Beach Loop.
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Whatever you choose, call it a fine way to commune with the river on the first Sunday of summer, and other riders, too. Nope, we never want those expansive, big-scoped urban rides to lessen -- and the word on the wind says they only keep growing -- but returning to a bike path by the river is a good nature-connect kind of ride, too.
For registration fees and LACBC's other events -- helloooo, Bike Prom -- throw your kickstand down here.
