L.A. River Ride

[laughlaugh18]

Has anyone ever done this ride, which is sponsored by the L.A. bike coalition? There are 15, 40 and 75 mile rides.

http://labikecoalition.org/events/larr2006.html

I just signed up to do the 15 mile "family ride" with a friend. It'll be my first organized ride. I'm not sure what I'm more worried about - actually being able to complete 15 miles (I'll manage - I have all day), or my taking out some cute little kid who darts across my path (given my beginner-level bike handling skills).

Actually, I'm really excited - and now I have a good reason to get myself out on my bike over the next few weeks!!!

[snowbear]

If I didn't already have plans that day, I'd do it! I could do a 15 with a bit of training.
If you come across more rides like that, please post them!

Have fun, and best of luck!

[laughlaugh18]

Lots of firsts for me today - I successfully completed the 15 mile version of the LA River Ride. So, it was my first organized ride, my first time doing 15 miles, my first ride T-shirt and ride number. I even got a nice blue ribbon for finishing

The 15 mile ride was the "family ride" so there were lots of kids and bikes with cabooses. My favorite was a tandem bike rigged in the back with pedals for a cute little kid who couldn't have been more than 3 years old.

I can barely move this evening, I'm so bone tired, but it was great fun. And here's my proof (I'm in the foreground; my friend Cindi behind me).



Cathy

[tprevost]

LL18

Good for you! That is WAY cool to have all those 'firsts' happen on the same day! I wanted to do this ride but it conflicted w/DH's golf tourney and our 5year old's b-day party! I'm glad you got to go do it!

So, what do you think of organized rides based on this one? Normally they are more on the regular roadways so in some ways (other than dodging kidlets) this might have been really great not to have to dodge cars!? I'd love to hear what you liked and what you thought might be better... just curious!

Again, great job! Can't wait to hear what your next adventure will be!

Tracy

[laughlaugh18]

Thanks, Tracy - and I forgot another first - I actually got up a couple of short, sort of steep inclines (fwy overpasses) successfully - I was in the granniest of granny gears, but I never got off the bike!

I think the 15 mile was a really good organized ride for a newbie - it was mostly flat and mostly on bike paths. At this point, I'm still really freaked about sharing the road with cars.

This was the 6th annual river ride - and it seemed well organized, and very low key. They staggered the starts so the folks doing the 70 mile ride had gone before I got to the start. The 45 milers left about 1/2 an hour before we did. The only thing that was sort of disappointing was that they clearly geared the post race stuff for the longer rides. When we got back, they were just setting up the bbq. But that's okay - we went and had yummy carbs someplace else .

Cathy

[Brandy]

Sounds like you had a great ride Cathy!