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Do I have to register before the ride?
No, you can do a late registration on June 8th at the start area in Griffith Park. However, there is an extra fee for late registration.
Registration opens at the following times
100, 70 and 50 Mile - 7:00AM.
10 Mile Family Ride and Kids' Ride - 10:00AM.
How long is the River Ride?
The River Ride is Five Rides in One - listed in chronological order below:
100, 70 and 50 Mile Rides - start at 7:30, 7:45 and 8:15AM, respectively.
The 100 and 70 miles rides are a round trip ride to Long Beach and Back to Los Angeles (Griffith Park). Century (100miles) riders will then continue back down the river path and do laps to complete the remaining 30 miles./P>
The Half Century (50 mile) ride starts at Griffith Park and turns around at the 25 mile mark in the City of Paramount. Riders complete the course back at Griffith Park.
10 Mile Family Ride - starts 11:00am
This ride is mostly along a scenic natural stretch of the LA River. Very young riders (and their families) can easily do this ride.
Kids' Ride - starts 10:00 am (If families are participating in both the kids' ride and the family ride, participate in the kids' ride first, then join up with the family riders). Kids will learn about bike safety and enjoy other activities. This is a very short ride, entirely within the start/finish area of the River Ride and appropriate for youngsters with training wheels. Riders over 9 years of age should probably ride (with an adult) on the 10 mile family ride.
Is it a round trip?
Yes, it's a round trip. The Century (100 mile) goes from the Start area at Park Center across the road from the Ranger Station and down the hill from the Merry Go Round, to Long Beach. Then participants will turn around and return to Griffith Park and do 3 laps consisting of 10 miles each. The 70 mile ride goes from the same Start area Griffith Park to Long Beach, and back. The Half Century or 50 mile ride goes to a park in the City of Paramount then returns to Griffith Park. In past rides, The Metro at Long Beach BikeStation, was incorporated, you may use Metro if you choose, however it is not an official part of the ride. The 10 mile ride stays on dedicated bike paths both in Griffith Park and on the LA River bikeway.to the LA River Center and back.
I've never done a Century, how difficult is this one?
We are referring to this as the most achievable Century available for first time century riders. The course will follow the 70 mile course (Griffith Park to Long Beach and back) and the last 30 miles will be laps of 10 miles each along Griffith Park and the Glendale Narrows portion of the LA River Bikeway. At the end of each lap, the participant has an opportunity to "bail out" if necessary. The bail out point will be located at the finish line in Griffith Park. See route slip on the day for final details and last minute changes.
Even though it isn't an official part of the ride, can I still take the Metro?
You may take the Metro if you wish. You will need at least $3.00 for your metro tickets, one ticket per rail line. The blue line begins at Long Beach Bikestation on Pine St. and 1st. Then transfer to the Red line to Union Station, from there join with the other riders heading back to Griffith park. See route slip on the day for final details and last minute changes.
What is the route of the River Ride?
Final route cues will be given to all River Riders the morning of the event. At this time, the description below is the best information available to date, but it is still subject to final confirmation, and may change slightly before the day of the race.
100, 70, and 50 Mile: Starts at Griffith Park, Park Center. Riders begin riding down Crystal Springs Drive and enter the LA River Bikeway at the 5 freeway overpass/Autry Museum and proceed downstream (south). Riders exit the Bikeway south of Fletcher Street, and detour through the city via streets. The final route to be determined but may include Riverside Drive, San Fernando, Avenue 19, North Spring Street, Alpine Street, Cesar Chavez, Boyle Boulevard, Olympic Boulevard, Grande Vista Avenue, and District Boulevard. Riders enter the South County LA River Bike Trail just east of Atlantic Boulevard in the City of Vernon, and continue downstream to Rosecrans. At Rosecrans, riders cross the River to the east bank with a rest stop at Ralph Dills Park in the City of Paramount. 50 mile riders turn around at the City of Paramount. 100 and 70 mile Riders continue south to the Port of Long Beach area and then travel on surface streets to the pit stop.
The round trip proceeds back upstream, retracing the same route in reverse, with a minor modifications in the last mile. See route slip on the day of the ride for final details.
10 Mile Family Ride: Riders begin the ride just like the above rides. At a park approximately 5 miles down the River, riders will enjoy a pit stop then return to Griffith Park the via the same route and exit the bike path near the Autry Museum area, then ride along Zoo drive to the finish. See route slip on the day for final details and last minute changes.
How long does it take to ride the River Ride?
100 Miles Experienced riders will complete the route in 5 or 6 hours, those attempting a century for the first time can expect to take longer. Once youšve hit the 70 mile mark, it will be easy to "bail out" if you find you can't complete the entire 100 miles. Course opens at 8am and support will closed completely at 5pm, so all riders need to be done in under 9 hours. Rest stops close progressively, as follows:
Long Beach Bike Station closes at 2pm
Ralph Dills Park in Paramount closes at 3pm
Family pit stop closes at 4pm
Start/finish closes at 5pm
Directional signage will be taken down following the above times. If you are still riding past closing, then you are on your own - released from the event, riding on your own in public right-of-ways with no event support.
70 Mile - Experienced riders will complete the route in under 4 hours. The rest of us can expect to be riding for 4-7 hours.
50 Mile - About the same as the 70 Mile Ride, including if you decide to use the Blue and Red line train to return.
10 Mile Family Ride - Fast paced riders will complete the 10 miles in under 1-1/2 hours. Families with kids (and those of us who enjoy a leisurely bike cruise) should expect a 2-3 hour ride.
Kids' - The kids' ride takes 10-20 minutes.
What if I want to ride more than 10 miles, but less than 50 miles?
The suggested turn around pit stop is the Maywood Riverfront Park at the end of the downtown section and the beginning of the lower half of river path. Or, you could go a few extra miles and turn around at the Holly Dale Park. Last minute changes to pit stops may occur. You will be informed of any changes the day of the ride.
What is the River Ride course like? Is the River Ride all on Bike Path or do I have to ride on city streets?
100 and 70 Mile Ride - The Park to Playa to Park travels approximately 4 miles along the LA River Bike Path, then detours onto Riverside Drive. The route goes through 9 miles on city streets through downtown Los Angeles and the City of Vernon, where riders enter the South County River Bike Trail. The route continues approximately 18 miles - from Vernon to Long Beach on the County Bike Trail and the LARIO Trail to Long Beach. From the end of the LARIO, riders travel approximately 1 mile to the turn-around point and rest stop at the Long Beach. Riders retrace their route for the return route with the exception of the final mile in Griffith Park. The final mile is on Zoo drive.
Percentages are as follows:
Bike Path: 71% (50 miles)
On-Street Biking: 29% (20 miles)
50 Mile Ride - Similar to the 70 Mile Ride except you do not travel all the way to Long Beach, instead turn around in the City of Paramount.
Percentages are as follows:
Bike Path: 50% (25 miles)
On-Street Biking: 50% (25 miles)
10 Mile Family Ride - The 10 Mile family ride travels the stretch of the LA City LA River Bikeway in the Glendale Narrows. The ride is almost entirely separate from city streets, except for the area in Griffith Park itself.
Percentages are as follows:
Bike Path: 95% (8 miles)
On-Street Biking: 15% (2 miles)
Kids' - The Kids' ride is 100% flat and 100% separate from car traffic.
Is this year's River Ride the same as last year's River Ride?
Parts of it are the same. We've added an International Food Fair with Tamales, Falafel and more! Lunch is not included in the price of the ticket so bring some extra cash. Returning riders will also enjoy live music and a raffle. There is no charge for raffle tickets, one ticket per rider. You may purchase extra raffle tickets if you wish.
Is the River Ride a race?
The River Ride is not a race. The Ride does not compute your time, nor do we award prizes to the "winners."
Are there any hills on the River Ride?
The 10 mile family ride is very flat. (It does feature two very small easy uphill sections at bridges: Alex Baum Bridge at Los Feliz and the Riverside/Figueroa.) The 100, 70 and 50 Mile ride overall is a very flat course, with only one relatively easy hill as riders climb into Boyle Heights from Downtown Los Angeles (as well as 4 easy bridges). Obviously the ride from LA to Long Beach features a very slight (almost imperceptible) continuous downhill grade, and the return ride a very slight continuous uphill grade.
If I sign up and can't ride that day, do I get my money back?
No - your admission fee is non-refundable. If you do not ride that day, you can call or email to request to have your t-shirt and goodie bag mailed to you.
How old do I have to be to ride the River Ride?
Kids' Ride: Minimum age for the Kids' ride is 2 years. Beginners with training wheels may have a difficult time on this year's off-road course. Riders over 6 years not recommended on the kids' ride.
10 Mile Family Ride: Minimum age for the Family ride is 6 years. Riders over 10 years old are recommended on the 10 Mile family ride. All family riders under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
70 and 45 Mile: Minimum age recommended for the 70 Mile ride is 14 years. All 100, 70 and 50 Mile riders under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
What kind of bike should I use for the River Ride?
100, 70 and 50 Mile - We recommend a road bike. Some brief portions (less than 0.1%) of the River access road are slightly bumpy, but still very easy to cover on a road bike by slowing down a bit and paying attention to the surface conditions. The street portion of the 100/70/50 Mile obviously includes the sometimes imperfect, sometimes uneven surface conditions found on many of our city streets. This includes approximately 6 railroad track crossings. Wider touring tires are recommended over the very skinny racing tires. Experienced riders should be able to navigate the course on pretty much any appropriate bicycle, including hybrids, mountain bikes (slick or hybrid tires suggested for longer on-road rides), tandems, recumbent, etc.
10 Mile Family Ride - This course is relatively short and can be done on pretty much any bicycle. Children's one-speed bikes are fine. Mountain bikes, hybrids, ten-speeds, beach-cruisers, motor-cross bikes, are all fine.
Kids' Ride - Training wheels may make it difficult due to the grass we will be using. Only single-speed children's bikes recommended. If your child rides a multiple-gear bike, she/he is probably ready for the 10 mile ride (and if 10 miles is too long, you can do half or two-thirds of the 10 mile ride and turn back early).
Will streets be closed for the River Ride?
No. Bicyclists must follow all the rules of the road, including obeying traffic signals, sharing the road with cars, yielding to pedestrians, etc. All riders must use common sense and obey the rules of the road.
How many Rest stops are there?
The longer rides feature at least four rest stops each available on the outbound and inbound ride.
The 10 mile ride features one rest stop.
What if I get tired and can't finish the 100 or 70 Mile Ride?
It is expected that 100 and 70 Mile riders will ride the entire course. However, there is a SAG team to help you if you cannot finish or if your bike needs repair. Each pit stop has a support or bike techs on hand to help you with repairs.
Can I get my bike tuned up before the River Ride?
If your bike needs major repairs, we will encourage you to take it to a professional bike shop. We recommend that you make sure your bike is ready before the day of the ride. REI offers this service. We will have some technical support available at the Paramount rest stop. They can fix and tune minor items, but not major ones.
Do I need to wear a helmet on the River Ride?
Yes - you must wear a helmet on the River Ride. Not only are helmets a good measure to keep you safe from head injuries, but they are required by the insurer of the ride. No riders will be allowed to participate without a helmet.
Can I wear my walkman, and talk on my cell phone while I ride?
No - walkmans that cover both ears are against State law. Using a cell phone is not recommended while you ride. If you bring your cell phone, please pull over if you need to talk on it, and resume riding when you are finished with the call.
How much does it cost to ride the River Ride?
General admission is $39 before May 15, 2007.
On or after May 15th, the fee is $49.00
General admission with one year coalition membership $50
Kids' Ride $15
If you take the Metro, be sure to bring enough for your Metro fare. A one-way ticket is $1.50 per rail line, so bring at least $3.00.
Bring extra cash if you want to eat at the end of the ride.
Current L.A. Bike Coalition members pay just $29.00 for ride admission.
Where does money raised by the River Ride go?
Money raised by the River Ride goes to the LA County Bicycle Coalition - a non-profit bicycle advocacy organization dedicated to making LA County a safe and enjoyable place to bicycle.
The Bike Coalition works to implement bike facilities - bike lanes, bike paths, bike routes, bike parking, etc - as well as to educate motorists, bicyclists and the general public on bicycling issues.
The Coalition works with government agencies and communities to ensure that good bicycle projects are completed - including past work to ensure that the new Alex Baum Bicycle Bridge over Los Feliz Boulevard was completed. The Coalition also works to stop projects that may harm the bicycling environment such as the Sepulveda pass reversible lane project that was stopped.
Is the LA River all concrete? Isn't it just a storm drain?
The LA River was a natural river that provided the water for the young city of Los Angeles for over a century. Due to flooding danger, much of the River channel has been deepened and reinforced with concrete, but today there are still many areas with a natural earthen bottom featuring tall trees, birds, turtles, and fish.
All the rides show off the scenic "Glendale Narrows" stretch of the LA River. While not quite a pristine, natural river, this 8-mile stretch just north of downtown Los Angeles, is one of the most beautiful, most natural areas along the 51-miles of the LA River. Riders can expect to see ducks, egrets, herons, and more in this stretch. The longer rides ride also features the relatively natural earthen-bottomed Long Beach Estuary, and the Golden Shore Wetlands - both inhabited by pelicans, ducks, stilts, and other shorebirds.
In recent years, the LA River has undergone a transformation from mostly just a storm drain to a true natural resource in the heart of the City. Community and environmental groups have planted thousands of trees, created new mini-parks and public art, and much more is on the way. Come and see for yourself the revitalized Los Angeles River.
What can I do to help the River Ride?
We need volunteers to staff our rest stops, setup, do course marking, cheer riders on along the course, stuff goodie bags, etc.
Volunteers are especially needed the day of the ride, but also the day before, and the week before (for goodie bag stuffing). Volunteer shifts are as short as 2 hours. All volunteers receive a River Ride T-shirt and refreshments.
To volunteer, contact the LACBC at (213)629-2142
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