Bike the Bay+Gravel
Bike the Bay
By Fabrece and Rolly
This ride is one of two, I believe, during which you get to ride across the Coronado. It is a ride the recreational cyclist like, because of that fact and also that the ride, other then the bridge is FLAT. The ride supports the San Diego Biking Coalition, a group that supports biking as a means of transportation as well as recreation.
The route:
I thought the route was a pretty standard for San Diego Bay. It was a mostly flat ride and the ride by the numbers was 33 miles and 817ft of climbing. This is including the gravel section. . The two note worthy sections were crossing the bridge and the gravel section. Both of which were new to me and a cool experience. There was a steep sharp turn to get on the bridge and the climb lasted about a mile. The opportunity to ride the bridge and view it provides makes the ride. The gravel portion was a nice surprise about halfway into the ride. It started off has hard compact dirt which slowly turned into lose gravel, sand, and rocks. There were a couple sharp climbs and a flowy single track that added some spice to the route. The gravel portion was a kick, also pretty flat, except for two short, steep pitches that the route support called out as you approached. There was tandems and even a recumbent we encountered on the gravel portion, not sure if they rode the entire 8 miles, kudos if they did. If you want some challenge and enjoy off-roading, the gravel section is worth it. We did it on our gravel bikes and had no issues.
The ride support:
The ride support was the best I've ever seen for an organized ride. There were tons of volunteers that showed the right direction, provided support, and had a great attitude. Traffic was directed nicely and even the train tracks were covered with small patches of carpet to make for easier crossings. The dirt sections were marked with multiple signs to direct you in the right direction and there were was support staff at the major junctions. I only stopped at one aid station and the food and drink were the standard fruits and energy bars. I'm not sure if there was an electrolyte drink or not. The support was great. More aid stations that what experienced riders are used to or potentially need. For the recreational cyclist, the numerous aid stations were probably a welcome sight. Yes, they did have electrolyte drink at the aid station we stopped at.
The overall experience:
Given how short the ride was and how the support staff was great I'd do the ride again. The ride cost $70ish to register, but gives you the opportunity to do something you can never "legally" do. Its short enough that I'd ride any bike and the laid back atmosphere gives me no reason to ride at "race pace." Its nice to partake in a ride where the standard rider isn't a MAMIL with glistening shaved legs and a $6,000 carbon race bike. The weather may not have been great for photos, but the nice overcast skies kept the ride cool. The patches were a nice change from the usual medals received. I can put these on a bag and flaunt them all year round now. For the cost and what you get, I would also agree it was fun. The bike paths can be a bit hairy as some riders still want to push the pace, so be aware and look out for yourself. The patches are great, unfortunately, I dropped my gravel patch somewhere on the course after receiving it.
By Fabrece and Rolly
This ride is one of two, I believe, during which you get to ride across the Coronado. It is a ride the recreational cyclist like, because of that fact and also that the ride, other then the bridge is FLAT. The ride supports the San Diego Biking Coalition, a group that supports biking as a means of transportation as well as recreation.
The route:
I thought the route was a pretty standard for San Diego Bay. It was a mostly flat ride and the ride by the numbers was 33 miles and 817ft of climbing. This is including the gravel section. . The two note worthy sections were crossing the bridge and the gravel section. Both of which were new to me and a cool experience. There was a steep sharp turn to get on the bridge and the climb lasted about a mile. The opportunity to ride the bridge and view it provides makes the ride. The gravel portion was a nice surprise about halfway into the ride. It started off has hard compact dirt which slowly turned into lose gravel, sand, and rocks. There were a couple sharp climbs and a flowy single track that added some spice to the route. The gravel portion was a kick, also pretty flat, except for two short, steep pitches that the route support called out as you approached. There was tandems and even a recumbent we encountered on the gravel portion, not sure if they rode the entire 8 miles, kudos if they did. If you want some challenge and enjoy off-roading, the gravel section is worth it. We did it on our gravel bikes and had no issues. 
The ride support:
The ride support was the best I've ever seen for an organized ride. There were tons of volunteers that showed the right direction, provided support, and had a great attitude. Traffic was directed nicely and even the train tracks were covered with small patches of carpet to make for easier crossings. The dirt sections were marked with multiple signs to direct you in the right direction and there were was support staff at the major junctions. I only stopped at one aid station and the food and drink were the standard fruits and energy bars. I'm not sure if there was an electrolyte drink or not. The support was great. More aid stations that what experienced riders are used to or potentially need. For the recreational cyclist, the numerous aid stations were probably a welcome sight. Yes, they did have electrolyte drink at the aid station we stopped at.
The overall experience:
Given how short the ride was and how the support staff was great I'd do the ride again. The ride cost $70ish to register, but gives you the opportunity to do something you can never "legally" do. Its short enough that I'd ride any bike and the laid back atmosphere gives me no reason to ride at "race pace." Its nice to partake in a ride where the standard rider isn't a MAMIL with glistening shaved legs and a $6,000 carbon race bike. The weather may not have been great for photos, but the nice overcast skies kept the ride cool. The patches were a nice change from the usual medals received. I can put these on a bag and flaunt them all year round now. For the cost and what you get, I would also agree it was fun. The bike paths can be a bit hairy as some riders still want to push the pace, so be aware and look out for yourself. The patches are great, unfortunately, I dropped my gravel patch somewhere on the course after receiving it. 
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