Lake Tahoe hosts ‘America’s Most Beautiful Bike Ride’ on June 2

On June 2, more than 3,000 bicycling enthusiasts from all over the country will participate in the 28th annual “America’s Most Beautiful Bike Ride” around Lake Tahoe. This fun ride is not a race, but a tour and promotes the Lake Tahoe Bikeway project, the master plan to construct and inter-connect all the bike lanes around Lake Tahoe. This is a fully supported tour offering spectacular scenery, fresh mountain air, rest stops with great food and beverage; is staffed by volunteers from various local organizations and is professionally managed by experienced ride organizers.

The ride is also the culmination of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s spring Team In Training (TNT) national fundraising program where 900 participants from 26 chapters and branches are participating and expect to raise nearly $4 million. Over the past 22 years, TNT has brought nearly 25,000 participants to Lake Tahoe and America’s Most Beautiful Bike Ride, bringing their total funds raised to $100 million. Since its founding in 1949, the Society has invested more than $100 million in research to support their mission of finding a cure for Leukemia, Lymphoma, Hodgkin’s Disease and Myeloma and to improve the quality of life for their patients and families.

Bicyclists will ride three tour options based on their ability level with all rides starting and finishing from the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Stateline.

For the “recreational” experienced bicyclists, the Lake Tahoe Boat Cruise and 35-mile Half Ride is traditionally offered featuring a sightseeing boat cruise on Lake Tahoe Cruise’s Tahoe Paradise, complete with a continental breakfast across the Lake to North Lake Tahoe where participants start their 35-mile bike ride back to the Hard Rock. This ride option offers challenge as well as beauty with over 1,000 vertical feet of climbing along Lake Tahoe’s east shore.

For the conditioned bicyclists, the 72-mile route around Lake Tahoe is not only one of the most scenic, it is also one of the only bi-state bike rides in the country with its route in both California and Nevada. The 72-mile route circumnavigates the highways around Lake Tahoe in a clockwise direction and offers over 4,000 vertical feet of climbing.

For the more conditioned “Century Rider” bicyclists, a 100-mile option is offered that includes an additional out and back on Highway 89, from Tahoe City to historic Truckee offering additional vertical feet of climbing before returning to Tahoe City to continuing around the Lake. This ride option offers over 4,900 vertical feet of climbing.

Rest Stops, stocked with a variety of fresh fruits, Nature’s Bakery Fig Bars, Cookies, Tahoe Trail Bars, Cytomax Energy Drink, Gu Energy Gel, and more are offered at the Vikingsholm Parking Lot overlooking Emerald Bay; at Gate Keepers Museum Parking lot in Tahoe City; Save Mart in Truckee; King Beach and Spooner Junction. A lunch is featured at the Kings Beach Rest Stop co-sponsored by Port of Subs and Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care. Tahoe Sports Ltd., Shoreline Sports, Blue Zone Sports, Olympic Bike Shop, Paco’s Bike Shop, WattaBike Shop and more also provide technical support.

Sponsoring rest stops include volunteers from Sierra Education Foundation, Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Rite of Passage and the Lake Tahoe Bicycle Coalition plus many other volunteers. Event communications are coordinated with the Tahoe Amateur Radio Association and the Tahoe Blue Riders provide Motorcycle support as well as Barton Health Care/Tahoe Orthopedic Center and Douglas County Search & Rescue providing medical first aid services.

All ride options begin at 6 a.m. to 7:30 a.m., with staggered 15-minute start windows. All bicyclists will receive a Lake Tahoe welcome packet, a commemorative number, event T-shirt, custom water bottle, food and beverage at all rest stops, a lunch stop in Kings Beach and after ride meal and pool party with live entertainment featuring local favorite group, Deep Fryed Mojo, at the Hard Rock Hotel. All riders will also be awarded a Finisher’s Medal at the finish line.

Pre-registered rider check-in will take place on June 1, from noon to 8 p.m. at Tahoe Sports Ltd. In the Village Shopping Center, located on Highway 50 and Heavenly Village Way in South Lake Tahoe; or on June 2, the morning of the ride, starting at 5 a.m. at the Hard Rock parking lot C. Registration is sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Tahoe Sierra. The ride has a limited number of spots for late/same day registration.

For information, go to www.bikethewest.com or call 800-565-2704. E-mail: tgft@bikethewest.com.