Photo by Allan Crawford
A solitary rider on the Pacific Coast near Long Beach, CA.
Meets
Bike Fest Tour of Long Beach (The Pike at Rainbow Harbor) Full day of family fun including live music, vendors and beer garden. Fundraiser supporting pediatric cancer research at Miller Children’s Hospital of Long Beach. bikefestlb.com
Cyclone Coaster Ride (2300 E 4th St.) First Sunday of each month, this free ride (slow pace – a celebration of old and unusual bicycles) departs from Portfolio Coffeehouse at 9:30 a.m. cyclonecoaster.com
Long Beach Bike for Art, Bike Scavenger Hunt (628 Alamitos Ave.) Start at the Museum of Latin American Art and cruise Long Beach by bike, discovering public art while helping to keep great art alive. artslb.org/collaborative
Long Beach Sea Festival (Various locations on the coast) Enjoy movies at the beach, dragon boat racing, crawfish and lobster, sand sculptures, island dancers and many more fun events. longbeachseafestival.com
Velo Caravan Ride (1824 E. Broadway) Last Saturday of each month, this free ride (slightly faster pace, calling together “classic” bikes and others) departs from the Bicycle Stand at 10 a.m. thebicyclestand.org
Long Beach International City Bank Marathon (Downtown Long Beach) Ride one of the most beautiful Bike Tours in Southern California on a fully closed course that is the exact same course as the Marathon runners. runlongbeach.com/bike-long-beach
Cali Bike Tours Bike (Downtown Long Beach) Velo Vino & Art Tour summer series offered the last Saturday of the month Jun–Sep. Enjoy a coastal bike tour and wine tasting at a local art gallery. calibiketours.com
Eats
These restaurants and cafes have bike parking either directly out front or nearby, are located by cycling routes, and most participate in Bike Saturdays, a program that offers discounts to cyclists who show their helmets or bike lock keys when making purchases.
Shortnin Bread (401 E. 3rd St.) This adorable bakery serves breakfast and offers a little taste of heaven with every bite of lemon meringue tart, strawberry ice cream sandwich and shortbread cookies. shortninbreadbakery.com
Lola’s Mexican Cuisine (2030 E. 4th St.) Friendly Retro Row restaurant offering delicious Mexican cuisine with excellent enchiladas de camaron, (shrimp enchiladas) and SoCal’s first parklet with outdoor dining. www.lolasmexicancuisine.com
Crème de la Crêpe (400 E. 1st St.) Casual French café in artsy East Village serving an extensive selection of tasty crepes, seafood and pasta, including the delicious vegetarian risotto. cremedelacrepe.com
Siem Reap Asian Cuisine (1810 E. Anaheim St.) Located in Cambodia Town, the largest Cambodian community outside of Cambodia, this restaurant offers an extensive menu of Cambodian cuisine. siemreapasiancuisine.com
Omelet Inn (108 W. 3rd St.) Relaxed downtown neighborhood spot offers every kind of omelet you could want, fresh squeezed OJ and the best plate-sized blueberry pancakes in town. omeletteinn.com
Gaucho Grill (200 Pine Ave.) Argentinean cuisine in downtown offers tasty entrees, including the pollo a la mostaza (grilled boneless breast with Dijon sauce, served with mashed potatoes and zucchini). gauchogrillusa.com
Belmont Brewing Co (25-39th Pl.) This Belmont Shore location has an extensive menu that can be enjoyed along with a beautiful sunset from the ocean view bar or patio. belmontbrewing.com
Open Sesame (5215 E. 2nd St.) Lebanon cuisine in Belmont Shore has a tasty chicken tawook (skewered cubes of marinated, charbroiled chicken breast, with hummus, garlic sauce, pita and a salad). opensesamegrill.com
