Celebrating National Bike Month and bike-friendly Long Beach, the Downtown Long Beach Associates (DLBA) will host the 6th Annual Bike Fest on Saturday, May 3 from 2:00 – 11:00 P.M. in the East Village Arts District at 1st Street and Linden Avenue. Reflecting the diverse biking community in Long Beach and beyond, a significantly expanded Bike Fest will include a wide range of activities for casual riders to serious competitors.
Event partner Wolfpack Hustle will host a Criterium or “Crit” which is a short course race that will be held on closed city streets. Known to attract thousands of riders at their Crit races across the country, Wolfpack Hustle is excited to host their first event in Long Beach.
“Long Beach has a tradition for hosting world class racing events such as the Toyota Grand Prix, the Congressional Cup and the Long Beach Marathon, so hosting a race here is quite an honor,” shared Wolfpack Hustle Race Director Don Ward. “I love organizing Wolfpack Hustle races in unique settings and Downtown Long Beach has such a beautiful historic core. I can’t tell you how excited I am about this opportunity.”
Local bicycle advocacy group Bikeable Communities will host a second race component, known as a City Cross obstacle course. Participants can sign up at the event by paying a $5 entry fee. In addition to the two major competitive events, guests can also participate in Goldsprint races sponsored by local East Village businesses City Grounds and 1897LB. A Goldsprint is where two racers compete on stationary bikes in front of a crowd of spectators, complete with a large screen tracking their progress. More leisurely event elements include a “Stylish by Bike” contests for both vintage and modern bikes and looks, local bike shop expo, and Beachwood & Friends craft beer tasting.
“Bike Fest has expanded to become much more than a biking expo,” said DLBA President and CEO Kraig Kojian. “For our 6th annual event, the DLBA is partnering with bike advocates, businesses and organizations throughout the city to host an extremely diverse set of events that reflect the growing local biking culture.”
Long Beach strives to be the most bicycle-friendly city in America and has been recognized for its many efforts. Downtown Long Beach is home to the BikeStation, the nation’s first public bike parking facility, the bike-friendly business district in the East Village and the city’s only dedicated bike lanes on both 3rd Street and Broadway. The League of American Bicyclists ranks Long Beach as a “silver” city for its bike-friendly policies and Bicycling Magazine regularly rates Long Beach as one of the most Bike-Friendly U.S. cities.
To learn more about the Wolfpack Hustle Crit, please visit wolfpackhustle.com. To learn more about Bike Fest and the DLBA, please visit downtownlongbeach.org or call 562.436.4259.
