Special Edition Historic Rosarito Ensenada Bike Ride

On May 3rd, participants of the 35th annual Rosarito Ensenada bike ride are in for a special treat. For the first time in the history of the event, the course will take riders down the coast on scenic toll road instead of the normal inland route on the free road. This will allow participants to take in the amazing ocean views for nearly all of the 50 mile ride.

The ride will start at 10am in front of the Rosarito Beach Hotel. Riders will head south on the free road until they reach Alisitos (K58). At that point they will merge onto the toll road and continue south. The great vistas will continue when riders reach El Mirador and have a nice downhill cruise past Salsipuedes. At kilometer 93 riders will cross a specially constructed embankment where the toll road landslide occurred in 2013. From there, riders will have 13 more miles to go before crossing the finish line at the Corona Hotel in Ensenada.

The majority of the bike ride participants are casual riders who cruise the course and enjoy the 50 mile journey to Ensenada. Ride organizers also created an "Elite Start" for more advanced riders who are racing against the clock and trying to beat the course record, which stands at 1:52:54. That time was established on April 21, 2007 by Peter Andersen with teammates Karl Bordine, Chris Dimarchi, Matt Johnson and Nate Diebler.

The Rosarito Ensenada 50 Mile Fun Bicycle Ride's history dates back to 1980, when a few friends rode the old free road from Ensenada to Rosarito Beach and noticed that they had ridden exactly 50 miles. The ride became an annual tradition and quickly grew so large that in 1986 a second ride was created to alleviate the crowds. Every year thousands of riders participate in the event.

To register for this great event or for additional information, please visit the Rosarito Ensenada Bike Ride website.

Photos used with permission from Bicycling West, Inc.