SD Century Bike Ride to take on RSF roads on May 19

The San Diego Century Bike Ride will roll through Rancho Santa Fe on Saturday, May 19. Spectrum Sports Management anticipates 1,000 cyclists to participate in the day-long event.

At the March 1 Rancho Santa Fe Association board meeting, RSF Patrol Chief Matt Wellhouser said as Spectrum pursues its use permit from the County of San Diego, it is important the group meets with the community to hear feedback on concerns that can possibly be worked into Spectrum’s final permit approval.

Spectrum Sports Management President/CEO Mike Bone said he wants to ensure that the event goes as smooth as possible as it passes through the Rancho Santa Fe community. Rancho Santa Fe Patrol Chief Matt Wellhouser has stated before that the proliferation of cyclists has become a sensitive issue for many residents as they are concerned about shared safety on the rural roads.

“The county wants to make sure that the riders are riding single file and that the event course is on our wider roads that support bicycles,” Wellhouser said.

The 12th annual event features three courses of 33, 67 and 105 miles, all launching from Mira Costa College in Encinitas and entering the Ranch from different points for some late miles. The 105-mile route will utilize local streets such as Via de Santa Fe, Villa de la Valle, Calzada del Bosque and San Dieguito Road while the 67-mile route will ride Paseo Delicias, El Montevideo, Lago Lindo and El Camino Del Norte.

Bone said that the plan is to string riders out at the start over a couple of hours, in an effort to have smaller groups out on the road. It is a “rules of the road” ride, meaning that no streets will be closed for the event.

Cyclists will have covered about 30 miles before they enter Rancho Santa Fe, so Bone said they should be fairly-well spaced out but Director Mike Gallagher requested that they really place on emphasis on riding single file through the Ranch.

“It’s so important on our narrow roads with no bike lanes that they adhere to that single file rule,” Gallagher said, requesting more active messaging on RSF streets.

Proceeds from the SD Century Ride will benefit NOLAH, a nonprofit founded in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina by San Diego residents with deep-South roots. The disaster recovery organization’s mission has expanded to include helping disabled veterans adapt to their situation by completing needed ADA alterations to their homes.

To learn more about the event or its courses through Rancho Santa Fe, visit spectrumsportsevents.com