#seaotterclassic — Public Fediverse posts

@ascentale @bikenite #BikeNite A8 What we saw this week (and continues through April 19): about a thousand bicycling-related vendors at #SeaOtterClassic’s Expo (e.g., https://sfba.social/@bikemonterey/116422382612675878). And walking around there for hours reminded us how much more our body prefers biking to walking!

Vendors at the 2026 Sea Otter Classic in Monterey County include Bivo, “clean performance hydration” in a stainless steel bottle (details on their FAQs page). https://drinkbivo.com/ Their crew is mostly based in Vermont, and we met some of them April 16 in the SOC expo. https://bikemonterey.org/april-16-19-2026-sea-otter-classic-in-monterey-county.html

#SeaOtterClassic #MontereyCounty #cycling #biking #BikeTooter #PluckFastic #WaterBottles

Newcomers at the 2026 Sea Otter Classic in Monterey County include FaultLine395 mountain wear, a small batch apparel company from Mammoth Lakes, California. https://faultline395.com/

We enjoyed chatting with them on April 16 in the SOC expo. https://bikemonterey.org/april-16-19-2026-sea-otter-classic-in-monterey-county.html

#SeaOtterClassic #MontereyCounty #cycling #biking #BikeTooter

Sea Otter Classic reports that its 2026 expo here, April 16-19, has over 1,000 vendors! We are grateful to the following for donating items on April 16 in support of Bicycling Monterey’s outreach and youth education:
Bellwether, Bivo, FaultLine395, GripIt, Hiplok, JIMIs CAPS, OsmaR Buckle LTD, Party Shirt International, Sock Guy, The Athletic Community, Thousand, and Tifosi.

See what they donated, and grab a link to their websites, on our page of 2009-2026 CONTRIBUTORS OF PROJECT SUPPLIES: https://bikemonterey.org/about/financial-donations/acknowledgements-dress-up-challenge-prize-donors

#SeaOtterClassic #MontereyCounty #cycling #biking #BikeTooter

Really nice to bike to our offices at MST today and be surrounded by so many folks who are here for the Sea Otter Classic.

https://www.seaotterclassic.com/

#seaotterclassic

April 16-19, 2026: Sea Otter Classic in Monterey County! People come from dozens of countries to this annual celebration of cycling, which boasts over 9,000 athletes and 74,000 fans. For glimpses of SOC history, plus how to get free admission, see https://bikemonterey.org/april-16-19-2026-sea-otter-classic-in-monterey-county.html.

#cycling #biking #SeaOtterClassic #MontereyCounty #BikeTooter

#SeaOtterClassic in #MontereyCounty, has a surprising new twist this year—no longer just about #bicycling.

History: Sea Otter Classic began in Monterey County in 1991, known the first two years as the Laguna Seca Challenge. It grew from a single day of bicycle racing to become a four-day Celebration of #Cycling. Sea Otter in #Monterey County is regarded as the #bicycle world’s premiere festival and one of the world’s largest. After more than 30 years of local ownership, SOC was acquired by Life Time, as announced summer 2021.

In 2026, under Life Time, that new twist. Per SOC: "Sea Otter Classic Trail #Run, scheduled for Saturday morning. #Runners can choose between a 17K (10.6 miles) course for experienced trail athletes and a 5K (2.8 miles) course designed for beginners, families and casual runners. Both races finish on the legendary Laguna Seca Raceway track, offering scenic views of the surrounding trails and Fort Ord landscape. Strollers are welcome on the 5K course.”

Tips: https://bikemonterey.org/april-16-19-2026-sea-otter-classic-in-monterey-county.html

"#Cycling pro wows kids with bike tricks at Salinas elementary school" - by Roseann Cattani/The Salinas Californian https://www.thecalifornian.com/story/news/local/2026/04/08/sea-otter-classic-thrills-salinas-students-with-pro-bike-stunts/89507855007/

Photos of pro cyclist Jeff Lenosky doing bike tricks at #Salinas school: https://www.thecalifornian.com/picture-gallery/news/education/2026/04/08/pro-cyclist-jeff-lenosky-does-bike-tricks-for-salinas-students/89512114007/

#MontereyCounty #SeaOtterClassic

If you love biking and can be in Monterey County April 16-19, and/or in Sacramento April 23-24, you’ll likely want to attend these very special events. https://bikemonterey.org/2026/04

#SeaOtterClassic #CaliforniaBicycleSummit #CaliforniaBicycleCoalition #CalBike #Monterey #Sacto #cycling #BikeTooter

April 6-15, 2026 #SeaOtterClassic Foundation’s Bike Safety & Skills Assemblies in #MontereyCounty (an annual program in advance of the Life Time Sea Otter Classic). In 2026, for 16 local schools, plus 3 clinics for local National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA) high school mountain bike teams. https://www.socfdn.org/latest-news

#MoreKidsOnBikes #BikeSafety #NICA #MTB #cycling #biking

@ascentale @[email protected] @bikenite #BikeNite A5 Our immediate reaction took me to childhood! When we were born, our family farmed and lived off a gravel road. At approximately age 10, we were driving on a blacktop when I said, “Look! They poured gravel along the edge of the road!” I’d just received eyeglasses, and Dad felt terrible that I’d never seen it—that gravel had always been there!

BICYCLING-related gravel? It brings to mind a recent road mess
It also brings to mind “kick rocks” - https://sfba.social/@bikemonterey/115914206212707468

And #SeaOtterClassic in Monterey County April 2026 gravel racing: https://www.seaotterclassic.com/gravel/

"On Monday, Jan. 12, the Sea Otter Classic Foundation donated four new e-bikes to the VTC [#Veterans Transition Center], bringing its total to 17 since the E-Bikes for Veterans program launched in 2021.

“'While modest in scale, this represents a long-term commitment to sustained impact as we continue to grow our community support efforts,' Sea Otter Classic Foundation Executive Director Melanie Stackpole says.”

https://www.montereycountynow.com/blogs/news_blog/sea-otter-classic-foundation-donates-e-bikes-to-veterans-in-need/article_9f5d1e34-5eff-4682-9502-7de4e05be36a.html
#ebikes #transportation #MontereyCounty #MontereyCountyNow #SeaOtterClassic

Their story has no byline, so perhaps #AI is the reason for the inaccuracy in Australian Leisure Management 10/9/25 article ("Sea Otter Australia is the first [sic] international expansion of the world-renowned Sea Otter Classic, a major cycling festival founded in Monterey, California”) .

To our knowledge, international expansions of #SeaOtterClassic include Sea Otter Europe, first in Girona, Costa Brava in 2017. https://www.seaottereurope.com/did-you-know-that-sea-otter-europe-is-originally-from-california/ Some Sea Otter Canada events also took place. https://seaottercanada.com/

Sea Otter Australia is set for October 24-26, 2025: https://seaotter.au/sea-otter-australia-two-weeks-to-launch-2025/

Sea Otter Classic was founded in Monterey County in 1991, known the first two years as Laguna Seca Challenge. After more than 30 years of local ownership, SOC was acquired by LifeTime, as announced summer 2021.

Next Monterey County SOC is April 16-19, 2026. https://www.seaotterclassic.com/

#MontereyCounty #cycling #biking #BicycleFestival #SeaOtterEurope #SeaOtterAustralia #Australia #Europe #Italy #Canada #ScarecrowBikeFestival

"In a first, the Sea Otter Classic is introducing 5K and 17K trail runs for next year’s event, announced recently. It’s also expanding to Toro County Park for two stages of the Enduro competition.” https://www.montereycountynow.com/blogs/news_blog/sea-otter-classic-adds-trail-run-expands-to-toro-park-for-2026/article_0661e942-15a5-44d2-a335-6f09518075de.html
#MontereyCountyNow #SeaOtterClassic

We appreciated reading ONE BIKE, ONE WHEEL, ONE STORY: THE JOURNEY OF TANNUS AND "BICICLETAS SIN FRONTERAS”: https://tannustires.com/en/tannus-blog/tannus-bicicletas-sin-fronteras/ “A bicycle changes lives. And a bicycle that never breaks down, does it even more.”

Thank you to Ryan of Tannus America for showing us the Tannus Armour tire liner at Monterey County’s Sea Otter Classic, and for his April 11 gift of a cycling cap in support of our direct outreach by bike.

#BicicletasSinFronteras #BicyclesWithoutBorders #BicyclesForEducation #BikesChangeLives #BicyclesChangeLives #education #transportation #BikeCommuter #Senegal #Palmarin #PalmarinSenegal #Tannus #TannusTires #TannusAmerica #BicycleTires #BikeTires #Momabikes #Baobike #SeaOtterEurope #GironaItaly #SeaOtterClassic #MontereyCounty

Thank you to Hilary Kave of Skratch Labs for her April 13 gift in support of youth participating in our cycling education rides: one box of Energy Chews; seven .8 oz and one 4.2 oz Hydration drink mix; and three Energy Bars.

We met Hilary at Sea Otter Classic, where she was celebrating the SOC racing of Skratch-sponsored athletes Haley Batten and Caroline Wreszin!

We’re grateful to Skratch Labs https://www.skratchlabs.com/ and all who contribute supplies for Bicycling Monterey projects: https://bit.ly/SuppliesBikeMRY.

#SeaOtterClassic #BicycleFestival #BikeExpo #BicycleRaces #CyclingRacing #cyclists #hydration

Hear teens ages 13+ from Idaho, Oregon, and California in four short videos shot at Monterey County’s 4-day Celebration of Cycling, Sea Otter Classic, last weekend: https://bikemonterey.org/voices-of-youth-at-sea-otter-classic-2025.html. Pictured are two bike valet volunteers from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.

#BikeTooter #MontereyCounty #SeaOtterClassic #CalPoly #SanLuisObispo #CalPolyCycling

Languages and countries repped at Monterey County’s Sea Otter Classic 2025. - Short videos in #French and #Spanish, with #cycling #infrastructure talk and more from #China, #Denmark, #Norway, and #Sweden. https://bikemonterey.org/languages-and-countries-repped-at-monterey-countys-sea-otter-classic-2025.html

#BikeTooter #MontereyCounty #California #SeaOtterClassic #bicycling #biking #bicicleta #ciclismo #biciclette #bici #CondadoDeMonterey

California Highway Patrol was at Sea Otter Classic. Among free items they were distributing: free bicycle helmets, reflective neon green magnetic straps (often used to keep pant cuffs out of bike chains), and Share the Road brochures, all of which we especially appreciated. (We had some Salinas Valley youth with us who were very glad to get the free helmets—one of their siblings had been cited for no helmet, required by law for minors in California.)

CHP was also distributing inexpensive front and rear lights, spoke reflectors, stickers, and miscellaneous items.

The URL on the CHP Share the Road brochure we received that day leads to an error message. Here’s an updated URL: https://www.chp.ca.gov/Programs-Services/Services-Information/Bike-and-Ped-Safety.

Photo credit: #CHP at #SeaOtterClassic photo shot by Sieg Magenheim for Bicycling Monterey.

#MontereyCounty #CaliforniaHighwayPatrol #TrafficSafety #highways

Ya know how it is when you have too heavy a load to carry? And then an angel comes along?

Meet Travis, a cycling angel, from Colorado. We were so grateful this gracious gent crossed our path at #SeaOtterClassic today! Despite carrying his own full daypack and his shopping bag too, he kindly offered to carry our full daypack to our departure spot, bless him!

#BikeTooter #MontereyCounty #BikeFamily #BikeCommunity

@ascentale A4 Sorry to miss 4/11 #BikeNite. We were out at #SeaOtterClassic, Monterey County’s 4-day Celebration of Cycling. As for A4, paleteros in our county include this young entrepreneur. More are included in this cargo bike post from 2010, which has a few updates since 2010: https://bikemonterey.org/cargo-bikes-and-other-bicycle-cargo-carriers.html

@gcvsa @bikenite

Hear the voices of women from Denmark, Guatemala, state of Idaho, and California—all out celebrating cycling at #SeaOtterClassic 2025 in #MontereyCounty: https://bikemonterey.org/women-celebrating-cycling-at-sea-otter-classic-2025.html

#BikeTooter #BikeFestival #Monterey #Salinas

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At #SeaOtterClassic on April 11, 2025, we met a French team called Numero31 that is supported by Cafe du Cycliste, Pinarello, and Styrkr.

The riders’ names are Axelle Dubau-Prevôt, Hugo Drechou, Mathieu Ruffay. Axelle and Hugo were racing in the LifeTime Grand Prix Series.

With them is SJ Coventry, who works for Styrkr .

#MontereyCounty
#French
#racing
#cycling
#cyclists #cycliste #vélo #biciclette #française

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At #SeaOtterClassic on April 11, 2025, we met a French team called Numero31 that is supported by Cafe du Cycliste, Pinarello, and Styrkr.

The riders’ names are Axelle Dubau-Prevôt, Hugo Drechou, Mathieu Ruffay. Axelle and Hugo were racing in the LifeTime Grand Prix Series.

With them is SJ Coventry, who works for Styrkr .

#MontereyCounty #French #racing #cycling #cyclists #cycliste #vélo #biciclette #française

April 10, 2025 cover of #MontereyCountyWeekly: #SeaOtterClassic. https://www.montereycountynow.com/news/cover/life-time-sea-otter-classic-2025/collection_d1e9f332-a491-4fb8-8c76-e901ee6374b0.html https://www.montereycountynow.com/archives/2025/

#BikeTooter #MontereyCounty #Monterey #Salinas #MontereyCountyNow

#SeaOtterClassic, April 10-13, 2025
"The bikes are arriving in Monterey County—you may have noticed a higher-than-usual number of bikes attached to vehicles on the road lately.” — Erik Chalhoub, #MontereyCountyNow #MontereyCountyWeekly https://www.montereycountynow.com/blogs/opinion_blog/as-the-sea-otter-classic-gets-underway-the-next-generation-of-cyclists-learns-how-to/article_bce5736c-4218-4ca6-96a3-e9a1ff1f8f03.html

ICYMI: Some history of SOC, who it’s for, and how to get free admission: https://bikemonterey.org/april-10-13-sea-otter-classic-2025.html

#MontereyCounty #bicycling #cycling #biking

@ascentale @xtaran @bikenite #BikeNite A1 We’re taking four teens to Sea Otter Classic https://bikemonterey.org/april-10-13-sea-otter-classic-2025.html, and biking there is too grueling (as Detox put it https://bikemonterey.org/detox-sea-otter-classic-can-be-for-anybody.html) for all five of us (especially considering we’ll be walking around all day out there too). Sadly, there’s no Monterey Salinas Transit bus service to #SeaOtterClassic. So we’ll carpool (all in our VW Golf—which we put 2,444 miles on last year, as we definitely prefer biking to driving whenever possible).

Adios for now, Bike Nite friends. Our bicycle is calling!

PS: If you’re going to Monterey County’s SOC, contact us if you might like to meet up IRL.

While biking the coastal trail Sunday eve, we met Salinas residents David, a teacher, and his daughter, Priscilla, home on spring break from her CalPoly classes.

Among the topics we touched on was April 10-13 Sea Otter Classic, which we think of as one big bike party! Who it’s for, how to get free admission, and history of #SeaOtterClassic: https://bikemonterey.org/april-10-13-sea-otter-classic-2025.html

#BikeTooter #GirlDad #DadsAndDaughters #teachers #families #MontereyCounty #MontereyBay #Monterey #CalPoly #SanLuisObispo

Thursday, March 20 is next Twiight Cycling at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey County. The venue is also famous for its challenging 11-turn 2.238 mile course for competitive cyclists.

These Twilight Rides are a safe and relaxed atmosphere for families to get out and enjoy a ride together. Something for all ages and stages of biking!

The circuit has flat areas, 300 feet of elevation change for climbing, and the legendary Corkscrew turns, which drop the equivalent of nearly six stories in a breathtakingly short length of track.

Details: https://bikemonterey.org/twilight-cycling-laguna-seca.html

Laguna Seca is also home of #SeaOtterClassic: https://bikemonterey.org/bike-buzz-winter-2025.html#SOC2025

April 10-13, 2025 Sea Otter Classic, Monterey County’s world-renowned 4-day Celebration of Cycling.

Details on that (including how to get free admission): https://bikemonterey.org/april-10-13-sea-otter-classic-2025.html

#BikeTooter #BicycleFestival #BikeFest #BicycleRaces #BicycleExpo #MontereyCounty #cycling #bicycling #festival #SeaOtterClassic

SAVE THE DATES: April 10-13, 2025 Sea Otter Classic, Monterey County’s world-renowned 4-day Celebration of Cycling.

Details on that (including how to get free admission) and much more are in Winter Bike Buzz: https://bikemonterey.org/bike-buzz-winter-2025.html

Photo: Shot during #SeaOtterClassic 2019, members of Tahitian race team Tamarii Punaruu Cyclisme—Patrice Carpi, Teava Kaimuko, Kahiri Endeler.

#BikeTooter #Tahiti #TamariiPunaruuCyclisme #cyclisme #cyclists #cycling #MontereyCounty