Start time: 9:00 AM               

Ride Level(s) :

• Group 1 aka "the fast group" - L1/L2 (18 to 20+ MPH), Ride Leaders - Mark Stuebs, Matt Peck, & Carol Fern
• Group 2 - L3 (16 MPH to 18 MPH), Ride Leaders - Yi- Hwa & Carl Tank

Start location: Manhattan Beach Pier (In front of Life Guard Station)

Total: 25.5 miles elevation: 555 ft

Destination: Roundtrip up to/from Ballona Creek and Centinela

Ride with GPS map: Thursday Ballona Creek

Description:  This ride starts at the Manhattan Beach Pier by the Life Guard station. The fast group will go first, then Group two follows. Both groups head north up to the Ballona Creek Bridge where we sometimes meet other riders. The groups then head east on the Ballona Creek Bike Path, terminating at Centinela Ave. We immediately turn around and return past the bridge to the Playa Del Rey Lagoon restrooms for some social time and a group photo. The group then does a loop around Westchester Parkway with possible sprints in both directions. Group 2 will sometimes short cut the loop on Westchester Blvd to catch up with Group 1. A regroup point after the loop exists at a turnout on Pershing, just southwest of the intersection with Westchester Blvd.   

Some riders will sprint and we regroup several times, allowing for multiple fitness levels (L3, L2 & L1) to do the ride. The fast group's sprints on Ballona Creek and Westchester segments have been known to hit 25-28+ mph at times. If you're not a sprinter, don't worry - everyone waits at the Playa Del Rey lagoon regroup point.

Regroups:

1. Playa Del Rey Lagoon bathrooms.  
2. Intersection of Pershing and Westchester Parkway

Post ride coffee and refreshments at Cafe Bonaparte's on Pier Plaza in Hermosa Beach is why the ride is dubbed the "social ride"