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30th Sea Otter Classic in Monterey County

Below, some people and scenes from the 2021 Sea Otter Classic, a four-day Celebration of Cycling.

And at the bottom of this post, enjoy a photo gallery of some Sea Otter Classic scenes from years gone by.

The 30th Sea Otter Classic, 2021

As Sea Otter Classic rolls on its 31st year, it’s a special cause for celebration: the 30th Sea Otter Classic in Monterey County is happening, October 7-10, 2021.
Normally an annual event, SOC 2020 was cancelled due to the global pandemic.

The earlier dates announced for 2021, including the originally scheduled April dates as well as the alternate dates of May 20-23, were postponed. We appreciate that SOC made these tough decisions after discussions with health and permitting officials.
Now that Sea Otter Classic is happening again, please take a few minutes to read the following SOC web pages for 2021.

Above: Sea Otter Classic volunteer for Victory Outreach Church of Salinas, Samuel Torres, one of the many volunteers who make Sea Otter Classic possible—while also benefiting local nonprofits.

In addition, note the black box below for an important reminder and additional resources.

Festival hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. all four days, with exception that the SOC Expo closes at 4 p.m. on Sunday.

Sea Otter Classic,
Monterey County’s world-renowned
Celebration of Cycling,
isn’t only about racing.

We think of Sea Otter Classic as one big bike party!

“Every day is a great day for biking, but the Sea Otter Classic is a cause for celebration,” by Sara Rubin, Monterey County Weekly, October 6, 2021:

https://www.montereycountyweekly.com/opinion/mcnow_intro/every-day-is-a-great-day-for-biking-but-the-sea-otter-classic-is-a/article_37ee90fe-2703-11ec-b0ee-f78ed3f3d6c2.html

TIPS: In Monterey County, when visitors or locals are looking for bicycling-related resources, most start with https://bikemonterey.org.
Why? See what people say.

The Monterey Bay Region does not yet have a bicycling coalition. The Bicycling Monterey website serves as Information Hub for Biking Monterey County and as local partner of the California Bicycle Coalition.

Among Bicycling Monterey’s 700+ posts and pages are a 34-section Monterey County Bicycling Resources directory and a 20-section Tips for Bicycling Monterey County guide.

The guide includes local bicycle shops and bicycle rentals and tours, bicycle maps, tips on where to bike, riding skills and safety tips plus California bike laws and Monterey County sidewalk ordinances—and much more.

Also on this site are special tips for biking numerous Monterey County communities. Among those are tips on Big Sur, Pebble Beach, and Salinas—the county seat and John Steinbeck’s hometown.

See About Bicycling Monterey to learn more about this grassroots effort and the many Bicycling Monterey projects 2009-2021. 

To make a contribution in any amount, and for FAQs, click here.

Questions? Contact us.

Below, a word to the wise from our Monterey Bay neighbors also in the 831 area code:

Important reminder: If you are going to Sea Otter Classic or any activity—even an outdoor one—please respect advisories to help prevent the spread of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19). 

PLEASE NOTE the CDC guidelines on Why Outside is a Safer Choice, including about outdoor physical distancing, e.g., “Outside, at least 6 feet apart” and outdoor mask wearing, “If you can’t stay at least 6 feet apart from people who don’t live with you, wear your mask.” https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/outdoor-activities.html

For official information resources for Monterey County, and for the state of California, the United States, and global—refer to: https://bikemonterey.org/covid-19-advisories-for-monterey-county-california-and-beyond.html. 

Specific to Sea Otter Classic, in case you missed it above, also note: https://www.seaotterclassic.com/safety_protocol/.

As of October 10, 2021, the next Sea Otter Classic dates are as follows. For any possible changes, check https://www.seaotterclassic.com/about-sea-otter/

  • April 7-10, 2022
  • April 20-23, 2023
  • April 18-21, 2024
  • April 10-13, 2025
  • April 16-19, 2026
To take a look at activities in just one of SOC’s recent years, see “Scenes and Tales from the 2017 Sea Otter Classic.”

For more of Bicycling Monterey’s posts from SOC years gone by, click here.

A gallery from past years at Sea Otter Classic

This post was published on 1 October 2021. One or more changes last made to this post on 13 October 2021.

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