Scenes from Sea Otter Classic 2016

Who’s that woman biking over the bridge now?

A popular spot for watching racers, along with simply people-watching, is at the edge of the Sea Otter Classic’s Expo, in the Sierra Nevada Beer & BBQ Garden.

Salinas native Luciano Rodriguez graciously agreed to pose there, after being spotted coming fresh off the cyclocross course—well, not-so-fresh—on Day 3 of Sea Otter 2016.

Luciano would be ready to race again, singlespeed, on Sunday morning at 8 a.m.

Here’s a tiny taste of the Sea Otter 2016 Expo. If you like to go shopping by bike, or on foot, and you’re looking for something bike-related, you won’t find a better place to shop in all of North America. It’s NA’s largest bike expo, with 431 registered exhibitors in 2016.

Among those exhibitors is Foes, whose mountain bikes are made in the USA, since 1992.

BYOB—bring your own bike if you wanna pedal the Expo, and bring your own bags too. Even if you didn’t plan on shopping, just taking advantage of the opportunity to chat with vendors, and take home sample products or literature, mean you can get loaded up pretty quickly at Sea Otter’s Expo.

Unincorporated Monterey County—thanks in part to the plastic pollution leadership of the Monterey Bay Aquarium and others—is among the places where single-use plastic has passed out of favor and reusable bag ordinances have been passed locally. The county’s health department provides FAQs here.

Sea Otter and Bicycling Monterey know that many places around the nation and world aren’t yet adopting reusable bag regulations as in Monterey County. If you’re not yet in that groove, let Sea Otter be a place that helps you make the switch—and not out of guilt. Do it with joy, simply out of appreciation for this beautiful planet we all bike on!

You got it: #DontFeedTheLandfills.

Many thanks to Sea Otter’s title sponsor Subaru for raising awareness about waste, and to Klean Kanteen for partnering in this effort by providing this water station, helping reduce plastic pollution.

Monterey County events, such as Monterey Jazz Festival, are increasingly conscious about the importance of such efforts. Read about plastic pollution in “Bike to the Beach–and Care for What You Love.”

Thanks to Clif for the yummy quesadillas and fresh veggies provided to expo-goers in the late afternoon. So fresh, wouldn’t be surprised if somebody made a trip to a local farmers market! As Sea Otter’s Visit Monterey County page says, our county boasts the Salad Bowl of America, the beautiful Salinas Valley. Did you know? That fertile valley is part of Sea Otter’s Gran Fondo Carmel Valley route. And as Bicycling Monterey’s Salinas section notes, Patrick Brady/Red Kite Prayer reported, “The single most important thing I can say about the Gran Fondo [Carmel Valley Route] is that it boasts one of the prettiest Gran Fondo courses I’ve ridden….. The opening 40 miles [primarily Salinas Valley] were countertop flat…all the beauty with only 1/3 the suffering.”

Sea Otter’s Food Court page encourages bringing your own reusable silverware, cloth napkin, beverage container, and the like as another way to be eco-groovy. With an estimated 75,000 bike-lovers attending Sea Otter in this 26th year—about 10,000 pro and amateur athletes and 65,000 other bicycling enthusiasts—helping reduce the carbon footprint of Sea Otter Classic makes a ton of sense!

Clif’s band Hector treated Olympian Lea Davison—stationed alongside them and signing complimentary posters—to a dose of Black Sabbath.

Their repertoire was eclectic, as you can tell from the snippet of a song below, and the band included a solid trumpet player who infused the day’s end with a special zest.

Monterey County residents helping out at Bureau of Land Management and Monterey Off Road Cycling Association (MORCA) booths had a prime spot for the Clif party.

As this visitor knows, still so much to see and do. Thankfully there’s a fourth day of Sea Otter Classic. Get out there if you can, if for no other reason just for the fun of hanging out with so many people who love to bike.

Click here for Bicycling Monterey’s

tips about Sea Otter Classic,

a Celebration of Cycling.

What about bicycle parking at Sea Otter? Click here.