SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Kicking off 25 miles of a scenic ride along the bay were about 2,500 bicyclists of all levels.
“The bridge- that’s my sole purpose for being down here. It’s like it’s the only day of the year you can ride across the Coronado bridge,” said Tami Jo Chapman, participant.
It’s Tami Jo Chapman's first time participating in Bike the Bay.
She did it alongside her friends Kayton and Jim, who were excited to have fun and enjoy each other's company.
They knew it was more than just a ride; their entry fees are going towards making bicycling safer.
“We ride San Diego all the time and really appreciate being able to get from place to place safely," said Jim Bell, a participant.
Bike the Bay is the San Diego County Bike Coalition's biggest fundraiser of the year. Over the past 15 years that the coalition has put on Bike the Bay, it’s raised over half a million dollars.
The proceeds this year will keep the momentum going on the ongoing work the coalition has already accomplished, according to the coalition's executive director.
"It’s continuing to advocate and get behind building out the bike network that’s actually going in all over the county — in different cities— there’s a different downtown network in San Diego. There are protected bike lanes all over San Diego, and there’s more to come," said Andy Hanshaw, executive director.
He said seeing the coalition's hard work pay off is rewarding.
“You see all these cool bikes here? Every kind of bike and every kind of person," said Bell.
Cyclists began crossing the finish line about an hour after crossing the starting line.
