I bet you when you mention Long Beach to someone the first thing they think of are gangsters, or Snoop Dog, or something totally unrelated to cycling. I recently read in Bicycling Magazine's May 2010 issue that the LBC is rated 23rd out of 50 as one of America's Best Bike Cities. Yeah that is right 23 out of 50. The LBC beat out Boston (26/50), Philadelphia (27/50), and Miami (44/50). See the complete list here. Long Beach is headed in the right direction by adding more bike lanes, and promoting bicycle safety and awareness. In the quest to become the best, the city has started an annual bike festival. This year's is between May 7 - 9.
"The annual Long Beach Bicycle Festival consists of anything and everything bicycle-related: from the Fixed Gear Fest contests to bicycle polo, a charity benefit Tour of Long Beach ride, USA Cycling Bicycle Grand Prix to the CYCLESTYLE Fashion Show, food, music, and much more. The event represents the ongoing Bike Long Beach campaign, an innovative plan to make Long Beach "the most cycling friendly urban city in the United States."" You do you Long Beach.
The events I'm most looking forward too are the Fixed Gear Fest and the Long Beach Bicycle Grand Prix. I have a good feeling the Fixed Gear Fest is going to be over run with homeless looking people with cut off jean shorts riding some conversion trying to trick. Should be good times. Sadly, I did not get my hipster membership renewed I'll just be there snapping pics and loling it up. The Grand Prix should be complete opposite. It should be real good race with a large purse and local pro-am teams competing. Bahati was there last year racing on Rock Racing.
If you have the time and live in the area, make an effort to come and support a worthy campaign. It's sad not more large metro cities are not doing this. Get out, ride, and discover your city.
Words and images from here.