Three weeks from today, a group of patriotic triathletes will celebrate the birth of our country by donning blue, white, and gold lycra and riding their bicycles from Azusa (and remember – you can’t spell Azusa without U-S-A, unless you spell it incorrectly) to Mount Baldy. July 4th is Baldy Beast.

This is a ride for EVERYONE. You can ride as much as 68 miles with 8200 feet of climbing, to as little as 27 miles, downhill, both ways (I’m lying; there’s 3000 feet of climbing, but for a triathlete like you, it will feel like downhill both ways), to anything in between. You can ride GRR (I’m not angry; that’s just an abbreviation for Glendora Ride Road), GMR, over to Baldy Village, or up to the ski lifts, one of the most difficult and iconic climbs in California.

Don’t like traffic? You’re in luck. The roads are closed to vehicles along most of the route. Don’t like riding? What’s wrong with you (sorry, that was judgmental)?! Over 75% of every triathlon is spent on a bike. The more you ride, the more you’ll love to ride, the more comfortable you’ll be for three quarters of your next tri.

All you need to bring is a bike, a CalTri jersey or tri top, and a lot of moxie (look it up; it’s a word your grandparents used to use). Sign up on the CalTri calendar or on the Epic Rides page.

Still don’t want to ride? Volunteer. We need someone to drive the SAG vehicle, and someone to be our photographer. Volunteering for one Epic Ride gets you a whole year of Epic Rides for free.

See you on the 4th!