Santa Clarita Family Ride on Saturday, March 30, 2013

For the first time, my husband and I, along with Little M, participated in the Family Ride portion of the Santa Clarita Century, a fundraising biking event for the Child & Family Center. The small $10 entry fee covered the three of us. Numbers were issued and Little M was thrilled to have her own put on her back.

Waiting for the ride to begin.

Our ride was a 5.5 mile loop through the paseos in Valencia and onto the South Fork of the trail, marked by blue arrows on the ground to guide the way. Volunteers helped the large group of family riders stay on track at transition points and also manned the refreshment stand at the halfway mark. At the front of the pack were two designated leaders in bright shirts.

This is a good ride for beginners, so if you're reading this and thinking about next year - I say do it. It's mostly level, with a few bridges to climb and the grade on the South Fork is low and steady. Valencia paseos usually have a staggered gate to negotiate, but these were wide open for this event, which I loved because the Yuba Mundo is a very large bike that takes time to fit through these gates. I usually ride on the neighborhood streets instead of the paseos for just this reason.

Though most of the riders had children with them, many were adults who had brought a friend. If your child can ride without training wheels, this ride would be an exciting choice for him or her. Expect to ride toward the rear of the group and go at your own pace - this isn't a race, though my six year old was convinced it was, especially when we cruised over the finish line and a volunteer handed her a 'gold' medal on a ribbon. We can't wait until next year!