C.U.R.B. Bike Ride returns to Long Beach

The 11th annual C.U.R.B. Bike Ride returns to Long Beach on Saturday, Aug. 9 at 10 a.m.

Registration and live music will begin at 9 a.m. This year’s ride will start and finish at the Long Beach Recreation Center at the north end of Magnolia Boulevard. Riders of all ages are invited to take a relaxed, 11-mile bike ride around Long Beach to honor the memory of James P. Conlon, founder and past president of Citizens United to Remove Barriers. C.U.R.B. is a local non-profit organization that offers the physically challenged a chance to live a life free of barriers. The organization works to build ramps, supply equipment, and raise community awareness of the ongoing needs of the physically challenged.

The ride, which will have a full police escort once again this year, will meander through the Canals, the West End, and the boardwalk, before finishing up at the Long Beach Recreation Center for complimentary food and a chance to win raffle prizes. Recommended donation is $25. Helmets are recommended but not required. Registration forms are available at www.bike4curb.com.

Long Beach residents Casey Kantor, Billy Papetti and Matt Demerest organized the first annual C.U.R.B. Bike Ride, with Conlon’s help, when they were just 14 years old. They gathered a group of 26 friends to cycle around Long Beach. Conlon died unexpectedly a few days before that first event, so they have dedicated the ride every year to his memory. Over the years, the event has raised a total of more than $60,000 to help C.U.R.B. continue its mission. Last year the ride attracted over 350 cyclists.