When: Sunday August 17; meet at 8:30 a.m., ride at 9:00 a.m.

Where: Clover Park – 2600 Ocean Park Blvd.,  Santa Monica. Meet in the parking lot on the east side of the park (off Ocean Park Blvd. map)

The middle of August can only mean one thing—Labor Day is just around the corner and schools will be back in session soon. Campuses and their neighborhoods will be backed with students going back to school. Where to Bike Los Angeles has teamed up with Santa Monica Spoke, for a late summer, pre-rush tour of the colleges and universities scattered around L. A. County’s Westside. We will start in Santa Monica, (to SMC) then ride all the way east to Exposition Park (any respectable back to school ride can’t possibly leave out USC), and then back to Santa Monica via UCLA and Mt Saint Mary’s College.

Ride Length: 45 miles.

Ride Duration: 5 to 6 hours, including stops.

Difficulty: Recommended for intermediate-level riders, age 16 and up. The terrain is mostly flat, though there will be two short climbs en route: one to UCLA and the other to Mount St. Mary’s College for about 2,000 feet of elevation gain. We will ride on a mix of city streets, bike lanes and bike paths.

Rain Policy: Torrential rain, snow, earthquake, or fierce wind cancels the outing. Otherwise, we ride.

What to bring: A road-worthy bike, extra inner tubes, a patch kit and pump, drinking water, a pocket snack (such as an energy bar, banana or trail mix), a helmet, and money for refueling stops and post-ride refreshments.

RSVP: Strongly encouraged, via wheretobikela@gmail.com, so we can send you last-minute advisories, particularly about weather.

Touring Los Angeles County with LACBC and Where To Bike Los Angeles is a series of rides that are free and open to every LACBC member, plus one guest. Interested in becoming a member? Join LACBC online or at a discounted rate at our meet-up point. These rides are co-hosted by Jon Riddle and Sarah Amelar, authors of Where to Bike Los Angeles, a guide to bicycling in Los Angeles County, published by BA Press. Copies are available at REI stores, Helen’s Cycles and local book and bike shops, and from LACBC—on line, at its offices, or at the end of these group adventures.