Avid cyclists and bike enthusiasts of all ages are encouraged to make their way down to the Paso Robles Event Center during Memorial Day weekend for the Great Western Bicycle Rally.

The three-day-long event, which kicks off on Friday, May 23 and runs through Sunday, May 25, is celebrating its 44th year and its 29th year in Paso Robles.

The GWBR got its start in 1965 under Dr. Clifford Graves, a La Jolla physician. According to event co-director Sharon Ware, the inaugural event started small, as just a gathering of friends who came together for a weekend to share their enthusiasm for cycling and spend time doing what they loved.

The GWBR didn’t have one specific location, but instead shifted sites from year to year.

In 1979, organizers Ralph and Laverne Boethling moved the event to the Paso Robles Fairgrounds to take advantage of the city’s scenic countryside and even weather. The site has been the GWBR’s home ever since.

Event directors Ware and Laurel King said they look forward to another successful year of racing, non-stop activities and fun in 2008.

“The purpose is just to have families get together to promote healthier lifestyles, to ride, to get your children involved with cycling and to have a good time,” Ware said.

Both Ware and King are avid and enthusiastic cyclists. Ware said she was turned onto the sport by her daughter, who raced competitively in college. Ware first came to the GWBR as a participant almost 20 years ago.

“The first time I went I was hooked,” she said.

The same could be said for many of the event’s participants, Ware said, who come back year after year to camp out at the Event Center and take part in the GWBR’s packed schedule of races and activities. Last year the event drew out approximately 1,400 people, she said. This year organizers are shooting to attract 1,500 participants to the event.

People come from all over the Western United States to attend, Ware said, including groups of riders from Northern and Southern California, Nevada and Colorado.

The event features a vast array of both fun and competitive rides along 28 routes that highlight the diversity and quiet beauty of the Central Coast. According to the GWBR’s Web site, www.greatwesternbicyclerally.com, the majority of the rides are unsupported and allow the participant to take the course at their own rate and the freedom to stop and rest where ever they like. Group rides include a 40-mile all women’s ride on Saturday and one of the newest crazes in the cycling world, a geo-cache ride.

“[Geo-caching] is like a scavenger hunt with computers,” Ware said.

As a part of the geo-cache ride, participants use GPS and coordinates to locate a hidden “cache” item. Once located the participants write their name in a logbook, take the cache item and replace it with a calling card of their own.

For those with a competitive edge, the GWBR also hosts a number of recreational cycling competitions throughout the weekend. Courses range in size and scope from a three-mile hill climb to a 100-mile century ride that makes a large loop through the coastal cities, to San Luis Obispo, through Santa Margarita and then back to Paso Robles.

While not aboard two-wheels, the Event Center will play host to a number of GWRA activities for event-goers, including a bike swap meet, evening social, vendor marketplace, evening yoga class, a competitive Huffy toss, a 2K run and live music. Sunday is also kid’s day at the GRWA and includes a bike rodeo to teach children essential cycling skills and ample entertainment with a variety of children’s games.

Perhaps the most well-attended of the non-cycling events is the Wine Tasting and Cheese Social, which takes place at the Event Center on Saturday night. The evening of introduces participants to unique wines from Castoro Cellars, Donati Family Vineyards, Sylvester Winery and Firestone Vineyard. The wine tasting is limited exclusively to GWBR participants.

“There is so much going on, you can’t do it all in one weekend,” Ware said.

Camping is available at the Event Center at rates of $15 per night per person. Group rates are available. Registration for the event is priced at $55 per person and comes with a packet of 25 rides that can be completed at the event. Children under the age of 5 are free and family rates are available. Those interested can register online until Sunday, May 18 or at the event.

For a full schedule or for more information, visit the Web site or call 1-866-909 4927.





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