Sea Otter Classic

For many years I've heard the buzz about a huge cycling festival, the Sea Otter Classic, held annually in the Monterey area. But I was not curious enough to go.

Until this year.

The MS Society would have a booth there to promote their Waves to Wine cycling event, and needed volunteers to help staff it. In return, we'd get a free pass. [Sign me up!]

I donned last year's jersey and brought a cycling friend (captain of the team I joined last year) who is afflicted with multiple sclerosis.

While we waited at the entrance gate, I chatted with a guy wearing a Sea Otter-emblazoned jacket. He'd been attending the festival for 30 or more years and told us that it would draw 74,000 people. [Yikes!] On the weekend, the crowds would be so thick that you would just have to go with the flow of bodies (and bikes).

This being Friday, the vibe was more to my liking. A few families, plenty of room for people to meander or even ride their bikes through the exhibit area.

Mountain bikes, mostly. Which is what I expected, and why I'd never felt drawn to this event.

Never say never ... over the weekend, lots of people would pass the Bike MS booth and learn about the cause. Maybe some would actually sign up to raise money and ride? But, well, the Sea Otter is mostly about mountain biking.

Our booth was part of the giant trade show, with all the major brands represented: bikes, parts, attire, and all sorts of cycling-related gear. Our mission was to catch the attention of passers-by, hoping to persuade some to sign up for Waves to Wine. Which is a job for which I'm not particularly well-suited, empathizing with those who'd quickly turn their gaze elsewhere when they sensed you were about to approach them. I had better luck when I wandered through the sea of booths, handing a flyer to a woman with a road bike who was sporting a Sierra to the Sea jersey.

I managed to engage with a few guys who paused at our booth and seemed intrigued: hailing from Brazil, Italy, and Spain. Which was consistent with the hype I'd heard about this being the world's biggest cycling festival.

I had a little time to wander; enough to find the Bianchi booth and confirm, for a friend, that they are indeed not making an electrified road bike in the size she needs (43). Enough time to know that I would not come back to brave the crowds and explore the full event on Sunday. [Or, probably, ever.]