A Peninsula-based technology company is partnering with a longtime area non-profit group to put on Pacifica charity bike ride benefitting those with developmental disabilities.
Keynote Systems, a San Mateo-based firm specializing in the testing and monitoring of cloud technology, is putting on the ride in support of Burlingame-based Parca, a group that has been providing support and promoting independent living for people in San Mateo County living with developmental disabilities for 60 years.
Parca runs an annual summer camp at Crestmoor Elementary in San Bruno.
The inaugural "Giro di Pacifica" will be held on a white-knuckle course featuring some of the Bay Area's most perilous roads, with a portion of the ride along the steep hills and hairpin turns of the notoriously challenging Devil's Slide south of Pacifica. Organizers have nicknamed the July 28 event "The Ride at Devil's Slide."
This year's event is an offshoot of the "Giro di Peninsula," which ran from the mid-1990’s through 2010.
“We chose Pacifica for both its spectacular coastline, and its friendly and welcoming community,” Parca CEO Diana Conti said in a prepared statement.
The event features courses for riders of all levels, with 100-mile (century) and 63-mile (metric century) routes that travel down the coast through the Devil’s Slide and back through ancient groves of redwoods for the most advanced riders, a 33-mile and 16-mile routes up the Pacifica coastline to the north for intermediate to advanced riders and a flatter three-mile "family ride" open to all levels and abilities.
All distance rides offer full support, with crewed rest stops and support vehicles patrolling the routes.
“We can offer experienced cyclists world-class routes and breath-taking scenery, while people with developmental disabilities and local families with small children will be able to take part, too," Conti said.
"Many of our incredible clients, who benefit from the programs funded by the Giro, have even signed up to volunteer for the event.”
The ride features an Italian meal provided by , a popular coastside eatery.
Rides start and end at the Park Mall in Pacifica. Fees for Distance Riders are $35 with a fundraising commitment, or $55 without fundraising if paid in advance. Those who register on the day of the event will pay $65.
"Family ride" participant fees are $15 for riders 16 and older and $5 for those under 16.
Highway 1 will be closed to southbound traffic on the day of the ride starting at 7 a.m. for about a half-hour, or however long it takes the cyclists to get through, organizers say.
For more information, details and route maps, or to volunteer, visit the event website at www.girodipacifica.org.
