Event Description
Come to Imperial Valley in February for a ride through picturesque farm countryside. Imperial Valley produces 80% of our nation's winter vegetables and enough lettuce to serve a salad to one third of the world's people.
You'll ride by fields during the harvest. Then you enter the desert of the Lower Colorado River and cross through six miles of high sand dunes, where many films have been shot.
You'll ride alongside and across the historic All-American Canal and then cross the state line into Yuma, Arizona, where you can visit the Yuma Territorial Prison and enjoy Yuma's fine malls and restaurants.
Bring your passport so you can hop across the border to Los Algodones, Baja California, Mexico for some medical tourism or shopping.
There's a good chance you'll be helped along by our seasonal west winds!
Proceeds go to the the Cancer Resource Center of the Desert and the IV Velo Club Bike Refurbishing and Gieaway Program.
Event details and schedule
Registration
On the day of the event, the main registration site for the 3:10 to Yuma Ride Against Cancer is in the Dillard’s parking lot at the Imperial Valley Mall, south of I-8 off Dogwood Road east of El Centro.
Same day registrations starts at 6:30 a.m. Ride starts at 8 a.m. This is not a race, but we would like everyone to start together. For the 30-mile ride, you can register at Dillard’s, or you can register at the 30-mile starting point: the intersection of Highway 98 and Interstate 8. Take I-8 east about 25 miles east of El Centro.
The Ride
We have three water and fruit stops--about every 15 miles--and portable toilets at each stop.
The last 30 miles is on the freeway. You must exit the freeway at each ramp and then re-enter so as not to cross entering traffic. Please obey all traffic rules. Ride on the shoulder at all times. Do not ride in the vehicular lanes. Remember, this is the desert, so use sun screen.
The ride finishes when you exit I-8 at 4th Avenue entering Yuma.
Finish Line
To pick up your event t-shirt and medal and join in the fun at the end, once you've exited the freeway, pedal to the first cross street in Yuma–First Street. Turn right (west) and pedal another eight blocks to N. 12th St. Turn right and roll into West Wetlands Park. Your support group can pick you up there. (Same day registrants are not guaranteed a medal or a t-shirt because we have to order them in advance.)
Shuttle Back to Start
If you need to get a shuttle back, be ready to return at 1:30 p.m. California time (Yuma is one hour ahead). We’ll have a bus for you and a trailer for your bike. Please be forewarned that we can’t guarantee that your bike won’t be scratched, though we’ll do our best to protect it. Since we are arranging the shuttle with a local bus company, we cannot accept any same-day signups for the shuttle.
