San Francisco Road Biking

San Francisco Road Biking

History

Shortly after the first official cycling race was held in Paris in 1868, cycling as a sport emerged in the United Sates, with the sport really starting to gain pace in San Francisco in 1890s.

The San Francisco Bicycle Club was established in 1876, being the second such club in the USA. They were soon followed by the California Cycling Club and the all-female Falcon Bicycle Club. By the turn of the century thousands of clubs existed to support hundreds of thousands of riders, with organised races attracting up to 20,000 spectators.  

Recent American interest in the sport has been associated with the predominance of American riders in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games and Greg LeMond winning the 1986, 1989 and 1990 Tours de France. While the Lance Armstrong era now casts a long shadow over the sport, a new generation of riders is emerging and the future looks bright for team USA.

For more helpful things to know when in the city, find Livelo's Guide to Road Cycling in San Francisco here.

 

Sources:
1. Britannica
2. National Cycling Strategy
3. FFCT LBN
Image: California Historical Society
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