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Despite unusually toasty temperatures, hundreds of cyclists traveled through the Santa Maria, Lompoc and Santa Ynez valleys Saturday for an annual bike ride that marked its 33rd year.
The Solvang Century offered a 100-mile route between Solvang and Santa Maria, in addition to 63-mile and 50-mile routes.
The treks are limited to 3,000 riders, who typically come from all over to participate.
In addition to refilling water bottles, a rest stop in a parking lot near the Radisson Hotel Santa Maria served as a spot to eat fruit, don sunscreen or just relax in the shade.
The start and finish lines, in addition to a cycling festival, occurred at Hotel Corque on Alisal Road in Solvang.
The cycling festival benefits Camp del Corazon, Camp Bon Coeur, Camp Taylor and Tour de Cure (American Diabetes Association), according to organizers.
The ride was organized by the Specialized Coronary Outpatient Rehabilitation (SCOR) cycling club, which was founded in 1974 by Randy Ice, a physical therapist.
SCOR encourages bicycling as a form of rehabilitative therapy after a heart attack, coronary bypass surgery, angioplasty and other forms of heart disease.
The three camps that will benefit from the ride are for children with usually severe congenital heart disease. The campers get to experience summer camping activities in a medically supervised environment with their peers.
SCOR has been sponsoring these camps for more than 25 years.
In addition to the Solvang Century each spring, SCOR also hosts a Solvang Prelude ride each fall.
— Noozhawk North County editor Janene Scully can be reached at jscully@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.