Bastille Day populaire

102km/3500ft RUSA Populaire


Start time Sunday July 13, 2025 7:00 am
Time limit 6 hours 48 minutes
Ride ends Sunday July 13, 2025 1:48 pm
Start location Sorrento Valley Rd Park and Ride, 12791 Sorrento Valley Rd, San Diego, CA 92121
Nearest parking Parking available at start location.
Map rwgps
Organizers Osvaldo Colavin
Registration info RUSA memberhip is required to ride this brevet.
Ride fee is $0.
Online registration is open until Friday July 11, 2025 12:00 am.
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Registered riders There are 10 registered riders.
Matthew Cazalas
Ozer Chagatai
Osvaldo Colavin
Maitram Giske
David Horwitt
Kerin Huber
David Lamas
James Pringle
Max Saenz
Royce Yang

To celebrate Bastille Day (14 juillet), we will tour the best French bakeries of North County. Your mission: elect the best croissant of San Diego County. Warning: this will be a calorie neutral ride, at best.

Starting from the Sorrento Valley Park and Ride, we will head east on the SR-56 bike path, exiting at Black Mountain Rd and weaving our way to the French Oven in Scripps Ranch. There might be a line at this popular destination, but you’ll be rewarded by a tempting display of pastries (Paris-Brest!) and other goodies. But stick to the script and get a plain croissant.

Take tasting notes as you sample your first croissant. Here’s what to look for (courtesy of the Guide Michelin):

We’ll then head north following the I-15 until we reach Escondido where we’ll stop at A Delight of France. Enjoy your second croissant and contrast with your previous tasting.

We’ll then head west toward the coast and our next stop will be at Prager Brothers in Carlsbad. Rinse and repeat.

Heading south now, our next stop will be at Versailles in Encinitas where you will be tempted to try the Paris-Brest, but don’t miss the croissant, believe me. If you’re still hungry, you can cross the street and make a stop at Isabelle Briens’ bakery.

As we reach the coast, we’ll pay our respect to the Cardiff Kook (officially known as the Magic Carpet Ride sculpture) by taking a picture of its attire of the day. Here’s what he looked like on May 25, 2025:

It will then be only a short ride to Darshan in Del Mar for the last control. You won’t be penalized if you skip this tasting and default to an electronic proof of passage but I recommend you keep some room for this final tasting, their croissant is worth crossing the road for.

At the finish you will be asked to vote for your best croissant experience.