Eroica vintage cycling festival returning to Paso Robles

The Eroica California vintage cycling event returns to Paso Robles in an expanded three-day festival starting Friday at City Park. Proceeds benefit the nonprofit Hospice of San Luis Obispo County.

Originating in Italy, Eroica showcases vintage road bikes from the early 1900s through 1987. In its first year last spring, the California festival drew as many as 1,000 cyclists to San Luis Obispo County. This year, the event was expanded to three days at City Park to include a concourse d’elegance showcasing vintage road racing bicycles owned by collectors, a vintage bicycle swap meet, cycling expo and live entertainment.

A grand opening Friday night includes a VIP reception and showing of the movie “Breaking Away,” followed by a question-and-answer session with actor Dennis Christopher at Fremont Theatre in San Luis Obispo. For information, visit bit.ly/ECVIPReceptionMovie.

On Sunday, cyclists can choose from among four routes for a vintage bike ride through Atascadero, Paso Robles, Templeton, Cambria and Cayucos. Riders can take the 127-mile Heroic Route, the 88-mile Coastal Route, 73-mile Medium Route or the 40-mile Short Route.

For information on Eroica California, a schedule of events, or to register for a ride, visit www.eroicacalifornia.com.

This story was originally published April 2, 2016 at 3:39 PM with the headline "Eroica vintage cycling festival returning to Paso Robles."