Huddled in the pre-dawn chill just outside the Coliseum in south Los Angeles, everyone is a little anxious. Echoing booms pierce the sky overhead and there is a collective twitch in the crowd.

"Fireworks," someone says. Glowing color splashes the gray sky, giving way to nervous laughter that hints at what loud noises usually portend in this neighborhood. The crowd starts to creep forward and eventually we're making the transition from walking to riding. Another edition of L.A.'s annual two-wheeled tribute to spandex, the Acura L.A. Bike Tour, is under way.

Held annually since 1995, the Acura L.A. Bike Tour is the opening act of the Los Angeles Marathon, which takes place on the first Sunday in March. It's not a competitive ride. Instead, 15,000 or so cyclists take to the streets already closed for the marathon to enjoy a 20-mile ride without cars. And to show off their favorite tighty-tight shorts.

Actually the attire, like the riders, is quite diverse. And in L.A., quirkiness is the norm. All kinds of people on all kinds of bikes can be seen. Tall. Short. Skinny. Wished-they-were-skinny. Young. Wished-they-were-young. High-priced, high-tech road racers. Knobby-tired mountain bikes. Recumbents (those bikes you ride laying down). Dads towing kids in trailers. Women towing dogs in trailers. Couples on tandems. A pink Hello Kitty beach cruiser ridden by a blonde in matching pink sweats and a matching pink helmet.

While people watching is a highlight, the real attraction is riding on streets you would normally be too afraid to share with cars, and pedaling through neighborhoods you likely wouldn't visit if you had the protection of a car. L.A. is a diverse city, and the bike tour reflects that. From the Coliseum, it winds through South Central, the gritty warehouse district, Little Tokyo, East L.A., the high rise canyons of Downtown, past MacArthur Park, through Koreatown, and ends at USC. Many local residents take their coffee outside to wave and cheer the cyclists streaming past.

Riding in the first light of morning offers a rare perspective on the city. You're cruising much slower than normal, at ground level, and the predominant sounds are pedaling and the chitchat of fellow riders. Travel in Southern California is always about the destination. But on this day, the journey is the destination. It's the only opportunity you get to ride across the 6th Street Bridge over the L.A. River and slow down long enough to take in the Downtown skyline spread across a vibrant, smogless blue sky.

Another big upside to the event is its leisurely pace. Supposedly officials will ask you to exit the course if you're riding slower than nine miles per hour. I've never seen anyone get the boot. And that includes the four or five guys I convince to ride with me whose only bike ride for the year is this one. It truly is an event that is accessible to anyone who can ride a bike.

If there's any negative to the Acura L.A. Bike Tour, it is the early hour at which it occurs. It's tough leaving the Santa Clarita Valley before 5 a.m. to allow enough time to park, unload and pedal to the starting area before the 6:45 a.m. rollout. But if you can do it, you can count on the fireworks to give you a shot of adrenaline guaranteed to wake you up.

Saddle Up for the
Acura L.A. Bike Tour
March 2, 2008
Registration: www.lamarathon.com. Although you can register online, you have to pick up your rider's packet at the L.A. Marathon's Quality of Life Expo held at the L.A. Convention Center Friday or Saturday before the ride. If you can't go, send a friend with a copy of your driver's license and a note authorizing him/her to pick up your packet. The cost is $45;
310-444-5544
Getting There: Take Interstate 5 south to Interstate 110 south. Exit at Exposition Boulevard or Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Pre-paid parking lots in the area will be open and available for parking.

Race Day Tips: Skip your morning coffee unless you like using portable restrooms. Dress in layers. It's cold when the ride begins, but usually warms up quickly. Pay attention to those around you. Accidents are common throughout the ride, and the free medallions given to every finisher are much better souvenirs than road rash.