The LBC, made famous by one of world’s biggest rap stars, Snoop Dogg, has come into its own in recent years. While you might imagine a landscape of rap video icons like low-riders and gangsters in house shoes, the community of Long Beach has become a hub of innovative companies and earth-friendly neighborhoods that show pride in their streets. The downtown area is booming with nightlife and restaurants, and activities have become a calling card for the city. It’s only fitting that a bike race become part of the offering, in the form of the Long Beach Bike Festival. The three-day event, May 7, 8, and 9, 2010, consists of anything and everything bicycle-related: from fixed gear contests to bicycle polo, and from BMX competitions to criterium road races. The long-term plan to make Long Beach “the most cycling friendly urban city in the United States. You might not find Snoop there, or a low-rider bike contest (which is not a bad idea maybe), but if you’re a bicycle nerd like us, you will find a lot to do over the weekend. Plan for it.

More: Long Beach Bike Fest