On Sept. 12, more than 1,800 bicycling enthusiasts from all over the country will participate in the 8th Annual Tour de Tahoe – Bike Big Blue around Lake Tahoe.

This fun ride is not a race, but a tour and is fully supported offering spectacular scenery, fresh mountain air, rest stops with great food and beverage; and is staffed by volunteers from various organizations and professionally managed by experienced ride organizers. The event is supported by a grant from the Nevada Commission on Tourism.

This year marks the first year participation of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation as their National Team Fundraiser Ride to Cure Diabetes.

“We are extremely pleased to host the first JDRF National Team and to be their premiere Ride to Cure Diabetes fundraising event,” event director Curtis Fong said in a statement. “With 175 participants coming from all over the country, we expect to raise $600,000 for JDRF.”

For more information on joining the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation’s National Team, visit ride.jdrf.com.

Bicyclists will ride two tour options based on their ability level, with all rides starting and finishing from the Horizon Casino in Stateline.

For the “recreational” bicyclists, the Lake Tahoe Boat Cruise and 35 mile Half Ride is offered featuring a sightseeing boat cruise on Lake Tahoe Cruise’s Tahoe Queen paddle-wheeler, complete with a continental breakfast across the lake to the North Shore where participants start their 35 mile bike ride back to the Horizon. This ride option offers challenge as well as beauty with over 1000 vertical feet of climbing along Lake Tahoe’s East Shore. This ride option is limited to 120 participants and 50 family members and guests with a non-bicycling option.

For the conditioned bicyclists, the 72-mile Tour de Tahoe route around Lake Tahoe is not only one of the most scenic, it is also one of the only bi-state bike rides in the country with it’s route in California and Nevada. The 72-mile route circumnavigates the highways around Lake Tahoe in a clockwise direction and offers more than 2,600 vertical feet of climbing.

Online pre-registration is open at BiketheWest.com through Sept. 3. After that date only on-site/late registration will be available.