Best Sections on California Coast Bike Route

[fishski2470]

I am looking to ride from Eureka or Crescent City to S. California but was wondering if anyone has any advice on what, if any, sections i might avoid (take a short bus or lift etc.).  I was in Crescent City last weekend and found the hill heading south to be very dangerous, blind with no shoulder at all.  What is it lilke from Eureka south....?  Also, how do i learn about detours/bipasses that might get me off the busy roads? 

[John Nelson]

A lot of the roads through the redwoods are mostly narrow and without shoulder, but I would never suggest skipping them. This is exactly the kind of scenery you want to see from a bike. So just try to ignore the traffic and enjoy, and try to choose a time outside the busiest season.

Big Sur is also narrow, twisty and generally shoulderless. But never in a million years would I suggest you skip Big Sur--it's the highlight of the trip. Starting early in the morning is a common strategy for avoiding traffic, but it doesn't work great here because it's often the foggiest at that time. Make sure you have a very bright tail light to cut through the fog.

The worst traffic I found was through Malibu. Those 27 miles would be at the top of my list to skip. In fact, you could skip the whole Santa Barbara to San Diego stretch if you hate traffic. Surprisingly, getting through Los Angeles was fine because so much of it is on the beach bike path, although the bike path has its own hazards with dogs, kids, roller bladers, cyclists, runners and walkers. The only hairy traffic part is getting around LAX.

I think the ACA route already gets you off the busy roads as much as possible.