Author Topic: LA cycle it or take a lft past it?  (Read 9817 times)

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Offline tonythomson

LA cycle it or take a lft past it?
« on: November 14, 2008, 11:00:57 am »
After the Southern Tier plan to head north to San Francisco.  LA bothers me.  Has anyone who knows the route any tips or would you just take a Taxi from one side to the other.  Don't like urban cycling much, did you guess that?

Just starting to record my trips  www.tonystravels.com

Offline wanderingwheel

LA cycle it or take a lft past it?
« Reply #1 on: November 14, 2008, 11:48:24 am »
The Pacific Coast Route through Los Angeles is actually not a bad ride.  You will stay along the beach, riding roads that are very popular with the local cyclists.  This is not like riding through the middle of a city.  In truth, you will not be riding "through" LA, but "by" LA.  Downtown Los Angeles is a number of miles inland from the route.  

The worst of it will be a few miles in Long Beach as you make your way around the harbor.  The roads will be busy but safe, and more suburban in nature than urban.  Most of the riding in the Los Angles area will be similar to the riding in San Diego, Orange County, and San Francisco, which is to say nothing to be afraid of.

Sean


Offline Rep

LA cycle it or take a lft past it?
« Reply #2 on: November 14, 2008, 11:52:43 am »
TY both for the question and the informative answer.  My son lives in El Segundo, a beach community south of LA X.  

I have been considering a ride out to visit him but thought he might need to pick me up out in an outer ring burb.

Can I assume that the same is true if I am heading down the coast from Washington?

Drink beer, gain weight.  Ride bike, lose weight.
Bicycling, Brewing & Backgammon...What a life.

Offline WesternFlyer

LA cycle it or take a lft past it?
« Reply #3 on: November 14, 2008, 11:53:58 am »
You don't just take a taxi through LA.  The greater LA area extends from San Diego to past Ventura in the north.
The ACA maps are very clever at finding bike routes through urban congestion.  The beaches and coastline are beautiful with the exceptions of the Long Beach and San Pedro harbor areas.  If you really want to bypass it put your bike on the Amtrak in San Diego and get off in Santa Barbara and you will be on highway 1 in no time.

Western Flyer

A wise traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent upon arriving.
           Lao Tzu
Western Flyer

We must ride light and swift.  It is a long road ahead.

King Theoden

Offline whittierider

LA cycle it or take a lft past it?
« Reply #4 on: November 14, 2008, 02:35:10 pm »
Living in L.A. County and having ridden the coast a lot in this area, I would partly echo what others have already said.  The ugly part is the Long Beach and Wilmington area of PCH, about 10 miles' worth, where you're passing refineries and railroad yards, and the roads are in terrible shape, ruined by heavy trucks and never repaired; yet they're not particularly dangerous.  There are places where you do have to take the whole lane, but with a mirror, you'll be fine.  If you're heading in the direction of San Diego, you'll have a nice tail wind through this area in the afternoon.  I recently tried going through there on the next major street north of PCH, and although that one was newly re-paved, it seemed more dangerous for a few different reasons.  I have never ridden PCH west of Vermont Ave to know how that might be, but if you go south a mile or two and take Palos Verdes Drive North through there, it's beautiful.

I've ridden from Buellton above Santa Barbara to L.A. a couple of times and enjoyed it immensely.  I've ridden from a few miles east of the Long Beach area mentioned above to San Diego probably 15 times, and I enjoy most of that a ton too.  There are plenty of places where you're not in town at all, but when you are, it's mostly an easy-going beach atmosphere with everyone enjoying being there whether they're in their convertible, on a bike, on a surfboard, or just walking out there to look and be looked at.


Offline tonythomson

LA cycle it or take a lft past it?
« Reply #5 on: November 15, 2008, 06:36:16 am »
Guys many thanks that is so encouraging that decided I will ride it.  Any clues on where to camp or motels? and how long it might take.  I'm a bit slow!!
Tony

Just starting to record my trips  www.tonystravels.com

Offline Westinghouse

LA cycle it or take a lft past it?
« Reply #6 on: November 15, 2008, 10:57:40 am »
Wanderingwheel hit the nail squarely on the head. Don't worry about LA. There are bike paths. Venice Beach is good for a look and see. I saw a guy there juggling chain saws that were on and running.


Offline whittierider

Re: LA cycle it or take a lft past it?
« Reply #7 on: April 11, 2010, 09:35:50 pm »

I wrote above:

Quote
The ugly part is the Long Beach and Wilmington area of PCH, about 10 miles' worth, where you're passing refineries and railroad yards, and the roads are in terrible shape, ruined by heavy trucks and never repaired; yet they're not particularly dangerous.

I should add now that this stretch has been re-paved.  The re-paving didn't replace the refineries and so on with beautiful forests and cliffs, but the road surface is really nice now!

Offline Galloper

Re: LA cycle it or take a lft past it?
« Reply #8 on: April 13, 2010, 07:22:58 am »
Hi Tony, I've just (about 3 weeks ago) ridden from Malibu to San Diego and enjoyed it, lots of nice paths and only a few busy bits.   Took me three days of fairly easy riding.   Motels are quite pricey and there aren't too may camp sites.   In fact, one camp site in Mission Bay wanted $44 for a small tent.   San Clemente has one relatively cheap motel but for everywhere else, expect >$60


Offline tonythomson

Re: LA cycle it or take a lft past it?
« Reply #9 on: April 15, 2010, 01:14:02 pm »
Thanks galloper, hope it helps others as i rode that way last year and now heading up the Atlantic Coast.  But always good to hear from people.
Tony
Just starting to record my trips  www.tonystravels.com