San Diego - bike rental & ride ideas?

[BikeNY]

Hi all! I'm going to be in San Diego for work for 6 days or so starting next Friday, and I'm hoping to sneak out for a couple of rides. Any tips on decent places to rent a bike and ride? I'd prefer something with some dirt, but will deal with whatever I can get. I'm staying right in the city and won't have a car, so rides need to start and end there. Any leads would be appreciated!

Thanks,
Mark

[ptourkin]

I can give you a bunch of good mixed surface routes that start near downtown - I live close to there. I'm not sure who is renting out gravel bikes. I'd check with Moment in Liberty Station.

You're about to get a bunch of suggestions about how great riding up the coast is. It isn't, unless you're just being a tourist. It's not challenging except for one 7 minute climb up Torrey and is stop and go with a lot of traffic.

[Tickdoc]

Moment bicycles at liberty station is who I used...great little shop and decent rentals.

https://www.momentbicycles.com/about/road-bike-rentals-pg420.htm

I didn't go on as many rides as I thought I would, but they have some shop rides that are great and there is just good riding all over there.

my favorite was the short cabrillo point ride. Very serene naval cemetery along the climb and watched the Navy doing helicopter drills off in the distance.

https://i.imgur.com/R4yvsTG.jpg

Got a haircut at a local barber....prob the best haircut ever....

https://i.imgur.com/fhrcY0C.jpg

waiting on the ferry from Coronado:
https://i.imgur.com/B7W1HQQ.jpg

Would do again if ever given the chance.

[Ken Robb]

Where exactly will you be "in the city"? What size bike do you ride?

[BikeNY]

Where exactly will you be "in the city"? What size bike do you ride?

I have to find the address, but I'm staying in an apartment downtown, 8 blocks or so East of the convention center. I ride around a 57cm or so.

To expand a bit, I've been there a few times over the years, and have done some rides in the area. I've done the Silver Strand and Coronado ferry, I've ridden out to the Sweetwater Reservoir area and explored the trails there, I've ridden down to the border and explored a bit down there, and also have ridden out to Point Loma. Oh, and MANY years ago I rode Noble Canyon a couple of times, fun trails out there! I think I've rented from Bike Revolution before, I'll check out Moment, thanks for that.

Mark

[woodworker]

I can give you a bunch of good mixed surface routes that start near downtown - I live close to there. I'm not sure who is renting out gravel bikes. I'd check with Moment in Liberty Station.

You're about to get a bunch of suggestions about how great riding up the coast is. It isn't, unless you're just being a tourist. It's not challenging except for one 7 minute climb up Torrey and is stop and go with a lot of traffic.

True, the Coast can be overrated, depending upon where you're riding. However, if you're staying downtown, I'm not sure about the better options. Cabrillo is a nice ride, but navigating past the Airport can be a pain.

Another option would be to head up Pacific Hwy to Mission Bay, then along the frontage road to Rose Canyon. There is the difficult area around Grand / Garnet though. But it would allow you to hit either Mt. Soledad or Torrey, or both, depending upon the distance that you want to cover. That's two nice climbs.

I think that Adams Avenue Cyclery has some group rides on the weekend, and it's a really nice shop. So does Moment out to Cabrillo if I recall correctly on Tuesday and Thursday mornings.

One other thought is to take the train (Coaster) up to Sorrento Valley. I think that you can access some nice off road riding in the Carmel Valley area, as well as the 56 bike path and the Rancho Santa Fe area. Check out the routes listed at the Ride Cyclery website.

[ptourkin]

True, the Coast can be overrated, depending upon where you're riding. However, if you're staying downtown, I'm not sure about the better options. Cabrillo is a nice ride, but navigating past the Airport can be a pain.

Another option would be to head up Pacific Hwy to Mission Bay, then along the frontage road to Rose Canyon. There is the difficult area around Grand / Garnet though. But it would allow you to hit either Mt. Soledad or Torrey, or both, depending upon the distance that you want to cover. That's two nice climbs.

I think that Adams Avenue Cyclery has some group rides on the weekend, and it's a really nice shop. So does Moment out to Cabrillo if I recall correctly on Tuesday and Thursday mornings.

One other thought is to take the train (Coaster) up to Sorrento Valley. I think that you can access some nice off road riding in the Carmel Valley area, as well as the 56 bike path and the Rancho Santa Fe area. Check out the routes listed at the Ride Cyclery website.

Adams is my club. We have the Chili's World Championships on Saturday and usually a chill Sunday ride but not so much this time of year because of the Great Western Training Program.

Nobody ever mentions heading south of the 94, which is where you will find some good climbing and some great gravel and dirt, some of which is road bike friendly. I live just above downtown and do it all the time.

[Ken Robb]

I guess my 62cm wouldn't work. UC Cyclery is a nice shop and I think they rent bikes. It sounds like you will be pretty close to ptourkin so his advice on routes should be spot-on.

[woodworker]

Adams is my club. We have the Chili's World Championships on Saturday and usually a chill Sunday ride but not so much this time of year because of the Great Western Training Program.

Nobody ever mentions heading south of the 94, which is where you will find some good climbing and some great gravel and dirt, some of which is road bike friendly. I live just above downtown and do it all the time.

Good to know. I'm in North County, so I'm guessing that you will have better advice for riding from downtown. I like the various Soledad climbs. From up here (Encinitas), a Soledad climb provides for some pretty scenery and a bit of burning lungs.

Adams Avenue is a really nice shop--worth a visit regardless.

Summer Cycles in Del Mar is worth a stop too. Lots of Sevens and some Pegorettis and mountain bikes to demo as well.

P.S. What / where is the Chilli's World Championships?

[onekgguy]

I was stationed there in the late '70s while in the Navy. One of my favorite routes was E Street out of Chula Vista to Otay Lakes Rd then east on 94 to Dulzura and Campo. There was little traffic then but I'm not sure what it's like today. It's on my bucket list to make it back someday and retrace some steps from 40+ years ago.

Here's a map of the route (https://ridewithgps.com/routes/28838642) I just put together on RideWithGPS. Perhaps Ken can chime in as to how that route holds up today.

Kevin g

[Ken Robb]

I was stationed there in the late '70s while in the Navy. One of my favorite routes was E Street out of Chula Vista to Otay Lakes Rd then east on 94 to Dulzura and Campo. There was little traffic then but I'm not sure what it's like today. It's on my bucket list to make it back someday and retrace some steps from 40+ years ago.

Here's a map of the route (https://ridewithgps.com/routes/28838642) I just put together on RideWithGPS. Perhaps Ken can chime in as to how that route holds up today.

Kevin g

Lots more traffic on E Street due to thousands of new homes but once you get past the Olympic Training Center Otay Lakes and beyond is still very scenic.

[onekgguy]

Lots more traffic on E Street due to thousands of new homes but once you get past the Olympic Training Center Otay Lakes and beyond is still very scenic.

Thanks, Ken. I've looked at some of the route on Google Maps and once you get out by Otay Lakes and beyond it looks like it's pretty much as I remember it -- undeveloped. Just thinking about it has stirred up some great memories for me.

Kevin g

[KarlC]

Adams is my club. We have the Chili's World Championships on Saturday and usually a chill Sunday ride but not so much this time of year because of the Great Western Training Program.

Nobody ever mentions heading south of the 94, which is where you will find some good climbing and some great gravel and dirt, some of which is road bike friendly. I live just above downtown and do it all the time.

Adams is a cool shop, Spot the Campy guy fine tuned the built on my SpeedVagen

https://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=213855&highlight=speedvagen

Moment has a cool shop ride thru down town and on to cabrillo point

.

[ptourkin]

Lots more traffic on E Street due to thousands of new homes but once you get past the Olympic Training Center Otay Lakes and beyond is still very scenic.

E Street is unnecessary. You can use the Bayshore Bikeway to the 54 bikepath to get to Plaza Bonita to enter the South Bay. I do it a couple times a week. If you use the lettered streets, the quietest is J, as seen here.

https://www.strava.com/activities/1888486647

[ptourkin]

Adams is a cool shop, Spot the Campy guy fine tuned the built on my SpeedVagen

https://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=213855&highlight=speedvagen

Moment has a cool shop ride thru down town and on to cabrillo point

.

Spot is a close friend. Talked to him yesterday. He isn't at Adams now but will reappear somewhere shortly.

Chili's is a group ride that starts at the Mission Valley Chili' and heads north toward the coast returning via Kearny Villa Road.

[woodworker]

Spot is a close friend. Talked to him yesterday. He isn't at Adams now but will reappear somewhere shortly.

Chili's is a group ride that starts at the Mission Valley Chili' and heads north toward the coast returning via Kearny Villa Road.

Thanks for the info--may have to try it sometime.

Odd about Spot. I took my Seven to him b/c he was good with Campy. Great guy, and great mechanic. Hope that it all works out for him.

[mayal7]

Go to the bike revolution in downtown. Ask for Patty (which is a guy) and he’ll hook you up. Great prices and the specialize in gravel rentals.

http://www.thebikerevolution.com




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