What 1 ride should I do in LA

[R3awak3n]

In La for a wedding in a couple of months. Want to go out on 1 ride, I am the best man so won't have a lot of time but will try to rent a bike for 1 day and get 1 ride in since it seems LA does in fact have some good ridding and weather is almost always favorable.


Want a biggish ride, lets say 60-80 miles. Some climbing would be nice but nothing super crazy (5k elevation or so). If you could do 1 ride in LA what would it be?

I will be in Venice beach so something starting from there or Santa Monica.

Strava or ride with GPS files would be awesome so I can just upload it to my garmin and off I go.

[oldpotatoe]

Originally Posted by R3awak3n

In La for a wedding in a couple of months. Want to go out on 1 ride, I am the best man so won't have a lot of time but will try to rent a bike for 1 day and get 1 ride in since it seems LA does in fact have some good ridding and weather is almost always favorable.


Want a biggish ride, lets say 60-80 miles. Some climbing would be nice but nothing super crazy (5k elevation or so). If you could do 1 ride in LA what would it be?

I will be in Venice beach so something starting from there or Santa Monica.

Strava or ride with GPS files would be awesome so I can just upload it to my garmin and off I go.

Up PCH1 north thru Malibu and up by Ventura is 'scenic'...pretty flat but always something to see..Ya gonna ride before or after the bachelor party?

[R3awak3n]

Originally Posted by oldpotatoe

Up PCH1 north thru Malibu and up by Ventura is 'scenic'...pretty flat but always something to see..Ya gonna ride before or after the bachelor party?

Man I actually just got back from the bachelor party. 1 week in Costa Rica and nedless to say that i am extremely tired.

I checked strava local for LA and I think one of the rides its exactly what you have described.

[oldpotatoe]

Originally Posted by R3awak3n

Man I actually just got back from the bachelor party. 1 week in Costa Rica and nedless to say that i am extremely tired.

I checked strava local for LA and I think one of the rides its exactly what you have described.

I lived in Camarillo for 2 years and rode both directions, north and south..all the time. Some amazing homes along the coast towards Santa Monica..Saw Johnny Carson once in his Mercedes on the road next to Pepperdine..

[R3awak3n]

Originally Posted by oldpotatoe

I lived in Camarillo for 2 years and rode both directions, north and south..all the time. Some amazing homes along the coast towards Santa Monica..Saw Johnny Carson once in his Mercedes on the road next to Pepperdine..

I only been to LA once, for 3 days and drove a bunch along the PCH.

Excited to be there for a week this time.

[SoCalSteve]

I will agree with Old Spud on the up PCH ride, especially if you are going to be based in Venice. I do believe Helen’s Santa Monica rents bikes.

Once on PCH, you can easily do the mileage you want with lots of rollers. For more challenging climbing, you can turn right onto any of the many canyon roads. Pretty much all lead to Mulholland. From there, turn left and Mulholland ends up back on PCH. Or stay on PCH and end up in Oxnard surrounded by strawberry fields.

You cannot go wrong doing this ride. Oh, make sure to keep your eyes and ears peeled for some of the most exotic super cars you will ever see ( if you are into that kind of stuff ).

Enjoy!

[lhuerta]

If ur going to be in LA I will assume u will have access to a car. Drive 45 mins east to Glendora and do Glendora Mountain Ridge to Mt Baldy.....serene/quiet, nearly car free, challenging and a world tour class climb. The only ride I do whenever I return to my hometown.

[oldpotatoe]

Originally Posted by SoCalSteve

I will agree with Old Spud on the up PCH ride, especially if you are going to be based in Venice. I do believe Helen’s Santa Monica rents bikes.

Once on PCH, you can easily do the mileage you want with lots of rollers. For more challenging climbing, you can turn right onto any of the many canyon roads. Pretty much all lead to Mulholland. From there, turn left and Mulholland ends up back on PCH. Or stay on PCH and end up in Oxnard surrounded by strawberry fields.

You cannot go wrong doing this ride. Oh, make sure to keep your eyes and ears peeled for some of the most exotic super cars you will ever see ( if you are into that kind of stuff ).

Enjoy!

Go find ‘Hotel California’ too (Eagles)...

[AngryScientist]

Originally Posted by lhuerta

If ur going to be in LA I will assume u will have access to a car. Drive 45 mins east to Glendora and do Glendora Mountain Ridge to Mt Baldy.....serene/quiet, nearly car free, challenging and a world tour class climb. The only ride I do whenever I return to my hometown.

i did this a few weeks ago.

warning: if you plan to climb all the way to the ski lifts - it is a tough day, especially this early in the season for this east coaster.

if you want to ride right out of SM area, there are a bunch of really good climbs to do. i feel like i practically live out that way sometimes.

it really does depend on how far you want to go, how many hours you want to spend, and how just how much climbing you want to do.

i have found the climbing out that way to be completely different than what we have here in NY land. much longer, more gradual grinding climbs as opposed to the short punchy high grade lumps we have here. totally different climbing style.

anyway, i have a bunch of GPS routes for rides out of the santa monica mountains i can give you if you want. this was a good one from last year...

[R3awak3n]

So it looks like it will be what I will do exactly. That ride sounds great. Excited for long climbs at different lower grades, it makes climbs much more fun. We do have those in NY but you are right, most are punchy short climbs. I have a climb up here I do and its probably like 45 minutes of climbing at 3-6%, its pretty fun.

@socalsteve - I sure will keep my eyes peeled for some exotics. Last time I was in LA I saw a lot of them, I saw a ferrari with a surfboard on the roof.

@lhuearta - I won't have a car this time. Have a lot of friends in town and will take ubers if needed.

[false_Aest]

PCH > Topanga > Old Topanga > Mulholland > Cold Canyon Rd > Piuma > Schueren > Saddle Peak > Tuna > Fernwood > Topanga

or

PCH > Topanga > Old Topanga > Mulholland > PCH

or

PCH > Latigo > Kanan Dume > Mulholland (south) > Rockstore Descent > Las Virgenes/Malibu Canyon > PCH

or

Nichols Canyon Ride

or

Nichols Cyn > Mulholland (east) > Lake Ridge > Wonder View > Lake Hollywood > Tahoe Dr > Canyon Lake Dr > Ledgewood > Rockcliff Dr > Deronda > Mt Lee Dr > Hollywood Sign > Deronda > Ledgewood > Beachwood Cyn > Franklin Ave > Home

or

PCH > Malibu Cyn > Piuma > Schueren > Stunt > Mulholland > Old Topanga > Topanga > PCH

or

San Vicente > 26th/Allenford > Sunset > Mandeville Cyn > Sunset > Rockingham > 26th > San Vicente > Beach Path > Done

or

If you're free on a Saturday. 7th/Montana 7:30am is a large/fast ride up PCH with the likes of Zabriski, Gaimon, etc.

[beeatnik]

^Witnessing the stremf of Westside street knowledge.

[Clean39T]

Pics please when it happens - living vicariously I must..

[false_Aest]

Word!

Significantly less punk than I'd prefer but smooooooooth.

[cgolvin]

Given your stated qualifier — the 1 ride you should do — I agree with Angry et al, Glendora Mountain/Glendora Ridge with the option of including the ski lifts depending on fitness would be it. Although honorable mention to Angeles Crest Highway->Angeles Forest Highway->Mt. Gleeson->Upper Big Tujunga with a detour up Mt. Wilson.

But assuming you don't want to drive to ride, seem enthusiastic about PCH (I ride it almost every weekend but IMO there's little to enjoy), and your stated mileage + elevation range, there's a clear answer:

https://www.strava.com/routes/6209446

This route starts at the Santa Monica pier, gives you a ~16 mile chunk of PCH through the town of Malibu, then up Latigo Canyon, one of the nicest climbs off the coast (~10 miles total, actually two climbs and two short descents). After a short connector on Kanan Dune you turn onto Mulholland Highway, enjoy a thrilling descent down "the snake" (caution: keep well onto your side of the road, cars and motorcycles come up fast the other way), and past the Rock Store.

Next you get a few nice miles of rollers on Mulholland, a fun little descent section on Cold Canyon, then a lovely 5 mile climb on Piuma Rd and then a short section getting you to Saddle Peak with gorgeous views of both the ocean and the entire basin. Finally, close with an isolated one-way descent down Tuna Canyon (watch your speed, it's steeper than it looks) and a short return on PCH. If you're into that kind of thing, the Rapha clubhouse is only a couple of blocks from your starting point and they make good coffee.

OTOH, if you're looking for a healthier dose of suffering, then I can give you a route that includes Las Flores…plus a bit of dirt off Big Rock.

Feel free to PM if you're looking for a riding partner, though it's rare for me to get out on a weekday. In addition to Helen's, if you're partial to Specialized you can rent at Cynergy Cycles.