Rental/Riding Recs in San Diego

[Gummee]

Originally Posted by Ken Robb

Yep, weekends on Palomar will have motorcycles and cars pushing their limits but week days are von line. ery quiet. California Bicycles is very much alive and Jason has posted several classic bikes for sale lately on line.

It's easy to ride from University City to the coast at Del Mar and you can go up to Oceanside to get a real taste of SoCal beaches. MANY places to get food/drinks of all kinds hence opportunities to visit with other riders.

It's quite a drive to get to the bottom of Palomar but there is usually a place to park. I would ride up the STEEP South Grade, take a break for a snack and drink at the store at the merge of South and East Grades and then enjoy the swoopy turns because only a few of them are blind. When you get to the bottom you can ride a few miles on the highway back to your car. Real animals ride back up and go down the way they came up but descending South Grade scares me too much to be fun. As far as I know Mother's Kitchen on the mountain is still closed but the store is open.

Mmmm Pizza Port. Miss that place. Had a few birfday parties at the one in Carlsbad.

If you're going to ride Palomar, may as well do the whole thing and ride from the coast.

M

[Gummee]

Originally Posted by fourflys

sorry I missed that..

my riding impressions are mostly from North County, but I did commute to downtown (by the airport) and did a couple rides out in the Chula Vista area (the Olympic Center is cool to visit).. of course, getting in downtown SD is going to be traffic and lights.. and there are a few lights on Hwy 1 along the beach, but they aren't bad.. having lived in just about every part of the country other than the NE (visited Boston, Portland ME, and Newport RI), Florida (been there on vacation a lot as a kid and adult), or HI (spent a week in Hono a few years back, not roads I'd want to ride on mostly), I will hands down say that San Diego is the best place I've lived/ridden with Sonoma County being a close second.. both are just way too expensive to fully retire in..

If you're around downtown and up to say Mission Valley, the riding isn't all that much to talk about. East of Chula Juana and noth to Ramona, there isn't much traffic on a weekday.

East of the 5 and out to the 15 has a couple fun loops, but you're always in suburbia. I used to ride from College and the 78 (home) to the Boulevard RR course and back. I'd tow a buddy that was 130ish soaking wet to the bottom the hill then watch him ride away from me. Also used to ride from home to Escondido, back via the Elfin Forest (?Sunset?), then back up the coast to home. Fun downhill!

Rarely climbed up on the road north of Lake Hodges (once maybe?!) that the BWR uses these days.

Gravel wasn't a thing when I was there.

M

[joeminglin]

Get a Julian's pie if u do Palomar and driving from the south. :-p

[mass_biker]

I did a ride once when I was younger/braver - think it started in RB, up Highland Valley and then up to Ramona - then left at Santa Ysabel to head northwest-ish a bit then northeast towards the turnoff for S2/San Felipe Road. Then southeast on S2/San Felipe Road to meet up with the Banner Grade then up Banner Grade through Banner and down into Julian. Then back down to Ramona etc.

The stretch on S2/San Felipe was desolate. I was questioning my choices! Then scrambling for water in Banner realizing I had to get back up and over into Julian was somewhat anxiety-making. It all worked out though. A slice of pie in Julian didn’t hurt either.

But don’t think I’ll do that again solo (or with a 39/25 low gear).

Other jaunts in/around Laguna Mountain were epic too.

But these days I get my kicks in/around Rancho Santa Fe/Twin Peaks/San Elijo Hills/Lake Wohlford/Palomar when I visit. So much great riding.

MB

[joeminglin]

Originally Posted by mass_biker

I did a ride once when I was younger/braver - think it started in RB, up Highland Valley and then up to Ramona - then left at Santa Ysabel to head northwest-ish a bit then northeast towards the turnoff for S2/San Felipe Road. Then southeast on S2/San Felipe Road to meet up with the Banner Grade then up Banner Grade through Banner and down into Julian. Then back down to Ramona etc.

The stretch on S2/San Felipe was desolate. I was questioning my choices! Then scrambling for water in Banner realizing I had to get back up and over into Julian was somewhat anxiety-making. It all worked out though. A slice of pie in Julian didn’t hurt either.

But don’t think I’ll do that again solo (or with a 39/25 low gear).

Other jaunts in/around Laguna Mountain were epic too.

But these days I get my kicks in/around Rancho Santa Fe/Twin Peaks/San Elijo Hills/Lake Wohlford/Palomar when I visit. So much great riding.

MB

Do u have a route u can share? I'm in SD 2-3x a year and always looking for new roads.

[AngryScientist]

Originally Posted by fourflys

San Diego has some of the best riding I've even seen..

Considering your current location, i think you need to branch out more!

I'll take napa/sonoma/bay area riding over SD any day of the week and 5x on Sundays!

That said, to the OP, yes, there is some good riding in SD area, and if you will be there for a "couple weeks" as mentioned in the OP, and you have the capability to take a bike with you, just take your own and get out for short rides when you can.

Traveling with a bike and kids is definitely manageable if you dont stress out over it.

Few years ago my family (2 kids at the time) and I took a trip to Disney CA and then SD CA. Wife drove from Anaheim to SD, I rode down, and then did short day rides between family stuff.

Life is better on 2 wheels, even if it's a short ride every couple days.

[woodworker]

Originally Posted by joeminglin

Do u have a route u can share? I'm in SD 2-3x a year and always looking for new roads.

What are you looking for--duration and how much climbing?

[Gummee]

Originally Posted by joeminglin

Do u have a route u can share? I'm in SD 2-3x a year and always looking for new roads.

From 20 years ago? I broke out maps and went for it

M

[joeminglin]

Originally Posted by woodworker

What are you looking for--duration and how much climbing?

Typically duration. I try to ride 4-5 hrs without stopping, 2 bottles and pocket food. I did east grade palomar to the observatory and lookout last week, 45 miles, 5.6k ft in about 3.75hrs. The plan was to do the south grade as well (60mi/8k ft total) but I didn't have the time.

[joeminglin]

Originally Posted by Gummee

From 20 years ago? I broke out maps and went for it

M

Haha...nice. I'll look foe a route.

[woodworker]

Originally Posted by joeminglin

Typically duration. I try to ride 4-5 hrs without stopping, 2 bottles and pocket food. I did east grade palomar to the observatory and lookout last week, 45 miles, 5.6k ft in about 3.75hrs. The plan was to do the south grade as well (60mi/8k ft total) but I didn't have the time.

Just did Kitchen Creek last week. It's really pretty and there are different loops. Here's a link: https://swamis.org/events/event/hill...kitchen-creek/

This ride up in Fallbrook is nice: https://swamis.org/events/event/swam...ning-ride-4-2/

Both are longish with a fair amount of climbing.

And here's another one: https://swamis.org/events/event/mont...-b-c-d-groups/

Just throwing these out there in case one appeals to you.

[deluz]

I have lived in San Diego all of my 67 years and the riding is as good as anywhere. But you have go to the backcountry if you want scenic challenging rides. Palomar is raw climbing and can be a bit boring.
Here is a suggestion that has some of best roads in the country.
Some are steep and remote if that is what you like.
You could easily get lost and there may be no cell coverage.

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45081867

This is the ideal time of year to do this as it gets too hot in the summer.
Like others have said you can do the coast to Oceanside.
Very popular route lots of traffic lights but you are next to the ocean.
I live on the coast and find it somewhat boring.
Have fun.

[KJMUNC]

As a SD resident I’m with deluz: if you only want to climb, go do Palomar. If you want coastal views, do a ride that includes some mix of La Jolla/Soledad, Torrey Pines, the long run of 25mi+ to Oceanside and back. It’s not the worlds most challenging going, but dang it’s its not pretty beautiful.

Infinite options if you head inland to Rancho Santa Fe (quiet roads, short sharp hills), Encinitas/Carlsbad, or further east to add BWR road or gravel routes….100% of which are accessible any day of the week.

Depends what you want, but they’re all great options. I tend to opt for stuff I can ride from my house vs the long haul out to Palomar. Feel free to DM me for route recommendations.

[ssb94]

GWL is a must imo.

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/30689277

[carpediemracing]

A compilation of bits on my last trip out to North County (Jan 2011). The drafting and such is between the PCH and Vista, around Carlsbad / Palomar Airport. The cool cars are on the PCH, mostly near Torrey Pines (Porsche was closer to Carlsbad). Lake Wohlford descent was on way back from Palomar, going into Escondido. By then I was going via Lake Wohlford -> Harrah's -> South Grade. Then turn around and go back the same way I went up.

Oh, a tip on Palomar - I thought Harrison Grade was South Grade (I had no map, I was just going off written directions), but it is definitely not. Harrison is so steep, and gravel, that I couldn't get the rear tire to stay planted even while seated, and the front would get light if I stood. It was really steep, and zero traction, and scary when I turned around and went back down the little bit I went up. If you go from Harrah's then you simply turn right at the intersection and you won't even have the chance to make my mistake of going up Nate Harrison Grade. There's a small convenience store just before that right, it was my default refueling spot. I would also get a postcard at the top of the mountain and mail it from the tiny post office up there, so it would have the postmark.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_o8CFeGG_g

I only really know about north of Torrey Pines. South of there it gets busy, and if I got that far I was already looking at 5 hours round trip so I didn't venture too far south of that (La Jolla I think is as far as I went). North of Torrey Pines, it's nice. Check out Lilac and W Lilack Road, Champagne Blvd (Lawrence Welk resort). For me, from CT, PCH was nice and relaxing, wide shoulder, relatively smooth roads, and, again, for me, nice stretches of road with enough lights etc to break things up. Also some cool stuff to see. Like by Carlsbad there's a place on the beach where RC plane people meet, for example, so I'd stop and watch for a bit. There are surf areas as well. If you want seals they are here and there but I didn't go looking for them. etc etc.

How old are the kids? If they're young, Legoland is in Carlsbad, and we went there with my son. I didn't ride that trip but that was fun.

And if you're around Balboa Park Tues Nights, there's track racing at the velodrome there I think. I think it just started last week.