Norcal vs Socal (General & for Cycling)

[cgolvin]

For me, who owns a car and is willing to drive to ride sometimes, the cycling premise is too narrow.

The Santa Monica canyon riding is excellent and there is tremendous variety, both on and off road. But living in the area means you also have access to a wide range of other options to the east (ACH, GMR/GRR/Baldy, Tujungas, Onyx/Big Bear, etc.), north (Lake Hughes, Frazier Park, etc.), and more if willing to drive further (Ojai, Santa Barbara, SYV).

Drawing a similar radius from Marin opens up Santa Cruz (still my favorite place to ride), East Bay, Napa/Sonoma, etc. (not experienced with the latter).

In my experience (admittedly more as a regular NorCal visitor versus resident), the traffic in both regions is equally bad, so I'd discard any argument made along that aspect.

Having spent most of my life in SoCal and knowing the area as well as I do, I'd stay … but I'm sure that if other life circumstances pushed me north I'd very happily adopt and adapt. What is the opposite of a Hobson's Choice?

[jpritchet74]

I couldn't live in SoCal - or at least if I had to deal with the traffic there. It's just awful.

Marin is amazing, but EXPENSIVE. There are a lot of great places to live in NorCal and great riding is never far away - the freeway traffic up here is SO MUCH BETTER than SoCal.

[poff]

The best place for road riding in CA is Bishop. Right outside the city, you get Lake Sabrina (5K+), South Lake (5K+), and Glacier lodge (4K), and if you look at the map you are basically can cycle all the hardest and longest climbs in Cali - Mosquito Flat, Onion Valley, Whitney Portal, and so on.

[Elefantino]

SoCal has the Dodgers, and they can go to hell.

[mtechnica]

So Cal is a big place and there are lots of places to ride.

[Pinned]

I live in Santa Monica, and the road riding is great. I will say I desperately miss real dirt (of which SoCal has little, mostly dust). Food is great, enormous cycling community, phenomenal weather. Bad air, annoying traffic though.

Marin riding is nice, I really like that they have some semblance of seasons. I enjoy riding in moderate cold / fog sometimes. Prefer that SF is nearby and small compared to LA's endless sprawl.

I think you'd be happy in either place - why not spend a month in each one and see what you prefer?

[paredown]

Originally Posted by poff

The best place for road riding in CA is Bishop. Right outside the city, you get Lake Sabrina (5K+), South Lake (5K+), and Glacier lodge (4K), and if you look at the map you are basically can cycle all the hardest and longest climbs in Cali - Mosquito Flat, Onion Valley, Whitney Portal, and so on.

Lovely--but it does assume that a "good ride" includes a lot of up and down....

[prototoast]

Originally Posted by paredown

Lovely--but it does assume that a "good ride" includes a lot of up and down....

That is every good place for riding in California. You either have gorgeous mountains or boring farmland..

[Hellgate]

Originally Posted by CKT88

Love CO but need to avoid winter.

Skiing

[mhespenheide]

Originally Posted by prototoast

That is every good place for riding in California. You either have gorgeous mountains or boring farmland..

Going to have to disagree with you about the "boring farmland" part.

[MarinRider]

Originally Posted by prototoast

That is every good place for riding in California. You either have gorgeous mountains or boring farmland..

There is no farmland around Bishop. It’s in the high desert.
The best climb around there (probably the best climb in CA IMO) is Horseshoe Meadows just south of Whitney Portal. It’s close to 20 miles straight up with a mile descend nearing the top. Most of it is 10% plus. You see the whole road up the mountain as you start the ride from Lone Pine, like our Stelvio except built by the US Corp of Engineers (5 switchbacks it’s all you get!). Did Onion Valley, Whitney Portal, and Horsehoe in one day once. It was nearing 100 as we started Horseshoe in the late afternoon and high 30s at the top after the sun set behind the peaks. Good times for the young and foolish.

[Ken Robb]

Originally Posted by MarinRider

There is no farmland around Bishop. It’s in the high desert.
The best climb around there (probably the best climb in CA IMO) is Horseshoe Meadows just south of Whitney Portal. It’s close to 20 miles straight up with a mile descend nearing the top. Most of it is 10% plus. You see the whole road up the mountain as you start the ride from Lone Pine, like our Stelvio except built by the US Corp of Engineers (5 switchbacks it’s all you get!). Did Onion Valley, Whitney Portal, and Horsehoe in one day once. It was nearing 100 as we started Horseshoe in the late afternoon and high 30s at the top after the sun set behind the peaks. Good times for the young and foolish.

If you drive me up with my bike I will have a great time swooping down.

[4151zero]

That area is on my bucket list.... how is the water supply along that grouped route or just up OV ?(covid19 might have made that worse?)

Originally Posted by MarinRider

There is no farmland around Bishop. It’s in the high desert.
The best climb around there (probably the best climb in CA IMO) is Horseshoe Meadows just south of Whitney Portal. It’s close to 20 miles straight up with a mile descend nearing the top. Most of it is 10% plus. You see the whole road up the mountain as you start the ride from Lone Pine, like our Stelvio except built by the US Corp of Engineers (5 switchbacks it’s all you get!). Did Onion Valley, Whitney Portal, and Horsehoe in one day once. It was nearing 100 as we started Horseshoe in the late afternoon and high 30s at the top after the sun set behind the peaks. Good times for the young and foolish.

[4151zero]

Originally Posted by crankles

Oakland. Like a real-life episode of Survival on a daily basis.

THIS is so TRUE! I have to pass in and out of most of it during my longer routes. 420 and Phones make things extra spicy.

[cgolvin]

Originally Posted by pritchet74

I couldn't live in SoCal - or at least if I had to deal with the traffic there. It's just awful. <snip> … the freeway traffic up here is SO MUCH BETTER than SoCal.

I don't have data at my fingertips, but really, this is so subjective -- one's experience of traffic depends on so many things. I live in Los Angeles and the car I bought new in 2001 has fewer than 70k miles on it, maybe half of which are for skiing or cycling trips. Last year I put 4x more miles on my bikes than my cars. I know traffic can be horrible but, for me, it's rarely a problem. OTOH, if I had to commute on 101 between SF and Silicon Valley I don't think I'd have a very positive assessment of the NorCal freeway traffic.

Originally Posted by poff

The best place for road riding in CA is Bishop.

Plus easy access to Mahogany Smoked Meats' outstanding jerky and a short drive to Mammoth. Not sure Bishop would rate high on the non-cycling attributes for me.

Originally Posted by Elefantino

SoCal has the Dodgers, and they can go to hell.

Man, if the Dodgers belong in hell, I wanna know how bad the place is that the Astros reside.