# Nice Rides in the LA area



## sheepherder (Mar 11, 2012)

Will be visiting for a few days starting Thursday and was wondering what rides I can do. I have a car so no problem putting the bike in and driving to a location.

I was thinking of trying Mt Baldy but I don't climb a lot in my area, it might be too much for me. Is it that bad? If I decide to try it how is motor traffic? I can do it Friday or Saturday. I would guess early morning would be best.

How about Griffith Park area? I see some routes on ride with GPS that go through the park and even behind the hollywood sign. Again how is traffic Friday or Saturday. I can do anytime of day. 

Anything else? LA or Malibu area. Wherever honestly. I would like to avoid a lot of traffic but light traffic does not worry me.

Thanks guys


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## ghostryder (Dec 28, 2009)

Malibu has so many loops you can do.

Encinal canyon
Latigo canyon
topanga to old topanga, Mulholland to the rock store.

Mandeville canyon in Santa Monica and the Amalfi loop.

Sunday Nichols canyon with La grange 

You can also check the La grange website, they have rides early mornings that leave from Santa Monica .


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## GlobalGuy (Jun 9, 2015)

ghostryder said:


> Malibu has so many loops you can do.
> 
> Encinal canyon
> Latigo canyon
> ...


^^^^This. 

Unless Mt. Baldy is on either your bucket list or death wish list, skip it. Your choice.


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## sheepherder (Mar 11, 2012)

ghostryder said:


> Malibu has so many loops you can do.
> 
> Encinal canyon
> Latigo canyon
> ...





GlobalGuy said:


> ^^^^This.
> 
> Unless Mt. Baldy is on you either your bucket list or death wish list, skip it. Your choice.


Thanks for the info, I was thinking I would need to head our towards Malibu. I'm gonna find some of those on ridewithgps. I'll skip Baldy and do the Griffith park one day and some of these canyons the other. Good way to see the coast also. 

What morning would I find the less car traffic on those rides, Friday or Saturday? Is early morning the best or sometimes in my area its best right after rush hour. Also how bad is cycling on PCH? Does it get better towards Malibu? I figure I'll have to ride some sections of it.

Thanks again.


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## JSR (Feb 27, 2006)

PCH bites until at least Topanga Canyon. It’s a heavy commuter route, so Saturday would be better.

I’d recommend driving out past the Malibu pier. There are a couple of malls in the vicinity of Webb Way where you can park. If you drive as far as Zuma Beach there’s a small mall with Starbucks at Trancas. That would put you right among the Encinal/Mulholland loops. Yerba Buena is an excellent climb of >2,000’; it hooks up with Mulholland.

Kanan Road, Malibu Canyon/Las Virgenes, and Topanga Canyon are the main motor routes to the beach. Stay off those.


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## GlobalGuy (Jun 9, 2015)

Regarding PCH---Yeah, be careful. Hold your line so to speak in as make sure you stay right and focused. If you don't have a tail light borrow or buy one. It is a HUGE plus IMO for PCH. (I've ridden PCH more times than I can count and I've ridden it all the way from Santa Monica to its conventional highway end in Ventura County near Point Magu.) Traffic gets better and better once you pass Pepperdine University and continue riding west. By the time you get to Zuma Beach from there on there is almost no cars at all. 

ADDENDUM: Thursday is trash day and the east end of Malibu put out all their trash barrels in what would be the functional bike lane. Also, the eastbound side of Malibu from downtown to Santa Monica has much less overall room to ride than the westbound side. You have to ride a bit in the lane in many parts. 

If instead of turning on to PCH in Santa Monica and heading west, you can avoid PCH and go the opposite direction by heading east/south down the coast all the way to San Pedro. Except for Ocean Blvd, cars are not a problem. (The cars are bunched up sometimes at the traffic lights on Ocean Blvd.) Once clear of Santa Monica its mostly bike path along the ocean, (bikes and pedestrians only), all the way to near Torrance then its a lightly traveled street with wide bike paths to the Palos Verde Peninsula. 

The climb up to the top of the rim of the Palos Verde Peninsula not hard but it is great weather and area. You then can choose how far you want to go along the peninsula. If you want to you can go all the way to San Pedro, and even then extend it further by riding down to the tip of San Pedro. (Frankly, I prefer to stop at the city limits when I reach San Pedro.)


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## ghostryder (Dec 28, 2009)

sheepherder said:


> Thanks for the info, I was thinking I would need to head our towards Malibu. I'm gonna find some of those on ridewithgps. I'll skip Baldy and do the Griffith park one day and some of these canyons the other. Good way to see the coast also.
> 
> What morning would I find the less car traffic on those rides, Friday or Saturday? Is early morning the best or sometimes in my area its best right after rush hour. Also how bad is cycling on PCH? Does it get better towards Malibu? I figure I'll have to ride some sections of it.
> 
> Thanks again.


Saturdays and Sunday mornings are the best. Lot's of riders leaving from Santa Monica and taking PCH to Malibu.

There is Also the NOW ride that leaves from the corner of 7th and Montana in Santa Monica Saturdays at 7;30 Am sharp. They take PCH to Malibu and from there you go up some climbs. Very very fast pace.

Enjoy


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## sheepherder (Mar 11, 2012)

Some great riding last year. I might be back in the area this year.

Quick question. How is the traffic on weekdays around this Malibu loops? When I was there on a weekend traffic wasn't bad at all after you got away from Santa monica. Latigo had hardly any car traffic


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## JSR (Feb 27, 2006)

Topanga, Las Virgenes, and Kanan are all major arteries for commuters heading to Santa Monica via PCH. Everything else is fine.


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