# Rides around the Getty



## Beethoven (Jul 28, 2005)

I'm condemned to spend the academic year 2007-2008 at the Getty Center (area code 90049). How is the riding there? Any groups that go out during the weeks or week ends? What's the best bike shop in the area? Anything else I need to know?

I'm riding a Moots Touring bike (but hate touring). I'm not a racer, but have logged on quite a few miles in the Alps and Pyrenees (do a search for my log in name), and like long, energetic climbs.


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## JSR (Feb 27, 2006)

Beethoven said:


> I'm condemned to spend the academic year 2007-2008 at the Getty Center (area code 90049). How is the riding there?


There are worse fates in life!

The riding in the immediate area sucks. Loads of traffic, many narrow roads.

San Vicente Blvd leads from Brentwood to the ocean at Santa Monica. This is a wide road with bike lane, but only about 5 miles long. You can go onto the bike path on the beach from there adding several miles, although pedestrians frequently clog things up on summer evenings. You can ride directly onto the SM pier, down a ramp and onto the bike path.

A good climging workout can be had on Mandeville Canyon road off Sunset Blvd., Brentwood. Sunset's a death trap, but Mandeville is mellow. There's good mountain biking off Mandeville, too.

Hellen's in Santa Monica is large shop. I think you can hook up a Saturday ride with them. There are a couple of other groups going from SM (sorry, I don't know their names) up Pacific Coast Highway. Go early on Sat/Sun up PCH to get to the excellent climbing in the Santa Monicas - early to beat the traffic buildup and also because in summer the mountains are hot and dry.

The used to be Performance and Supergo shops in the area, but I don't know their status now.

Good Luck,
JSr


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## roadfix (Jun 20, 2006)

Riding on Sepulveda sucks, especially going southbound.


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## Mapei (Feb 3, 2004)

*I beg to differ with JSR.*

I was born in 90049, almost within sight of where the Getty now sits. (Back then it was just L.A. 49.) I now live just over the hill in Sherman Oaks. And I can tell you that the cycling is not bad at all. Those narrow roads are not only a heck of a lot of fun, they're also shady. You do need a good hill-climbing bike, though.

Here are a few routes:

1. The Tour de Bel Air. Go south on Sepulveda a short way to Moraga Drive. Go east 50 yards on Moraga, turn right at the Chevron Station and then take the left fork up Bellagio Road. Bellagio is the major(!) east-west thoroughfare through Bel Air. Though it helps to have a map, and it certainly helps to try and continue going eastward, you can now pretty much take any side road you want and have a good time. For example, you can climb Stone Canyon Road to the Stone Canyon Reservoir. Traffic is only bad on the major north-south routes over the crest, Roscomare and Beverly Glen. Every other street is mellow. The only hard and fast rule is to avoid Sunset Blvd. It's like stepping into an elephant stampede.

2. The beach ride (as mentioned by JSR). Go south on Sepulveda. Turn right onto Constitution Avenue and the Veteran's Administration. Navigate your way to San Vicente Blvd. Ride to the beach. Go north on Pacific Coast Highway into Malibu and beyond.

3. Mulholland. Go north on Sepulveda. Cross the freeway at Skirball Center Drive. Continue northward to Mulholland. Go either west or east. The west option is only a couple miles long, but it's still very worthwhile. The east option can take you all the way along the crest of the Santa Monicas to Universal City.

4. Malibu Hills and Mulholland Highway. Go north on Sepulveda and descend into the San Fernando Valley. Go west on either Ventura Blvd or the streets south of Ventura Blvd (got your Thomas Guide?) until you hit Valley Circle Blvd. Take Valley Circle South to Mulholland Drive. Go west. Make a left at Mulholland Highway. It soon becomes a beautiful (if well-trafficked) country road. Ride until your legs fall off.

Of course, all these routes have plenty of side-trips and options. In any case, enjoy! And if you want to pm me, I'll ride with ya. You might also want to take a look at the San Fernando Valley Bicycle Club website. Lots of fine rides. A nicely non-competitive vibe.


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## JSR (Feb 27, 2006)

I stand at least semi-corrected! Good call, Mapei, on the Tour de BelAir.

I think the rest of it is a matter of perspective. I live at the other end of the Santa Monica Mts, near where Potrero drops to the Oxnard Plain. Anything less than wide bike lanes or quiet country roads and I tend to sniff in indignity. 

As implied in Mapei's post, the San Fernando Valley has better riding than the West Side. If you bias your apartment hunt that way, you'll have easier access to good riding. 

OTOH, you'll be tarred with the Valley brush and will strike out ingnominiously with the *****en West Side chicks.

You make the call!

JR


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## il sogno (Jul 15, 2002)

roadfix said:


> Riding on Sepulveda sucks, especially going southbound.


It's fine on weekends.


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## il sogno (Jul 15, 2002)

JSR said:


> I stand at least semi-corrected! Good call, Mapei, on the Tour de BelAir.
> 
> I think the rest of it is a matter of perspective. I live at the* other end of the Santa Monica Mts, near where Potrero drops to the Oxnard Plain*. Anything less than wide bike lanes or quiet country roads and I tend to sniff in indignity.


Holy cow, now _that's_ a great area to ride in! :thumbsup:


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## Beethoven (Jul 28, 2005)

Fantastic, thank you. I don't know yet exactly where they put us up, but apparently it's close to the Center. 

I don't mind going through a bit of traffic if it gets me somewhere interesting (same here in Chicago, although the 'interesting' is mostly the Lake Shore).

I really like my bike for climbing and have done a lot of it with it, but I'm more one for the epic than for the dramatic climb. I'll try to get some legs in Austria this summer. I'm also planning on stopping in Boulder on my drive to LA and climb some of them passes there.

I'm excited! I've never been in the area, I'll have a completely open schedule, and the Getty takes care of me. Mapei, I'll definitely call on you!


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## DrRoebuck (May 10, 2004)

What Mapei said.

Primarily, make your way to PCH via San Vicente and go north. You'll love the climbing in the S.M. Mountains. Las Flores, Piuma, Latigo, Mulholland Hwy ... all good stuff.


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## Wolfman (Jun 15, 2005)

*Welcome to the area...*

Yeah, I've got to back all of this up; I moved here from Seattle and thought I was done with good riding, but I'm always surprised at how quickly you feel like you're not in LA if you get up into the hills.

Come down to the beach one day, turn left, and spin all the way south to Redondo Beach... you don't have to hammer, and you'll get an eyefull of LA's best along the way.

Also, you should find a good Getty Center to Getty Villa ride that doesn't use Sunset... that would be an interesting route.


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## El Caballito (Oct 31, 2004)

sepulveda on weekend mornings ain't to bad


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## Mapei (Feb 3, 2004)

Sepulveda on weekend mornings is also a veritable parade of bicyclists. It's not quite the fashion show that San Vicente through Brentwood & Santa Monica is, but they're a better bunch of folk. The cyclists on Sepulveda are actually putting some grunt into their ride, while the San Vicente crowd are just sashaying along in their lycra-ed best.


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## roadfix (Jun 20, 2006)

^^^^...in other words, more poseurs on San Vicente....


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## Beethoven (Jul 28, 2005)

Well, it's only two more weeks now! I aiming at arriving in L.A. on Sept. 10. My apt is at 11708 Sunset Blvd. I know I'll be itching to go for a ride the next day. So I guess I just try to hit PCH and find a way up into the mountains, right?

Do you guys think it makes sense to bring by single speed as well as shopping/cruising bike?


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## Mapei (Feb 3, 2004)

You're at Sunset and Barrington, right? It'll be a super-easy cruise down Barrington to San Vicente, which will then take you right to the ocean. As for riding to the Getty, Sunset may be the logical alternative to get to Sepulveda, but you'll quickly see that it's not exactly bicycle friendly. Before long, you may end up heading south on Barrington, and then navigating your way through the Veterans Administration to Constitution Avenue and Sepulveda. Unfortunately, the last couple times I went through the VA, they'd closed the gate most convenient to San Vicente, but they do leave it loose enough to be able to squeeze you and your bicycle through.

BTW, there's good daily Dim Sum at the Ocean Seafood (or is that Harbor/ViP Seafood?) in the shopping center on the northwest corner of Barrington and Wilshire. And if you're lucky (or is that unlucky), you might run into my very aged mother and aunt, whose hairdresser works at...you guessed it, Barrington and Sunset.


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## Beethoven (Jul 28, 2005)

Excellent! I can't wait to see the Ocean, let alone ride along it. As I see it, I could also go east on Sunset and go up on Roscomare to Mullholland, right? I'm looking for that 20 mile loop I could do before heading to 'work'. BTW, they're bussing us up to the Getty.


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## DrRoebuck (May 10, 2004)

As Mapei said, Sunset is one of the worst streets on which to ride.

If you want to get to roscomare (which, btw, has a bunch of relatively short, super-steep climbs, including a pitch at 19%, as recorded by my computer at the time):


Take Barrington down to Montana
Left on Montana
After Montana curves sharp right, make the first left into the VA and cut through to Sepulveda
Go left on Sepulveda
Right on Montana
Left on Veteran
Right on Sunset for a half a block
Left on Bellagio

They only close the VA to car traffic after 10 pm and on weekends. But even when the gates are closed, they pedestrian gates are still open (at the entrance nearest to SV). You can even use the tricky ramp so you don't have to dismount.

If you do that to Mulholland come back down Sepulveda, you'll get a lot of bang for the buck.


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## il sogno (Jul 15, 2002)

Beethoven said:


> Excellent! I can't wait to see the Ocean, let alone ride along it. As I see it, I could also go east on Sunset and go up on Roscomare to Mullholland, right? I'm looking for that 20 mile loop I could do before heading to 'work'. BTW, they're bussing us up to the Getty.


Beethoven, like Mappy and Sears said, don't ride Sunset. It's dangerous. 

As for your ride, you can do it but keep in mind, Roscomare is quite steep. You could do the same route in the other direction, going up Sepulveda which is not as steep. 

Barrington to Montana, 
Left at the VA, cutting through the VA to Sepulveda
Ride up Sepulveda to Skirball Center Drive
Right on Skirball Center
Right on Mulholland
Right on Roscomare 
Right on Bellagio which leads you to Moraga Dr. 
Left on Sepulveda 
etc...


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## DrRoebuck (May 10, 2004)

il sogno said:


> Sears


No, _this_ Roebuck.






:wink:


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## Beethoven (Jul 28, 2005)

What an unbelievable video. Thanks.

I think I get the idea--avoid Sunset, go either West on Vincente to the PCH, or through the VA East to Sepulveda and find a way up North. 19% is a bit steep for me. I take it that Sepulveda is rideable up to Mulholland?

Anybody up for a Saturday or Sunday (9/8 or 9) morning ride?


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## DrRoebuck (May 10, 2004)

Beethoven said:


> What an unbelievable video. Thanks.
> 
> I think I get the idea--avoid Sunset, go either West on Vincente to the PCH, or through the VA East to Sepulveda and find a way up North. 19% is a bit steep for me. I take it that Sepulveda is rideable up to Mulholland?
> 
> Anybody up for a Saturday or Sunday (9/8 or 9) morning ride?


Yeah, Roscomare is definitely a tough ride. Sepulveda is quite rideable and a much better way to get up to Mulholland. You could also go left at Mulholland, take some crazy-steep streets down to the valley and take Sepulveda back up and over.

I'm in Chicago this weekend, though I usually ride with a small group on Saturday mornings. I can keep you posted on our rides (or you can check out beverlyhillsspokesmen on YahooGroups).


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## Mapei (Feb 3, 2004)

Sunday would be fine. But be warned, I think the weather forecast calls for the hottest weather all year -- at least in the high 90's and probably well above. Typical early September weather in Southern California, BTW.


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## il sogno (Jul 15, 2002)

DrRoebuck said:


> No, _this_ Roebuck.


I stand corrected. Staples not Sears!  

Great video. :thumbsup:


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## Beethoven (Jul 28, 2005)

Thanks again--I realize that I won't alight on Sunset before the 10th of September. I'll get in touch when I'm there and sorted.

Before L.A. I'm staying for four days near Boulder, hoping to get a few rides in. This year has been good.


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## DrRoebuck (May 10, 2004)

il sogno said:


> I stand corrected. Staples not Sears!


That's more like it, dammit.


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## DrRoebuck (May 10, 2004)

il sogno said:


> I stand corrected. Staples not Sears!
> 
> Great video. :thumbsup:


Btw, if you like that video, I HIGHLY recommend the Freedom Highway album by the Staple Singers. Pops at his best.


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