# Riding in Ventura, CA



## marsjon (Jul 1, 2006)

I'm going to be in Ventura, CA and was wondering if anyone had any good suggestions on any routes for a road ride? Hills and ocean flats are great. 

Marsjon


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## jeffj (Nov 25, 2004)

Ride the coast up towards Santa Barbara to Hwy 150 (Casitas Pass), head inland to Ojai and:

1) up Dennison Grade and into Santa Paula to Telegraph Road, turn right and head back to Ventura. Repeat as necessary... 

or 

2) if you're about cooked from going over the pass, jump on the bike trail in Ojai and follow Hwy 33 back down into Ventura.

Regards,
Jeff


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## The Walrus (Apr 2, 2000)

You can't go wrong riding up to Ojai, even if you "only" do the Ventura River Trail/Ojai Valley Trail between Ventura and Ojai as an out-and-back. One caveat about riding from Ojai to Santa Paula--the last time I was through there, some sort of road repairs were under way and there were about nine points where traffic was restricted to one lane, with timed traffic lights controlling the flow, and it could get kinda sticky for a cyclist trying to get through. Might be worth it, though, just for the view back over the Ojai Valley from the top of the Dennison Grade (the Ojai Valley played the "part" of Shangri-La in the old movie "Lost Horizons"...).

You could ride east out of Ventura via Telegraph Rd. to Santa Paula, and continue to Fillmore (or onto Piru) on Hwy 126, which is a pleasant, well-paved 4-laner with generally very generous shoulder space. It'll take you through a variety of farmland and citrus groves, with blessedly little in the way of "development". No hills to speak of, but some rollers east of Fillmore as far as the L.A. Co. line. A beautiful ride, provided the farmers aren't spreading the chicken manure around on the day you go through. I like Santa Paula and Fillmore for the "downtown" areas which still have a lot of buildings going back 70 or 80 years; Santa Paula also has a sprinkling of Victorian houses in great condition.

Go south along Harbor Drive from downtown Ventura towards Port Hueneme (Wye-NEE-Mee); you can head east on Channel Islands, drop down Ventura to Port Hueneme Rd and head east towards Pt. Mugu and Hwy 1 (PCH), or just follow Harbor Dr. to its end at the marina, and head back to Ventura.


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## marsjon (Jul 1, 2006)

Thanks so much!! The details really help as I have never been there before. I am getting all the more excited!


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