# Santa Barbara to Santa Monica



## northwest

Looking to hear how the road is, and how enjoyable this ride is. Anyone, have any recommendations, tips, or advice along the way? Will be in Santa Barbara for Radiohead on April 12th, will look for rides around there, and then down the coast to Santa Monica on Friday or Saturday. 

Thanks!


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## JSR

If you take the direct route along the coast you'll find it to be an easy ride and generally nice, especially if you do it on the Friday. On Saturday there will be lots of tourist traffic, particularly in the last stretch into Santa Monica. In any case, once you reach Sunset Blvd., near Santa Monica, the road gets very narrow. Peel off after about 1/2 mi. to get on the beach bike path and roll right to the Santa Monica Pier.

If you have your climbing legs on there are some spectacular sections inland. Take Hwy. 150 from Carpenteria (about 10 miles from Santa Barbara) to Ojai. Turn right near Hwy 33 to return to the coast or continue on through Ojai for another really nice stretch on Hwy. 150 to Santa Paula. Once again, you can choose to return to the coast on the flats or move along South Mountain Rd. to Balcolm Canyon, a tough climb into Somis. Another choice between the flats to the coast via Camarillo, or go through Moorpark and Thousand Oaks to the Santa Monica Mountains. Everything in this paragraph has been used in the Amgen Tour of Calfornia if that means anything to you. It would be a long day in the saddle to do the whole thing.

The coastal route is pretty nice, but, except for a stretch of about 15 miles from Point Mugu into Malibu, is unremarkable. There's quite a bit of traffic on most of the route. It's worth considering stopping in Malibu, rather than going all the way to Santa Monica, if that's convenient. Pacific Coast Hwy between Malibu and Santa Monica mostly sucks, with ocean views blocked by cheek-to-jowl houses and lots of traffic. It just keeps getting worse the closer you get to Santa Monica. On the bright side, the whole route is down wind.

HTH,
JSR


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## AvantDale

Agree that the part from Malibu to Santa Monica sucks. Lots of parked cars and traffic.


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## Hollywood

JSR said:


> If you have your climbing legs on there are some spectacular sections inland.


he is one such route I mapped via GPS. If you're riding solo I'd probably opt for the coastal route, but inland is very scenic.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/99659027


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## JSR

Hollywood said:


> http://connect.garmin.com/activity/99659027


90 degrees as you passed Lake Casitas! It must have been a challenge to stay on the bike.
Very nice technology, Hollyood. Graphs, charts, maps, oh my!

To the OP - see Hollyood's map to picture what I was trying to describe with the Hwy 150 bits.

JSR


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## Hollywood

northwest said:


> and then down the coast to Santa Monica on Friday or Saturday.
> 
> Thanks!


if you're solo and not feeling adventurous, the coast is the way to go, Especially if Santa Monica is your destination. We put up with the traffic on PCH in Malibu. Just take a lane if it gets too tight. F 'em.


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## dspiel

good luck, sounds like fun.


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