# Here's a silly question



## the_doctor (Dec 27, 2008)

As someone who remembers the Rockford Files as a kid...where can one go to see California? I mean stay for a month. Perhaps I could find a nice apartment for 1 month rental. I want to bike quite a bit. Probably 200-300 mi per week. I'm a fast flatlander from Mass. Where are lot of the big group rides? How close can I get to the beach?

thanks
bill


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## jlyle (Jul 20, 2007)

LOL. Despite what you have seen on TV and in the movies, no one in California lives on the beach like that. There are multimillion dollar homes standing cheek-to-cheek along the shore, but no isolated cabins or trailers on the sand. Oh, and you cannot drive your car on the beach (I think there's a place in Pismo Beach that still allows cars.)

A one-bedroom apartment, near the beach runs about $2,500+ here in SoCal.

Lots of group rides in the South Bay on w/e. Search on the LA Wheelmen, South Bay Wheelmen, etc.


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## Hollywood (Jan 16, 2003)

the_doctor said:


> Perhaps I could find a nice apartment for 1 month rental.


whats your budget? I doubt you'll find a "nice apartment" for one month only. More like extended stay hotel/motel or look on craigslist for rooms to share if that suits you.

definitely look at cities either on or near the coast. Venice, Santa Monica, Marina Del Rey, Brentwood, Mar Vista, Palms, and the entire South Bay incl Manhattan/Redondo/Hermosa beaches...

westside-southbay-310 rooms & shares classifieds - craigslist


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## il sogno (Jul 15, 2002)

Back in the 1990's Malibu beach houses used to go for about $10,000/month. iirc


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## JSR (Feb 27, 2006)

Don't let these nay-syers dissuade you from a perfectly nice idea!

The place where Rockford's trailer was located is actually in a very nice riding area of the Northern Malibu coast. The trailer was located at Paradise Cove. There is a good restaurant there that will serve you right on the sand or inside if you wish.

The Hidden Cove area is located off Pacific Coast Highway. One can get there from the North, which is a good ride, or from the South (the South Bay mentioned above), which is not a nice ride, IMHO. See the recent posting in this forum about riding from Santa Barbara to Santa Monica. Directly accross PCH from Paradise Cove are the Santa Monica Mountains, with a lot of nice climbing to test your flat-lander legs. Look at CVC.org for club rides in this area, also Sundance Cycles, an LBS, hosts rides, sundancecycles.com. There is an LBS in Malibu on Cross Creek Rd., but I don't know anything about it.

The city of Ventura has limited stay rentals on or near the beach. Riding around there is very good and among the flattest available in the region. Riding inland to the city of Ojai (pron. oh-hi) is very nice with loops to the West and East that are very much worth doing, although hilly. There is a biga$$ climb to the North from Ojai on Hwy 33. Check out cibike.org for club rides from Ventura. Ventura to Hidden Cove is a very nice flat ride. FWIW, the coldest month of the year in Ventura is June. The weather is foggy along the water and hot and sunny inland.

For the best experience I'd recommend Santa Barbara. Once again, limited-stay rentals are available right by the beach. SB makes available a cycling map showing all the bike lanes and trails in the area. Northern Santa Barbara County is wine country and offers excellent cycling. I don't know the clubs in that area, but they definitely exist and rides are well attended. RetroGrouch will probably chime in with specific suggestions for SB. SB to Paradise Cove and back would be a long, flat ride of near 100 miles. SB is a very cool city with just the right mix of touristy stuff as well as genuine local flair. The ride from SB to Goleta Beach is a great rest-day ride on a paved trail through coastal wetlands and a good restaurant on the sand at the end.

Admitedly, my suggestions do not include LA proper, Rockford's hunting grounds. I would not suggest LA for a cycling vacation because of the miles of heavily-trafficked roads in every direction. Ventura and SB offer much of the best of So. California, with nice towns, nice beaches, orchards, farms, and some pretty country roads.

The area to the South of LA - Orange County and San Diego - also offer nice riding and great beaches, but it's more crowded than Ventura/SB. 

HTH,
JSR


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## Kristatos (Jan 10, 2008)

In San Diego I'd look at Mission Beach and Pacific Beach. VRBO is your friend. Lots of rentals that could fit your bill right near the water. Lots of group rides in San Diego that I can think of that are only a 30 to 40 minute spin from that area. 

I wouldn't go north of Santa Barbara as once you get up to Morro Bay and north of there it's too gray and chilly on the beach (it's glorious two miles inland). Also I second the recommendation to avoid LA altogether.


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## desertgeezer (Aug 28, 2011)

If you want to ride in the most beautiful areas of CA, I recommend the northern CA coast. Lots of ocean, trees, cliffs, winding roads, amazing scenery. Can get cold though.

I grew up in So. CA. I lived about a half mile from the beach so that is where I spent all my time. In So. CA I recommend north San Diego County. Many small beach towns that haven't changed much since I lived there.

Don't bother with LA or any of the cities around there. Nasty and crowded. Chances are you won't come out alive anyway.

Lots of things I could tell you about CA but it's dinner time and we're having pan fried Grouper filets tonight. Mmmmm ..... Grouper.


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## Hollywood (Jan 16, 2003)

another take - 

after reading the replies, all with valid points, maybe spend a month traveling down the coast? You could see the changes in geography, Norcal vs SoCal, cities vs smaller towns, etc. 

Carmel, Big Sur, SLO, and on down to San Diego might be an awesome trip.


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## stevesbike (Jun 3, 2002)

People who say to avoid LA likely have never actually ridden here. I used to live in north county San Diego - when I moved to LA everyone there said I'd have to hang up the bike. Turns out the riding in LA is MUCH better than San Diego. The Santa Monica Mts are amazing - miles and miles of canyon roads with light traffic, great climbs. Malibu, Westlake Village, Thousand Oaks are great places for base camps - many pro teams have moved their training camps to the area because of the great riding. 

In contrast, San Diego county has been ruined by uncontrolled growth. Riding east from north county to the mountains is perilous. The route to Palomar is filled with people bombing it to the casinos. It used to be great.


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## Kristatos (Jan 10, 2008)

stevesbike said:


> Malibu, Westlake Village, Thousand Oaks are great places for base camps - many pro teams have moved their training camps to the area because of the great riding.


I agree with you 100% on those places you list but none of them are LA.


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## stevesbike (Jun 3, 2002)

Kristatos said:


> I agree with you 100% on those places you list but none of them are LA.


When people talk about good riding in San Diego, they are referring to San Diego county. Similarly, the areas I mentioned are all in LA county (except for the tip that extends into Ventura). Same thing.


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## Kuma601 (Jan 22, 2004)

You have a lot of options in locations from SD to central Cal. If you have to have beach, I like the stretch a bit south of Oceanside to Del Mar. There is Seal Beach to Dana Point but I don't like the Laguna Beach section. Reasonably heavy traffic that whizzes by and street parked cars in this tourist area. 

Central CA Morro Bay and north past San Simeon. If you want some hills and wine regions, there is Cambria taking the 46 inland to Paso Robles. Not to mention all the other smaller roads that wind through these vineyards. Not all are nicely paved. Solvang, Los Olivos and Santa Ynez for more wine region rides.


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## felix5150 (Mar 15, 2009)

i like the idea of traveling up the coast to get some great riding in. I wouldn't skip LA county though, and maybe go Inland up Mt Baldy and Glendora Mountain Road, and Malibu has some great riding. I do love riding in San Diego though


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## TrojanHorse (Jan 13, 2012)

So why stay in one place for a month?

Go to San Diego for a week, the valley for a week, SLO for a week and maybe up by Monterrey or something for a week. There are loads of great places to ride in the San Luis Obispo general area (really, from Santa Barbara up to Cambria and inland)


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## the_doctor (Dec 27, 2008)

I want to stay one place. I've been looking at Craigslist and rentals are just crazy!!! Even vacation rentals for a month were expected to be high. It is obscene.

bill


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## theplumber (Apr 18, 2012)

Long Beach isn't expensive, you could ride south down 2nd st, and eat where Jarrod Weaver hangs out after pitching no hitters, ( I think its called Rileys)then be at Cameron Diaz house in Sunset Beach in 20 min, then onto Seal Beach then Huntington Beach, Then Newport Beach, which is about 22 miles down Pch. Bad parts and very good parts in Long Beach,its a very big city, just find out, you could pm and inquire about an address, I run service and repair in lb and know it like the back of my hand. Smile
Whoops, Seal Beach first, then sunset.


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## JSR (Feb 27, 2006)

the_doctor said:


> I want to stay one place. I've been looking at Craigslist and rentals are just crazy!!! Even vacation rentals for a month were expected to be high. It is obscene.


Where did you look? How much would you like to pay?

JSR


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## Albacore (Feb 16, 2006)

As far as group rides go, Wankmeister says it best. . .

South Bay Rides « Cycling in the South Bay


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## porterhouse (Jan 27, 2009)

Here is a site that lists several organized rides in Southern California:

SoCalCycling.com - Your Cycling Source : Bicycle Training Rides, Group Rides in Southern California

There are lots of sites to search for routes but I think this site requires the user to name and rate the route so I find it helpful when looking for new routes.

Geoladders -- Mountain Biking Routes

Unfortunately no accommodations near the beach are reasonably priced in the summer but if you try to stay out of the major urban areas you should be able to find something decent. And you will have access to better riding... Good luck!


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## mando54 (Jun 6, 2012)

I think if you're looking for a place actually on the beach with lots of good riding, you'll have to go south to Oceanside/San Diego. You can go to Newport, but those rentals are 1500 to 2000 per week. You could also find a place in Huntington which will give you plenty to do while you're not riding.


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## rallison (Aug 21, 2007)

Santa Barbara is an excellent base with lots of great riding if you like (steep) climbing. Santa Barbara proper will, however, be expensive. Goleta/Isla Vista will be cheaper, but not cheap.

Not all of the coastal areas in LA county are that expensive. I live in the Belmont Shore area of Long Beach and pay $1100/month for a 1 bedroom apartment right on the beach (I literally walk across the street and I am on the beach). Long Beach has also been doing a lot of work on making the city a better place to cycle. However, if you want the amazing cycling of the mountains around LA, it is basically a minimum 40 minute drive from LB to any of our famed climbs. 

Palos Verdes area is definitely worth considering. Most of PV proper will be expensive - consider Redondo or San Pedro areas (keep in mind that SP has some pretty big variations between nice and bad parts). Easy access to medium length climbs, and gets you somewhat closer to the Santa Monica mountains.


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