# What town in OC offers best rides from home?



## Italophile (Jun 11, 2004)

Howdy!

So, like, I'm moving to Orange County for a new job, dudes, and I am very unfamiliar with the geography. I am used to New England, with its endless, winding, scenic, country roads everywhere, which makes riding a joy, right from the driveway, in almost any direction. 

I don't expect to find exactly that in the OC, and I am happy to be going to where winter is not a five-plus month barrier to cycling.  What I would like is some opinions of which towns I should look into for housing in order to have some decent, not urban, short-to-medium rides after work, say, right from my residence. My tastes run toward hilly, scenic routes without traffic lights and such. You know, like in New England!

I am looking at the maps and seeing the roads getting twisty toward the mountains in Yorba Linda, Villa Park, Brea, and around there. I am going scouting for abodes next weekend, but would value the experience of my soon-to-be neighbors in this area!  I'll be working in Long Beach, and certainly want to be within an hour commute, preferably less. Money is an issue, as I won't be earning no six figures, I regret to admit.

Hey, thanks for any suggestions you folks can give. I'll see you out there! (I'll be the slow guy.)


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## mickey-mac (Sep 2, 2000)

*Hills?*



Italophile said:


> I am looking at the maps and seeing the roads getting twisty toward the mountains in Yorba Linda, Villa Park, Brea, and around there. I am going scouting for abodes next weekend, but would value the experience of my soon-to-be neighbors in this area!  I'll be working in Long Beach, and certainly want to be within an hour commute, preferably less. Money is an issue, as I won't be earning no six figures, I regret to admit.


Any of the somewhat affordable cities in OC with good riding are likely to be more than an hour's drive from Long Beach. My parents used to live in Yorba Linda and the riding is pretty nice out there. Another nice place for riding is south OC. Rancho Santa Margarita, Mission Viejo, Laguna Hills, and Laguna Niguel have lots of hills with well-maintained roads with bike lanes, but they're a considerable distance from LB and they're not cheap. Orange is a nice city with some affordable homes, at least in the flatter part of the city. You'll have relatively easy access to hills around Anaheim Hills and Santiago Canyon. Witth its "old town" downtown area and older (by OC standards) homes and buildings, the city also has more character than many of its OC neighbors.


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## The Walrus (Apr 2, 2000)

I hate to tell you this, but being within a realistic one hour commute from LB--by _any_ of the freeways--won't put you that close to riding Nirvana. I don't know if you watched too much of "The O.C." (which by the way, _no one_ in Orangutang County would say), but you should think of alternatives. San Pedro has a lot of nice neighborhoods of older houses, but I'm not sure what the prices are like; the good thing is that it's on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, which offers tons of climbing, great ocean views and a loop you can do that offers mostly wide roads, with bike lanes, and not too many traffic lights.

Places that might be doable commute-wise include Fullerton, Tustin, Garden Grove and Orange. None of these is anywhere near the beach (if that's an issue). Fullerton and Tustin would put you sort-of close to more hilly rides. You can go east from Fullerton through Yorba Linda and continue to Corona through Santa Ana Canyon, or go north through Brea Canyon to Diamond Bar and beyond. Tustin is just north of Irvine, where every major and secondary street has bike lanes, there are a number of bike paths, and you can head east to the mountains or head south through San Juan Capistrano down to PCH, heading south to Camp Pendleton or north around Dana Point back up to Laguna Beach. (I like doing the ride south from Tustin, turning around at the edge of Pendleton; there is a lot of traffic, but it can be minimized. The scenery is great, especially around San Clemente and San Onofre.)


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## uhkuhjillion (Aug 9, 2004)

Move to Long Beach. Its a short drive to the ADR center Velodrome. And pretty close to the San Gabriel River Trail.


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## wsexson (Jan 19, 2002)

*The LBC is the answer*

I second what uhkuhjillion said.

If you want a non hellish commute to your job in Long Beach, Orange County is generally not going to be your best choice. The parts of OC where you could hop on a "winding hilly country road" near your front door are going to be either too far from Long Beach, really expensive, or both. Of course YMMV.

I would recommend Long Beach as a really nice city. Several nice neighborhoods, a lot of nice parks, excellent freeway access, lots to do, and generally more affordable than other coastal cities in SoCal. You can ride north on the San Gabriel River Trail almost to the foothills. You can ride the Pacific Coast Highway south through Orange County, sometimes just yards from the beach. Other riding opportunities are a reasonable drive away.

I don't think that even the winding, hilly, more remote roads will recall your rides in New England  . You should probably focus on what is best about riding here.

Wendell, current Anaheim resident, future Long Beach resident


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## Italophile (Jun 11, 2004)

Thanks, all, for the help!
I am flying out there today, and will check out these recommendations. Initially, I will get a sub-let in Long Beach, or hook on with roomies near work, then hunt for the permanent place.
By the way, I have never seen "The O.C.", and never want to!  I was being tongue-in-cheeky. I will accept the considerable charms that southern CA offers on their own merits ...and by November, I'll be thanking the good lord each and every morning!
See you all out there!
_Dino_


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