Cottrell - Best Bike Rides Los Angeles: the Greatest Recreational Rides in the Metro Area

Wayne D. Cottrell is a cyclist, author, runner, and civil engineering educator specializing in transportation. The author of Road Biking Utah (FalconGuides), he resides in San Clemente, California.

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Copyright 2015 by Rowman & Littlefield

Photos: Wayne D. Cottrell unless otherwise noted.

Maps: DesignMaps Inc. Rowman & Littlefield

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British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Information available.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Cottrell, Wayne D.

Best bike rides Los Angeles : the greatest recreational rides in the metro area / Wayne D. Cottrell.

pages cm

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN 978-1-4930-0384-6 (pbk. : alk. paper) -- ISBN 978-1-4930-1471-2 (e-book) 1. Cycling--California--Los Angeles Metropolitan Area--Guidebooks. 2. Bicycle trails--California--Los Angeles Metropolitan Area--Guidebooks. 3. Bicycle touring--California--Los Angeles Metropolitan Area--Guidebooks. 4. Los Angeles Metropolitan Area (Calif.)--Guidebooks. I. Title.

GV1045.5.C22L6746 2015

796.60979494--dc23

2015011766

The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information SciencesPermanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992.

The author and Rowman & Littlefield assume no liability for accidents happening to, or injuries sustained by, readers who engage in the activities described in this book.

To my son, Tyler; my dear Nancy; and the memories of my mother, Barbara, and grandmother, Louella

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The Los Angeles region had a population of 15 million in 201318 million including its satellite urban areasmaking it the second largest in the United States and one of the largest in the world. It is considered to be the most densely populated urban conglomeration in the United States, suggesting that the built-up environment is extensive and deep. A local website, humorously titled Nobody Hikes in L.A., is a testament to the prevailing perception that the region is overwhelmed by freeways, streets, and an endless number of motor vehicles and trucks. Where can one go to ride a bicycle? Well, the Nobody Hikes website is a great resource for hikers and, to a certain extent, mountain bikers, suggesting that there are some nearby getawaysone just needs to know where to find them. Similarly, there is plenty of good cycling in L.A.one simply needs to know the right roads, areas, trails, paths, and parks.

From the context of cycling as a sport, the L.A. region is ideal for riding. Although the region, somewhat embarrassingly, did not have a professional football team as of this writing, the area does have three pro basketball teams, two pro baseball teams, two pro ice hockey teams, and two pro soccer teams. Two Summer Olympic Games (1932 and 1984) have been held here as well. In part because of excellent year-round weather, the L.A. region has hosted countless championship-level competitions in sports ranging from archery to weightlifting.

Best Bike Rides Los Angeles offers descriptions of forty-five rides in the L.A. region, including twenty-three for road bikes and twenty-two for mountain bikes. The area of coverage is a rough 25-mile radius around central (downtown) L.A., skewed a bit toward the west. Because of its heavy urbanization, L.A. lacks distinct geographic regions. There are rivers, valleys, hills, mountains, and other enclaves; but the extensive development has led them to effectively merge into one another, or be paved over. Using area codes, this guide divides L.A. into four regions: central and southeast, north and northwest, northeast, and west and southwest. A fifth region, Catalina Island, is included to ensure that cyclists know about this nearby escape and where to ride on this offshore gem. All the rides are located in Los Angeles County, including Catalina, although a couple cross the border into neighboring Orange and Ventura Counties. Road rides range in length from 4 to 50 miles, while mountain bike ride distances range from 3 to 25 miles. Routes range in altitude from just above sea level, along the beaches, to over 5,600 feet for one of the rides that ascends to a peak in the San Gabriel Mountains. The difference in elevations is one of the widest in the country, making this collection of rides unique.

Encompassing nearly 5,000 square miles, the Los Angeles urbanized area can be overwhelming to the uninformed cyclist. This book uniquely divides the region into a grid and then features up to one road and one mountain bike ride from each cell within the five subregions described above. In comparison, most other cycling books focus on specific roads, paths, or parks. To orient the user, the GPS coordinates of each start-finish point are included. Information on climb lengths and gradients are included as well, including one optional doozy that tilts upward at 32%!

This book offers rides of various lengths and terrain to cover a wide range of cycling abilities. Just over half the forty-five rides are for road bikes, and just under half are for mountain bikes. The shortest, flattest rides are for beginners and families; the longest, hilliest rides are for experienced riders. Most of the rides, however, are for recreational and even competitive cyclists looking for a variety of riding routes in the Los Angeles area. Given the large size of the region, it is likely that even riders who are native to the area will not be familiar with all the routes in this book.

Accompanying the maps are specifications (start point, length, traffic volume, trail conditions, etc.) and a text description of each ride. In addition to describing the ride itself, the ride narrative also explores the history, folklore, special events, culture, flora, and fauna along the way so that the rider knows what to expectand look forward to. The descriptions give each route character, helping the rider to perhaps relive and retrace milestones in the regions history. Not to ignore current conditions, the descriptions also discuss demographics, urban issues, and transportation infrastructure as needed to keep the rider in the present.