San Diego Creek Bicycle Path

The San Diego Creek Bicycle Path is mostly contained within the city of Irvine, California. The path begins where the San Diego Creek empties into Upper Newport Bay. The Bay itself makes for a pleasant ride with a Class 2 bike lane on the Eastern shore along a quiet road, some busy streets in the South and a section of Class 1 path to the East.

One main entry point is the Bayview Way between Route 73 and the bridge over San Diego Creek. You can head north from here and pedal through a scenic wetlands area until you approach the University of Irvine on the opposit side of the street. Be reminded that there is no public parking in this area, so using the college as a starting or ending point for your trip is not recommended.

After heading North on the path away from University Avenue you'll pass under Main Street via a concrete water run-off path. You'll eventually run into Colonel Barber Park, which is a great place to rest your legs and fill up on the available water. After leaving the park you can bike along the Eastern branch of the creek while you pass through residential Irvine.

If you continue biking further to the East, you will eventually pass through two bike tunnels near Windrow Park. Be careful leaving the last tunnel because it exits right onto Jeffrey Road with no posted signs alerting the motorists to be wary of bicyclists. After a time you will encounter the industrial outskirts of Irvine before you cross under Sand Canyon and Old Laguna Canyon Road. The path deteriorates at this point (a little before the Highway 133 underpass). This is the area that I usually end my ride, but occasionally I take another route back.

Double back to Old Laguna Road and head South over Interstate 405. Bear left at Quail Hill Road and you'll be biking down a nice and pleasant Class 1 bike path. After a nice downhill ride through a beautiful canyon section you'll find yourself at a gaurd house. Take the sidewalk to the right and make another right on Sunnyhill and head towards the park where you can take a small bicycle trail back uphill. On the other side of the hill you'll run into an intersection where you will want to head left. Keep pedaling and you'll notice the start of another Class 1 bike path that meanders downhill. The greenway snakes under streets in modified tunnels and is probably the most pleasant stretch of the return trip.

You can end your trip in two ways. At the base of the hill (by the wetlands along University Avenue) you can head right (North) back towards the 405. NOTE: If you are not an experienced rider, avoid riding over the car bridge that crosses the I405!! By heading left you will be biking South through a wetlands area near Culver Drive towards another small park. Once you reach the Evangelical Church you can meet back up with the Creek Path and head South all the way to Newport Bay at the end of the trail.

If you want to try out this trail it may be a good idea to have a map of Irvine handy-some of the areas are unmarked and can be a little confusing to people who aren't familiar with the area. Also remember that this trail runs through quite a few residential areas, so pedestrian traffic should be expected. Try this one out and feel free to post how it went. Happy biking.

Beach Paths

I spent this Sunday checking out the Huntington Beach bike trail. This trail is 8 miles long starting at Sunset Beach and ending at the junction of the Santa Ana River and Newport/Balboa trails.

The entire Huntington Beach bicycle trail is oceanfront and it passes both the Huntington Beach pier and Bolsa Chica wildlife preserve-two definite places of interest. Surfers, swimmers, boardwalk concerts and great sights are everywhere. This beachfront is more serene than the Venice boardwalk and lends itself well to relaxing beach cruises. Though there are definately less tourists here, the locals do come out in droves so be prepared for massive crowds, especially on weekends and holidays. This trail is shared by cyclists, roller-bladers, and pedestrians so use caution and watch your speed. This path has all the charm of the Venice trail, without all of the accompanying eye sores. Definately a place to try out on a sunny morning.

Another beachfront that hosts decent trails is the Long Beach Shoreline. There are four trails that all start near Shoreline Park. One head towards Naples while the second passes right by Rainbow Harbor. A third crosses the channel and heads toward Queen Harbor. The final trail meets up with the LA River Trail that winds its way back up to Los Angeles.

This is one of the few trails that I prefer to ride at night. The paths are less crowded and the whole coast takes on a completely different atmosphere once the sun goes down. There are great places to eat, interesting shops, and wonderful people. In general the area is very safe, and I personally have never had any problems-but caution should still be warranted especially if you are riding alone.

This holiday week, I plan to check out the Newport/Balboa bike path. It runs from the Huntington Beach trail head south to Newport Bay. I'll post and let you know how it is...

SoCal Riding

Its safe to say that I prefer mountain trails and beach strips to city pavement and concrete paths. I admit that most of my recommendations are off-road, and may be unfairly biased. However, the Backbone Trail (beginning in Topanga and ending in Will Rogers park in Pacific Palisades) is without question one of the best riding experiences I have had in the past year.

First off, this trail is NOT for rookies! There are quite a few blind turns, jutting rocks, and some tight squeezes between the end of the trail and the beginning of the cliffs. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that it's 80% downhill, so make sure your brakes work-seriously.

If you can get past the technical part of the ride, and overcome a little of your exertion, take some time to check out the mountain views. You won't be dissapointed. As I was taking a breather, I realized that I was more impressed with the view on Backbone than I was with the scenery in the Allegheny's in Pennsylvania (yeah-it was kind of a surprise to me too). It just goes to show that you don't have to leave town to see postcard views.

If you ever find yourself in Orange County, take a day to ride in Aliso/Wood Canyons Regional Park. This area encompasses almost 5000 acres between Laguna Hills and Laguna Beach. There are trails for all levels of riders. Fire roads and compact dirt for the novices, all the way to loose rock/soil downhills for more advanced trekkers. The main stretch is a mix of fast downhill and a few rocky climbs. If you are just starting out stick mainly to the canyon floors. However, if you are looking for a little more of a challenge, don't miss "Top of the World", Mathis Trail, and Coyote Run.

The views are decent, especially on "Top of the World", but it's the people that make this ride one of the best. If you are looking to meet avid riders, this is the place to go. As one of the most popular biking spots in Orange County, you can always be assured of meeting new people. Whether the congregation of people on this trail is a good or bad thing will have to be decided by the individual rider. I am always on the lookout for people who share my enthusiasm, so having to put up with a slightly crowded path on weekends is not a deterrent for me.

Whether you are looking to get in an easy ride or a challenging downhill, or are just hoping to meet a few new friends-Aliso/Wood Canyon is the place to go.

Normally I am more about the ride than the view-but after I rode Big Laguna Trail in San Diego my mindset changed. This is a short trail, just shy of 10 miles, but worth the trip (even from L.A.). The trail itself is a winding singletrack over pretty steady ground. There a few easy climbs and a handful of gradual drops-all of which are ridable by even the most inexperienced bikers.

Though the trail may seem somewhat boring to more thrill-seeking riders, it is the views that make this trail one of a kind. The trail winds around Laguna Meadow, which is full of every possible color-especially in the spring during when the wildflowers bloom. Even in other seasons, the views are exceptional: the rolling meadow, the surrounding Laguna Mountains, the thick forested areas and the abundance of streams (pics) make this trail hard to forget.

The only downside to this trail, is that if you don't pay for your Adventure Pass (you can get them at the info center located off of Sunrise Highway) the rangers can hit you with a $100 dollar fine. However, the scenery on this ride is definately worth the purchase price of the Pass. Check it out the next time you're in San Diego County and try to tell me you didn't stop to smell the flowers.

Biking in L.A.

Surprisingly, I found a great variety of different bike paths to choose from in Los Angeles, covering all types of terrain. I spent a Saturday taking a relaxing cruise down the Santa Monica/Venice Strip, an 8 mile stretch that follows the coast. The interesting array of people and places you'll see on this trek makes this ride worth while. Surfers and wake boarders abound, and there is never a shortage of beautiful beachgoers to catch your attention.

The scenery of the Venice boardwalk alone will make your day. There are street performers, jugglers, singers, and musicians. An incredible variety of shops are located on the strip as well. There are bookstores and surf shops to check out, as well as a few tatoo and piercing shops. You can take time out of your trip to eat at one of the dozen local restaurants or just grab a hot dog and an icee from one of the vendors. There really is no down side to this trip. Granted, there are always rollerbladers and people on skate boards, but the paths are substantial so there is plenty of room for everyone. Check it out when the sun is shining and you have a few hours to relax.

The following weekend I took a longer trip down the 12 mile long mid-section of the San Gabriel River which goes from the Whittier Narrows Dam all the way to South St. in Lakewood. It's a smooth ride- a good one for less experienced riders or families.

There is an even mixture of urban surroundings and rural/park areas. Wetlands are plentiful on this path, especially in the Pico Rivera flood basins. If you need a break or want to stop off and eat, there are plenty of open concrete sections to rest in. There are bike paths on both sides of the river for a good section of the trip and it is almost never crowded. The only thing to remember is that there are only a few places where you are able to cross from one side of the river to other-so choose your side wisely!

Over the Memorial holiday, a few friends and I spent all day on the rugged off road trails in the Santa Monica Mountains. The paths cover almost 45 miles from Point Mugu in Ventura County all the way to Griffith Park. We only had that one day and weren't able to cover more than a third of this stretch, but the areas we did see-wooded canyons, rugged backcountry, and quite a few animals made this one of my favorite L.A. area treks.

There are are gorgeous lakes and streams and more types of plant life than you could imagine. The trail gets fairly rough at times so make sure your bike is up to par. My Hard Rock faired well, but suspension would have made the ride a little easier and much more comfortable. Remember to bring enough water as there is no place to easily refill your bottles once you are on the path. If you are looking for an off-road adventure close to home- this trail is a must see!

This weekend I went to check out the Ballona Creek Path that goes from Culver to Marina Del Rey. It was highy recommended to me, by more than a few of my friends. This was one of the nicest, most relaxing rides I have had in L.A. Heading towards the ocean was an easy, slightly downhill ride but the full frontal wind was a little much at times. On the way back however, that same wind gives you a little nudge and makes the return trip that much easier. As others have said, this wouldn't be a smart path to be on at night. The trails are poorly lit and the lack of gaurd rails makes sliding into the adjacent canal a real possibility. During the day however, this is one of the most enjoyable afternoon trips and definately my favorite way to get to the beach.