Kdos--
I haven't ridden Highway One up or down the length of the CA coast--but I've lived on it for 37 years. Go north to south, unless you absolutely, positively, love headwinds/crosswinds. They are typically not as ferocious this time of year (sept/oct) as in the Spring/early Summer (a definite noFW), but I would still go North to South (and I'm sorta glutton for punishment). The coast runs in a NW direction, just like the prevailing wind. cyclehike