Southern California - La Tuna at 4:30pm?

I have faculty meetings for the next two Tuesdays and would prefer not to skip my bike commuting days anymore. These get out at 4:00 as opposed to my usual ending time of 3:00. Do you think the traffic going up La Tuna will still be fairly light or should I take an alternate route through Glendale (Glenoaks to Chevy Chase, most likely)?

If all the cars bother you i would skip it.
The drivers dont seem to think we belong along that stretch of road.

Yea traffic will be pretty bad. My favorite route back to pasadena is coming up over verdugo and dropping out right by the rose bowl. Not as steep as a climb as Chevy Chase is and a bigger shoulder.

Dolophonic: I have no problem dealing with the few cars that buzz by me at 3:30pm but I know I'd get annoyed if that number was doubled.

Marckx: Verdugo goes up to Montrose, then over to La Canada. Do you go by Descanso before dropping into the Bowl? I might still do Chevy Chase, though, as I'm planning on doing more climbs this week with San Luis Rey RR coming up.

yea, go by descanso, but instead of dropping down to the rose bowl like the montrose ride dose, make your first left on chevy chase and that street drops you out above the rose bowl so you don't have to deal with colorado or any other of the major streets.

http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/ca/pasadena/376891849
and when coming down El Molino you don't have to go around the block for the one intersection, in a car you would, but you can squeeze through on a bike.

Cool, I'll probably do something like that and avoid La Tuna these two days. Thanks.

you could go a little further north on wentworth to foothill if la tuna bothers you. i've got no problem with traffic myself. very little traffic on wentworth but really bumpy the first mile or so.

I ride La Tuna after five regularily and have never noticed traffic to be heavy.

Hmmm, well maybe I should try it tomorrow and if I don't like it, THEN circumvent it via Wentworth or Glenoaks the next week.

I ride this road regularly around this time. Traffic while a bit heavy isn't too bad. Just stay right and you'll be good!

There sure are a lot of memorials on La Tuna.

Memorials to scumbag contractors who dump their debris on the shoulder?

There sure are a lot of memorials on La Tuna.
At least I know I'll be remembered if I don't make it. I don't know if there is one for that SBW member yet as I don't know exactly where his incident was. They have a memorial for that woman who was shot there earlier this year and another one that has been there longer than I've been commuting it.

Memorials to scumbag contractors who dump their debris on the shoulder?
2 weeks ago, I saw two guys throwing a trash bag on top of a mountain of trash bags right in front of a "NO DUMPING" sign. Tried to look at the plate, but wasn't about to make anything obvious, being the more vulnerable vehicle.

i might ride over la tuna with you if i get a chance on the way to the rose bowl. don't worry you'll be safe as they'll be aiming for me. send me a pm or something