Southern California - Coast high way from Leucadia to Encinitas

Sucks so bad. Why? How hard would it be to paint a bike lane and re-pave the roads? Sheesh. I hate that area. It's probably better to take La Costa to El Camino to Encinitas and back to PCH to avoid that horrible strip of road.

Sometimes I take Vulcan which is the side road on the other side of the tracks from PCH. It doesn't have much of a shoulder either but there is a little bit less traffic than PCH.

El Camino is not much better. There is a bike lane but you have to deal with the red lights and the cars making right turns into the shopping centers.

Best solution overall is to ride early weekend mornings when there is less traffic.

Just my opinions.

I actually find that section the fastest section since you always ride fast to get through it.

I guess that is one way to look at it. SO bumpy tho. I wish they would re-pave that whole area South of Cannon. Especially going North the tree roots have really made the bike lane bumpy. But I'm just complaining. I could be living some place where it is impossible to ride in the winter.

For me it's normally the place where I get dropped, especially after stop signs. :p

Southbound is ok-ish since the lane is wide and it's easy to find a smooth path. Northbound is a different story though. There is a stretch northbound where they have a bike path running parallel to the road, but it's doesn't look well maintained.

the bike path your talkin about really sucks, sand traps everywhere and more glass. Stick to the road and hammer down. That section is only tricky when with a large group and you must stay singlefile andp ass only when no cars are behind which is kinda rare pending what time of the day it is. There are only a few of those bumps you have to watch over.

I find the southbound side a tight fit at time till you get to like Lou's records. If there is a lot of traffic cars get really close. But usually if there is a lot of traffic it is not hard to keep up speed with them. And as for that bike lane. I stopped taking that thing. It has bumps all over the place from tree roots and is covered by dirt. I would rather take my chances with the cars.

At some point during the winter months, I noticed "they" repaved the sb side in the Carlsbad area. Nice! Esp that little "uphill" approach to Poinsettia. So I wonder who funds it? Why C'Bad did the work, and the area you're talking about has sucked for decades? Who's in charge here?!

At some point during the winter months, I noticed "they" repaved the sb side in the Carlsbad area. Nice! Esp that little "uphill" approach to Poinsettia. So I wonder who funds it? Why C'Bad did the work, and the area you're talking about has sucked for decades? Who's in charge here?!That may have been planned maintenance but I think there was a storm drain failure at the bottom of the dip between Palomar Airport Rd and Poinsettia. Now they have that little delineated spot there.

Coast Hwy in that area is probably maintained by the cities of Carlsbad and Encinitas.

Well then encinitas is slacking major.

Just cut over towards the coast. You'll turn on Grandview when going south on Coast Hwy, then take a left and head south on Neptune. That will turn into Sylvia and bend to the left. Then you'll just turn right and continue south on Melrose/3rd. That'll take you all the way down to where a bike lane starts again and turns back onto Coast Hwy.

Personally, the road there doesn't bother me, but I'll take the alternate route once in a while to change things up.

Did 101 over the weekend and it sucks. Heavy traffic, cars parking, stop signs, traffic lights etc.

yes 101 does suck on the weekend especially during the summer. The parking situation sucks at pontos where cars sit in the bike lane waiting for a spot to open up best to go early in the morning or during the week

Just cut over towards the coast. You'll turn on Grandview when going south on Coast Hwy, then take a left and head south on Neptune. That will turn into Sylvia and bend to the left. Then you'll just turn right and continue south on Melrose/3rd. That'll take you all the way down to where a bike lane starts again and turns back onto Coast Hwy.

Personally, the road there doesn't bother me, but I'll take the alternate route once in a while to change things up.

I'm not real familiar, so googlemaps shows Neptune as oneway northbound. Is that true?

I'm not real familiar, so googlemaps shows Neptune as oneway northbound. Is that true?

It is, but it's very slow traffic. Nothing to worry about. Just don't use excessive speed until you get across Encinitas Blvd.

Did 101 over the weekend and it sucks. Heavy traffic, cars parking, stop signs, traffic lights etc.

I'll ride up to D Street and then cut in one road make a left and take that to K. It cuts off some of the 101.

But over all the road doesn't bother. I just take the lane and wave cars around me when they honk.

gotta say - i dont live there but I take that stretch by car often enough on beach trips and I even hate it driving car. Watching out for the huge groups of bikes - especially when your trying to pull out of a shopping center really sucks. The amount of bikes in that area to look out for scare the crap outta me.. of course like I said, I dont live there and am not normally around that many groups of riders... (dont get me started on the stragglers in the pack haha). Please dont assume I'm an impatient jerk driver for posting this but its just a cars perspective.

I concur...

so I started taking another route
You know where that 1000 steps place is? If you turn left onto Jupiter and then make a right at the 3 way
the road ends with a nice parking lot where all those stairs are to the beach, and I go from there down to moonlight and take a little chai break at e street cafe :P

I concur...

so I started taking another route
You know where that 1000 steps place is? If you turn left onto Jupiter and then make a right at the 3 way
the road ends with a nice parking lot where all those stairs are to the beach, and I go from there down to moonlight and take a little chai break at e street cafe :P

Can you show me this? Pics or Google map link to the route you are talking about. Does this cafe have Boba?

Can you show me this? Pics or Google map link to the route you are talking about. Does this cafe have Boba?


for sure,
i just drew this up real quick :P


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v517/jessownsmyhart/bikeroute.jpg


It's only about a 2.5 to 3 mile bike ride from the parking lot to the cafe
but its 3 miles of smooth pavement and away from the PCH traffic and crappy road and not to mention youre right along the beach :)
and the road is almost always clear
i hardly ever see cars cruising through

hmmm i've never checked
i always just get an iced chai and a panini when i go there
but its pretty damn good, i'm not gonna lie
and in the evenings they have a band play

Thanks for the taking the time and posting the picture. I appreciate it. Hopefully I will have time to check it out tomorrow.