Fifty Plus (50+) - Need Advice on Riding in LA

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lhbernhardt
08-29-08, 11:32 PM
I'm planning to attend the Skeptics Conference Oct 3 and 4 at Caltech in Pasadena. As some of you may know, Dr. Michael Shermer, who is the director of the Skeptics Society (as well as a columnist for Scientific American), was one of the original four guys who invented RAAM (back when it was the Great American Bike Race). Anyway, I plan to fly into LA Friday around noon with just my bike and small backpack, assemble the bike, leave the bike bag at a baggage storage place at the airport, and ride to Pasadena.

I have been advised by Dr. Shermer that cycling from LAX to Pasadena is not fun, and that it's a much more pleasant ride from BUR (Bob Hope Airport in Burbank). I want to get a good ride both coming into Pasadena and leaving on Sunday. So, a couple of questions:

Is there a decent route from LAX to Pasadena? (I've checked MapMyRide and there appears to be lots of quiet roads between Burbank/Glendale and Pasadena.)

I understand that they don't let you store baggage at LAX - you have to call a company that picks up your baggage and stores it for you and then delivers it back to the airport. Do they let you store bags at BUR?

Also, if I've got four or five hous on Sunday, is there a ride near Pasadena I just have to do? (I'll be on my fixed gear bike, so it can't be too steep!)

Anyway, I'm hoping there's some knowledgeable 50+ ciclistas familiar with LA out there. Thanks.

Luis

Wildwood
08-30-08, 09:40 AM
Try the Southern CA regional subforum
Yen
08-30-08, 03:29 PM
+1 Check the So Ca regional forum.

As a native here, driving to/from LAX is bad enough in a car... I wouldn't want to do it on a bike.

John E
08-30-08, 05:28 PM
Having ridden between the Inglewood or El Segundo areas and west Los Angeles many times and between west Los Angeles and the Pasadena area a few times, I do not think your ride would be all that dreadful. If you dislike Sepulveda, try connecting segments of various parallel side streets. For going east-west across west and central Los Angeles, I always favored either Olympic Bl. or Venice Bl. Someone else can probably help with the downtown Los Angeles to CalTech part of the trip -- maybe Pasadena-based VeloRetro's Chuck Schmidt would be willing to help you out.