Touring - Los Angeles to San Diego Bicycle Guide

I'm planning on spending a couple of days this Summer riding from LA to San Diego, spending the night camping somewhere along the way.

Yes - I know there are people who do it in a day, but I ain't that fast.

Can anyone recommend a good guide book or website?

Are you looking for a route or something else?

If you are going to camp, your options are somewhat limited. Instead of camping, you might try getting hosted for a night for free using www.couchsurfing.com . There are a ton of people in the LA/San Diego area, it's free, and you don't have to carry camping gear.

The ACA route from LA to San Diego fits on a single section of the Pacific Coast route. You can buy it at www.adventurecycling.org . You can see the route on-line here: http://tsteven4.qwestoffice.net/maps/PacificCoastRoute.html (note that it takes a short while to load and maneuver the page).

There also is the book Bicycling the Pacific Coast (http://books.google.com/books?id=c9jk69QZqSIC&dq=kirkendall+pacific+coast&printsec=frontcover&source=bl&ots=oIN_2zK4hV&sig=obfvBQXxERSTCXMskG0n_HGMA60&hl=en&ei=l42kSeeMLpqqtQPLscS1Ag&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=4&ct=result#PPA75,M1). This link is to Google's copy of an older version, but it will give you an idea of what is in the book.

Ray

I'm one of those guys who's done it in a day. We used to do it as a training ride in June when racing was down for State and Nationals. We went to AAA and they mapped out the route for us for free as members. That is the very cheap way to go, and they mapped a good route. The ACA maps will have much more detailed info than the AAA will ever give you. This can be very helpful if you aren't familiar with the area.

Here is the route I take from Pasadena to San Diego. I do this ride a few times a year as a one day ride and take the train home. I have done this as a two day ride before camping in San Clemente State Beach. San Elijo I reported to be a nice nice place to camp as well.

http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/MTBMaven-s-Pasaden-to-San-Diego-Route

God forbid if you happen to want a adult beverage at San Clemente H/B site after riding 60 miles.Don't let the Ranger nazi's see you with it unless your ready for an earful.And all this time I thought at age 52 I would be treated as an adult by the rangers.

According to Ricky Ranger,adult beverages may only be comsumed if you work up a sweat driving your RV to the campgrounds.If you walk or ride there,you are not intitled to the same privlages as others in the campgrounds.

God forbid if you happen to want a adult beverage at San Clemente H/B site after riding 60 miles.Don't let the Ranger nazi's see you with it unless your ready for an earful.And all this time I thought at age 52 I would be treated as an adult by the rangers.

According to Ricky Ranger,adult beverages may only be comsumed if you work up a sweat driving your RV to the campgrounds.If you walk or ride there,you are not intitled to the same privlages as others in the campgrounds.

I think this is probably more to do with the State Parks issues with transients living in the hike/bike camping area. Just use a brown paper bag or take it down by the cliffs and watch the sunset. I tend to drink things in higher concentrations like scotch stored in travel bottles. This way they have no idea what you are drinking. :thumb:

That sucks.


God forbid if you happen to want a adult beverage at San Clemente H/B site after riding 60 miles.Don't let the Ranger nazi's see you with it unless your ready for an earful.And all this time I thought at age 52 I would be treated as an adult by the rangers.

According to Ricky Ranger,adult beverages may only be comsumed if you work up a sweat driving your RV to the campgrounds.If you walk or ride there,you are not intitled to the same privlages as others in the campgrounds.

Hi there...I've done that stretch and part of that stretch a few times and it's a nice little ride...perhaps the most obnoxious part of the trip is Mailbu after Pepperdine and before the SM bike trail...and South Laguna just after all the shopping...

Both areas suffer from the rich, entitled and impatient...Malibu has atleast a somewhat shareable right lane...Laguna, you really have to take the lane or you'll have people passing you at 70 inches from your shoulder...

San Clemente hike and bike is nice, can be filled sometimes with transients. It is also about a mile away from Pizza Port (they brew excellent world class beer there and should be worth a stop). San Elijo wasn't bad either. I was there a few weeks ago and they stuck three tourists into one spot, so it's not exactly wilderness camping.

As you pass through Oceanside, you'll see bike shop on your right (on PCH) called Pacific Coast Cycles. A nice bike shop. The owner, Chuck, worked for Masi in the frame building. He has some nice old touring gear in there. Mini racks. Berthoud rack bags. TA cranks. A must stop (atleast for me).

Best,
Russ
www.epicureancyclist.com
www.pathlesspedaled.com

Me and my cousin are planning to ride from Huntington Beach to San Diego (Old Town) in June. This will be our 1st short tour or century. We'll take the train back.

http://www.efgh.com/bike/routes.htm

Some detail routes around San Diego county, including a route along old 101 from the border to San Clemente.