Southern California - Vacation in and around Marina Del Rey, which bike?

I am going to be in CA for about 4 days next week. I don't know how much riding I am going to be able to get in. I have never been to CA, I hear about the great road riding. I really don't know where to ride or which bike to bring. I don't want to have to drive 30-40 miles to get away from traffic. I may be asking the wrong questions, I don't know if I should bring a road bike, cross bike, or mountain bike. Input would be appreciated.

Thanks

Road bike... alot of great roads and bike trails to ride along MDR. You can take the Strand (a multiuse trail) down to Redondo Beach and up to Santa Monica without taking many streets. About 60 miles round trip. Nor MTB riding in the local area unless you want to drive up to Palos Verdes.

I am going to be in CA for about 4 days next week. I don't know how much riding I am going to be able to get in. I have never been to CA, I hear about the great road riding. I really don't know where to ride or which bike to bring. I don't want to have to drive 30-40 miles to get away from traffic. I may be asking the wrong questions, I don't know if I should bring a road bike, cross bike, or mountain bike. Input would be appreciated.

Thanks

bring a road bike and give some serious thought to driving 30 minutes or so to malibu and the santa monica mountains for some of the best climbing roads w/ beautiful ocean views around. otherwise, in MDR, it'll be flat rather boring terrain IMHO, but yah you'll still get some ocean views. depends on what kind of riding you're looking to do.

bring a road bike and give some serious thought to driving 30 minutes or so to malibu and the santa monica mountains for some of the best climbing roads w/ beautiful ocean views around. otherwise, in MDR, it'll be flat rather boring terrain IMHO, but yah you'll still get some ocean views. depends on what kind of riding you're looking to do.
Bring a road bike and just ride to the Santa Monica mountains. It's just up the road from Marina Del Rey.

Road bike. All you need to do is find PCH, head toward Malibu ...

Road bike it is, thanks for the responses. I do live in OK so I don't know how much climbing I can do. I guess I will swap cassettes to something a little friendlier just in case.

+1 to taking a trip to the Santa Monica mountains. I hope you have a great time!

If you have the time, getting to Malibu via PCH is wonderful, but understand that there is a stretch north of Santa Monica where you have to travel on a very busy section of PCH. Not for the faint of heart, IMO. We forget how intimidating it can be, and frankly I'll avoid it if I can. It's worth it, IMO, to stick the bike in teh car and drive to Pepperdine (PCH and Malibu Cyn Rd.), park, then ride north up the coast. Try a canyon or two.

The route along the bike path south to Palos Verdes is a nice flat spin, and the ocean views, beach atmsophere, and girl-watching is unbeatable. That, and you can ride directly from your hotel.

Tons of good choices...

BTW from MDR you can RIDE up and around Palos Verdes (south of MDR)... not mountains but some good climbing and incredible views as well...

Don't know how strong a rider you are, but if you're a racer, LaGrange hosts daily weekday rides that are close enough to drive easily to, park and ride at 6:30AM. It's a fast group, though.

If it's Sat or Sunday, ride your bike 2 miles up to intersection of Ocean & San Vicente and there will be at least 10 groups leaving on the hour or every half hour between 7AM and 9AM. At various speeds.

I've ridden the PCH a lot, and overall it's safe, but I do prefer safety in numbers. It gets much more open after Malibu and is at its narrowest (worst) in the first 5 miles out of Santa Monica. Still eminently rideable though.

You can take the beach bike path all the way north to Temescal Canyon in Santa Monica, and then cross the street (PCH) and continue all the way to Malibu and beyond. You could go all the way to Pt. Mugu and Oxnard if you really wanted to. Ditto as well on going south all the way to Palos Verdes. It's a great ride in either direction, but you might want to be careful on weekends. It gets pretty crowded.

I'll be in the Marina Del Rey area May 4-6 and then up to Napa for May 7-10. I won't get in until late Monday night, I am going to try to make the LaGrange hammerfest Tuesday morning.

Thanks
Tim

I'll be in the Marina Del Rey area May 4-6 and then up to Napa for May 7-10. I won't get in until late Monday night, I am going to try to make the LaGrange hammerfest Tuesday morning.

Thanks
Tim

You're better off doing the Pier Ride on a Tuesday Morning. It starts near the Manhattan Beach Pier at 6:30 then rolls over the bridge into Marina Del Rey a little before 7am. If you're on Fiji Way right around 7am you'll see lots of people waiting for the ride to come through. It's a bigger group and a nicer route with fewer lights. Pier Ride (http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/ca/manhattan-beach-/711616478207)