bobby c

Hi,

I'll be in San Diego in mid-August on business and would like to get a ride or two in while I'm there. Between travel and general laziness, I'm not in the shape I need to be and I need to get rides in before a couple of tough centuries in September.

So I guess I have two questions:

1. Any recommendations for a bike rental place? I'll be staying near the convention center - Hilton Gaslight without a car, though taking a cab would not be a big deal.

2. Any recommended routes? I was just checking my schedule and I'll have a fair amount of time to ride. I am free pretty much all day Saturday (the 16th) and Sunday, Monday & Tuesday I'll have afternoons & evenings free (after 2 or so). Doesn't mean I'll ride all that time, but I could get several rides in. My preference would be a 65-100 miler on Saturday (depending on hills), then a couple of 20-40 milers for the remainder of the week. If you happen to have a route that is mapped out in some software, great, I could upload it into my Garmin so I don't get too lost.

I'm not into huge group rides, but if anyone wants to join in, I'd be happy to tag along. Some me some of that beautiful San Diego topography!

Thanks,
Bob

wagathon

Don't know what you're going to do for a bike but from there, go north on Pacific Highway to Pt. Loma (i.e., past Harbor and Spanish Islands) and hang a left on the scenic route to the Pt. Loma Lighthouse. Anywhere along that route, you can drop down into Ocean Beach, where you can go south to Sunset Cliffs or North to La Jolla, some of which would be on the boardwalk in the Pacific Beach Area, which is an area where you can head east toward SeaWorld and do a loop which goes around Mission Bay.

Hermes

My favorite ride in SD ls La Jolla to Carlsbad along the coast ~55 miles and back. You can continue on PCH and go through Camp Pendleton (Marine Base) to San Clemente which will add another 45 miles. There are two fairly easy climbs (Scripps Hill out of LJ) and Torrey Pines (north of the golf course). The rest is flat with a little rolling. We used to live in La Jolla so I know the route but could not give someone directions. The only tricky parts are getting out of La Jolla via the back roads to miss traffic and getting on the Marine Base and missing traffic on PCH.

However, if you start at the golf course on Torrey Pines Road and head north on PCH, it is difficult to get lost since the Pacific Ocean is always on your left.

You may want to put this on the Southern California regional section. They may have route maps.

Litespeed

If you go to the website: www.efgh.com you will see an emblem for a bicycle. Click on that and it will give you every bike route, path in San Diego. There might be a bicycle rental place at Seaport Village, not sure though. Have fun, hope the weather doesn't get to hot for you, but you should be fine near the coast.

stapfam

All you have to do is Invite Tom to join you. He seems to bring the Cooler weather with him on his cycling holidays.

Hermes

Another long route from Downtown heading north is to follow the San Diego Bay and then cut over to Mission Bay. Keep heading north and climb Mount Soledad. You can do this via Soledad Mountain Road (assuming it is open) or head toward the ocean and go up La Jolla Mesa. You can drop into La Jolla and then climb Scripps Hill to Torrey Pines road and then continue on to Carlsbad. I do not have a route map and certain ways offer less traffic than others. A current local cyclist should be able to provide a route map. Mount Soledad is tougher and longer than Torrey Pines hill.

bobby c

Great, keep those suggestions coming! As for heat, I laugh in the eye of San Diego weather. We rode nearly 60 miles in 95 degree weather a couple of days ago, I doubt San Diego will throw anything worse at me.

BengeBoy 

Why do I have to be the first person to bring this up:

I read on this very forum not more than two weeks ago that the proper way to ride a bike in San Diego is to pull up to a canyon and then throw your bike over the side. Next, you remove your shirt and use it to clean a picnic table. Extra points for talking to yourself throughout.

Come on folks, keep track of this stuff.

https://www.bikeforums.net/fifty-plus-50/440360-weird-little-ride.html

Happy riding!

John E

Be sure to read about the San Diego Northern Railroad's Coast Express Rail (Coaster) commuter train and the trolley on sdcommute.com. Both are bicycle-friendly and will greatly expand your range to the north or the south and east, respectively.

San Diego is generally a great cycling venue, but CalTrans has created some distinctly pedestrian- and bicycle-hostile freeway connections, so threat these with caution or, if possible, circumnavigate them.

doctor j

Wherever you ride, watch out for some deranged dude on a white bike!

Digital Gee

Unfortunately, due to a severe budget crisis, San Diego will be closed for the month of August, so there is no point recommending any place to ride. Check back in September!

Hermes

A friend rented a Cervelo at Nytro in Encinitas earlier this year. You may want to give them a call.

Here is a route for the La Jolla to the entrance to Camp Pendleton. https://veloroutes.org/bikemaps/?route=17435 I took the back ways through LJ and took you off of PCH through Oceanside. However, you can use more direct routes but expect more traffic.

Artkansas 

Last year when I attended Siggraph, I rented a bike at Bike Tours in downtown San Diego. It's at 509 5th Avenue just a few blocks from the convention center. I rented the bike instead of renting a car and used it to get around San Diego while I was there. I even pedaled out and met DG! I rented a Giant Cypress for a week. But they also have road bikes and mountain bikes.

Here's a 50 mile route that I would take. It covers a lot of different parts of San Diego. It goes from downtown through Balboa Park and its velodrome, nearby DG's new digs and over to Qualcomm Stadium. From there it goes up past the Miramar Air Base and then heads to the beach and back to downtown. Its got all kinds of road and conditions. Some pretty steep hills, a bike path, a bit of freeway, beaches, and a great flat stretch by Miramar. San-Diego-Half-Century

Digital Gee

After posting my response-in-jest, I realized I forgot to say that all the tips offered are good, and I have nothing to add. Well, you might consider riding around Coronado and down the Strand and back. There's a ferry which can take you over to Coronado.

bobby c

Thanks all! I like the routes, I just created a file to upload a file into my Garmin for the San Diego Half Century that Arkansas provided - looks good! When I have time I'm going to do the same for Herme's route to Camp Pendleton - I just need to link it to downtown SD to get an idea of distance. Looking forward to this, any other suggestions are warmly appreciated.

I'll keep my eyes open for any escapees on a white bike. If I get cornered, I know I can always throw my bike over the edge, that seems to distract them long enough to get away.

Digital Gee

On Any Sunday

If you like hill climbing, ride north down Mission Boulevard in PB (Pacific Beach). Mission Blvd. then transitions into La Jolla Mesa Drive. There'll be an Albertson's grocery store on your left right at the transition point. Then it's UP UP UP from there. Mission Boulevard connects Mission Beach with Pacific Beach and is the last street before the ocean. Mission Boulevard also runs parallel with the boardwalk. The boardwalk IMO is one of San Diego's treasures. At the top of La Jolla Mesa Drive you'll have a really nice view of the ocean. For questions like this here's another outstanding forum to go to for regional information (Mexico, too) and it has many discussion forums, forums like exercise and fitness, photography, retirement, automotive, investing, etc: https://www.city-data.com/forum/

reverborama

Here's my ride report for a trip I took to San Diego in March of 2007:
https://www.salt2salt.com/scans/SD/SD.html