nekohime

Ok, posted this on the SoCal forum, but I'd also like to hear from those who actually use folders to get around LA because you guys know the capabilities of our lovely bikes. So...

Do you know of any routes to get from Union Stn to UCLA? Right now, in my bikeless and pathetic state, I take the red line to hollywood/highland, then ride a scooter (ouch, the cracks!) to sunset/highland to take the 2/302 bus. Problem is, the 2/302 takes foreeeeeeeever because of the traffic on Sunset. Is there any bike route you can suggest? One guy from the SoCal forums said go down from Highland to Santa Monica, then to Westwood, but is there any other faster/shorter way you know of?

edit: also, I've never really ridden more than 3-4mi, and when I googlemapped the route the guy suggested, it was 7.3mi. I don't think I can quite ride that far fast enough to warrant me taking that route instead of the bus, as I'm in terrible shape.

yamcha

7.3 miles might be tough for the first few times but you will get stronger and in better shape. Wasn't that one of the main reasons why you wanted to get a bike? 7.3 miles can be done in 25-30 minutes at a averagely good pace. You will lose a few lb every week!

nekohime

Haha, I guess I'll never know unless I try it first. Oh well, gotta borrow a bike and try it out on the weekend. Hopefully I won't lose any weight but gain muscle mass, as I'm already almost underweight.

CaptainSpalding

From Hollywood and Highland, ride south to Beverly Blvd., and take Beverly Blvd. west to Santa Monica Blvd., and then right onto Wilshire and up into Westwood. It is a little longer as the crow flies, but you will avoid a lot of hilly terrain, so you can keep your speed up. You'll have one steep one up Wilshire by the L.A. Country Club, and then one more up to Beverly Glen, but it's smooth sailing after that. If you're going to U.C.L.A., you can jog north off Wilshire after the country club on Club View Dr., and then take Wyton up to campus and avoid the Westwood traffic.

As far as the distance, well, it's a long way from Union Station to Westwood, any way you slice it.

eubi

Great idea. Sunday mornings are usually nice times to ride!

folder fanatic

Hello Nekohime,

I have taken all three folding bikes throughout Los Angeles City and outlying areas on trains, buses, and by my own bike's power. And I have taken my Piccolo and Brompton through Hollywood and the Westside at times. I recommend that you continue to take a folding bike with you when you commute to UCLA. There are lots of Metro buses/trains, and further west, Santa Monica buses to choose from if you can get to the individual lines with ease. I find that waiting for a given line is very long for the most part, but if you bring along your bike, if you miss one you could go to another street/line and get another bus/train. I have done this often with one of my folding bikes even in both Valleys. I do try to avoid hills. If you take Santa Monica Bl., Beverly Bl. or even Wilshire Bl. you will avoid the hills that Sunset Bl. winds around on. And when you are on campus, you will avoid those long campus walks to whatever building you go to. Do remember that even the side streets are clogged with traffic any time of the day especially on weekdays. So make realistic plans based on that and test riding routes on the days you actually commute rather than on a Sunday.

Another tip is take the bike with you when you board any bus/train-do not load it on any bike racks. The bus drivers or train operators don't have much time to wait at stops and may not wait for you to get the bike. Or some jerk might grab it off the rack.

nekohime

Oh don't I know it.

I think I'm gonna do Hollywood, then Fairfax (which is supposedly a bike route) to Santa Monica, then Wilshire, then up Westholme. Wish me luck!

v6v6v6

Good luck! I'm trying to figure out my own route, too, and I've got mine down to about 7 miles, but it ends up directly south of you (Culver City).

CaptainSpalding

Hmm. The stretch of Hollywood Blvd. between La Brea and Fairfax is narrow and car traffic travels pretty fast. The southbound stretch of Fairfax may be a bike route, but I've certainly seen no homage paid to cyclists there. It's also the shortest leg of your ride, about 0.7 mi.. Likewise the stretch of Santa Monica that cuts through West Hollywood can be a nightmare. I recommended Beverly because it's a fast gentle downhill along Highland to get there, and you avoid the nasty bit of Santa Monica Bl., joining it at the west end of Beverly where Santa Monica passes into Beverly Hills.

nekohime

So I should do something like this:

https://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=e...9999&z=16&om=1

instead of this

https://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=e...UTF8&z=13&om=1

?