Wildaguilar

This weekend i'll be riding from Ventura to Santa Barbara. i have a graduation to attend at Santa Barbara City College, so my route will end with a quick beach shower and across the street to the college for the ceremony.

I need some help getting from Carpenteria to SB. I have ridden it before, but it's been awhile. I was never alone, so I usually just follwed along. Please help with directions. THANKS

thomson

Do you want easy or some nice hills?

merider1

Wildaguilar, you could not have come to a better place to ask that question as Thomson knows those roads like the back of his hand.

EDIT: Oh, and note - there is no such thing as a hard hill to him, so be very specific on how much climbing you want.

ovoleg

well thomson will either have you do 3-4 repeats up Balcom or not. It's up to you to pick. Hard is 4+, easy is only 3-4

merider1

Yes, well, the last time, I was the one who suggested Balcom, not Jim. But I suspect he could do repeats on that "hill" easily. Especially on the new wheels.

ggallin

i used to take the 150 from ojai to carp and then a bunch of frontage roads through carp to beat the gridlock on the 101 when i was a student at sbcc. i cant remember any street names though.

thomson

You guys are funny...

Danno and UMD (and probably others) are also well versed in that area. I just wanted to get an idea what WildAquilar wanted before anyone spends a lot of time giving him suggestions.

Wildaguilar

I'm just trying to squeeze a ride into this visit to Ventura/SB. I have to hang with the in-laws throughout the afternoon and into the evening, so I'm not looking to the "Balcolm Canyon" type of a ride. I grew up in Ventura County, so I'm familiar!

I was thinking from Channnel Islands harbor, I'd take Harbor to Ventura, along the 101 on the bike path until Carpenteria. From Carpenteria, I remember taking Bates (I think) a bit inland through Montecito, back across the 101 along the coast (through some sick mansions!) and coming out of the neighborhoods near a "pond" and along the beach to SBCC. This was the route I took for the SB MS ride about two years ago.

So, long post, but I need to be in SB at a certain time. Otherwise, I'd roam until I got there. If I don't make it on time, I'll never hear the end of it!

Long post, short: Flat and FAST! THANKS for cracking me up so much on all of the posts!

thomson

Fastest I guess would be something like

Exit 101 at Casistas Pass/150 (exit past Bates).

Turn left over 101 to end (Carpenteria Ave)

Right on Carpenteria Avenue to Santa Ynez Ave (traffic light)

Right on Santa Ynez over 101 to Via Real (1st stop sign)

Left on Via Real, changes name to Lillie, changes name to Ortega Hill. Up and over Ortega Hill (veer to the left at the top at the stop sign)
Alternate, just past the Evans onramp (just before you go up Ortega Hill) there is a new bike path on the left that parallels the freeway, if you take this, it will dump you back on Ortega after the hill.

When at the bottom of Ortega (stop sign) go left on Jameson Lane.

Turn left on San Ysidiro (stop sign)

At the first street following the freeway, turn right (S Jameson)

Jameson turns south as it turns to Danielson Road.

Danielson then turns west to Channel Drive

Left on Channel Drive

Follow it along the beach until it ends at a small hill. Go to the left side of the road and there is a bike path to take you over the small hill.

The bike path dumps you out on a street that wraps counterclockwise around the cemetery eventually ending at Cabrillo.

Left on Cabrillo to Bath.

Right on Bath to Monetcito (the last street before Bath stops at the railroad tracks)

Left on Montecito as it turns into Cliff. SBCC will be on the left.

Wildaguilar

Thomson--

Many thanks for the info. especially with the detail. I'm looking forward to the ride.

umd

I ride from Ventura to SB at least once a week, usually twice. For flat and fast, Thomson's route is pretty much the only way to go, because otherwise you are humping it over Casitas Pass, which adds several miles and several thousand feet of climbing. You can see my route here on motion based, just ignore the part that goes around casitas and follow it back from Ventura.

I propose a few modifications to his route, see below:

This adds a lot of complication to the route. The simplest thing to do is to stay on Jameson to the end, and then jog left onto the main street through Montecito, Coast Village Road. Stay on Coast Village Road until the end, where it turns into Cabrillo and goes under the freeway.

I would stay on Cabrillo all the way to Castillo, and take that to the left onto Montecito.

Note that those directions will take you to SBCC. If you are going somewhere else in SB, let me know where and I will get you the best directions off Cabrillo to get you where you need to go.

Edit: I just re-read the post and realize that the graduation is probably on the lower end of the campus. And you mentioned a beach shower... so STAY on Cabrillo past Castillo. It turns into Shoreline and stays along the beach. Some parking lots will be on your left and the SBCC track will be on your right. WHen you get to the light at Loma Alta Drive, turn left into the Leadbetter beach parking lot. Shoreline Beach Cafe will be right in front of you, and if you turn left and go down the parking lot a bit there is a building with bathrooms and I believe outdoor showers.

Edit 2: The earlier you go the better. The winds along PCH tend to pick up throughout the day. You may even have a tailwind if you do it early enough.

thomson

I thought going left on Santa Ynez would avoid that horrible stop at Coast Village. Was just thinking that may not be good for the timid.

As far as Cabrillo to Castillo or Bath, now that you indicate Castillo, I agree. I was actually unsure when Castillo turned into a one way going the wrong way for our traveler.

Thanks for jumping in...good advice

umd

Castillo doesn't turn one way until it goes under the freeway. If you go that far you either have to get on the freeway or turn right onto Haley. Turning left on San Ysidro (I assume that's what you meant, rather than Santa Ynez)... I dunno, its pick your poison at that point. if you go that way you have to deal with cars coming off the freeway head-on when pop out from Danielson, then the exit from Channel drive I think is far worse than the left onto Olive Mill from Jameson. I usually take Channel drive leaving Santa Barbara, but I always take Coast Village Road coming back

thomson

oops, San Ysidro indeed.

I also thought Channel Drive is so much nicer. Shrugs, either way works.

umd

Channel Drive is a nice ride, and right before you pop out of the bike path onto the road, you can see Ty Warner's estate which is still under construction. In fact I believe that most of the bikepath is along his estate. Anyway, you can see both routes in my motionbased data that I linked, because I took Channel out and CVR back.

thomson

yeah, I understand he flowered up the bike path on his dime, at a cost of $250k. Also has the Casino and the Four Seasons. If I remember right, he has $750,000,000 invested on that street. He sure put the Beanie Baby money to good use.

Wildaguilar

I'm not very timid, so I'll brave the Coast village-Cabrillo option.

I'm leaving around 7:00, so the traffic/wind shouldn't be a factor

UMD & Thompson, you both have been a great help!

spingineer

Thomson is one of those that have the following definitions ...

hill = interesting, gorgeous, scenic
flat = boring

thomson

Good definitiions Ron. But, the hills are generally harder so there is a price to pay. For me anyway, it is well worth it.

umd

Sounds about right. Usually the descent is the reward for all the hard work, but sometimes on the crappy roads, the descent is harder than the climb!

ovoleg

take me I want to ride to SB again

umd

I think Danno is still planning a ride on the 30th?

ovoleg

I made a post but he didn't reply

I will bump my posts!
If not, take me with I want to ride the route again...I just don't remember all the streets

wagathon

Are you riding to SB from Ventura or to SB from Carpenteria?

P.S., Ooops . . . brain fade: I get it! All you do is take the "Bicentennial Bike Trail" that is on Route 1 in that area the entire way there, right? I've been looking for both of those hwy signs--to put up on the garage wall where I have my trainer--but, no luck.

thomson

I think he is all set for directions.

As for Route 1, between Oxnard and Gaviota, it is part of the 101 freeway of which very little of it is accessible by bike. Surface roads will need to be used.

Off the top of my head, I don't know the Bike Centennial route through this area. I bet it is something similar.