Originally Posted by
cormacf
Cormac here. Long Beach. Just got my first road bike last year. I've done LBC <-> Huntington Beach a few times for a 30-mile loop, some similar-length rides up to Lakewood and around there a bit, but nothing longer. I also commute (usually short, sub-5) to the gym, grocery store, etc. on my beater / Frankenbike.
I'm moving to Portland in the fall, and I'll be doing my first century when I get there, so I need to start working some longer rides. If anyone has suggestions for routes that don't have miles of stop-and-go before I hit an open road, I'd love to hear them.
Get on the river trails and you can easily go for long rides. Note that though the trails are generally flat with no hills so you wont be building up your climbing ability. You may want to try biking towards the Palos Verdes / South Bay area for some moderate hills though.