I like to get off the island and head left and go through back bay and over past UCI - then turn up Harvard (?) and go all the way up the trail and up Jamboree to Santiago and then ride the canyon and take one of many routes back. I think someone posted a map of this route above. If you're feeling real ambitious you can take PCH to SGRT - then all the way up to Azusa canyon and get some good climbs in - it is huge loop, sea level to the snow (during the winter anyway)