Originally Posted by
TrojanHorse
I was originally going to ride down the 101 through Gaviota but honestly, that route looks unappealing. I do like the shoulder but 80 mph traffic is not necessarily fun, and I didn't have a chance to evaluate the condition of the shoulder - it looks a bit rough and probably has the usual complement of busted bits.
New Route goes via Lake Cachuma. RWGPS put me on some interesting roads between SLO and Santa Ynez, not sure about those. It also diverted me onto some smaller roads instead of staying on 154, not sure if that's an improvement or not.
Anyway, I know a few of you have ridden through there - tips and tricks welcome.
I've done this several times. Probably the easiest route is to follow the Aids Lifecycle route, which follows Hwy 1 through Lompoc to Gaviota and 101 to Santa Barbara. The shoulders are super wide and friendly, plus you get ocean breezes and stuff like that. I've also done back roads (Foxen Canyon, etc...) to Solvang and then out to 101.
Do not take 154 past Lake Cachuma. It's steep and a death trap. Shoulders are narrow and traffic is way too fast for the road.
The only other real option is Refugio out of Solvang... which is steep and has some mild dirt, if you're up for the challenge. But even Refugio drops you back on the 101, so you're in almost the same situation as Gaviota.