have only cycled a small segment in the lee vining area. have driven nearly the entire california segment from hesperia/victorville/adelanto
on the southern end to ca hwy 89 (monitor pass) so shorted myself doing the entire ca part of 395 (continues into nevada) by about 10+12 miles.
most scenic riding part is north of mammoth lakes /deadman pass area to ca hwy 89. i think that whole june lake/mono lake/eastern yosemite interface may
be my favorite part of california and there's serious competition. the lone pine (heading north to lake crowley section south of mammoth lakes area
is scenic too but mostly to your left (the west). headwinds (while you're heading north) can be über-gnarly south of mammoth.
if you are a desert rat, you will likely dig the desert stretch north of red mountain/randsburg all the way to lake crowley. lean and extreme. enough support
to count on for what you need but you'll need to plan for it. north of mammoth, the altitude really kicks in. support a little less consistently available
but if you're into the mountains, you'll be happy.
the potential side trips access from the 395 north of red mountain are ridiculous. you can access: trona pinnacles, death valley national park. sequoia natl forest,
sequioa/kings canyon natl park, inyo natl forest, ansel adams natl forest, bristlecone pine forest, minarets wilderness, yosemite national park, bodie state historic park...
the crazy hard climbs mostly west of the 395 (horseshoe meadows. mt. whitney, onion valley, big pine, south lake, mosquito creek...) are a destination in their own right.
north of lone pine, the traffic's not too bad. that 395 stretch from red mountain south to adelanto is a real suckfest tho. i'd rather ride ca hwy 14 into canyon country.