Thank you urbanknight. I goggled the area and are you referring to the twisty roads around highway 23 headed towards the ocean? Goggle maps have a street view of hyw 23 and the area looks fairly deserted. The roads appear narrow with the side roads covered in tar snakes but that was only one small area on street view. I imagine I would land in L.A., rent a car then head north and find a nice Hotel near the area you mentioned. Or would I be better to find a place nearer to the coast?

You won't find many places to stay near the coast in that area, so look in Westlake and Thousand Oaks.

Highway 23 (Westlake Blvd) is a good one. Latigo Canyon is my favorite way to return from the coast. Piuma, Schueren, and Stunt make a good loop to the east and Decker and Encinal are great roads to the west. You can also get less climbing by riding along the mountain rather than up it. Here are some favorite routes. Agoura Rd, Mulholland Hwy, and Thousand Oaks Blvd are good roads to use to get from your hotel to the route if you don't want to drive.

https://www.shprung.com/sfvbc/?ride=854
https://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united...oura/665893667
https://www.shprung.com/sfvbc/?ride=736C
https://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united...ibu/1161851352
https://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united...s/963428421746
https://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united...26129786935165
https://www.shprung.com/sfvbc/?ride=Cen-1
https://www.shprung.com/sfvbc/?ride=KOM1

Here are some pics from rides in that area, courtesy of Shai Sprung.

Every time Ive been in California I have seen people throwing up or Ive had an "interaction" with the police that did not end up "good"

Interesting. Please elaborate. Living in CA, I have had both good and bad police encounters.

> Southern California looks interesting but someone else complained that the roads could be a bit busy.<

Even if roads are a lot busy, why let that stop you?

Urbanknight is right, though - there are plenty of remote - i.e. fairly empty - roads in the Los Angeles area.

As for where to stay if you wanted to ride in the Santa Monica and adjacent mountains, they split the L.A. area, and are, as they say, freeway close. Whether you stay in expensive digs in West Los Angeles, at a Motel 6 in Thousands Oaks, or the cheapest flophouse downtown, you're close to lots of great riding.

And with a week, if you aren't adverse to renting a car, don't limit myself to one area. In addition to all the great rides in the Santa Monica Mountains between, say Malibu and Thousand Oaks, which you could polish off in a few days, there is:

- Griffith Park, closer to downtown L.A., with miles of riding, including some roads closed to cars.

- To the northeast, there are San Gabriel Mountains - at least portions not burned in the massive Station Fire earlier this year.

- Ninety minutes or so north of LAX: Santa Barbara and environs, with some awesome climbs into the mountains behind the town.

- Two hours north of LAX: Solvang (where Lance trained and maybe still does) - lots of rolling terrain through miles of vineyards and farmlands.

And to the south:

- PCH, from Oceanside south to San Diego (I like the ride through Torrey Pines State Park).

- I think it might still be possible to ride through portions of the Marine Corps base at Camp Pendleton, too, although I haven't done that since prior to 9/11.

- The afore-mentioned Palomar Mountain; you wouldn't have to start your ride there from San Diego, of course, and there are numerous rides in the general area; also, temps up the mountain are going to be opposite of what you're looking for.


However, you're coming in the middle of winter - so be prepared for, yes, rain, even in California. This year has already given us amounts of precip well above average. And although there is less rain south of Los Angeles, the area isn't immune from winter, either. Expect early morning temperatures in the 40s and even into the 30s.

Coincidentally, I just got a text from my daughter, who's been on vacation in Hawaii: "Major bike riding in hawaii. Just sayin..think about it."

Sounds like you made up your mind. I didnt know you were flying. Go to Las Vegas. There are alot of roads scenic roads without traffic out there and since so many people have lost their jobs you can get so HUGE discounts at some high end places. I really like "Paris".

All are about the same price, too


Yep. I stayed at the Excalibur this past Summer for $20/night. The weather is not quite as favorable as So Cal, but still much better than anywhere in Canada.

LA to Sydney is 15 hours. LA to Melbourne is 17 hours.