TakingMyTime

I wrote my question as I was sitting here this morning trying to decide where to ride. I finally decided there's no better way to find out than to do it yourself, so I rode from El Dorado Park to the top of the dam and back. 54 miles. I was pleasantly surprised at how nice it was. Like CAT7RDR said "the only problem were the usual zombie walkers". The whole ride felt really safe. A few small encampments but that's about it. I'll be doing it again soon.

TakingMyTime

The one thing about the SGRT is when you start to get north of the 5 fwy is that it's very dirty. I can't believe how dirty my bike got on just 1 ride.

marquhar

this is an RFC, so has anyone else noticed this?

new riders loitering around entry/exits, mostly women on walmart style bikes. Don't seem interested in riding or meeting other riders in order to ride. They exclusively watch their phone, especially intently when passing other riders.

they sometimes fake punctures and if they converse with you, they talk gibberish, as if a third listening party is telling them what to say.

I was dumb enough to stop and help one of them finish a flat repair, she said she started her ride at Alondra/sgrt. When I rode by her, she was gluing a patch, so things looked like she might get stranded. I decided to go back and help.

They are mostly minorities, never wearing riding clothes. They always have a handlebar phone mount.
When doing my 8 mile circuit, they will still be there lap after lap, each lap takes 28 minutes or more.

My guess is someone is testing a `Contact Tracing` App, or some piece of the App. The App will
see how your WIFI/Bluetooth tries to connect to theirs and measure proximity - my guess.

I noticed them starting Sep 1, which was a Tuesday, an odd day for so many ladies to ride solo.

At this point I ignore them and now refuse to help any solo ladies that have problems on the trail.

cheers,

CAT7RDR

The only thing I noticed on the SGRT this morning south of Dunlop Crossing to the beach is a lot more traffic and unsteady newer riders that slow to almost a stop going up the under bridge ramps. Good for the newbies to get out and ride but I was glad to exit and get on PCH south where I can relax and not fret being taken out by a Hello Kitty pink bike.

ooga-booga

rode the 30 mile stretch from seal beach to santa fe dam. southern end still well-trafficked and with solid pavement.

heading northbound from seal beach, pavement not as nice and less traffic past the 10 mile mark.

some small encampments and trash but not as bad as i remember it being in the last few years...I think it's been
a year/year and a half since i last hit any section of the sgrt.

TakingMyTime

That sounds about right. Riding north from Seal Beach the pavement starts to deteriorate right about where the concrete portions of the flood control turns to dirt. The ride between the Pico and Santa Fe dame isn't really that bad. The pavement is good except that the ride is just barren for about 7 miles. The homeless encampments are almost non-existent. The last several months there has been a noticeable police and social worker presence at the encampments. It seems the county is really trying to keep the area safe.

I"m not sure if you rode on the weekend or not, but the weekdays on the SGRT, especially North of El Dorado Park... the path is deserted.

2seven0

Roger that I'm at the point of avoiding most bike paths on weekends if possible. Much nicer & many are deserted as you mentioned on Fridays.

ooga-booga

rode sgrt, rio hondo, the beach path through bolsa chica beach and the whittier
greenway all yesterday (monday). they were all pretty mellow.

Eric F

I've been on SGRT between Pico and SF Dam multiple times in the last year. Zero issues, and only a few mellow homeless folks have been seen at all.

TGT1

Came down thru the northern segment for the first time in a while.

The bums have burned themselves out of a home! Lario Park is cleaned up and deserted. (probably has the gate locked too)

Several fresh burns around Lario that had been bulldozed and a large one down by the nature trail. My office is on the other side of the dam and Monday LA County fire air was doing orbits about where the nature trail burn was, but I didn't see or smell any smoke then.

Not a single campsite to be seen all the way to Santa Fe dam.