Downtown LA to Thousand Oaks
 

I'm trying to find the best cycling route to Thousand Oaks from Downtown LA.. A route with no major climbs since I don't want to arrive too winded. I was trying to avoid PCH but it seems like the fastest route to TO. Any ideas?

Thanks,

You can take the long way around, going North through Downtown, merge onto the RiverPath, find your way to Ventura Blvd (thanks Tom Petty!), and keep going. Then, keep going.

And then, keep going.

and then... keep going...



and then.....

Is Cahuenga bikable? That's the only part I don't know. If so, I'd take Cahuenga-Lankershim-Chandler-Van Nuys-Victory-Fallbrook-Ave San Luis-Calabasas Rd-Mureau-Las Virgenes-Agoura Rd-TO Bvld.

Cahuenga is, but it's a "hill". It'll take you up and over the Hollyweird Hills from LA into the Valley.

yes, Cahuenga is bikable especially that direction. If going into Hollywood, it can have its challenges around the Hollywood Bowl

From the downtown area I would enter the valley through Griffith Park and then head towards the west valley.

Really?

I've always liked Cahuenga more coming from the Valley than from LA. Maybe it's because I'm leaving the Valley in that case... but really, I've always found the Hollywood Bowl area *much* more accommodating to movement than the ride up along side the 101 Fwy heading North.

I just mapped using sunset to Cahuenga to Ventura Blvd. to Agoura Rd. then on to Thousand Oaks Blvd. 51 miles. The only "major" climb seems to be Cahuenga which wouldn't be a problem. Now is Ventura Blvd. bike friendly??

Absolutely not. You're better off going Riverside (or even Moorpark) through the east valley. Once you get to Van Nuys Blvd, you could take Ventura if it isn't morning rush hour. But I'd definitely take the (slightly) northern route along Victory all the way to Fallbrook. Or at least take Burbank to Reseda, then Ventura.

The ride will be on a Sunday.. I should hit Ventura Blvd by 9am.. I'll map it using Victory Blvd to Fallbrook..

Thanks,

If it were me and it was Sunday at 9:00am, I would take Ventura, quickest.

btw, Cahuenga is not much of a hill.

If it's early Sunday morning any major direct thoroughfare should be fine.

Agree -- Sunday morning would be Ventura. To make it interesting, see if you count more sushi or massage places.

exactly

I think to get an accurate count, one must sample each.

Hmm, Might have to stop off at the Massage Palor.. Always time for Happy Ending.

Arrival time, Thousand Oaks, 9:00pm

I don't know the roads that well heading north out of downtown, but wouldn't riding parallel to the 5, going through the Griffith Park/Riverside roads and then west on or next to Ventura be the easiest? Less of a climb than slogging up and over Hollywood via Cahuenga. Longer perhaps, but by how much? 5 miles more?

I commute from Northridge to Downtown twice a week. Reversing my route you can go Broadway through Chinatown to Pasadena Ave., to San Fernando to Riverside. From there you can either continue on Riverside to Crystal Springs through Griffith Park and Forest Lawn (rollers though no major hills, and not sure if it's blocked off due to fires/rain), or you can take a right on Los Feliz and a left at the first light, which is a small street that leads to the LA River Bike Path (no hills at all). That takes you to Victory/Riverside, and you can head West a number of ways from there.