brigoody

Hello All,

I'm new to this forum, and training for my first century ride at the end of this month. I live down in Carlsbad, and we are heading up to visit some friends in Manhattan Beach for the weekend. I talked my wife in to letting me ride part of the way. I wanted it to be around 50miles.

I wanted to see if anybody new of a route from Newport Beach to Manhattan beach. How safe the roads are, etc... I ride along the coast often down in San Diego area, but I'm unfamiliar with it up North.

Angio Graham

Do you mean how safe are the roads from cars or from people ?

As far as people go, the section of PCH from south Long Beach, through Willmington and Harbor City is a high crime area but riding through in the day time should be fine. Just dont stop to talk with the women at the pay phones along the way.

As far as cars go....I wouldnt ride that stretch unless my life depended on it and you have a great life insurance policy for your wife.

Once you get into Palos Verdes though the drivers are nice and then you can take the bike path from Torrance to Manhattan Beach.

Gallo

It has been years but the road between Newport and Mahatten takes you through the rough part of LB lots more traffic than the 101 down here for most of the route

I would suggest you leave first and ride from San Diego to San Clemente or Dana Point and get picked up. More scenic less traffic

Pamestique 

I have friends who ride PCH from Newport to PV all the time... it's doable but then again I think my friends alittle crazy. San Diego county is nice, Orange County is nice... PV on north is nice... the problem is that area between Long Beach and PV. High traffic, heavily congested, College kids drinking, high crime rate area you will have to drive through.

I assume your plan is for your wife to drop you off and you ride to your friends In MB. My suggestion is to drop off on the PV South (Hawthorne Blvd?) side near San Pedro and take the PV drive around the pennisula (ie do the Loop) and then drop down to Rat Beach and take the Strand to Manhatten. If you are unable to figure out the PV drive route, check the internet - its a favorite ride and should be listed on many websites. Otherwise do a ride around home before you go or go do the ride from Mahatten Beach while your wife visits...

PS: I like Gallo's suggestions

tinrobot

I don't see why all these people are being naysayers. It's not any worse than other areas of LA/OC. Some traffic, but if you're careful, not a big issue.

You can do PCH and/or the beach paths from Newport up to Huntington, then PCH through Seal Beach to Marina Dr to 2nd St in Long Beach, where you can drop down on Bayshore to the beach trail again. At the end of the trail, head north through downtown or along the river to Anaheim then west (the one slightly scary-ish part) Palos Verdes Dr takes you through Rolling Hills to Palos Verdes Blvd and the beach. Follow the bike paths from there.

JTGraphics

Since you are also going to see friends in Manhattan beach I'd ride PCH to Seal Beach, take the SGRT to Del Amo blvd. take that all the way to Vermont make a left go to 190th make a left and ride all the way to Redondo Beach then head over to Manhattan beach I assume you know the direction from their. I ride to Seal Beach using this route and it's a safe route to me, I also use South St. and Carson from the SGRT but you need to still need to make your way to Del Amo at some point so to make it easy just take it from the SGRT from the start. You can take some other streets if you want to go around PV like making a left on Vermont till you get to Anahiem St & Palos Verdes Dr. N and from their you have several routes to Redondo Beach work your way to Manhattan beach from their. You can use PCH in the LB but you will need go thru a few areas I don't care for.

brigoody

This does sound like a good option, and was something I was considering, but then I would have to be in a car for a while. I do know the area better and from the posts so far, riding through LB doesn't sound too safe. I know how to get up to San Onofre, but how to I then go to San Clemente or up to Dana Point?

Sorry if this is a dumb question, but what is SGRT? And this sounds like you are saying to just go for a ride after driving to Manhattan Beach, correct?

TrojanHorse

San Gabriel River Trail = SGRT. It terminates in Seal Beach. Fire up google maps and turn on the bicycling layer - you'll see all kinds of green lines indicating where some computer thinks it's safe to ride. For the most part, it's good info but not necessarily all inclusive.

You can also continue up PCH to Long Beach and take the LA River Trail north if you'd prefer. I think you'll be fighting a head wind all day long though.

So are you riding from Newport to Manhattan? Or Carlsbad to Manhattan? I've ridden through Long Beach before and parts of it are plenty less than scenic but I've never been terrified to ride there, even on PCH.

JTGraphics

Sorry if this is a dumb question, but what is SGRT? And this sounds like you are saying to just go for a ride after driving to Manhattan Beach, correct?

SGRT was answered, and no if you are looking to ride about 50 miles if you park at Seal Beach area and ride the route I mentioned it about a 60 mile round trip for you from Seal Beach to Manhattan Beach.

Garfield Cat

If you're new at riding and just doing a first century ride, then this would be your first ride from O.C. to Manhattan Beach. Not a good idea.

brigoody

Not really new to riding. Have a tri bike and have done up to olympic distance, BUT I do have a new road bike. I have been training for this century for almost 12 weeks now. Curious why you say OC to Manhattan would not be a good idea, because this will be my first ride in that area.

I got your pm jtgraphics. Thanks I tried to pm you, but I can't do that until I have 50 posts.

Genaro

Personally, i would shoot straight up through Anaheim and at Vermont, hang a slight left onto PV Drive North. Beautiful ride from there. Take PV Drive East for additional climbing. When I was 16 we used to talk about PV Drive East and Crest Rd as if it were Alp Du'Ez . I went back a couple of yrs ago and after having ridden in the San Bernandino Mtns and San Gabriel Mtns and it was like a little bump in the road.

Pamestique 

[QUOTE=brigoody;15359011]This does sound like a good option, and was something I was considering, but then I would have to be in a car for a while. I do know the area better and from the posts so far, riding through LB doesn't sound too safe. I know how to get up to San Onofre, but how to I then go to San Clemente or up to Dana Point?


QUOTE]

Was this question answered? Not really an easy explanation but if you check the internet you should find routes. The ride still stays on PCH (although there are detours). You will exit the bike trail that comes up from San Onofre (watch for it on the left... there will be an entrance through a gate at the top of a hill just passed the "ghost bike"), at Cristianos. Turn right then left at Carl's Jr. That's PCH - stay on that through San Clemente (very congested traffic) and eventually you wil be riding behind k-rails on sort of a bike path. Once you get to Sana Point, that's where you have a quandry. You have to take Golden Lantern up to PCH, turn left and keep going north.

tjh1960

I imagine you'd want to stay fairly close to the beach most of the way, so I'd stick with PCH to Seal Beach, take 2nd Street/Bayshore down to the bike path through Long Beach, and get on the LA River Trail north (pick it up near the LB Aquarium).

Off the LART, going west on anything south of about Willow will take you through some pretty sketch areas. Willow and north becomes more industrial so not scenic but not dangerous. Pick your way over to Western, take that southto Palos Verdes Drive South and you're back along the coast. Then pick up the beach path through Redondo and Hermosa.

The bicycling directions available on Google Maps give you something pretty close to this. Those directions bypass the PV peninsula and keep you on Willow/Sepulveda all the way over to Hermosa, but I'd ride the extra distance for the scenery.

JSMaxwell

Too late I guess, but I'm not sure that anyone who commented here is very familiar with riding from Long Beach to Palos Verdes. The route is along the beach path through Long Beach to the La River trail. Exit the river trail at Anaheim (under bridge turn right, and then right again onto Anaheim St.) Take Anaheim to PV Drive North, sort of a left turn. PV Drive North to Redondo Beach. Ride north from there to Manhattan.

That is by far the most common route and its perfectly fine.

Totoboa

Aweeeesawme ! Ya learn somthin every day here.

brigoody

I wanted to say thank you to all for the replies, especially JT, who emailed me a couple of routes. He went above and beyond to make sure I had a great ride. He even offered to meet me, if timing worked out, which it didn't. I ended up putting in 50miles, which was a good tune up for my first century.