Los Angeles sojourn

[Stephen Merelman]

I will be spending a couple of weeks on the Left Coast for work, staying in West Hollywood. I don't know the area well.  

I was thinking of a.) trying to rent a bike for the weekend and b.) getting some riding in. Therefore, does anyone know a good place to rent a decent bike and where should I ride it?

 

[jc808]

I would go to West LA Bicycle. They've got better than average rentals and they're close to the beach. 

Do you want to cruise? Do some climbs? Dirt/rocks?

[Stephen Merelman]

They look great. Honestly, I'm open to whatever would give me a decent sense of the local topography -- roads or gravel best. Figured I'd try to get in 50 or so. Where should I head? 

[jc808]

If you take the Marvin Braude trail south from West LA Bike, that's pretty classic LA riding. Goes through Marina Del Rey, Hermosa, Manhattan, Redondo. You can then climb up to Palos Verdes if you're feeling ambitious. 

North goes through Venice and Santa Monica which is fun, but it gets stupid crowded. You're constantly dodging pedestrians.

[Stephen Merelman]

Ah, terrific. They hooked me up with a Long Haul Trucker and I will either head south or bushwack north into Topanga State Park. Looks lovely either way. 

smm