I am visiting LA in Dec/ Jan again, and just when I got familiar with different routes around west LA, the person I am staying with decides to move to Torrance. More exactly Torrance and Hawthorne Blvd postal code 90503.

So again I turn to my fellow RBR’s to hook me up with some great rides/routes in this area. I like hills but no absolutely nothing about the area. Are there any group rides in the area, cycling clubs, cycling paths. Also looking for the best group ride for Jan 1st ride.

By looking at the map, I see it’s close to Palos Verdes, should I be heading in this direction or head north up the PCH. Any help would be much appreciated.

Thanks
Gary

...PCH in that area is not bike-friendly--lots of fast auto traffic and not a lot of bike-specific lanes. Check this thread: http://forums.roadbikereview.com/showthread.php?t=16492 The last three posts should give you some good tips.

away from Torrance (or drive car w/ bike) until you enter Palos Verdes / Rolling Hills.
Great Rides, Great Views (Ocean and Huge Houses) great terrain (hilly), great weather (usually). Take PV Drive North west to where it joins PV drive West. Ocean on your right, head south. get lost, have fun. hook back up ride home the way you came.

or backontrack productions

Here's a good short climb that yields a great view on the way up: about 800 feet vertical in about 1.7 miles.

Get on Palos Verdes Blvd to Palos Verdes Drive West. At the Malaga plaza (it will be on your left), take a left on Via Corta. Where it dead ends at Via del Monte, make a right, and get ready for a grunt of a climb that will provide great views. At the top of the climb you can make a right at the t-junction, and then bear left at Granvia Altamira. You can ride all the way to the top of Hawthorne, and make a right for a fast descent back to PV Drive West. You can take a left at PV Drive West and make a left at PV Drive East and climb up the switchbacks if you want more climbing.

If you can get to the beach, jump on the bike path where it ends in Hermosa Beach and head north. You can have a nice ride up the coast to where the path ends again in north Santa Monica.

Have a good time, and let's hope for good weather.

Good suggestion. Also on the plus side, on a clear day, the view from Vista del Monte north toward Malibu is one of the best in the city.

I can't wait to get out there. I have just ordered my 12-25 cassette, (dam, those campy cassettes are expensive) so I should have no excuses on the hills. In July I suffered out on a 23, but I was much fitter then.

IF any of you guys want to join me on a ride, you can email me at fogary@yahoo.comnospan
just remove nospan

Thanks
Gary

Hey Gary, I live in the same postal code and I can at least show you some good rides while you are in So.Cal. There are some good group rides that I have seen, especially the "Donut Run" Starting at the Starbucks in Riviera Village, Redondo Beach. Now I am more of a recreational rider and more of a runner so if you are serious and fast, the Donut Run is just awesome. I will try to remember to e-mail you backchannel when I get back from my Thanksgiving trip.....Oh and the previous posters are right on. The hills of Palos Verdes are just awesome and beautiful as well and the coastal route towards Santa Monica is fun as well as long as you can handle some slow aspects of the bike path or the relative traffic on the coastal streets.
Later Pal, 5K Run and Cycle Hard (In So. Cal)


I can't wait to get out there. I have just ordered my 12-25 cassette, (dam, those campy cassettes are expensive) so I should have no excuses on the hills. In July I suffered out on a 23, but I was much fitter then.

IF any of you guys want to join me on a ride, you can email me at fogary@yahoo.comnospan
just remove nospan

Thanks
Gary

More on Palos Verdes: If you ride up there, don't run stop signs. PV doesn't have a lot of crime, and its officers are pretty aggressive about ticketing cyclists. I was on the Donut Ride when a large chunk of the ride was ticketed for riding outside the bike lane.

I do a lot of running up in P.V. as well and I have waved at cyclists to warn them about police activity, especially on P.V. Drive West near Lunada Bay. Fortunately the cops spend more time citing Harley riders with loud exhausts during their group rides.
Once you get past Hawthorne Blvd...heading east it's clear sailing.....except of course the road condition at the Portugese Bend Slide area.....Great ride. Hope to see you riding in So. Cal.
Later 5K Bob (Run and Ride Hard)

there was a couple CX races at the Lunada Bay CC (Little League fields) course. I was warming up on PV Drive west and if the cop hadn't got distracted by the guy speeding in his Ferrari I think was about to pull me over.

Twice I have seen cyclists at the Lunada Bay cross country course and one Sunday it was wet and muddy. I only have smooth tires on my road and hybrid so I would never try it. But a few weeks ago I tried to run up Agony Hill there during a 10 mile run and I couldn't even get anough traction to get up it. It is a great area to ride though.
Later 5K