First off, does the 78 or San Pasqual Valley Road have a decent bike lane? I haven't been out that way in years, but I remember it was a narrow winding road that I wouldn't feel safe riding on.


2ndly, does anyone have any good 100-120 loops that can be gotten to from the N. County? Riding down PCH, up, down and back home to do a complete a century is getting pretty boring, but I can't seem to come up with any good loops.


Finally...Is the I-5 the only way to get through Camp Pendleton? How do you get back into that empty parking lot/long parking south of the power plant from the eastern side of the freeway???
I'm planning on cycling up to Newport sometime the next week, I know the route once I get on that power plant section, but before that I'm clueless, and the SD bike map isn't really a big help.


Thanks!!

The only alternative to I-5 that I know of is Metrolink/Amtrak; you can leapfrog the base from Oceanside to San Clemente. A few catches: Metrolink only runs on weekdays on that line, and I think only some Amtrak trains stop at San Clemente. Look for schedule info at www.metrolinktrains.com and www.amtrak.com, respectively.

I am assuming you are talking about Wild Animal Park and east? Not to sure but there are no real defined bike lanes out that way that I know of, but there are a lot of back roads=climbs to avoid this busy road. Mapquest and a lot of "where is waldo" searching will get you places.

As for putting in 100 miles in NC, it just depends on how you want to suffer with all of the hills/mtns. As doing 100 on the PCH and doing it out east is different. Going out through Bonsall and Fallbrook has hills and hooking back up to the bike path to Oceanside, then down the PCH to the Del Dios will most definetly get you this distance and you can bail out with short cuts at any time if you realize you are done.


As for going north of Pendleton, the I-5 is the only route other then finding something out the 15 way. You need to be military with ID to use the roads of Pendleton, so I-5 is the only way. Exit Las Pulgas and enter the gate where the parking lot is. This trail will take you under the freeway and along the westside until you hit the park. Ride through the park and you will be hooked up with the frontage road that goes past the boo boos. Do it early on the weekends as swerving past cars that are broken down on the shoulder into the 1st lane gets old after the 1st ride. Or take Amtrak.

There are usally a couple of very small groups that do the I-5 Frogger run in the AM.

First off, does the 78 or San Pasqual Valley Road have a decent bike lane? I haven't been out that way in years, but I remember it was a narrow winding road that I wouldn't feel safe riding on.


There's no bike path, and it's winding and narrow in spots but there's a good shoulder in other spots (though watch out - there are drainage grates installed in the shoulder that would eat a wheel). You could take Bandy Canyon road over to Highland Valley Road - it's also narrow and winding, but with much less traffic.


2ndly, does anyone have any good 100-120 loops that can be gotten to from the N. County? Riding down PCH, up, down and back home to do a complete a century is getting pretty boring, but I can't seem to come up with any good loops.


You should have an infinite variety by taking a few roads and connecting them together in different ways. Old Hwy 395, Lilac Rd, Gopher Cyn Rd, the San Louis Rey bikepath, Mission Rd/Sante Fe Ave, Elfin Forest, Del Dios Hwy, Highland Valley, etc.

"Cycling Dude" had a post on this back in May 2004. It's on this page - scroll down to "Camp Pendleton Route Follow-up".

http://www.sneakeasysjoint.com/thecyclingdude/2004/05/index.html

Cool, thanks. It'd be nice if there was a decent way to ride out to Julian and Borrego, its beautiful out there.

Getting past Camp P can be done by riding on I-5. It is one of the few places where bikes are allowed on the freeway. Shoulder is pretty good. Road it last year during the Amtrak Century and it was fine.

there's the route for the San Diego 200K brevet. The route sheet is on
http://www.coolbike.com/2005_brevet_series.htm - a good ride.

Pierre