Los Angeles Bike Rides

• Print
• E-mail
• Add to My Trips

Back to Los AngelesLos Angeles Bike Rides

Los Angeles, being mostly flat, is great for biking. If you're into distance pedaling, you can do no better than the flat, paved bicycle trail that follows along about 22 miles of state beaches, harbors, LAX, and laid-back beach towns such as Venice, Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, and Redondo Beach. The first stretch starts at Will Rogers State Beach in Pacific Palisades and runs south through Santa Monica and Venice to Marina del Rey -- about 8 miles. The second stretch -- called the South Bay Bike Trail -- starts at the south end of Marina del Rey and takes you all the way to Torrence Beach. If you want to ride the entire path you'll have to detour around Marina del Rey, which only takes about 15 minutes. The bike path attracts all levels of riders and gets pretty busy on weekends, so ixnay the time trials. Don't worry about packing food and water -- there's plenty of fountains, snack stands, and public restrooms along the trail. For information on this and other city bike routes, log on to www.labikepaths.com or phone the Los Angeles Department of Transportation (tel. 213/485-9957).

The best place to mountain bike is along the trails of Malibu Creek State Park (tel. 818/880-0367), in the Santa Monica Mountains between Malibu and the San Fernando Valley in Calabasas. Fifteen miles of trails rise to a maximum of 3,000 feet and are appropriate for intermediate to advanced bikers. Pick up a trail map at the park entrance, 4 miles south of U.S. 101 off Las Virgenes Road, just north of Mulholland Highway. Park admission is $5 per car. For more information on mountain bike trails in the L.A. region, log on to www.latrails.com.

Spokes 'N Stuff Bike Rental has two locations: 4175 Admiralty Way, Marina del Rey (tel. 310/306-3332), which is only open on weekends, and 1715 Oceanfront Walk, behind Loews Hotel, Santa Monica (tel. 310/395-4748), which is open every day. They rent 10-speed cruisers for $7 per hour and $16 per day; 15-speed mountain bikes rent for $8 per hour and $20 per day. Another good Santa Monica rental shop is Blazing Saddles Bike Rentals (Santa Monica Pier; tel. 310/393-9778). The rates are about the same as those at Spokes 'N Stuff. Be sure to ask for a free self-guided tour map (it's really handy).

In Hollywood, Hollywood Pro Bicycles (6731 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood; tel. 888/775-BIKE or 323/466-5890; www.hollywoodprobicycles.com) rents mountain bikes at $25 for a 24-hour period and $15 for each additional day. Every rental comes with a free tour map, a safety helmet, a bike lock, and a handlebar bag for storage.

In the South Bay, bike rentals -- including tandem bikes -- are available 1 block from The Strand at Hermosa Cyclery, 20 13th St. (tel. 310/374-7816; www.hermosacyclery.com). Cruisers are $7 per hour; tandems are $13 per hour. FYI, The Strand is an excellent car-free path that's tailor-made for a leisurely bike ride.