By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com LA Blogger
Years of living in Los Angeles taught me one thing: avoid driving if at all possible.
Frankly, I’ve had it with driving in L.A. The travel time is horrible – the city planners apparently have no idea of traffic flow and CALTRANS seems to go out of its way to create car-clogging freeway interchanges (don’t get me started there, either) – and the public transporation is hair-pulling inefficient.
But don’t sweat it. I have a great alternative for getting around and it provides you with a true Los Angeles experience. It is riding a bike. Along the coast.
LA has one of the greatest avenues of transportation in the world and it’s not the 405 or the Hollywood freeway. It’s The Strand, a bike, walking and running path that goes some 30 miles from Palos Verdes to where they filmed Baywatch. It passes through Redondo Beach, the big-time party town of Hermosa Beach, upscale Manhattan Beach (locals jokingly refer to it as “Beverly Beach” as in Beverly Hills at the beach), Playa del Rey, Marina del Rey, Venice and Santa Monica.
It goes past “the 90210” house used in the TV show, the house Mel Gibson and Michelle Pfeiffer shared a hot tub in Tequila Sunrise, the birthplace of beach volleyball, the street performers in Venice and the Santa Monica Pier.
You can’t get more LA than that folks.
Yes, LA has Hollywood and the aforementioned Beverly Hills but it is the coastline that showcases the “hey dude” culture of Southern California. The Beach Boys. Muscle Beach. Surfers. A bicycle is the ultimate convertible in which to experience it.
Movie & TV Show Locations On The LA Beach Bike Path
The Santa Monica Pier has been used in countless movies and TV shows.
Baywatch was filmed just north of the Santa Monica Pier.
Just south of the Santa Monica Pier is where Jack Tripper (John Ritter) fell off his bike in the opening scence of the TV show Three’s Company.
The movie LaLa Land was filmed at the Hermosa Beach Pier and the bar is Lighthouse Cafe.
The 90210 house is in Hermosa Beach, at the part of The Strand where you have to get off your bike and walk up a small set of stairs.
The Tequila Sunrise house is a little north of the 92101 house at 8th & The Strand in Manhattan Beach. A mile north, at Marine Street, is the birthplace of beach volleyball and each August the city hosts the Wimbledon of Beach Volleyball.
The Difficulty Level Of The LA Beach Bike Path
On a scale of 1-5, The Strand spans all those numbers. It depends on how far y0u go on it. If you stay in one area, it’s a 1. If you go several miles or attempt the whole thing, it’s a 4 or a 5. With an e-bike, then it’s a 3 or a 4.
There is a long stretch between Manhattan Beach and Marina del Rey that is the toughest part of the journey. The path is on the sand (and it’s where David Lee Roth filmed his “California Girls” video) with a few turns. It is not difficult but it is about 10 miles from Manhattan Beach to MDR.
The path is flat with hardly any hills. The “biggest” is a short incline in El Segundo just north of Manhattan Beach but that is of little sweat even on a beach cruiser.
Pro’s Tips For Riding On The Strand
When you approach a city, slow down, especially if you are on an e-bike. In some places, you may have to get off your bike and walk it. Enforcement is spotty but why take the chance? Plus, it’s safer and what’s your hurry?
You can start in the north part in Santa Monic/Venice or at the south end in Hermosa/Manhattan/Hermosa. My biggest advice is not to do it all in one day. Ride back and forth in the beach cities and if you feel up to it, go for a longer ride. Plan your day to end at sunset, then go to a bar or restaurant.
You will be releaxed and happy, two things that you will not feel after fighting traffic on an LA freeway.