Forget The Rental Car; See LA’s Beach Cities On A Bicycle
Forget the cars, the freeway, the clogged surface streets with the ill-timed lights.
Put the traffic and stress of driving aside, kicking it off as if these hassles were flip-flops at the beach.
The best way to see Los Angeles is not in a rental car, but riding in the open-air transportation of a bicycle.
Now Los Angeles itself is not necessarily a bike-friendly city. If there are bike lanes in the roads, they are in the middle of traffic. And you are competing for space with cars, buses and even pedestrians.
But I’m not suggesting riding a bike on the streets. I’m suggesting doing it where there are no cars or busses and zero traffic (aside from some staggering wandering souls in Venice Beach).
It’s called The Strand.
The Strand is a two-lane bike path that runs for 20 miles from north of Santa Monica down the coast to the foot of the Palos Verdes Peninsula. It goes through Santa Monica and past the Santa Monica Pier, thru Venice Beach, across the water and past boats in Marina del Rey, past the smallest bar in Los Angeles which is in Playa del Rey, under LAX in El Segundo, and through the fun beach cities of Manhattan, Hermosa and Redondo Beach.
This can take all day to do this or you can break it into several days.
If you want a tour guide, contact me and I’ll escort you, pointing out landmarks, quirky facts about places – for instance, the sand from Manhattan Beach was used to build Waikiki Beach in Hawaii – great restaurants, hot Happy Hours, bars and dive bars, such as the smallest bar in L.A.
The tour is called Beach Cities Bike Tours and the rate is just $25/hour as a group rate. As seen on the Today Show!
Otherwise, jump on a bike and just enjoy being on The Strand. Remember that opening scene from “Three’s Company” where Jack Tripper falls off a bike and onto the beach? That was filmed on The Strand just south of the Santa Monica Pier.
Bike rental places are available at several places in Santa Monica, Hermosa Beach (Hermosa Cyclery) and Redondo Beach (Marina Bike Rentals). The rates are about $25/day.
Bike Riding Tips In L.A.
• Travel with a jacket or sweatshirt in your basket because it can get cool at night.
• Use the lock provided with your rental and lock it up. Loop the cable through the bike tour and make sure it’s secure. This is especially important in Hermosa Beach. And don’t leave it overnight.
• Don’t speed through the beach towns like your Lance Armstrong in the Tour de France
• Motorized bicycles are not allowed in Hermosa, Manhattan and Redondo Beach. Pedal-assist bikes are legal
• If you’re going to be stopping for a few beers (or wine or cocktails) along the way, be sure to stay sober enough to make it back to your destination. Either that, or call and Uber or Lyft big enough to hold your bikes
Cheers!
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