Favorite Streets in LA?
Thread started by
seanbonner at 05.23.08 - 8:13 am
I was thinking of putting together an actually useful pocketsized map of favorite bikeable streets in LA. You know, not the ones with bike paths but the ones that are super nicely paved, wide as hell, and have next to no traffic. Downhill or flat and 4 way stops are a plus. I have a few routes that are embedded in my head but I'm sure other folks do too. What are they?
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Benedict Cyn from Mulholland down towards Sunset. Recently paved and a wicked fun downhill. (its not entirely paved to Sunset).
stevo405.23.08 - 8:25 am
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The sections of Santa Monica Blvd. that don't suck.
GarySe7en05.23.08 - 8:31 am
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Venice is good for about 10 miles of hauling ass
ephemerae05.23.08 - 8:40 am
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sunset, between virgil (on the west) and dowtown ... get ur climb on.
illafilla05.23.08 - 9:18 am
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Riverside, on the North of Dodger Stadium. THE SHIT.
N Huntington into N Mission St., burn it from Duarte to DTLA
Pershing Dr. AWESOME (near LAX)
SKIDMARCUS05.23.08 - 9:37 am
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Westchester Pkwy by the airport is really nice too
Pacific Coast Bike Path (Santa monica -> Redondo Beach)
San Vicente
Avaition between Rosecrans and Imperial Hwy
oh.. and don't forget
Wilshire between La Cienega and Western (LOLZ)!!!
e-rock05.23.08 - 9:46 am
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* The Strand (Torrance to Marina Del Rey on a beach)
* Arlington Ave - Torrance
* Griffith Park Blvd - Silver Lake
* University Drive / 182nd st - Carson
* Cabrillo Ave / Eschelman Ave - Torrance / Lomita
Noble Experiment05.23.08 - 10:36 am
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@ stevo - i second your thumbs up on benedict canyon. much better than beverly glen to get down in a hurry. gotta watch that first hairpin turn, though.
gregory way from robertson blvd. to roxbury dr. through bev hills. fastest, easiest route east/west through the city.
santa monica blvd. - used to be hellish, now it's prime with its own bike lane.
franklin canyon (park) - if you want to get up to mulholland or into the valley (and why would you want to do that, he asks) go through the park. little to no traffic, nice scenery, ok pavement.
Sixth Street - from san vicente to normandie - still lots of traffic, but, what do you want, this is LA. Beats the other major east/west thoroughfares to midcity.
indigis05.23.08 - 10:44 am
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I second Westchester Pkwy, especially West of the Lincoln overpass. I've raced on it twice now, and use it when ever I bike in that area. Wide lanes, wide bike lane with wide shoulder to right of bike lane. Pavement is smooth like butter, gradual elevation change, and well lit at night because of the airport. It doesn't get much better then that.
GarySe7en05.23.08 - 10:51 am
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great idea stevo!
i vote for Burton Way in Beverly Hills - from N. Rexford Drive to N. Stanley Drive, about 2 miles. nice wide grassy median in the middle, lots of bike lane room, and lots of trees...
cattv05.23.08 - 10:59 am
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"The Strand (Torrance to Marina Del Rey on a beach)"
Being intimately familiar with the Strand I'd say only between the hours of 12am and 5am. The rest of the time there are too many pedestrians, and small children not watching as they cross the towing their favorite wagons with umbrellas hanging off the back. And between 12am and 3am you still have to watch out for drunks puking on the path. After 5am you get sleepy surfers not paying attention.
So that really leaves 3am and 5am.
I like Catalina further south rather than the Strand.
toweliesbong05.23.08 - 11:40 am
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NELA
Figueroa Blvd from Highland park to San Fernando Rd towards downtown.
Colorado Blvd from Pasadena suicide bridge through Eagle Rock and then down Eagle Rock Blvd all the way to San Fernando Rd.
From Burbank, San Fernando Rd all the way to downtown.
I second Marcus on Huntington Drive from Arcadia all the way to downtown.
York Blvd fro Tren Way to Pasadena.
Arroyo blvd from S. Pasadena to the Rose Bowl and back.
Joe Borfo05.23.08 - 11:52 am
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Glendale between the Alvarado and Silver Lake Blvd.
Olympic west of La Brea
Wilshire between Westwood and Santa Monica
PSYCH! These are my least favorite streets.
cabhauler05.23.08 - 11:59 am
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must be said:
4th Street!! 4SBB!!!
also, Vendome, St. Andrews, Kingsley, Arden, Clinton, Oakwood, Lexington, 8th St, Gregory....to name a few...
ingipet05.23.08 - 12:21 pm
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7th street.
It's the best route between ktown & downtown.
Eric Hair05.23.08 - 12:33 pm
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oh yeah! 7th!
also, 7th street is the easiest bridge to climb out of downtown heading back to k-town...
cut up to wilshire to commonwealth to the 4SBB.
ingipet05.23.08 - 1:03 pm
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I love 6th street. Especially once you get to the point were all the lights run consecutively. YUMM
richtotheie05.23.08 - 1:06 pm
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4th street between western n labrea always my favorite
CHALIE MURPHY05.23.08 - 1:29 pm
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Runway 25 Right at LAX
but stay away from runway 24 L - that shit is scary!
Alex Thompson05.23.08 - 5:17 pm
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That's only because it's ~1800ft shorter.
Just don't do fixie slides all over the damn thing and you'll be fine.
turrican05.23.08 - 5:19 pm
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Ok - here's a good one
6th street between San Vicente and La Brea.
(East of La Brea traffic is typically fast and impatient)
Castle Heights, Beverwil, Beverly Dr from National to . . . well, way up North.
If you don't mid running lots of 4 way stops, Charleville from Little Santa Monica to just before La Cienega is great.
Alex Thompson05.23.08 - 5:45 pm
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What's a fixie?
Don't you read the NEW YORK TIMES, man?!?!?!
turrican05.23.08 - 5:48 pm
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Dell Ave for the little bridges over the Marina Del Rey Canals!
onethirtynine05.23.08 - 5:50 pm
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Sunset Blvd on the weekends because you can wave to all the people you pass by.
onethirtynine05.23.08 - 5:52 pm
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some people really enjoy the 10E --> 405N
not sure who they are though...
onethirtynine05.23.08 - 5:52 pm
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Oooh oh -
Short Ave in Marina Del Rey!!
Rose Ave
McLaughlin from Venice (maybe further South, I wouldn't know) until Pico (where it is Barrington)
Pearl St. in Santa Monica - 14th to 30th or so . . . but again - only if you don't give a crap about 4way stops
Alex Thompson05.23.08 - 5:53 pm
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Wait fixies are those tall bikes that go on the 405 right? I heard there was an old grey lady riding a dead one.
Alex Thompson05.23.08 - 5:54 pm
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You really need to hang out with the cool kids, Alex. Sheesh.
turrican05.23.08 - 5:58 pm
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Broadway across Santa Monica. best crosstown bike lane in SM if you watch out for doors and right hooks.
onethirtynine05.23.08 - 6:27 pm
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Taking Colorado from Pasadena to Eagle Rock Blvd then that down to wherever is a hell of a lot of fun, fast and scenic
ephemerae05.23.08 - 10:30 pm
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Laurel Canyon from Mulholland to Ventura Blvd, 50MPH+!!!! 100% brand new pavement!
tallcans4tallbikes05.23.08 - 11:22 pm
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CASTLE HEIGHTS....THAT'S WHERE I WENT TO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. BEVERLYWOOD IS A REALLY GREAT PLACE TO RIDE.
barleye06.6.08 - 7:07 pm
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15S to 10W is the best route of all!!!!
Get's me out and away from all the madness that snarls this once, peaceful enclave.
And all the routes that were mentioned above are going to programmed into a waypoint system.
That way, my desert-dwelling ass will be able to navigate them streets like a mad-pro!!!!
bentstrider06.6.08 - 10:35 pm
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Wait, no, I said that wrong.
I bike LA streets.
katiepoche06.7.08 - 3:34 am
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"Laurel Canyon from Mulholland to Ventura Blvd, 50MPH+!!!! 100% brand new pavement!" - that shit is true. fastest street i've ever ridden. tho i did hit 49.2 on some hill in central cali last week.
indigis06.8.08 - 6:04 am
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