Upcoming Rides

Sunday, July 19th - 8:30 a.m. 

Start Location: EL DORADO PARK in Long Beach. From San Diego Frwy (405), off & North/East on Studebaker 1 mi. to Park.  Park in Library lot on right just before Spring St.

For a map and directions, click Start.

Routes:      

• Long – 52 miles – 800 feet of elevation gain (barometric)
• Medium – 42 miles – 500 feet of elevation gain (mapping software)
• Short – 29 miles – 400 feet of elevation gain (mapping software)
• Combined Routes

Today is my birthday and I had thought about scheduling a ride which would allow me to ride my age in miles as many people do on their birthdays. However, I couldn’t find one that fit well, and to tell the truth, I’m not sure I would be up for riding that many miles. However, today’s long is a bit more than my age in kilometers, so maybe that will be good enough for me. Even that might be a stretch for me, but the route is very flat at less than 1000 feet for 52 miles, so that should help. The route is also almost entirely on bike paths so that reduces the stress of dodging traffic. I only see a couple of downsides to the route. First, it heads inland quite a few miles and on a mid-July day, and that could be hot. But this is at the start of the ride when it should still be somewhat cool and then it turns around and heads to the coast, which often is into a cooling breeze. Second, there are no convenient locations to stop for a cooling drink or break until near the end of the ride unless we get off the bike path to find something. Maybe I will scope out possible locations to do this before the ride. All in all, it seems like a doable birthday ride. What would really help would be to have a bunch of friends riding with me to encourage me along the way. Of course, this is a standard Sunday ride with the usual three route options. Today all 3 routes ride the Long Beach Path which runs along the shore from the LA River on the north, to the edge of Seal Beach on the south. The long rides it from north to south and the medium and short ride it from south to north. The long route makes a big loop by heading north on the San Gabriel River to Whittier Narrows, then south on the Rio Hondo/LA River trail, along the beach on the Long Beach trail and then back up the San Gabriel. The short and the medium both head to Seal Beach and then take the Long Beach bike path to the LA River and head up river before cutting across on streets back to the start. The only difference between the two is that the medium takes a more roundabout way to Seal Beach. Riding bike trails can be pleasant for club rides and the Long Beach path offers some interesting scenery including the Queen Mary across the bay and the kite surfing area. So why not join me and help me celebrate my birthday.

Sunday,  July 26th – 8:30 a.m.

Start Location: MALIBU CIVIC CENTER. North on PCH to Malibu (just before hill up to Pepperdine) and Right on Webb Way one block and Right on Civic Center way to Civic Center on Left. Park on the street due to farmer's market in the parking lot. Note that the speed limit out to Malibu has been reduced and is being enforced.

For a map and directions, click Start.

Routes:   

• Long – 63 miles – 7600 feet of elevation gain (barometric)
• Medium – 51 miles – 5300 feet of elevation gain (barometric)
• Short – 41 miles – 2200 feet of elevation gain (barometric)
• Combined Routes

[For the fifteenth year, here is another episode of the long running soap opera “Malibu Vistas.”] It was the long awaited marriage episode of Tyler Fast and Trevor Kelly. The two had met several years ago. He was a well-known cyclist with a number of championships to his name, and she was a famous actress. Despite their obvious differences, love had blossomed. Tyler has been up for a role that would require her to ride a bicycle and since she had not ridden since a child, she had decided to do a ride with the LA Wheelmen so she would look like she knew what she was doing in her audition. Despite being a professional cyclist now, Trevor sometimes liked to return to his roots and ride with the Los Angeles Wheelmen – the club that had first gotten him interested in cycling. So, Trevor happened to be on that ride with Tyler and took her under his wing. Over several years they continued to get together. She would attend his races and sometimes he would visit her on set. And now they were getting married. As a tribute to how they had met, it was decided the wedding should be held on an LA Wheelmen ride. It would take place in Malibu, and it so happened that the club had an annual ride in Malibu. Since Trevor, his best man, and all his groomsmen were professional cyclists, they would ride the long route. This meant they would be making the long climb up Latigo Canyon with its twin peaks before coming down to the coast and on to Neptune’s Net where the ceremony would be held. The medium route followed the long to the ceremony but typically those riders would be a bit slower. Trevor thought Tyler should do that route, but she knew it was too tough for her. Fortunately, she knew a lot of stunt doubles who rode the medium in her place and in place of all the bridesmaids. Instead, Tyler rode the short route which stayed near the coast and didn’t do nearly as much climbing. The wedding at Neptune’s Net was fabulous but at the wedding dinner, you didn’t get to choose between chicken or fish – it was just fish or fish. The return to Malibu called for the long riders to climb Yerba Buena before returning down to the coast while the other two routes simply returned on the coast, which was a good thing because even the stunt doubles were too tired to do much more climbing. When everyone got back to Malibu, they gathered up at the Micheal Landon Park for dancing into the night. Will the marriage last? Many don’t think so. We will just have to wait and see. So, check back next year for another exciting episode of “Malibu Vistas.”

To play the video, hit the arrow in the center of the frame.

Select a past ride from below to view it. Then hit the replay arrow in the center of the video frame. 

August 18, 2024: Phil's Ride: Whale of a Century

August 11, 2024: Phil's Ride: The Orange Coast Tour

June 30, 2024: Jacques' Ride: Corner - Will Rogers to Mount Holyoke

March 20, 2022 Phil's Ride: Oak Ridge Rides

December 12, 2021: Phil's Ride - Foothill Footsie Century

November 28, 2021: Phil's Ride - Cal Poly By Golly

September 19, 2021: Phil's Ride - Wandering To Whittier 

September 12, 2021: Phil's Ride - The Grand Tour Lite  

April 18, 2021: Phil's Ride - Laguna Canyon Century

August 15, 2021: Phil's Ride - Huntington Beach Go Around 

April 11, 2021: Phil's Ride - Winding Roads of Orange County

November 12, 2020: Phil's Ride - The Triple Dippers