Day 28 | Hill-free and bike friendly



Distance
55.1 miles
Elevation Climbed
845 ft
Landscape
Flat, sandy beach; busy suburbs; enormous port
Weather
Overcast to sunny to overcast; 60s F
Kirsten’s Notes:
What a wonderful surprise today started with. On what we thought was just another pre-ride bathroom stop I get a text from my dear friend Sofie (who lives on the east coast) that she is, of all places, 2 miles away from us! The universe moved her to check Find My Friends for the first time in a long time and the timing couldn’t have been more optimal. We were already planning on passing through Venice Beach on the beachfront bike path and so went to meet her there in a matter of 10 minutes. After the quick stop and since our muscles are enormous now we naturally needed to show them off at Muscle Beach before continuing along the beach. We treated ourselves to a coffee and almond croissant in Hermosa Beach since we knew Mom was going to be golfing into the early evening and then headed inland towards Long Beach. Great morning.
We had a long, flat route before reaching Long Beach on a two-lane road that luckily wasn’t very busy. The shoulder was inconsistent in the way that we would’ve had to weave in and out of the car lane to avoid parked cars and depressed shoulder areas so we claimed the full lane for most of that ~10 mile stretch. We didn’t need any signs to tell us we were approaching the port because the frequency of large load trucks increased greatly. My heart raced when one of them was merging at the same time we were passing the on-ramp. On highways we would take the exit and get back on to avoid this scenario but there was no option for that since this was just a state road. I felt a bit powerless in that moment because my weight and speed is far less than that of my fellow traveller but thankfully they gave way to us. The drivers on this road were very compassionate and spread out, making what could’ve been a very hairy ride a manageable (albeit cautious) one.
Our last leg of the route took us through several bays that were full of people enjoying the sunshine and playing sports and along an oceanfront stretch along Sunset, Dog and Huntington Beach. These white sandy beaches were flat as a pancake and the bike path made for easy riding. Huntington Beach had many beachfront bars and live music arrangements which I could imagine being really fun when more people were there. Instead we rode to get some bayfront beer of our own in Newport Beach.



Lars’ Notes:
Today was a much more relaxing ride than we have had in a long time. We rode on several, wide and paved beach bike paths. I have never been much of a beach person, but riding for miles on a dedicated bike path adjacent to the beach is something I can enjoy. We started on Venice Beach, passing the unique and interesting Muscle Beach. We also rode through Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach and many others. It was nice to be able to ride side by side with Kirsten and actually hold a conversation without the concern of constant traffic. We stopped for a coffee and snack at Hermosa Beach, a quaint town with many shops and restaurants.
We had to leave the beach for about 10-15 miles as we headed towards Long Beach. That section was not pleasant. This area was where the Port of Los Angeles is located. The road was a part of the bike route, but was heavily traveled by trucks coming and going through the port. The Port of Los Angeles is one of the biggest ports in the country, so to say it was busy is an understatement! I felt like I was riding my bike through Newark, New Jersey. Being in a lane with two fully loaded 18 wheelers merging with us between them was quite intimidating.
We made it through unscathed and were treated to another beautiful section of bike paths. We rode by the site of the retired cruise ship, The Queen Mary. There was also a large modern cruise ship in the port and we could see several freighters farther out at sea waiting to enter the port. That path eventually led to the main recreational portion of Long Beach where we saw hundreds of beachgoers, dozens of kite surfers, beach volleyball players and many others simply walking, biking or skating along the path.
Today’s ride was shorter than the last several rides; we rode a meager 54-55 miles. Lise had a later round of golf this afternoon so we met her at the hotel. After our ride, Kirsten and I stopped at Newport Beach for a tasty cold beer to celebrate the end of the day’s ride. It’s hard to believe that we only have two days left!





