Best street to Huntington Beach?
 

Hi all, what's the best street from inland OC to Huntington Beach (Brookhurst, Newland, Magnolia, Beach, et al)? Things to consider: traffic, bike lane or wider shoulder, pavement condition, etc. I'm avoiding SART and other bike paths because they're just too crowded right now. I'll use Jamboree but to generally head south. Thanks.

If you can find your way to Bushard that is my preferred way. I'm not quite sure but I believe due to bridge work over the 22 fwy (maybe 405?) you'll have to detour when you get to that point and come back around to it. If you have to take any of the other streets try to get to Bushard whenever possible. At ALL COST avoid Beach Blvd.

Newland is the best considering road condition, bike lanes/wide shoulder. It ends at Garden Grove, but coming via Jamboree is OK!

I avoid Beach; I've gone out as far as Buena Park and found Beach excellent much of the way with wide bike lanes, but they periodically get narrow or vanish. In BP, Beach becomes 4 lanes with no bike lanes and the traffic is rude and dangerous! On the way back and future trips, I usually use Goldenwest/Knot. Magnolia is also one I avoid because of long sections without bike paths. Brookhurst is good and bad... use it when no alternative is available.

PCH to Long Beach is great! I recommend riding the beach path, 8.5 miles each way, and continue north to Long Beach... welcome to Surf City (a.k.a. HB); enjoy the ride/visit.

Rode SART last Sunday late morning for the first time in a year. After about a mile inland from PCH, it was wide open and little traffic all the way to Tustin Ave. No idiots blocking the path or broken glass or feces. Miracle of miracles!

Where are you starting from? Inland OC is quite a vast area.

Good point, lol! I'm near SART in AH/YL but am happy to ride west on whatever street needed to get to a beach-bound one.

Since there's no real direct street route you could just ride down the SART. Its clear of debris, campers, and stoplights, so a nice (if somewhat boring) 20+ mile ride to the river's outlet and the HB/NB city border. Three miles north to the HB Pier, about the same (with more traffic and crowded streets) down to the NB Pier. And you'll have the onshore breeze at your back when you go back inland. :thumb:

Most of the streets going from AH/YL to the beach cities are just a continuous stream of stoplights and traffic, I'd just skip those unless it really early in the morning or you're a glutton for that kind of punishment. There are some pavement routes through Tustin/North Irvine/East Orange/Lake Forest/South OC down to the south OC beaches, but those can get crowded with vehicles and are loaded with stoplights, too

I've used SART a lot before the corona virus mess and have enjoyed the absence of the homeless encampments. I was hoping for streets (less people for better distancing). SART up my way has been a zoo with walkers and noob cyclists (Lincoln to Green River--and it gets narrow). I want to be away from people more that 6 feet due to increased and deeper exhalations by all parties. The San Diego Creek Trail from Tustin to Back Bay has been the same: a zoo with walkers, scooters, cyclists hence me using Jamboree or Harvard/University to get to Newport. Maybe the SART is emptier as stated in another post away from my area?

If you do not mind the additional miles and more hills, since you are already in YL/AH area why not ride the Weir Cyn-Serrano-Katella-Santiago Cyn-El Toro-Laguna Cyn route that will dump you onto PCH? Many variations along this route but you certainly will be able to have most of the road to yourself. Bike Lanes most of the way and you can go several miles between traffic lights.

I understand where the OP is "coming from". The other day I decided on a short 14 mile ride East on Ball Road rather than jump on the SGRT down to PCH. I only passed 1 rider during the 14 miles, while if I was on the SGRT I would have passed a whole lot more (as I did about 3 days earlier).