trevorjfitz

I figure the easiest routes are ones that start high in mountains and at least give you 10-30 miles of downhill freebie miles in the beginning.

This is our current riding area and it's great practice. Someone else mentioned the hope of going somewhere different. That's true, but certainly just hopping on the bike from home in Laguna Niguel and heading south or north along the coast is a pretty good option. A similar route I looked out started out on the top of Palos Verdes and then heading south. You get some of the early freebie miles, but not too many. We used to live in Long Beach and are very comfortable with this route, even through the port area. (I can't post links, so I'll put the route ID that goes at the end of the URL strava..../routes/[route id]) -- 2799079206554984182

If he does something bad, this will be his punishment route 😂

I love this idea and that's actually what we've done on some of the half-centuries we've done. We just left South Orange county, rode as far as we could, and hopped on an Amtrak back home. The tickets were $15 each and it's a self-sufficient way to cover a lot of ground. It's a good idea because it can easily be done in reverse depending on wind forecasts.

As you mentioned, the wind in this area worries me a little, but I've found a lot of the routes I've been testing in the route planner work really well out here.

Thanks for the route mock up, I'm actually really interested in the route. Really flat, good mix of city and coastal to keep it interesting.

He grew up riding in Long Beach. It was scary teaching a little kid to ride on those busy streets, but I think it was really stimulating at the same time. He his vigilant with cars, driveways, pedestrians, etc. because of it. Now we live in the suburbs with lots of bike trails, large sidewalks and bike lines. More hills too.

I appreciate the comments on having a second adult on some of these routes and think it's a smart idea. Consequently, I've recruited my dad. He's pretty sure he can keep the pace

Regarding the CO ride. Wow, I want to go there. Following the river bed is smart and the scenery seems spectacular. I'm going to file that one away for a couple years from now. The drive out there wouldn't be too crazy, but with no familiarity of the area, services, and no friends/family there CO becomes logistically tougher.

I've got four routes so far that I'm seriously considering--all three with lots of freebie miles at the beginning. As my son continues to train that will inform a lot in terms of how realistic any of these are.

The first is starting near Big Bear and heading down toward Anaheim via Redlands. Can anyone speak to the second half of this ride? (strava route id 2799311640530882366)

The second ride that I really like (I think it would be gorgeous) is Solvang north to San Luis Obisbo. It's likely the max amount of climbing I could consider, and there is a pretty high risk of headwind. That said, it would be a rewarding ride. I suppose a good candidate for a shorter training ride. (strava route id 2799439026218074166)

The third one is kind of random, but we drove from Crater Lake last year to the Oregon coast. A memorable and gorgeous drive. It's a long and generous descent and the weather would probably be great. Street view confirms that the road is ok--not great, but seems doable. Primary issue with this ride is how far away it is, but that's not a deal breaker. (strava route id 2799798886832470322)

I haven't thought too much about this final route, but generally it seems to check a lot of boxes. If anyone has experience cycling in Yuba City/Chico area, feedback on this route would be appreciated. (strava route id 2800159669395807966)