hoovbikes

Hey all!

So I've been hunting for a new bike as of late and I've finally found exactly what I'm looking for. Trouble is, it's a bike that is sadly no longer in production and therefore very hard to find. There are a few on Amazon, and then there are a few at a LBS in Palo Alto for a significantly better price. I'm a brand new LA resident as of this past August but am bursting to explore as much of the west coast as possible, whether it be by bike, hike, car or whatever else. Which is probably why I'm viewing this as a mission to kill two birds with one stone- 1. Bus it up to SF to finally acquire my dream bike that I've been painstakingly searching for, and 2. Ride that sucka all the way back home down the magnificent state of California! I haven't mapped any routes yet but I'm sure this has been done countless times in the past by seasoned riders. Anybody interested in a little trans-Cal excursion down to LA? I guess I could go it alone, but I am certainly not a seasoned tourer. And besides, trips like these are undoubtedly better with a little company. If you care, I'm 29, male, and do a good bit of riding around town, but not much touring experience. I would probably be looking to go sooner than later, hopefully sometime in the month of December. Feel free to inbox me or just reply if interested or know anyone who might be!

Peace!

prathmann

The obvious route is to just follow the Pacific Coast Bicycle Route, primarily along Hwy. 1. But there's currently the little issue of the landslide south of Gorda which probably won't be fixed until the fall. You can detour around it by taking Fergusson-Nacimiento road inland from the coast and then get back on course using Hwy. 46 or 41. I'd also recommend waiting until a little later in the year. Weather prospects are much improved by May instead of December.

Scarbo

That would be my suggestion as well. Personally, I think that late September and October are the very best months to ride the coast.

And, welcome to California! You will love it!

hoovbikes

@Scarbo thanks! I'm already digging it . No argument there, those are definitely better months to ride. But I wanna get my bike! And a trip down the west coast in the winter is nowhere close to doing the same thing on the east coast this time of year haha, and that's where I moved from, so a little chilliness in the air I don't think will bug me too much.

And yes, @prathmann initially I though just doing the straight shot down highway 1 would be a nice, straightforward ride, but then I remembered about the landslide and thought **** that's gonna complicate things. Do you know exactly where the landslide has effected the route? And is that Fergusson-Nacimiento detour a complicated one? Deviations from simple directions always worry me, unfortunately I can be pretty directionally challenged sometimes haha..

prathmann

The landslide is south of the town of Gorda and therefore affects the section of the road between Gorda and Ragged Point. The detour I mentioned is to take Fergusson-Nacimiento road up over the hills east of the Kirk Creek campground (south of Lucia). It's a good twisty climb (~2000') with some beautiful views back over the ocean and then leads past the Hunter-Liggett base. From there you take various local roads past the San Antonio (lots of eagles) and Lake Nacimiento reservoirs to connect with Hwy. 46 which takes you back to the coast at Cambria.

Note that during the winter period it's not uncommon for other sections of Hwy. 1 through the Big Sur area to be temporarily closed due to slides and washouts from rain storms.

hoovbikes

@prathmann that's disappointing to hear but makes sense. I'm seeing the Fergusson-Nacimiento detour you're talking about but it looks like it gets a little hairy with numerous possible roads to take before returning back to Cambria. I'm wondering if I would be able to navigate all those backroads by myself without inadvertantly putting myself on course to come out somewhere around Vegas.. Hmph. Are there any signs back there?

prathmann

I'd suggest carrying some maps along in any event since there could be new closures and cell reception can be an issue in the Big Sur area.

hoovbikes

Absolutely. Thanks for the tips man.

diphthong

the signage is not as good as you'd like/want. print up a map or two or memorize/write down the route on your stem to avoid getting lost. there's not a ton of support in that area so every mile counts. oh and nacimiento-fergusson is every bit as fearsome and scenic as the reviews indicate. don't recommend tackling it after a looong night at the pub or if you're not feeling at least 95%.

hoovbikes

@ooga-booga thanks for the input. I think it's safe to say there's no way I'm going through there without a map in hand and a good amount of pre-planning.

Cyclist0108

I did it in February (1988). If December's weather is any indication, you will get a sun tan. It is a good tour to cut your teeth on.

You can pretty much forget about cell phone reception south of Carmel. When you get to Lucia, the restaurant/shop/hotel has a wireless that you can hop onto for a couple of bucks (as of last September). It is a good place to load up on provisions too (just north of the slide).

carl7

Perhaps this will help you out.
https://ridewithgps.com/events/20128...264906/preview