FirstSarnt

I was looking for advice from those who do ride or have ridden the PCH in the southern half of California.

First, the ACA routing coming out of Grover Beach on Map 52 shows a big bump to the northeast, on the section using Valley, Los Berros, El Campo, and Halcyon. Is there any reason one couldn't bike the straight CA1 routing taking a right on Valley instead of going up and around? Google Street View shows a narrow road with no shoulders, but I don't know how heavily traveled the road is. Is it safe to ride that stretch loaded?

Second, Harris Grade Road north of Lompoc is of course famous, but the relatively flat CA1 is only seven miles longer routing and looks wide and safe. Is there any reason beside testing one's self to take Harris Grade? My alternate lodging other than camping in that area is at Vandenberg AFB (I'm retired military), and CA1 goes straight to the front gate.

I would appreciate any input. I'm planning to ride San Luis Obispo to San Diego this spring or early summer and will be flexible in my timing as I'm retired.

spinnaker

You are riding north? A huge mistake IMHO. The wind is going to be fierce. Not to mention most of the shoulders are on the ocean side. And if you want to stop (and you WILL want to stop like every 100 feet between big Sur and Ragged Point) south will make the job so much easier.


Not sure were you mean with Grover Beach but I stayed on Route 1 the whole way south of Grover Beach, passing through Guadeloupe. I had no issues. Guadeloupe is actually a really cool town. I felt like I had crossed the border into Mexico.


I took CA1 into Lompoc and did not have any issues. If I am recalling correctly it was not flat and we had a pretty strong headwind. I checked my notes and our host in Lompoc suggested Harris Grade road. But the hill and the wind in this section of CA1 would only be an issue if headed south. But Harris Creeek might be more interesting.

If you indeed will be headed south, be careful of the hill down into Santa Barbara. It is VERY steep and long. That is going to be a heck of a climb if you re going north. But again I strongly advise that you go north to south.

spinnaker

Also be advised the road is still impassable just north of Ragged Point.

Current Conditions

If I had to bet, it won't be open this summer.

spinnaker

I am looking at Harris Grade Road on Google maps. No shoulder but about a 100 times more pretty than Hwy 1 into Lompoc from the north. I wish I had gone that way.


HWY1 into Lompoc as a nice wide shoulder but awfully boring and noisy from what I remember.

raybo

I've done this ride from SF to Laguna Beach many times and down to San Diego once. Here are my thoughts:

I used the Hwy 1 routing to Guadalupe south of Oceano/Grover Beach. Once, I took the section using Valley, Los Berros, El Campo, and Halcyon. I found it longer and no more interesting than going up the hill and directly to Guadalupe. The ride up the hill (Hwy 1) can be a bit hairy as it is shoulderless and steep. But, it is also short and straight so people can see you. That said, don't do it without a mirror and willingness to pull over to let trucks (mostly pick-ups) go by. I'd suggest staying on Hwy 1.

Here is a quote from my journal of that trip:

I also would take Harris Grade Road into Lompoc. It is a bit of a hard push up the hill. It is very curvy but always low traffic when I've been on it. The biggest issue is motorcycles, and the occasional sports car, being driven way too fast on it. These can both be heard far away so it is easy to be prepared for them. I found Hwy 1 to be more effort and far less interesting. It takes all the traffic that Harris Grade Road used to. There is a wide shoulder, but it certainly isn't any easier. Further, the shoulder on Hwy 1 near the base is all torn up due to heavy vehicles. From the top of Harris Grade Road you can just about coast into Lompoc. Here is my description of the day I rode from Oceano through Lompoc on Harris Grade Road, including some photos of Harris Grade Road, itself.

FirstSarnt

Thanks for all that. I looked at the three possible routes (Halcyon, Mesa View, and Los Berros/El Campo) near Oceano on Google Street View, and saw that the first two include steep, narrow stretches just about straight up the side of the plateau, while the longer route seems to go aound it from the north. I'll likely stick with the ACA routing.

Same for Harris Grade. Traffic appears to be much lighter than CA1, and the grade averages less than 2%. Then there's that long coast into Lompoc. The noise of heavy traffic is something I do try to avoid.

FirstSarnt

I'm going north to south. I can put my loaded bike on the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner and take that to San Luis Obispo, then ride back from there.

spinnaker

You are just riding from San Luis Obispo?? Do what you want but IMHO not worth it. If I ever did the trip again coming from San Francisco, I would likely stop in SLO next time and take the train. Guadeloupe is OK but really not worth the ride. And that ride down from Lompoc into Santa Barbra completely negates any of the good in that section north.

People often warn about Devils Slide north on Montarra. I would ride Devils Slide 20 times before I rode that section from Lompoc to Santa Barbara again.

I would consider riding the Big Sur area instead. I believe there is a shuttle back in the summer.

San Francisco to Monterra would even be more interesting than that lower section of the PCH.

fietsbob

Last winters landslide rebuilt the road yet, or is that still blocking the route ? they were working on the Pfeiffer creek bridge that washed out.

spinnaker

OP will be leaving south of there from SLO (as I understand it) headed south. So the landslide will not be an issue.

spinnaker

But to answer your question HWY 1 is still closed according to this.

Current Conditions

fietsbob

I was expecting as much, It was a big slide..

pdlamb

If you're retired military, you might enjoy VAFB enough to make the (fairly short) detour up CA 1 worthwhile. Harris Grade was a change from the roads around there, but I didn't think it was that interesting.


If you're looking to get off the 101, I'd suggest taking Santa Rosa Rd. east of Lompoc to Solvang, and then take San Marcos Pass to Santa Barbara. That would make up for missing Harris Grade, and you'd skip a lot more freeway. There's some nice beaches off 101 in that stretch, and a couple nice looking bridges, but there's a lot of high speed traffic too. SB to Ventura is a bit more interesting, and the Pt. Mugu stretch of the 1 is very nice. If only you didn't have to pass through Malibu ...

FirstSarnt

I'm doing that stretch for several reasons. First, I live in San Diego, so the one way trip ends at home without further travel required.

Second, I can take the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner to SLO without boxing up my bike or sending it as baggage. I can in fact roll it fully loaded onto the train in San Diego and leave it that way until SLO. North of that on the Pacific Sunset requires sending it unloaded as baggage.

Third, this trip will take about 7 days, which is about what I want to do right now as training for longer future trips. Astoria to San Diego is in my plans.

Having spent over 43 of my 67 years in California, I've traveled every mile of every major North/South highway several times. CA 1, US 101, US 99, and I-5 are all quite familiar to me, and the prettiest one, CA1, is still closed just north of Ragged Point. Except for the stretch from Malibu to Long Beach, it's a pretty ride.

derail3

The wife and I are retired military and did San Louis Obispo to Santa Barbra on a four day weekend Oct 2017. Rode the train from SF to SLO. we followed the ACA route except for cutting thru Vandenburg Afb. First night we wanted to camp at Pismo State Beach Campground but was full and there are no hiker/biker sites at this campground. Ended up going to Grover Beach and staying at the County Campground. "Coastal Dunes RV Park"
1001 Pacific Blvd Oceana CA. The best I can say about this campground is right location, cheap hiker/biker sites, flush toilets, free showers. Noisy location between HY-1 and UP railroad tracks, bring ear plugs, shower outdated and dirty. Rock & Dinner 1300 Railroad St Oceano Ca is a good place to eat breakfast.

Second day we stayed on Hy-1 and entered Vandenburg thru the main gate (HY-1&Califonia Blvd) HY-1 is busy with steep climb up to the main gate but has a wide shoulder. We stayed in base lodging, clean modern and only $60. The Breakers Dinning Facility is across the street from lodging and is open to retires. The Base also has a campground.

Third day we departed Vandenburg via the SW gate (13th&W Ocean Ave) stayed on Ocean Ave and rejoined ACA route in Lompoc. All down hill out of Vandenburg 😀 Camped in hiker/biker site Refugio State Beach. Flush toilets and clean showers.

Fourth day rode Santa Barbra train station and boarded train for home.

If you need a low cost place to stay in San Louis Obispo: CA National Guard Post "Camp San Louis Obispo" has both Lodging and a Campground. There is also a Youth Hostel a few blocks from the train station.

stevepusser

If you take the San Marcos Pass route, you could cut inland through the Santa Maria Valley and take Foxen Canyon Road to the Santa Ynez Valley. There are hiker-biker sites at the Lake Cachuma campground. They aren't awesome like at Big Sur, but adequate. You can also avoid the shoulderless parts of 154 over the pass by going up Old Stagecoach Road to the summit section, which has a shoulder, then descending steeply into Santa Barbara on the Old San Marcos Pass Rd.

fietsbob

Have to stick it out for 30 years, not 1 hitch an get the hell away from the "Suck" as other War veterans define it. ?

FirstSarnt

I would arrive in SLO around 3:30, so I was planning to head south to the Pismo area and camp that first night. I've spent more time than I care to remember at Camp SLO since part of my military time was the CA Army Guard, and I could alternately stay there and start back the next day. I don't want to commit to too much daily mileage, so I'll plot that out.

skidder

FWIW: I was up in the Santa Barbara/Montecito are earlier this week and the roads are clear of mud and passable. There's another significant rainstorm coming through the are this weekend (and another later next week) so not sure what the future holds for the roads in the area.

AKTed

I wondered about that weird bump when I rode the PCH (well, Portland to San Diego) in May 2016. When I was approaching it, before Hwy 1 makes the 90 degree turn south, I noticed the PCH Bike Route sign at Hwy 1/Halcyon that indicated that Halcycon south was an “Alternate” route, so I took it! This would be an even shorter shortcut than just staying on Hwy 1. Well, what I found was it includes a short but very steep, shoulder-less climb up to where it intersects Hwy 1. I wrote about it here.

I rode the Hwy 1 route as part of a 1200K Randonnee in 2014, and I don’t recall any issues with it, so I’m pretty sure the Hwy 1 route would be fine.

I enjoyed Harris Grade Rd, but I enjoy climbing, and descending. I much prefer up and down to long flats.

On the 1200K in 2014 we went down Black Road, and Lompac Casmalia Road which I recall as being really pleasant, low traffic riding. See route here.

Good luck on your ride. I'm still thinking about my touring plans this summer.

stevepusser

Ahh, I see your route also has the Foxen Canyon route, plus the more direct Nipomo option to Santa Maria. You don't have to do that big jog out of the way to cross the Santa Maria river now, though, since they've added a separate bike path to the Hwy 101 bridge over the river.

LuckySailor

Thank you for your service! I didn't stay in long enough. Lived in Oceanside while serving Navy-(Devil Doc) Enjoy your ride. California really is beautiful. My cycling trip this year is from Vancouver to the Arctic circle. 35 days.