megalowmatt

I did a search but found mixed results. My wife and I are looking to ride through Pendleton on Monday but want to make sure there's a good chance the base is still open to cycling.

Thanks and any feedback is appreciated.

matt

calamarichris

Hey Matt.
It was open yesterday when I rode up to Dana Point. Just be sure to bring your drivers licenses and wear helmets. And keep in mind, that Pendleton is NOT a public road; we are there at the whim of the camp commanding general, so if enough of us 'take a lane', breeze stoplights, and throw our Gu packets on the side of the road, he may well decide to close his post, which would leave us riding on I5's shoulder.

megalowmatt

Thanks calamarichris - Everybody I have talked to said it's a fun ride. It's too bad some choose to not follow the rules. I think we're going to give it a shot.

calamarichris

Have fun Matt! It's great not only because there are so few stoplights and you can really haul the freight, but it's also a neat reminder that we live in a coastal desert; easy to forget with all the green lawns, gardens and non-native trees we have around our homes.

illwafer

pendleton is brutally boring, imo. it does beat riding on the 5 though.

calamarichris

Yeah, probably needs more stoplights, traffic, and chasing dogs.


Hey Matt.
I just read in the SR56 accident comments that Pendleton might be closed this week, due to wargames. Does anyone have any updates on that?

Pasted from Pendleton's official site:
civilian bicycle traffic has resumed through Camp Pendleton, providing access to bicyclists through the Main Gate to points north. Bicyclists seeking access must wear helmets and carry a valid driver’s license or state-issued I.D. Access will be permitted on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and weekends from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Cyclists must ride single file.

For more access information please contact the Provost Marshal Office Desk Sergeant at 760-725-5106.

Genaro

Don't forget to wear socks

Chaco

Just out of curiosity, is the only road open to cyclists Vandergrift Road to Stuart Mesa and then to the Las Pulgas exit, or can you take Vandergrift Road all the way around the base into San Marcos?

rooftest

Yes - that is the only road open to cyclists. Don't stray off that road. (If I remember correctly, they warn you of this at the gate.) You really don't want to meet the MPs while you're somewhere that you're not supposed to be.

megalowmatt

Thanks all for the comments. We ended up not riding on Monday but still plan on giving it a shot in the near future.

From the bike route map I have, it looks like Vandergrift eventually connects to old highway 101 and I imagine that would be a picturesque ride, but maybe not. I'm primarily a commuter that happens to also have a road bike also so I'm really not very typical of most road riders....it just looked like a nice leisurely scenic 40-mile ride without much traffic to mess with.

matt

esammuli

The base was open this morning, but Old 101 was closed starting at the parking lot/gate at Las Pulgas.

GP

Bicycles Temporarily Permitted on I-5 Shoulders Near Camp Pendleton

SAN DIEGO – Bicycles will be permitted on the outside shoulders along Interstate 5 between Las Pulgas Road and Basilone Road during closures of the bike path along Old Highway 101 through Camp Pendleton today through Thursday.
Cyclists must exit at all off-ramps to avoid the possibility of conflict with vehicle traffic, according to the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans).
Northbound cyclists must exit at the weigh station and then re-enter the freeway shoulder. Southbound cyclists must exit at the weigh station and at the vista point and then re-enter the freeway shoulder.
For more information about the closures, please contact Camp Pendleton Explosives Safety Officer Tracy Bradley at (760) 763-4817 or by e-mail to tracy.bradley@usmc.mil.
# # # #

beatlebee 

So is this route, when on the base, pretty much traffic free? I am also wondering if the ride from Laguna Beach to the north end of the base is doable or too much crazy traffic?

GP

The bike route goes through campgrounds, residential, a beach path and a frontage road. You're only on PCH through Laguna and halfway through Dana Point. You'll get on it again for a couple miles between Dana Point and San Clemente but half of that stretch has a k-rail between the bike and car lanes.

atmdad

Vandergrift and Stuart Mesa have a fair amount of traffic but not outrageous, particularly closer to the Oceanside gate. My experience is that the drivers on base are generally courteous but there are portions that I believe are posted at 50 mph so you still need to be alert, as well as a couple of narrow bridges with no shoulder.

I've yet to be stopped here but I think it would be cool if I had to sometime...

rooftest

We had to stop there once for about 50 or 60 guys on horseback crossing the road. Completely unexpected.

idoru2005

For what it's worth, you have a bigger shoulder to ride on the I-5 than you do on some portions Vandergrift and Stuart Mesa. Not only that, traffic on the I5 is 10 feet away from you, versus 3 feet away from you on the base.

calamarichris

True, but the Pendleton traffic is much slower, MUCH lighter, and MUCH, MUCH more aware than the average I5 motorist.

I got to be a passenger/spectator both ways on I5 over the weekend, and the drivers who weren't on cellphones were decidedly in the minority. And there was one guy who kept falling asleep at the wheel.

Anyone know if I5 has those sleeper-ruts on the shoulder that buzz and wake you up if you veer off the road?

rooftest

No - it doesn't. I've ridden that stretch of I5 before - and the HUGE amount of noise from the traffic is impossible to describe.

Traffic on the base is very light. If you're afraid of traffic on the base - there's no way you'd ride the 5. (and you probably never leave MUPs.)

calamarichris

Now see, that's the way I remember it too; but Robertkat made fun of me the last time I said riding along I5 sucks. (Freakin' meanie.)

jamesvb

I had a odd moment here. A row of tanks were getting ready to cross the road. I was riding solo. I slowed to let them cross and they STOPPED FOR ME.
10 tanks waiting for a solo rider. I thought that was funny.

Hey... is it okay to take picture on a base?

jamesvb

The next two weekends have "MUD RUN" events. I don't know if that will effect closures.

GP

It was open today.

Got stung on the nose by a bee. It hurt. Second time this week.

megalowmatt

Ouch.

I rode into a swarm of bees on my commute home Tuesday. Fortunately no stings and I was able to get out if it quickly.

Extort

Technically, it is NOT okay to take photos inside a military base (AKA Don't piss off Marines because they will shoot you) but if you want a boring ride from San Clemente to Oceanside, the base is the best option. The freeway is much more exciting, but the noise is horrible so bring music and turn it up loud, put on a good song with a rhythmic beat and you will find yourself flying up the inclines at 25mph because of the turbulence from the semis... I remember a forum ride we scheduled to coincide with a base closure so we could ride the 5 from Basilone all the way to Oceanside... Great fun!