CommuteCommando

Hi, I used to drive the 78-15-52 commute from Oceanside to a job in El Cajon and noticed that the section between Santo Road and Mast Blvd was bikes-on-freeway legal. Shortly before that job ended, I noticed that they has sectioned off a bike lane from the freeway traffic with k-rail. That job ended two years ago and now I commute by Metrolink and bike to orange county. Previously I was commuting by Coaster to Old Town, then Trolley to El Cajon, and bike to near Gillespe field.

I had always wanted to commute all the way by bike but never felt I was strong enough. This weekend is the Gillespie field airshow, and now I feel strong enough. My plan is to leave Oceanside at 6:00, Coast Highway, up Torrey Pines grade, Genesee to Eastgate Mall to Mira Mar Rd to Kearney Villa, to Clairemont Mesa to Santo Rd to the 52.

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/1253491

Does anyone have recent experience with this route? Any suggestions? RWGPS calls it just about fifty miles. I intend to Trolley and Coaster it home.

I plan to do the 65 mile commute all the way home from my current job in Irvine on around 6/21 on a Friday (maximum daylight)

TacomaSailor

I ride those roads on a regular basis. Your proposed route would work fine. When I use Genesee I take it to La Jolla Village Drive/Miramar Rd and then head east on Miramar. Or, I stay on Genesee down to Nobel and take Nobel east to where it joins up with Miramar east of the 805. That is much nicer riding than along the busy Miramar road.

You can also ride directly thru campus from the intersection of Torrey Pines & Genesee - there is a bike path on the SE corner that connects with Voight Rd that takes you directly across campus to connect with Genesee at Eastgate Mall. That route avoids the sharp steep drop down to I-5 and the climb back up on Genesee. It is good fast two lane road that is much easier than Genesee.

If you don't want to ride along Miramar Road east of the 805 (good shoulders but rough and a lot of traffic and a lot of glass and debris) you can turn N on Camino Santa Fe - then Trade St then Arjons Dr then Mirafani Dr and end up south on Camino Ruiz for a block- then east on Activity Rd and eventually on to Kearney Villa Rd - there is almost no traffic back in the business park.

It is a pretty nice and easy ride from Gillespie thru Mission Trails Park and down to Old Town - almost all downhill.

I ride from Harbor Island to Santee/Lakeside and La Jolla/Miramar/Pomerado/Scripps Ranch via Kearney Villa and/or Santo/52 or Mission Gorge almost every week so send me an e-mail if you have any more questions.

I can send you a .kml file of any or all of the routes I describe.

hamster

At one time or another, I rode all parts of your route between mile 7 and mile 39. I generally dislike the southbound Coast Highway because it's stressful, lots of driveways and parked cars, but it's tolerable. Kearny Villa should be fine as long as it's not rush hour (65 mph speed limit, but lightly traveled most of the time).

As to the rest of the route, you could probably do it, but a detour via Mission Gorge Rd would add about 6 miles (making it 61 instead of 55). You could take Father Junipero Serra Trail, paved multi-use path through MTRP. I'd either do that or try to cross through Mission Trails. From Colina Dorada to Visitor Center, we're talking about 1.5 miles on what should be a dry, fairly firm dirt road. But I will admit that the last time I've been in Mission Trails was about 3 years ago. Maybe someone else can chime in with an opinion about conditions in that segment.

CommuteCommando

I think I'll try this; https://ridewithgps.com/routes/1254652 . The route traced by RWGPS is probably not the best, but It will get me in the general dirction, and I am not opposed to getting a little lost. It's a great way to scout routes.

I'd like to do Mission Trail, but it won't happen this time.

I don't have the issues with Coast Highway that Hamster has. I ride it quite often. The only parts I have some issue with are North Bound through Downtown Encinitas, like last weekend when jerk in an SUV took issue with me taking the lane. This section is "traffic calmed", and there was another lane; he could go around. The other part I don't like, but can tolerate is northbound through Leucadia, which is pretty torn up an rough.

Thanks for the replies, I dont expect traffic to be a big problem at 8-10 am on Saturday.

hamster

Downtown Encinitas can be mostly bypassed on 3rd St.

The problematic southbound areas for me are north of downtown Encinitas and then through Solana Beach. As you can see, there isn't even a bike lane.

TacomaSailor

Thanks for pointing out the airshow!

I am an old plane fanatic and love airshows - I didn't know about the Gillespie show but will be sure to make it out there Saturday.

The GPS route you show thru the campus is the one I was suggesting.

The I-5 on ramp/off ramp on Genesee is scary for me. Particularly the eastbound one - climbing up Genesee on a pedal bike at 6 mph you have to cross the very fast two lane off ramp for NB I-5 traffic headed east on Genesee - it seems like it takes forever to cross those two lanes and I can't see the traffic coming off I-5.

CommuteCommando

The show was cool. This is the route I took. Unfortunately, I was not able to haul my clyde arse up the 52 without stopping (not steep, bot long). All in all a good ride.

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/1267917