Pacific paradise – the Los Angeles County beach bikeway

Some people dream of walking along the Great Wall of China, following the Inca Trail in Peru or swimming with dolphins when you ask them the life experience they’ve always wanted to have.

Mine involved a push bike, a series of beaches west of Los Angeles and the odd ray of sunshine. I finally got to pedal along California’s spectacular Pacific coast a couple of months back and it was certainly something I won’t ever forget.

Not all of it went according to plan. In fact, I came dangerously close to killing myself en route but that didn’t spoil the experience too much.

It all started in Santa Monica when my wife and I picked out a couple of sturdy-looking bikes from one of the many hire stands dotted around the coastline. Fifteen bucks each for the day seemed like a pretty good deal to fulfil a lifelong ambition. I was advised to have one with a basket on the front which was a real blow to my street cred – I fancied myself as more of a Bradley Wiggins than a middle-aged Mrs Miggins pedalling into town to do some shopping.

As it turned out, the basket was a great idea because you can dump the ruck sack in it and just concentrate on cycling and enjoy the views without a dead weight on your back.

Now, cycling along some of our roads in the UK, as trucks and buses brush past perilously close, can be a terrifying ordeal. In Los Angeles County the concrete bike path is built into the beach so the only dangers are from speeding cyclists overtaking silently or inconsiderate joggers running five abreast. Obeying the state beach laws, which compel you to keep to the right, we made our way serenely from the Santa Monica pier area south towards Venice Beach.

Perfect conditions with warm sunshine and barely a breath of wind coming off the ocean. Venice Beach has a real cosmopolitan mix with street vendors and entertainers lining the promenade, sporty types cavorting around the many sandy volleyball courts and other lifting heavy weights in an outdoor gym dubbed ‘Muscle Beach’. There are fascinating sights everywhere as you bike your way through the neighbourhood.

Time out: A brief rest on my Bucket List biking trip

Next up was the pleasant boating community known as Marina Del Rey and this is where the bike path temporarily ends, forcing you reluctantly to cycle along some busy roads in the town centre, emerging back on the beach track as jets drone in and out of the nearby LAX city airport. The stretch through Dockweiler Beach is best forgotten, with heavy industry and pretty bleak views as you glance inland.

We stopped for lunch at the picturesque Manhattan Beach. Locking the bikes against fencing lining the majestic pier, we enjoyed strolling around the streets and looking at the multi-million dollar beachside homes. It was at this point we realised we had probably better head back towards Santa Monica, having already spent three hours pedalling 15 miles, as well as suffering the onset of painful saddle soreness.

Time for lunch: Manhattan Beach

This is where the experience began to take a turn for the worse. All was well as we travelled back through Dockweiler Beach and headed back to Marina Del Rey. Here there was a tight right-angled bend, bordered by sharp rocks and a steep drop into the Pacific, as the bike path winds away from the beach inland along a peninsula.  I took my cap off as the sea winds began to pick up and, stupidly, lost concentration. Instead of slowing and braking I pedalled on into the corner. Turning frantically in a bid to avoid the rocks, the frightening drop and a party of pedestrians, I careered headfirst over the handlebars, ending up in a dazed bloody heap on the ground mercifully away from the edge.

Crash Corner: The fateful bend off the Ballona Creek Bridge in Marina Del Rey where I came off the bike

 

I had cleverly shaved the skin off one of my elbows and battered my knee but I managed to pedal in agony back to Santa Monica, stopping briefly for some ice and bandages. This was only the second day of a two-week holiday but it didn’t stop us enjoying the trip. And the accident has not prevented me recommending a Pacific Coast bike ride to others. Next up on the Bucket List: a cycle tour of the Grand Canyon!

A stunning view of part of our route stretching from Manhattan Beach down to Dockweiler Beach