How and Why? (Route Planning 101)

If you're just tuning in for the first time, welcome!  To get up to speed (ha,ha) with the who/what of this blog, have a look here.  If you already know all that stuff, let's unpack why this adventure evolved, and how I'll be tackling it.

When I finally got my bike re-assembled in LA after its cross-country journey (a story for another post), it sat against the wall for a few weeeks while I pondered: "How on earth am I going to figure out where to bike in this crazy, new-to-me, car-loving city?"  

The city of LA is ~460 square miles with a population of 4 million.  The county of LA is ~4,000 square miles with a population of nearly 11 million. [Data from the Discover Los Angeles tourist board website.] And the residents here love their cars.  This just ain't San Francisco, people. 

And while our apartment is about half a mile from some pretty great running, the trails we play on are (mostly) not open to bikes.  Our immediate neighborhood is a mixture of residential (houses and apartments) and business (restaurants, shops), and about 1 mile from the Walk of Fame.  It's a great spot for hosting visitors to LA, but it's not so great for cycling.  There are quite a number of busy streets, lots of stop signs, freeway entrances/exits, and a whole pile of distracted drivers.

I tried some online research, but didn't have much luck finding a resource for reliable, complete, turn-by-turn ride recommendations (not that I'm picky, or anything).  Then, I stumbled upon the book that is making this adventure possible:

*choirs of angels sing*

The book is called Where to Bike: Los Angeles, and it is written by Jon Riddle and Sarah Amelar (published by BA Press).  This book is, in short, AMAZING.  It includes information about 51 regular rides, plus 31 kid-friendly rides in LA County. I was in love about 60 seconds after cracking the cover.

Rides are grouped by area and ranked by difficulty (measured by distance, climbing, and road surface).  Routes that interconnect are noted, and if two routes run very close together, written directions for linking them are provided.

The authors and editors are meticulous: They provide careful, comprehensive, turn-by-turn directions for the ride, as well as driving directions to get to the start/finish (I told you, Angelinos love their cars), where to park (essential in LA), and what attractions/food/bike shops/parks can be found along the route. There are detailed maps, elevation profiles, and even some photos of the scenery. 

Spoiler alert: I've already tested a few of rides (I'll be blogging about them right away) and I realized very quickly that this book was exactly what I needed to facilitate this project.  Over the coming weeks, I'll be making an effort to complete as many of the 51 rides as possible, with some side explorations and customizations as I feel inclined and empowered.

Ahhh....There's a much better photo of her!
Still no name, though - but I trust that will come with time.

Through the blog, I'll be sharing a bit of data and info about the rides, as well as my mental, physical, and equipment struggles and successes.  I'm pretty sure I'll learn something; hopefully you will, too.  Feel free to comment, advise, share, laugh, and cry (hopefully not much) with me along the way!!

And seriously: Check out the Where To Bike website (http://wheretobikeguides.com/), and cross your fingers that they make an edition for your area.  [This is not a paid endorsement. I found the book by fortunate coincidence, and everything I write about it has come from my own crazy head.]