enCYCLEpedia Southern  California - The Best Easy Scenic Bike Rides

 

Third Edition May 2021 available on Amazon

Scroll down to see the complete contents of the book

 

Press Release for the 3rd Edition.

May 2021 Interview with author on Today in Palm Springs, NBC TV. 

enCYCLEhistory ...   The 1st Edition was published in April 2014 by Westcliffe Publishers a division of Big Earth.   We don't recommend buying the out of date 1st Edition available on Amazon, due to its age, and Big Earth went bankrupt and didn't pay the author royalties.   

2nd Edition was published in November 2017 with the same printer and formatting but under the author's enCYCLEpress moniker.  Press Release for the 2nd Edition. Used copies are available on  Amazon.com. "New copies" can't be real since only the author controlled sales.  This edition sold out quickly when the Covid pandemic took hold and biking blossomed. 

3rd edition's update was the author's pandemic project. It was printed in the USA for the first time   It adds the point of view of e-bikes to many rides.  Available at Amazon and possibly at:  

Palm Springs Area:   Tri-A-Bike Palm Desert

 

 

Password Protected "Update" Pages with Bonus Materials including Take-Along Maps: Password is the first word of text on Top page 342, case sensitive.   The password will change occasionally. Last changed: July, 2022. 


What to expect?  See below for "Contents of the Book."  You can "Look Inside" the out-of-print original first edition ($26.95) to see a similar Table of Contents (TOC) and selected pages via this link on Amazon.  Amazon does not have a "Look Inside" feature for the 2nd or 3rd Editions. As the title describes, the book covers only the BEST easy scenic bike rides, creating the ideal scenic SoCal summary; it does not include every local urban bike trail. Areas that are steeped in easy scenic bike ride opportunities, like San Diego or Orange County, have the most comprehensive coverage. 

 

Welcome to the wonderful world of easy scenic cycling. There's no need to buy expensive cycling clothes or join a club (not that there's anything wrong with that!), fear for your life on the highways, or be in top physical condition like some of the athletes in your circles. Just hop on a safe, well-fitting bike, put on a well-fitting helmet (our strong  recommendation but not required if over 18), become comfortable riding the bike, and thrill to all that Southern California has to offer, just about any day of the year!

Enjoy some fresh air, scenery, companionship or even solitude if you fancy getting away from it all; a great way to generate creative thoughts. We sampled the trails and routes of SoCal, and came up with the best of the best for your enjoyment. The trails are even rated 1 to 5 stars; of course that's our opinion based on a number of factors combined with the opinion of others that went along with us.

Your experience doesn't have to end with what is in the book. You'll notice that the book is already a hefty volume, but it could have been much bigger and heavier. Just like editors shorten movies to fit within certain space and criteria, the same can be done to guidebooks. While the book is the final optimized product, regard this website as the Director's Cut (or sometimes more appropriately "Deleted Scenes"), and find full versions of a few of the ride descriptions that were chosen for the editing floor because they did not fit our criteria for the purposes of this book as well as others did. Book owners can download copies of those ride descriptions on the two password-protected "Update" pages, as well as selected maps to take along on the ride (some are pending, feel free to request one via e-mail and we will place that one on line).  In some cases, instead of re-inventing the wheel, the Take-Along Map is a link to a publicly available map available to all. 

 

Some of the special features on the Password Protected pages, besides the take-along maps, are expanded articles such as for Ride SDC1 (the San Diego Coastal cruise), Ride LA9 (Santa Clarita), "Best of" lists such as Rail n Rides, Bike n Brunch, Camp n Ride, and many others. Since the author lives in SoCal and rides all the time, updates to rides and to maps will be ongoing as things change and new features are discovered. Input is always welcome, at info @ encyclepedia . net. 

Errata is indicated by X. In a book this densely packed with info it's virtually impossible to get it all correct. Chances are you wouldn't have noticed these minor items, since we didn't after a gazillion reads! If you find more, please let us know via e-mail.
 

All 3 editions have been Amazon top-sellers at times in several catagories.

 

NEW FABULOUS RIDES ARE GRADUALLY ADDED TO THE enCYCLEpedia FAMILY.  Available to book owners to download from the password protected Bonus Materials section on this website: 
June 2021:  "Santa Clarita Bike Trails" LA9 - full ride description and map, not in book.
May 2019: "Deserts" RM3Mission Hills Loops in north Rancho Mirage, full version. Condensed version added to  3rd Edition book.
June 2019:  Orange County, IR3: Northeast Irvine's Great Park and Jeffrey Open Space Loop. Also described in this blog article available to everyone.  Added to the 3rd Edition book along with map of northeast Irvine's paths.
July 2019:  "San Diego SD7 Option 4" An optional extension off of the Silver Strand Rail Trail south of Coronado in Imperial Beach follows a signed "Ecoroute" to the beach, restaurants and a wildlife refuge. Added to the 3rd Ed. book, along with a map of the full Bayshore Bikeway around San Diego Bay. Full version on this website.
San Diego Oceanside OC1 Guajome Park Option 1A: A description, map and photos of the Guajome Regional Park easy scenic MTB trails at the end of the San Luis Rey River trail. In 3rd Edition.
June 2020: "Tour d'Ol' Blue Eyes - A Sinatra Desert Bike Touris an interactive blog post and general ride description available to all, however the ride maps are on our Bonus Materials page.  Two separate rides in Palm Springs and Rancho Mirage (or combined for a longer ride) highlight the life and times of the Chairman of the Board during his six decades in the desert. 
May 2021:  IE's Lake Perris Loop added to the 3rd Edition book only, a 5* ride, our pick for SoCal's best scenic ride around a lake.
May 2022: Deserts: South Cathedral City Civic Center and the Cove. Ride CC2 on its own or add on to rides PS3, CC1, or RM 1, 2 or 3.
The Bike Blog, enCYCLEpedia.wordpress.com: Our experiences in Southern California and beyond in words and pictures, including photo and video ride logs, "Top 10" lists, and media coverage. 
 
Blog Article "A Eurostyle Bicycle and Train Holiday Along the Southern  California Coast"  Using enCYCLE'S rides, see the best of the coastal region with a combination of bike rides and train rides. 
 
Facebook Page hosted by the author: Casual Bicyclists of Southern California  covers SoCal rides and issues, encouraging users to share their experiences.

Pickleball !  Many casual bicyclists are also dinkers, including the author. Outdoor public pickleball facilities along or near our bike rides have been added to the Updates section (password protected) of this website and where helpful plotted on the take-along maps. Bring your paddles on your ride and enjoy!  See also our blog post on the subject, available to all, and places2play.org for details on the facilities.

Contents of the Book (3rd Ed) and changes since 2nd Edition (and 1st Edition where indicated)

 

BEGINNINGS: SoCal trains can access and combine rides. Bird & whale watching. Best beaches. The Missions. Rides from campgrounds. Bike to brunch.
CHAPTER 1 San Luis Obispo Co: Tour Cambria, road and path. Morro Bay Bike 'n Brunch. Montana de Oro State Park (SP) MTB, coastal and inland. SLO Town info. Avila Beach's path and streets. Pismo Beach - on sand ride, road rides with  updated routes in 3rd Ed. Carrizo Plain National Monument easy MTB. 
CHAPTER 2 Santa Barbara Co: Wine Country: Solvang, Los Olivos, Santa Ynez loop on road and path. Lompoc-Surf Beach road ride. Santa Barbara waterfront path. Connect to Goleta path via updated routes and UCSB paved and MTB or coast route to Carpinteria.  More detail added to all SB area  routes in 3rd Ed.
CHAPTER 3 Ventura Co:  Beach bike paths, harbor tour. Rail trails: Ventura to Ojai. Oceanfront Rincon road and path, new in 2nd & 3rd Ed.
CHAPTER 4 Los Angeles Co:  Beach trail Santa Monica-Redondo Bch. San Pedro, LA Harbor tour (updated 3rd ed). Long Beach ocean paths (updated 3rd ed), connect to Naples Isl, Seal Beach. Best of San Gabriel River (SGR) Trail: El Dorado Pk, Whittier Narrows Pk, Santa Fe Dam Pk, Coyote Creek Bikeway (new 3rd ed). West Fork SGR paved mountain trail. Puddingstone Resvr Loop (new in 2nd, 3rd ed). Griffith Pk/LA River Loop & new in 3rd ed La La Land E-bike option. Sepulveda Dam trails. San Marino/ Huntington Gardens. Pasadena road tour, path. Catalina Island's Avalon.  Santa Clarita bike paths is described in a paragraph in the Encore section with a public bike map link, plus a full ride description and our map available in the BONUS materials section on this site. 
CHAPTER 5 Orange Co: Huntington Beach ocean path. Best of Santa Ana River Trl (SART): Costa Mesa, Anaheim, Yorba Linda. Newport Beach: Back Bay Loop to Irvine paths, Balboa Isl ferry to ocean path. Irvine's San Diego Crk Path, Shady Canyon/Turtle Rock loop, New 3rd ed: OC Great Park/Jeffrey Open Space Loop. Mountains to Sea Path Newport-Orange (updated maps 3rd ed). Peters Canyon MTB. Crystal Cove SP's paved blufftop, inland MTB. Laguna Beach bike routes, pano fire road. Aliso Wood Canyons Pk MTB, road ride. Aliso Creek regional trail to foothills. Salt Creek Path to beach. Dana Point's Doheny SP beach paths, harbor cruise, connect to San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano (SJC). SJC paved path to beach, mission, horse country. San Clemente beach path or hilly road bike route through town, connect to path/roads to surfing beaches, San Onofre SP, Camp Pendleton (advance permit required) to Oceanside. Yorba Linda Rec Trail. Old Town Orange and Santiago Creek paved path to Santiago Oaks and Irvine Park MTB. Fullerton Loop MTB, connect to historic downtown. Chino Hills SP Telegraph Canyon MTB. Summary of Whiting Ranch and Caspers Parks MTB trails. Trabuco Canyon MTB and paved trails near O'Neil Park.
CHAPTER 6 San Diego Co: Oceanside's San Luis Rey River Trail, beach path, harbor cruise, coast ride to La Jolla.  San Marcos paths. Lake Hodges MTB. San Diego Mission Bay loop, beach path, connect to Old Town, Ocean Bch, La Jolla, San Diego Harbor tour. Road route to Balboa Park/Zoo/ Hillcrest (updated map 3rd ed & detailed new downtown cycletracks in Bonus Materials). Ferry to Coronado's coastal paths and bike route around San Diego Bay (updated in 3rd ed:  full Bayshore Bikeway map round the bay and new option to Imperial Beach Ecoroute). Pt Loma/Cabrillo NM Class II (new map inset in 3rd ed). Paths at Lake Miramar, Lake Murray. Mission Hills Pk paved, MTB. Los Penasquitos Preserve prime MTB. Marian Barr and Rose Canyon MTB. Laguna Mountains MTB/hike on Pacific Crest Trail/visit and bike Julian.  
CHAPTER 7 Kern Co: Kern River Trail, Bakersfield highlights.

CHAPTER 8 Inland Empire: SART Norco-San Bernardino  (new map inset in 3rd ed). Historic Riverside (new tour in 2nd, 3rd Ed incl Mt Rubidoux), Victoria Ave bike path, Citrus SP. Temecula wine country, Old Town (updated map 3rd ed). Claremont downtown, Thompson Crk path. New Lake Perris Loop Camp 'n Ride (3rd ed book only), Pacific Electric Trail through Montclair, Upland, Rancho Cuc, Fontana, Rialto.  Big Bear Lake's Alpine Pedal Path, updated bike routes to alpine village in 3rd ed. Snow Summit lift, MTB down.
CHAPTER 9 The Deserts: Much more detail in maps, 3rd ed.  Updated Palm Springs' stars' homes tour. City loops. CV Link/ Airport Path Loop. Paths through Cathedral City, Rancho Mirage (new North Rancho Mirage route), New in 3rd ed Palm Desert CV Link route, Indian Wells, New East Valley CV Link Route. La Quinta, Indio (Coachella, Stagecoach). Joshua Tree National Park MTB. Anza-Borrego State Park's paths

enCYCLEpedia Southern California - The Best Easy Scenic Bike Rides

UPDATES, LINKS, NEWS, ERRATA, ETC. CHAPTERS 5 to end

 

 

5. ORANGE COUNTY  

 

News: enCYCLEpedia was featured in the May, 2015 Orange County Register, with emphasis on the OC rides.  The print version is no longer available on line. Limited web version

ORANGE COUNTY LINKS Ocean Water Quality   Bikeways Master Plan    OCTA County Bikeways

 

News: All e-bikes are banned on the dirt trails of the OC Regional and Wilderness Parks. 

HB1 SURF CITY HUNTINGTON BEACH LINKS: City of HB    HB Restaurants
Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve

NB1,2 NEWPORT BEACH LINKS: City of Newport Beach    Balboa Ferry
Restaurants    Upper Newport Bay Regional Park    Newport Bay Conservancy
Birding/Audubon   Corona Del Mar   CDM State Beach

NB3,4 CRYSTAL COVE STATE PARK LINKS: State Park   CrystalCoveStatePark.com

Take-Along Map Available (See bonus materials previous page) 

Historic Cottages Restaurants Update: Recommended Pacific Whey Cafe CLOSED. (These updated in 2nd Ed)

LB1 and 2 LAGUNA BEACH

Take-Along Map Available (See bonus materials) 

Expanded Ride Description Available (See bonus materials) 
LINKS: Restaurants    Laguna Coast Wilderness Park    Pageant of the Masters    Sawdust Festival     City Site 

Updates: LB1: The path to Top of the World is completed, but is very steep, requiring a walk-bike (included in 2nd Edition and shown on Take-Along Map).  

LB2: Bike Shop for this area: Laguna Beach Cyclery

Pickleball: Fledgling facilities at Alta Laguna Park on Top of the World (LB1) and Lang Park at Wesley Dr & PCH in south Laguna (not along our route).


DP1 DANA POINT LINKS: Dana Point Harbor    City Site    Ocean Institute
Blues Festival    Doheny State Beach    Doheny Interpretive Association

Take-Along Map available.  (See bonus materials previous page) 

News:  Doheny Campground is closed through at least April  2021 for repairs. 

Parking: RV's only <25 feet allowed in South campround. >25 ft is $30/day.

Update: The Pilgrim tall ship sunk in 2020.

x  "Marine Institute" on map P 150 refers to Ocean Institute.

Pickleball:  San Clemente's pickleball facility is accessed via a ~.76 mile detour from ride DP1.  From Coast Hwy & Camino Capistrano take Camino Cap; then right on Vaquero, right on Calle Vista Torito, and left on Via San Gorgonio to San Gorgonio Park entrance on the top of the hill. This requires a hill climb so e-bikers will be happier.  

SJ1 SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO LINKS: City Site    Local Info

Take-Along Map available.(See bonus materials previous page) 

Update:  At the north end of SJ1 at Reata Park:  The official bike trail now continues under Ortega Hwy to the Rancho Mission Viejo Trail for NEV (Neighborhood Electric Vehicles) bikes and peds (as described in the 3rd Ed). Head east to Sendero Park (restrooms, open pickleball on Sat AM's) in a couple hundred yards. You don't need to cross Ortega Hwy with the light at Reata. From Sendero the path goes under Antonio Pkwy, then climbs a steep hill to a shopping center with Gelsons, In'N'Out, Starbucks, and several other restaurants. It ends at the adjacent  apartment complex. There is a parallel dirt path as well.

Rancho Mission Viejo Paths:  A work in progress, explore OC's newest community on a series of very hilly paths (e-bike edge).  Head north on Reata from the light on Ortega Hwy (0.0) on the sidepath or bike/NEV lane.  Curve right at the roundabout of Ribera Rd, and follow the bike/NEV route on path or road to a wide bike/NEV only roadway that goes under Antonio (1 mile).  Continue up the hill, then under the Cow Camp causeway (1.6),  following signs to the right and under the causeway again.  Soon a trail junction on the left goes back under the causeway, and leads to a scenic pathway roughly parallel to Chiquita Canyon Rd.  Take that into (and UP) into the Esencia community and its network of paths and bike/NEV lanes.  Or, keep on the main path and follow it to Esencia Dr (2.3) and take path or lane UP into the development that way.  At time of writing the path ends at Esencia, but big plans are in store to continue it, perhaps all the way to Caspers Wilderness Park (Ride SV11).  

 

Pickleball on temp courts on a basketball court is available near the south end of the path in the park north of Coast Hwy. Sendero Park also has courts but signs say for club members only. However it may be open to all on Saturday mornings.   

SC1,2,3 SAN CLEMENTE LINKS: City Site   San Clemente State Beach    San Onofre State Beach    San Onofre Foundation (Preserving Trestles Beach)     Local Surfrider Chapter    Camp Pendleton Check for Pendleton Closures Restaurants

Take-Along Map available.(See bonus materials previous page) 

Pickleball:  See Dana Point ride DP1 to access San Clemente's facility.

News:  Ride SC1, the Beach Trail: The elevated trestle near the north end is slated to be re-constructed.  Check with the city to see if that has begun before setting out. 

Also the city has banned e-bikes on the beach path. 

News: SC3 Camp Pendleton bike access: Starting March 1, 2016 bicyclists were required to register on line in order to have access to the base. However starting in 2018 a bicyclist ID card was required, obtained from the Visitors Center with valid ID, fingerprint, criminal check, the whole shabang.  www.pendleton.marines.mil/Base-Access/Recreational-Bicycling/  Avoid days when there tends to be a lot of visitors to the base like holidays.

News: San Clemente has a Bicycle & Pedestrian Master Plan. The only aspect of interest to us is a 1-mile Class I connector between the Class I path along Coast Hwy (DP1) and the Beach Trail (SC1) completed summer 2017 (incorporated into Ride DP1 in 2nd Ed). 

 

Photo: NB1 Beach Promenade