5 AMAZING BIKE RIDES IN LOS ANGELES
At Bikes and Hikes LA, our preferred way to explore Los Angeles is by bike. There’s no better way to see LA than on a bicycle, feeling the breeze as you cruise down the iconic Route 66, or cycling past the celebrity mansions of Beverly Hills and Bel Air. Why drive around in a car, at the mercy of the LA traffic, when you could be sightseeing, getting an excellent workout, and discovering the best neighborhoods, best views, and best places to go in Los Angeles on a bike?
We’ve curated a list of our 5 Favorite Bike Rides in Los Angeles; from West Hollywood, to Mt. Wilson, to Pasadena, to the beach, and more, check out any of these epic routes the next time you visit Los Angeles. We can’t guarantee that you’ll get discovered or get your big break in Hollywood, but we can guarantee an incredible workout, the best Instagram opportunities, and a bike ride you’ll never forget. Read about our 5 Best Bike Rides in LA below!
5 Best Bike Rides in LA
LA in a Day Bike Ride
Our LA in a Day Bike Ride is far and away our favorite route. In a city as sprawling as Los Angeles, it’s impossible to do and see everything in one weekend. Our LA in a Day Bike Ride is the best way to see Los Angeles in one epic, 32-mile bike ride. Kicking off in trendy West Hollywood on Santa Monica Boulevard (yes, like the Sheryl Crow song!!!) and winding through Beverly Hills, Holmby Hills, Bel Air, to Santa Monica, Venice, and back, bikers are able to experience a scenic sampling of the best neighborhoods in LA on this 5 hour bike ride. Bikers will burn over 2,000 calories, and get schooled on all kinds of LA history, trivia, and top LA vacation destinations. We love the hills, scenic views, and incredible homes on this tour. The route also features a swath of the Marvin Braude Coastal Bike Trail , far and away one of the best places to bike along the Pacific Coast in LA. (*Pro tip: The Marvin Braude Coastal Bike Trail extends all the way from Will Rogers State Beach to the South Bay. If you’re a biker who can’t get enough of the beach, this extension is the perfect 22 mile beachside bike ride, featuring Santa Monica, Venice, Marina Del Rey, Manhattan, Redondo, and Hermosa Beach, and Palos Verdes. ) Our LA in a Day Bike Ride also features the famed Ballona Creek Bike Path, a 7.4 mile bike path leading to the beach on the west side of LA, from Culver City to Playa Vista. This bike route is best for bikers looking for a moderately challenging bike ride, and who don’t mind some hills and unbelievable coastline views. Our LA in a Day Bike Tour covers 90% of this route, and is available to book online.
Mount Wilson Bike Ride
Riders looking for an epic, hilly climb and a reason to escape the city should look no further than the beautiful Mount Wilson, located an hour outside of the heart of Los Angeles. This 19 mile, 4,500 foot ride lasts approximately 2-3 hours, and features an incredible summit view. From the summit, bikers can feast their eyes on a view spanning a 70 mile radius, from the Los Angeles National forest out to the Catalina Islands. The path is incredibly scenic, with limited traffic as you continue with your ascent. Bikers also have the opportunity to visit the famed Mt. Wilson Observatory at the top of the mountain. For guests who can’t get enough of the natural splendor of Mt. Wilson, we offer a private group hiking tour to the summit of the mountain, a challenging, team building experience for the adventurous traveler! Consistently rated one of the top paths in Los Angeles, a bike ride or hike on Mt. Wilson are definite bucket-list activities, and not to be missed!
Rose Bowl and Pasadena Paradise
credit: Road Bike Action
Fans of gorgeous mountainside cross-training spots will love the 3 mile bike loop around Pasadena’s famous Rose Bowl Stadium. Bikers and joggers alike will enjoy the gently sloped path around the famous football arena, filled with a mix of hills and beautiful mountain views. Bikers can modify the length of their ride to their liking, with 10 laps around the stadium equalling roughly an hour of cycling. The path is marked to control jogger/cycling traffic, and this bike ride is ideal at both sunrise and sunset. The hills on this bike ride make it ideal for bikers looking to combine cross training with a speed workout. Bikers looking to up their ride game should consider biking the Rose Bowl on one of our state of the art mountain bike rentals; perfect for all levels of terrain! The Rose Bowl Bike Ride is moderately challenging, comparable to a spin class, and it’s not to be missed on your trip to Los Angeles!
Hollywood Bike Adventure
What trip to Los Angeles would be complete without a trip to Hollywood?! We’ve designed an incredible Hollywood Bike Adventure that takes you through the most famous streets in La La Land, past film studios, Walk of Fame Stars, the Grove, and more! You’ll pedal past famous Hollywood landmarks and top LA destinations on this 12 mile tour, seeing top movie locations, shopping destinations, famous Hollywood restaurants, and more. This route includes a large swath of Hollywood Boulevard, so don’t be surprised if you see a paparazzi or two; there could be a Hollywood premiere any day! This is a moderate ride, designed for bikers comfortable with a few hills and LA traffic. Take our Hollywood Bike Adventure, and discover the most famous places in LA as you ride!
Elysian Park
Elysian Park is LA’s oldest park, located just ten minutes away from the skyscrapers of Downtown LA. This hilly, challenging bike ride features gorgeous views of transplanted flora and fauna, copious palm trees, and the magnificent Downtown LA skyline. Bikers can enjoy an 8.29 mile loop through the park, with options to connect to nearby Dodgers Stadium and the LA River. Located on the east side of LA, riders looking for a spectacular sunrise bike ride should check out Elysian Park at dawn, often sparsely populated and peppered with lookout points for the perfect sunrise Instagram. Bikers riding on this path should expect multiple hills, newly paved roads, drinking fountains, and bathrooms throughout the park. This park requires an intermediate level of fitness. Bikers looking for a sleeker, more thrilling ride through the hills of Elysian Park should consider renting an e-bike from Bikes and Hikes LA for the ultimate adventure!
In case you couldn’t tell, we are passionate about bike riding over here at Bikes and Hikes LA. While we wrote this blog several months ago, prior to the quarantine, now, more than ever, we are passionate about bringing you the best bike rides in LA during the lockdown. We hope that you’re practicing safe social distancing, but we also get that humans need fresh air and sunshine! While there’s a shortage of traffic in LA for the first time, take advantage of the empty roads and the need to physically distance from others, and take a refreshing solo bike ride across the quiet city. Wear your facemask. Wear a helmet. Have fun:)
We love biking in LA, and can’t wait to share the best bike routes in Los Angeles with you. Drop us a line today for more info on the best places to bike in LA, or to book any one of our award-winning LA Bike Tours at Bikes and Hikes LA! Happy trails.