100 miler route from Huntington Beach?

North to Seal Beach, right on San gabriel River bike path, left at the Whittier narrows, left to join up with the LA River trail, and take that to Long Beach.   Then you can take PCH home.   Gotta be pretty close to 100 miles.

http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/LA-San-Gabriel-River-Route

I personally would skip the river trails....I know a lot of people prefer the general safety (lack of cars), but I can't stand riding on them.  I live in Huntington as well, and I'll try to give you a couple of options.  Also a good source to help you dial in the details and figure out all the streets to take as well as view other people's routes is mapmyride.

If you're looking for a 100 mile out and back, my two recomendations would be either continuing past Dana Point and riding all the way into Camp Pendleton (you don't have to get on the freeway at all, but make sure you bring your Driver's License to get in the gate).  From HB you should hit the 50 mile point right around the end of Pendleton and beginning of Oceanside (from my house it's about 54 to O'side).

The other option that I like if you don't feel like going through pendleton is to stay on Coast Highway all the way into San Clamente, soon after it becomes N El Camino Real it will start to go uphill through the main drag of San Clamente, somewhere just past the top of the hill should have you around the 30 mile mark.  turn around there and start going back the way you came.  At Crown Valley Pkway turn right, go up Crown Valley to Alicia and make a left, take Alicia all the way to Trabuco and make a left.  Trabuco will become Irvine, Take this all the way to Jeffrey and make a left.  Jeffrey will  turn into University, and right after you cross Jamboree you can make a right onto Back Bay Dr.  Ride through Back Bay and you will pop back out onto PCH and finish your ride North back to HB.

The other option, which is my favorite is to just ride all the way to downtown San Diego, get some food, and hop on a train back home.

Hope this helps

great suggestions..thanks..I'm definitely going to try out the oceanside and clemente ride...

Though it's not as long as the San Gabriel River Trail, there's also the Santa Ana River Trail and the Coyote Creek trail. You can look at maps and piece together a route that includes some street/bike lane riding. Also consider routing to some of the hillier areas such as Santiago Canyon Road for some decent climbs/elevation.

Though I haven't ridden the route, there is a way to get from OC to San Diego on bike, here is a Google Map you can zoom in on to see the bike routes/paths in the Dana Point/San Clemente area.

http://maps.google.com/maps?hq=http://maps.google.com/help/maps/directions/biking/mapleft.kml&ie=UTF8&ll=37.687624,-122.319717&spn=0.346132,0.727158&z=11&lci=bike&dirflg=b&f=d&utm_campaign=en&utm_medium=van&utm_source=en-van-na-us-gns-bd

You can also check with just about any local bike shop (possibly one you've frequented), they're sure to know of some bike routes they can key you into for the distance you need. (I'm assuming this is for riding).

Oops, guess I took too long to type my reply, as  the reply above contained even better info than I could.

Edited by Rancid13 2011-01-18 4:07 PM

SGRT is 65 miles from Los Alamitos Bay/Seal Beach to the Santa Fe Dam, and you can continue in from there.  I've done it twice in the last few weeks, it's not that bad.  Better than Santa Ana RT, in my opinion, and is a great way to get 65 nonstop miles.  Just watch out in the 2 or 3 tunnels for other riders, call out when you are entering, etc. 

The Camp P ride is a great suggestion. 

I've done LA to SD a few times, it's about 115 from where I live to downtown.  From HB it's probably 70.  There's just so much darn traffic, especially on nice weekends, and lots of stoplights.

I just started riding the SGRT, and I love it.   I didn't have a big problem riding PCH, but I much prefer not waiting for some idiot texting to plow into me from behind.  So far I've done 50 miles, and it's it's nice and smooth the whole way with the exception of a rough patch just south of El Dorado.  The fact that it's only a few miles from my doorstep is even better.

sounds like the sgrt got some work done or I'm misinformed.  Most of my buddies who have ridden there said that the roads were rough and caused countless flats for them.  

There can be the occasional glass, I think I've seen it in 3 locations, which is in my experience about as common as on the road.  As for rough roads, it's rough from Seal Beach for about 5 miles in or so (?), after that it is VERY nice and new pavement. 

The risks I see:
- There is some graffiti, probably gangs in the area, but I've never seen any individuals at least on a Sat morning/afternoon
-It's fairly narrow, so you have to have your head up when passing or people coming the other way.  And not everyone will be going 20 mph, lots of familes, a boy scout troop last time, etc. 
-Pedestrians on the trail, but everyone has so far been very polite, a nice and timely "on your left" with a "good morning" thrown in for good measure is always a good thing
-Tunnels - can have some water/debris in them, so go slow, call out.  And they're dark.  But there's only 2 or 3 that are issues
-Pay attention to the path.  There have obviously been several iterations of the path around underpasses, used to go under, now go around, etc.  Several turns have been missed
-The second cross over in Pico Rivera is a little tricky.
-At Whittier Narrows dam there is a slight downhill, last Saturday someone had put a bunch of rocks in the roadway, we were able to get around, and would have cleared them on the way back but someone already had
-Personally, I don't like the .25 mile markers.  Well, I guess it depends how I feel, if I am strong I am surprised how quickly they come, if I am doing poorly I am sad at how slowly they come 
-The uninterrupted nature is a bit interrupted by some of the underpasses/tunnels/paths around overcrossings, which you need to slow down for.  On the other hand, they are nicely spaced for intervals

Would I ride this every weekend?  No, but it's good for a once a month or so road trip.  The only other place to get long interrupted miles is to go north of Trancas on PCH into Oxnard (which is better than the SGRT, but a long drive from HB).

 

OK, that got way longer than planned.

Edited by ChrisM 2011-01-19 12:26 PM

Great points Chris.   You're right about the overall friendliness of the people.  Actually it seems that the people I encounter on the trail are far friendlier than the average roadie I meet on PCH.    Gonna try and ride all the way to the mountains and back this weekend.

one more...don't stop when you get to the Dam...head up and around the top of the dam, then left through the park and your now heading north up to Duarte Park.  You are now at the most northern part of the trail...sort of.

If you are in the mood you can now continue to ride up some killer hills and suddenly it doesn't even seem like you are in Los Angeles.  You are back on a 2 way street now but there is little traffic.  I havn't gone too far yet in the mountains but looking forward to trying it out real soon.

I used to haul my bike out to PCH and ride to Oxnard, but for some reason I just really like the trail...and living near the rose bowl it's just a quick 10 minute drive to the dam.

The gang thing is over rated, I read about the gangs on the trail (including the LA River trail) but during the day at least it hasn't been even a word or strange glance exchanged.  I do understand the concern though...we are on expensive bikes.

Regarding glass...stay on the top of the trail!  You may be tempted to drop down in the trail (ala Grease lighting style) but there is tons of glass down there.  Stay up top, a sweeper actually comes through there...I came across it once on late Friday afternoon ride.

Enjoy your ride whichever you choose and always ride safe.

thank you the suggestions guys...anyone here ever take the santa ana river trail all the way to riverside?  Just wondering how that route is.

Edited by Triheado 2011-01-20 11:20 AM

I've taken it not so far as Riverside, maybe 30 miles in or so.  It's not as nice as SGRT.  It's more industrial, and it seemed to me the underpasses were more open, and thus more subject to unsavory types.

And neal, yes, the goal is eventually to get in good enough shape to ride form the beach and get some climbing in before the return.  That's a few months away though.

Edited by ChrisM 2011-01-20 5:59 PM

how's the headwind on the sgrt...the santa river always has a headwind and i have found that it's good training.  Where do you guys do your climbs?  I always do my climbing up newport coast and then hook a right on vista ridge.   Looking for some new scenery there..

Santiago Canyon Rd from Irvine/Tustin/Orange to Lake Forest/Portola or vice-versa has some pretty good climbs. Very scenic too.

http://www.examiner.com/cycling-in-los-angeles/santiago-canyon-ride

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBeyFPdQyTY

Edited by Rancid13 2011-01-20 7:39 PM

lol, I quite riding PCH to get away from that damned headwind.     I know it's good training, but geez...it just saps all the fun out of the sport. 

Check it out, makes for a nice long day with awesome views:
http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/11528079

(Oh, and just ignore the headwind on the way back )

Nice ride!

I live in Redlands and use the Santa Ana Trail from the opposite side of you starting in San Bernardino.  I really like it.  However around Green River in Corona the trail was destroyed and goes on to local roads you would have to figure out to get back on.  From Huntington you can get to Loma Linda with no problems except a few bums or so.

Edited by grey75t 2011-01-24 6:49 PM