Los Angeles has a plethora of fun activities. Just think, the ocean, mountains, desert, and vineyards are all within two hours of each other. Then again, there is also a plethora of congested traffic, lack of easy public transportation, and free time. Those challenges tend to keep people close to home squashing any adventurous spirit.
But if you are lucky enough (like me) to have famil
y and friends who love fun day trips, you might be out and about every weekend.
That’s what happened last Sunday. My cousins invited me to join them and 300+ other cyclists for the 18th annual L.A. Fun Ride; a fundraiser aimed to help UCLA buy a new blood mobile. It was a blast.
The ride started and finished at UCLA, a beautiful, historic campus, and the organizers provided:
- Two rides; 32 miles or 64 miles
- Rest stop(s) with food, water and bathrooms
- A SAG wagon for minor mechanical repairs
- A police escort
- A route slip to navigate the course. Though it was not needed.
We rode 32 miles, and I felt like a tourist. We rode by Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, through the mid-Wilshire distric
t, past Farmer’s Market, CBS studios. The tourist traps along Sunset Blvd, Hollywood and Vine were very eye catching.
If you love architecture you will appreciate cycling past historic homes, downtown highrises, the Catholic Cathedral and Frank Gehry’s Disney Hall.
The ride ends with a good climb from Century City to Westwood, and as you cross the finish line don’t forget to collect your finisher’s medal.
Speed racers take note: This is not a fast ride. The police escort will have you maneuver the busy streets at an easy 10 mph. So, leave your triathlon bike at home.
Instead, ride a hybrid bike, and plan to have a good conversation with friends, family, loved ones. Above all, enjoy the ride.
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