Good routes/tips for someone new to the area?

[Tbia4]

Hi!

I'm new to the group and the area so I don't know roads here very well yet. I'm gradually figuring out some of the skitchy roads and intersections by trial and error - and of course quickly figured out that rushhour is a good time to avoid.

Are there any club routes/areas that might be safer/less traffic/better bike lanes/etc? I'm a few months back into regular riding after a couple years of not much riding (due to 'life' ... you know) and currently too slow to feel good about joining a group ride yet. I'm comfortable riding on the road by myself if I know the roads/areas but I'm still a little nervous here and just hoping for some insider info/tips/suggestions?

I need like 30-50 mi routes, climbing is ok but I need miles and places I can work on speed more than I need huge amts of climbing right now.

Hope to be able to try some group rides soon and meet some folks too! Thanks for any help!!
Terri 

[Steve Fox]

Hi Terri,

Welcome back from "life." Well, since you were gone, life has gone on and so has cycling. You didn't mention where you live, but I'll assume it's around San Marcos.  IMO, there are three less trafficky and pretty areas around SD:  north county of SD, east county of SD, and southern Riverside County. Less traffic = fewer/no bike lanes, however.  Bike lanes don't offer complete peace of mind, but psychologically speaking can offer a small amount of solace/safety from motor vehicles. There are MANY routes within those three areas. I would suggest checking out ridewithgps.com. This website/app offers a good search function to find rides.  If you want to work on speed and want a non-motor vehicle experience, I would suggest signing up for a velodrome class from the SD Velodrome peeps (https://www.sdvelodrome.com/introductory-classes).  IMO, it's the safest way to cycle and you can work on speed as well. However, it offers no hills. I would suggest looking at NCCC's ride page (https://northcountycycleclub.org/rides/) and possibly ride with the Clippers. Hope to see you on a NCCC ride soon.

[kcpurcell]

Hey Terri,

When I moved to North County seven years ago I was taken aback by the traffic. The arterial roads and freeways make for large busy intersections, some of which are hard to avoid when cycling.

I found the San Diego Bike Coalition's Smart Cycling class to be very helpful. It gave me much more confidence to safely navigate these traffic hot spots. Here is a list of upcoming classes:
https://sdbikecoalition.org/smart-cycling/

And if you can you should join us Clippers, maybe on a Wednesday. For one thing it's a great way to learn routes.

Ken Chin-Purcell