Prelude

We met Aline and Mitch in real life the first time in Ravensburg, in the south of Germany. Before that we simply had contact via Instagram. We were talking about bikes and tours in Germany compared to those in Southern California. And then it turned out: Aline and Mitch met the first time riding bikes and … here is their story:

a biker love story – in English by Mitchell and Aline

We met at The Bike Shop Santa Monica where Mitchell was working at the time. Aline came in to get some repairs done, and Mitchell asked her to join the weekly group rides. At first, we only went on sunset rides up north to Will Rogers State Beach. Not long after that, we discovered how beautiful the ride was going the other direction. Since we didn’t have a car, our road bikes gave us the freedom to explore parts of LA that we wouldn’t have been able to see otherwise. Cycling in Los Angeles is what brought us together as friends, training partners and now as a couple. {red.: you can see it in their eyes on the fotos that is a lot more than „just a couple“ … just saying}.

For us, riding in LA meant getting up before sunrise, hopping on the bikes and riding through the quiet and dark streets to get some early morning coffee. Two great options on Main Street, Santa Monica, are the Vanilla Max at Bulletproof Coffee (careful, there’s MCT Oil in it)  and the Spanish Latte at Urth Caffe.

The road is yours at sunrise

Once the caffeine is running through our bloodstream, it’s time to hit the bike path. It runs from Will Rogers State Beach all the way down to Torrance Beach and is about 25 miles long (40KM). Even in the summer, it’s rarely crowded that early in the morning so you can pick up the pace and not worry about pedestrians getting in the way.

Now that you’ve made it to the other side, sit back and enjoy the view. You’ll most likely encounter some dolphins, surfers, and other roadies. It’s also fun to watch the planes take off in El Segundo and walk along the piers in Manhattan, Hermosa or Redondo Beach. A nice thing about the bike path is the number of bathrooms and water fountains. This makes it easy to stay hydrated when the morning heat creeps up on you.

If you’re heading south towards Torrance Beach, the bike path is interrupted at the Marina Harbor. You’ll have to make a left on Washington Blvd. and follow the bike path signs until it directs you through the harbor, onto the Ballona Creek Bike Path and ultimately back to the beach.

Up the hill or in the cafe?

Once you’ve reached the end of the path in Torrance Beach, you have two options. You can go up the hill and climb through the beautiful Palos Verdes Hills, or turn around and stop at our favorite cafe.

Note – If you didn’t bring a lock to the Cafe Bonaparte, you can leave your bike outside in plain sight while you order (which we do).

Café Bonaparte is located directly off the bike path in Hermosa Beach. They have fantastic breakfast sandwiches, paninis, and pastries… Because every cyclist loves pastries! On Wednesdays and Fridays, there’s even a cool farmer’s market with local, specialty foods and regular live music.

Once you get back onto the other side of the bike path, you can hang out on the beach in Venice or head to the Rapha Los Angeles Clubhouse in Santa Monica. There, you can plan your next cycling kit or hang out and watch the latest tour.

Mountains? Towards Malibu

For those of you that want to see the mountains, too, head out towards Malibu for some of the most scenic climbs in California. Among our favorites are Malibu Canyon to “The Snake,” Latigo Canyon Road and Mandeville Canyon Road (Pacific Palisades).

If you’re planning a trip to LA in the summer, we recommend longer rides in the early morning or late afternoon. Weekdays usually are a bit less crowded than the weekend. If you’re riding along with traffic, be aware that cars can be a bit aggressive! From experience, it’s best to keep your distance, wear a helmet, and bring lights just in case your ride takes longer than expected.

We hope that you enjoy your rides in LA just as much as we did before we moved to Germany and turned into icicles on bicycles!

Learn more about Mitch on his block! And read everything about AlineGoesCycling.com!

Other story in English: here we go!

Or another story in California? We can offer San Francisco or Marin County – both in German (so far).

And here you find a big variety of other tours in our born2.bike community.