ESCAPE FROM LA: A MOTORCYCLIST'S GUIDE

As a California native living in the Midwest, I dream about fair-weather riding throughout the winter months. Being completely honest: I dream about my two-wheeled forays into the mountains and deserts of the American West all year. So, when I had the chance to rent a motorcycle in Southern California, I was set on riding a few of the best motorcycle rides in Los Angeles.

Ride 1: Mulholland Highway

Picture yourself on the West Side of Los Angeles. You’ve just picked up your EAGLERIDER rental, and all you can think about is getting away from all this commotion. Where do you go first?

Easy answer: keep heading west! Grit your teeth, deal with a little commuter traffic and construction, and head for the water’s edge. There you’ll find one of many gateways to one of the most famous roads on the West Coast: Mulholland Highway.

But first, to get there. The Pacific Coast Highway (HWY1, PCH, etc.) is a treat unto itself, and it’s easy to get distracted by the beauty of it and forget we’re trying to hit the twisties. My recommendation: hang a right onto Las Flores Canyon. Arguably, the most technical of the routes one could take, it’s got a few climbing hairpins that will sneak up on you if you’re a little too excited, but it’s a great way to attune yourself to the focus that’s needed for riding up here. If you want to look back at the ocean falling below you, pull over and soak it in!

Keep climbing to Piuma Road, and the corners get faster while the view gets better. Pull off the road and smell the air. Don’t rush. This stretch of road isn’t nearly as heavily traveled as other parts of the Santa Monica Mountains, making it a treasure for locals and those in the know.

Ride 2: Day trip to Ventura

Here’s the deal: if you have a day to burn and want to check out a spot that isn’t plastered all over your Instagram, hit the coast highway and keep moving. Resist the temptation to run The Snake a second or third time, and rip northwest to Ventura, CA. While the Pacific Coast Highway gets wider and less populated, you’ll begin to recognize some of the locations used in many a car commercial. These roads are used for a reason, and I hope you enjoy them. Don’t stop at Neptune’s Net. In fact, avoid that scene, I have a better breakfast for you anyway.

A quick run through some farmland and a brief stint on Highway 101 will bring you into one of Coastal California’s great gems: Ventura. A blue-collar town at its heart, it’s seen a renaissance over the last decade while maintaining some of the grit that kept it affordable for us normal folk.

As a reward for your patience, stop at Johnny’s Fine Mexican Food for the best breakfast burrito of your life (there is no other acceptable breakfast on the bike, right?). The surfers will tell you to go to Corrales, but we are riders, not surfers, so their opinion doesn’t count right now. Order the bacon and egg burrito (before 11 am) and enjoy those crispy bacon bites and wonder why the burrito in your hometown doesn’t taste this good. The answer: don’t ask. It’s delicious.

Jump back on the coast highway for 20 miles for unobstructed views of dolphins and the Channel Islands. You’re in the easy stuff now while your breakfast settles, but I promise, it’ll get twisty soon.

Jump off onto the 150 just before Carpinteria, CA. Turn inland, enjoy the lemon orchards for a mile or two, and take a deep breath as you hit some of the best riding you’ve never heard of before. It’s a twisting rollercoaster for nearly half an hour, and at the end, Ojai, CA. A formerly rustic, artsy hippy town, this little valley is a bona fide chic boutique these days. Gas up, get out, we’re still riding.

One of the last holdouts of Americana burger stands in California is Summit Burger. Run mostly by high school kids, I recommend a burger, fries, and a lemonade. It’s not expensive, full of flavor, and there’s never a crowd of luxury SUVs blocking your exit. You’ll see riders going in both directions with big smiles on their faces because it’s just a beautiful place to ride.

I hope you saved room for coffee and dessert, because in another half hour we’re making our last stop. Heading down through a tunnel of oak tree-lined corners, through more citrus orchards and ranches, you’ll eventually come to Santa Paula, CA. The secret pearl of this town is Rabalais Bistro, at the corner of Main St and Davis St. This family-run establishment is a great spot for coffee, easy conversation, incredible Cajun recipes from owner, Tracy’s grandmother, and my favorite, beignets far better than what you’ll find in the French Quarter’s Cafe du Monde. I’m biased, but I dare you to prove me wrong.

Ride 3: Angeles Crest

Alright, alright. What if you aren’t on the West Side and DON’T want to ride the coast? What if you want endless corners until the mountains just end?

Got it. I got you. Let’s start in the heart of Los Angeles at The Bike Shed. Buried in the Arts District of Downtown, it’s the best spot to meet up with friends from different parts of the county and kick off. Grab a coffee, check out the plethora of amazing custom motorcycles inside and out, wait for that one friend of yours who is always late, and head out.

The hardest part of escaping LA is riding through it. No matter where you start, you have to navigate an alphanumeric soup of highways and interstates just to find where the city ends. In this case, take the 110-N to the 5-N to the 2-N to the 210-E and get off immediately for a breather. Inevitably, one of your friends wants breakfast, so jump over to the Hill Street Cafe for a solid bite. You’re gonna be on the bike for a couple hours, it’s good to fuel up the body and mind.

After wrapping your breakfast burrito leftovers in foil (thanks Sanna Bowman for the sage advice), gas up the bikes before heading onto Angeles Crest Highway. You won’t find any gas up on the mountain, so plan accordingly.

Now, if you’re planning on getting on this highway, especially on a weekend, practice caution. The number of fast corners is outmatched by the number of yahoos looking to prove their driving abilities on the edge of the cliff. While this road is definitely NOT a racetrack, many folks treat it as one. You’re likely to see an accident and drive through somebody’s burnout cloud of smoke. So, keep your wits about you and don’t try to be a hero. As the city fades into the distance, the crowd will begin to thin. Pull over on one of the giant turnouts to take in the scale of Los Angeles below you. These turnouts are always good people watching locations, and provide a safe spot to pull over and wait for a couple riders who fell behind on the climb up.