{"id":2210,"date":"2021-10-07T19:42:05","date_gmt":"2021-10-07T19:42:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cyclingdestination.cc\/?p=2210"},"modified":"2026-10-05T14:49:54","modified_gmt":"2026-10-05T14:49:54","slug":"cycling-in-california-los-angeles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cyclingdestination.cc\/en\/verhalen\/usa\/fietsen-in-californie-los-angeles","title":{"rendered":"Cycling in California: Los Angeles is a wonderful base"},"content":{"rendered":"

Cycling in Los Angeles. That sounds almost the same as skiing in the Sahara, or a Dutch Elfstedentocht nowadays. When I crashed in this million-dollar city 14 years ago, cycling was something for people with suicidal tendencies. Not surprisingly, I was part of a bicycle safety program for elementary school children. Oh how things have changed. Since 2010, the city has been working on building bike paths. In my street, West 7th Street, there are now beautiful paths and you can cycle more safely. Additionally, there is something else: the city of glitter and glamour is actually perfectly positioned in relation to the surrounding hills. As icing on the cake, there is the opportunity to take a ride on an iconic spot, the \u2018Hollywood Sign\u2019. Who wouldn\u2019t want that? Cycling in California: Los Angeles is a wonderful base.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Cycling<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Movie set in your backyard<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you live in Los Angeles, you can\u2019t ignore it. This is the city of the film industry. In fact, you can see the Hollywood Sign in the hills in all places. Sometimes you just have to turn around at the corner in \u2018DTLA\u2019 (the downtown area) and you\u2019re literally in a movie set. Spoiler alert: CSI:NY isn\u2019t filmed in New York, but just on 7th street in LA. Many scenes from the popular series 24, starring Kiefer Sutherland, were also shot here. That makes a ride through the city really cool! Now, it\u2019s not advisable to ride a race bike during the day, but every last Friday of the month you can take part in the Criticial Mass bike ride. You see people driving everywhere in the city and it\u2019s an absolute happening. A nice introduction to LA\u2019s \u2018bike culture\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Cycling<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Griffith Park and the Hollywood Sign<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Even north of the city lies an immense park with an observatory that bears the same name: Griffith Park. Not only can you get a great view from all over the city, the road to get there is a challenging climb and it\u2019s also the entrance to the Hollywood Sign! To be able to drive this route properly, you\u2019d best start in the neighborhood of Los Feliz. On Hillhurst Avenue you\u2019ll find a number of nice coffee shops. We usually started at Blue Bottle Coffee<\/a>. A nice starting point, then. From here, you can drive up Hillhurst Avenue. You climb up here in several stages over seven kilometers to an elevation of 420 meters, having started at 140m. The first stretch to the Griffith Observatory is very steep! But the reward after about a kilometer or four is amazing. Looking down you see the major traffic arteries, Vermont Avenue and Western Avenue, and you can follow them all the way to Long Beach (especially at night). Bizarre.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Griffith
(c)Discover Los Angeles<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Cameron
(c) Griffith Park Observatory<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Mount Hollywood<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

You actually drive up Mount Hollywood, known for the Hollywood Sign. Many people know that you can walk behind it via a good hike, but it also offers that option for cyclists! From the Griffith Observatory you can go there directly, but it\u2019s more fun to drive first to the \u2018backside\u2019 of Mount Hollywood, then westwards to drive back towards the famous sign. The view? Priceless. Just be careful, you have to go through the white fence at the end of the road (get off and then walk through the pedestrian gate) to get to the sign. In the US, not everything is closed either.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Hollywood<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Route to the Hollywood sign from Los Feliz<\/h2>\n\n\n\n