yup, it looked great. drove it tonight and looks like an easy 5.5 miles
the other way i was thinking was across redwood to chollas rd to euclid then up to wightman, but i forgot about the hill where home ave turns into euclid when heading north. much easier to just go the route Mike suggested to me.

Has anyone used the path that follows alongside the 56, going east-west? Is this road-bike friendly?

Just out of curiosity, is anybody here familiar with the back roads around Lake Hodges and Harmony Grove?
Last time in the Harmony Grove nature I saw a large aerial image of the lake and noticed an apparent road connection from Del Dios over to Harmony Grove. It passes Southwest of the dam of the reservoir. Google map gives the name as "Mt. Israel Rd." and "Via Ambiente".

Does anybody know if these are public roads or not?

I've tried roads before that seemed to connect on Google Maps only to find out they didn't exist or were private or otherwise blocked.

I may have to commute to Governor Drive, close to the 805. I was thinking of taking the Coaster to the Sorrento Valley stop, then doing the I5 to Genessee route to Governor. How is the ride along Genessee?

Route: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=I-5+S&daddr=Genesee+Ave+to:32.852769,-117.189617&hl=en&geocode=FW_-9QEdhkgD-Q%3BFYDC9QEdbVcD-Q%3B&mra=dme&mrcr=0&mrsp=2&sz=13&via=1&sll=32.877136,-117.208328&sspn=0.079292,0.133896&ie=UTF8&z=13

No MTB. I used to commute (occasionally) to UTC from the Coaster Station (1996-1999) when I didn't fell like riding all the way from Cardiff ... the I5/Genesee thing wasn't a big deal for me. Is it much worse now?

Remember, I have the "WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?" factor working for me.

What I'm wondering is what Genesee is like from La Jolla Village to Governor? Doth it suck?

batmick:Not pretty Bill. The uphill along the freeway sucks and there is also a lot of construction going on around the Genesee/I 5 ramp at the moment.

If you are riding a mountainbike or cross bike you can ride up a little side track. You ride along Roselle and then take a right between two industrial buildings. The trail takes you up a canyon, between Campus Point and Easter Way and ends up on Eastgate Mall, next to La Jolla Canyon Apartments. From there the ride along Genesee still isn't great but not as bad as the lower part.

If I drive from Carlsbad to this place, it will probabily take an hour during the peak commute times anyway. Bike+Coaster? Aside from waiting for the train is going to be about that anyway. 24miles of cycling in total (home to coaster to this place and back).

I'm not worried about the I5 thing then ... but the one thing that would be troubling is the return at night. So I'll have to see what the hours would be. It's a short term, one month design project.

The idea of bike/coaster appeals to me because I know the auto traffic 5/805 to this location is the worse in San Diego.

Hillbilly:

bikingbill:I'm not worried about the I5 thing then ... but the one thing that would be troubling is the return at night. So I'll have to see what the hours would be. It's a short term, one month design project.

The idea of bike/coaster appeals to me because I know the auto traffic 5/805 to this location is the worse in San Diego.

I bike/coaster full-time now and love it. Especially after a year of driving up and down the 5/805 to Carlsbad. As you said, the only problem will be the hours since the last train south leaves fairly early. Otherwise, the coaster + bike is a great way to get up and down the coast.

I'd be heading NORTH after work. Coaster to Encinitas and then 7 miles to La Costa (NOT on La Costa Ave at night, that would be nuts).

<blockquote><cite> batmick:</cite>Depends on your definition of suck...</blockquote>

That's the funniest thing I've read on the internet in a while..and I have nothing to contribute to this thread other than it's funny.

might be better to go down university to 70th then up lake murray blvd. depending on where you will be working on navajo road.
obviously not riding on university, but some of the back roads.

70th turns into lake murray
go left on baltimore
baltimore turns into lake shore
turn left on jackson
jackson crosses navajo.
of course it depends on where you need to be on navajo

lots of little hills, nothing major
not much flat riding, it's either up or down hill.

i haven't driven zion-waring-navajo in a long time so i'm not sure if my route is better than that.

Thanks, Mike. I think I'll try Zion-Waring-Navajo for a shorter distance. Best route from North Park to Mission Gorge Rd. and Zion?

<blockquote><cite> ray333:</cite>Thanks, Mike. I think I'll try Zion-Waring-Navajo for a shorter distance. Best route from North Park to Mission Gorge Rd. and Zion?</blockquote> yeah i'm sure it's a shorter distance. i'd agree with mike_ballard. i'd go down fairmont. now for my own point a to point b question. i already know the best way to get there, i'm just a little confused on one of the intersections my wife works on camino del rio north. so i'm coming down montezuma rd from 54th/collwood montezuma turns into fairmont ave. so heading north on fairmont ave there is a bike lane right before interstate 8 there is a sign that says "bicycles must exit" to take a bike path over the I8 onramp if you follow the path it drops you off on the side walk right at the intersection of fairmont ave and camino del rio north. i'm trying to turn left on camino del rio north. how would you go about making that left turn? what seems like the best option to me is to sit on the side walk waiting for northbound fairmont to get a green then ride across the street till i'm in the correct lane to go west bound on camino del rio north. see the picture i drew ride across the intersection, stop at the black dot then wait for green light so i can ride along blue line

which line would you follow or would you do something else?

cool thanks
i think i'll get to try it on monday.

Southbound Fairmont at the Montezuma Rd. interchange is a deathtrap. Cars merging from Montezuma are headed toward I-8 and are already approaching freeway speeds here. It's akin to splitting lanes on a freeway. The speed differential is too great to be safe.

agree 100%

<blockquote><cite> surfer mike:</cite><blockquote><cite> ray333:</cite>Thanks, Mike. I think I'll try Zion-Waring-Navajo for a shorter distance. Best route from North Park to Mission Gorge Rd. and Zion?</blockquote> yeah i'm sure it's a shorter distance. i'd agree with mike_ballard. i'd go down fairmont. now for my own point a to point b question. i already know the best way to get there, i'm just a little confused on one of the intersections my wife works on camino del rio north. so i'm coming down montezuma rd from 54th/collwood montezuma turns into fairmont ave. so heading north on fairmont ave there is a bike lane right before interstate 8 there is a sign that says "bicycles must exit" to take a bike path over the I8 onramp if you follow the path it drops you off on the side walk right at the intersection of fairmont ave and camino del rio north. i'm trying to turn left on camino del rio north. how would you go about making that left turn? what seems like the best option to me is to sit on the side walk waiting for northbound fairmont to get a green then ride across the street till i'm in the correct lane to go west bound on camino del rio north. see the picture i drew ride across the intersection, stop at the black dot then wait for green light so i can ride along blue line

which line would you follow or would you do something else?</blockquote> Something else. Here's the sign: <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=montezuma+rd,+san+diego,+ca&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=34.313287,73.916016&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Montezuma+Rd,+San+Diego,+California&ll=32.776017,-117.099152&spn=0.035578,0.072184&z=14&layer=c&cbll=32.776117,-117.099208&panoid=IYnktEPoxQfEbQ-0XXWUnA&cbp=12,339.34,,0,7.57">http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=montezuma+rd,+san+diego,+ca&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=34.313287,73.916016&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Montezuma+Rd,+San+Diego,+California&ll=32.776017,-117.099152&spn=0.035578,0.072184&z=14&layer=c&cbll=32.776117,-117.099208&panoid=IYnktEPoxQfEbQ-0XXWUnA&cbp=12,339.34,,0,7.57</a> It says "Bicyclists must Turn" and points to that AWFUL path. I don't think it's legal, since this is not a freeway. But thanks for bringing it to my attention. I'll try to get it removed. Anyway, not that I'm recommending this, this is just what I would do: ignore the sign. When I've ridden here before by the time I got to the mouth of the path I would be one lane over already, since the rightmost lane is a essentially a right only lane to get on the freeway. In short, imagine how you would ride here on a motorcycle, and do that.

Serge:It says "Bicyclists must Turn" and points to that AWFUL path. I don't think it's legal, since this is not a freeway. But thanks for bringing it to my attention. I'll try to get it removed.

Agreed -- I can't imagine how a sign like that would be legal on a surface street.

I found a web site once that listed all the street legal traffic signs, I think for California: I wonder if that sign is even on the list? Not sure if I recall the web site address anymore, though - does anybody know what site I am thinking of?

<blockquote><cite> Njord Noatun:</cite> I found a web site once that listed all the street legal traffic signs, I think for California: I wonder if that sign is even on the list? Not sure if I recall the web site address anymore, though - does anybody know what site I am thinking of?</blockquote> The document that applies here is the CA MUTCD, and here is a PDF of the bicycling section:
[[_linker_]]
I searched for the word "must" and all the relevant hits (sign wording) had to do with "must exit" and only applicable on freeways. The irony here is that the city of SD is supposedly known for being a stickler with respect to only using signs and markings that are in the CA MUTCD.

the only time i've seen a cyclist riding on fairmont that didn't go over that bridge he was stopped by a cop.
the cop actually made an illegal u-turn from the southbound side to pull him over.
i don't know if he got a ticket or why he was pulled over

as for the sign being legal, i have no idea. i was always told that black and white signs were "the law" and you must follow what they say

if we could get that sign removed that would be great

Serge:

Njord Noatun:

I found a web site once that listed all the street legal traffic signs, I think for California: I wonder if that sign is even on the list? Not sure if I recall the web site address anymore, though - does anybody know what site I am thinking of?

The document that applies here is the CA MUTCD, and here is a PDF of the bicycling section:

http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/traffops/signtech/mutcdsupp/pdf/camutcd/CAMUTCD-Part9.pdf

I searched for the word "must" and all the relevant hits (sign wording) had to do with "must exit" and only applicable on freeways.

The irony here is that the city of SD is supposedly known for being a stickler with respect to only using signs and markings that are in the CA MUTCD.

The sign is in the MUTCD. The text in the MUTCD only mentions its use in conjunction with freeways, but many engineers don't read the text. And frankly, the text is a bit ambiguous. It doesn't say you can't use it on a city street, only that shall be used on a freeway ramp where cyclists are required to exit.
Worse news - I was talking with the city bike coordinator last week and he mentioned putting up a similiar sign on the southbound side, suggesting cyclists take the Montezuma exit, then merge back onto Fairmount further south. It's a horrible idea, since you still have to deal with merging traffic at Camino del Rio S, so I'm hoping to talk him out of it. I'll let you know!

MikeBike:Regarding the ride from Sorrento Valley coaster station to Genessee and points beyond -- has anyone tried this route (I hope the link works)? Is it even open? I don't think I've ever seen Tower Road before. It might be closed to public traffic because I think there's a power plant or something on it.

I work at two different locations, one of them being off of Genessee near the UCSD campus. I do the bike/Coaster thing too, but haven't yet tried this route.

That would be a nice alternative ... but it looks like a private road:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=tower+rd,+san+diego+ca&sll=33.104337,-117.247398&sspn=0.009886,0.017359&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Tower+Rd,+San+Diego,+California+92121&ll=32.900182,-117.232554&spn=0.009909,0.017359&t=h&z=16&layer=c&cbll=32.902421,-117.229623&panoid=VQ10QsHUHn6twisi7lf4ew&cbp=12,189.64,,1,2.91

Bummer! Thanks for the info folks.

I guess the alternative (out to Camino Santa Fe then back toward campus on Miramar) is really the only way (I have no interest in going down the 5, though I've seen cyclists on the shoulder between Sorrento Valley and Genessee).

I rode the segment of I5 Northbound to catch the coaster on Saturday. It's really not bad.

I used to ride up I5 to Genesse. Also, not bad.

<blockquote><cite> mike_ballard:</cite>I have been one of those cyclists on I-5, northbound only so far. Now that I've been on the dirt trail from the end of Roselle St to Eastgate Mall, I may not go back to the freeway. Much more fun on the dirt!</blockquote>
That's a fine option if you're headed east or south, like to P.B., but it's a big detour if you're headed west, like to the glider port or La Jolla.

<blockquote><cite> mike_ballard:</cite>Or north. It would be a good way to get to Carmel Valley as well. Overall, not a huge detour either. Other than the two places you mention - glider port and La Jolla, it is easy to make that path along the way to most any other destination.</blockquote>
There is a plan to build a Class I bikeway (bike path) there, but I'm not holding my breath. I know one of the issues was gradient... bike paths are not supposed to be too steep.

maybe it's cause i've never ridden a bike there, but it seems a lot safer to follow the new sign.
i know how many times i almost get in accidents with other people in cars right there.
people wait till the last min to get over and they are always in the wrong lane. seems much safer to just go up and over. you just have to deal with camino del rio south merging