2 wheel park and ride

The simplest way to move a bicycle from one location to another – is to get on and ride it there. Those who live in the Seal Beach/Los Al/ East LB area, however, often want to move the bikes first, then ride to and from.

This is because the only way to go east from here is a stretch of PCH between Seal Beach and Surfside/ Sunset Beach over the Alamitos Bay bridges, which is tenuous for cyclists at best. It’s 4-lanes but it’s just an open bike lane and the traffic is fast, frequently made up of tourists and people looking at the boats and surf, rather than where they’re going. 

A popular alternative to this is to load your bikes in a vehicle, drive to Sunset Beach; then park and ride. Not the most environmentally friendly idea, it’s still better for most family types than the perceived risk of the open highway.

Lots of folks come in our shop asking for alternative routes to the bike trail down to Huntington Beach, but if you’re not willing to swim with your bike, there really isn’t one, except down Seal Beach Blvd. to Westminster Blvd., then across the Naval Weapons Station to Bolsa Chica. That’s’ considerably longer than the trail and the traffic across the “ammo Dump isn’t much better than the Highway.

That leads us to: how to carry several bikes without disassembly of the bikes and or your car. There are two feasible types of car carriers: the hitch-mount and the bumper mount. The hitch–mount goes into a square tube called a receiver that can be used to mount a tow package as well. This is a more secure method than any alternative short of carrying the bikes inside a vehicle. The racks typically hold 3-4 bikes and should not cost more than $150.00 or so. Hitch racks are very secure, not likely to scratch your bike or car and usually fold down so you can still get in the back of your car or truck.  If you already have a “tow package”, it’s a no-brainer to spend the few extra dollars to get the HR as it’s much better. 

If you don’t want to spend that kind of money- the bumper rack works very well, costs less and is still secure, just a little harder to load and you can’t get in your trunk once the rack is on. There is minor risk of rubbing or scratching your car although the HOLLYWOOD brand features foam padding at all of the contact points, and the straps are dipped in plastic to reduce paint damage. The 3-bike version bumper rack shouldn’t run more than $75.00 and the reputable dealer will install it the first time so see how it goes.

One last note: If you are riding the Bolsa Chica bike path, drive to the East end and ride to Sunset Beach then back. That way the wind is behind you on the way back. See you next blog post. (Sounds like I'm going race a horse)