About This Event
Newcomer Rides are no-drop, recreational-paced rides of around 20 miles to introduce riders to new sights around town or to investigate "old" sights in more detail. The rides start in different locations and we consider them successful if every rider can report that at least one destination is new to him or her! If we have enough volunteers (like THIS month!) we will also offer a "Beginners" route of about 10 miles.
This month's west side ride begins and ends at The Culver Steps, the epicenter of the city reimagining itself as a destination for work, dining, and commerce. The local streets are being reconfigured with one lane each for cars, buses, and bikes to encourage green transportation methods.
The basic route -- under 20 miles but almost 1000 ft of climbing heads north on city streets to the Getty Center, gradually climbing to the edge of the UCLA campus The "beginners" ride splits off here to visit the Franklin D. Murphy Sculpture Garden on campus, where the riders enjoy modern sculpture in a garden setting, break for refreshment if needed, and return to the start by a different route that highlights the disjointed Expo Line Bike Path. Total distance is only 11 miles but the climbing totals almost 500 ft so it is not like riding on the beach but more interesting,
The remaining riders will skirt the UCLA campus and do a small amount of gratuitous climbing to avoid traffic. On Sepulveda, we will have a bike lane for some of the climb to the Getty Center. At the Getty, the group splits and riders who want to do more riding will continue the climb up to the Skirball Cultural Center, which serves as a regroup and turnaround point. Riders who climb this far will total 1300 ft in 23 miles. Masochists with excess energy can tackle the iconic Mountaingate climb past the country club on the return leg. These riders will only have a little over 2 more miles but about 600 more feet of climbing. You can do the math to assess its steepness, but it always seems steeper. A ride leader will stay with this group but perhaps not for the entire climb!
More mortal riders will continue back to the start, which will also feature a different return route featuring the aforementioned disjointed Expo Line Bike Path. If we have enough volunteers we may also be able to offer this group a stop at the Getty Center as well.
Special notes on ride venues: -- No special preparation in needed for the Sculpture Garden visit
-- The Skirball Cultural Center is not at all bicycle hostile, however, there is an admission fee and only a few bike racks in the parking garages so we are treating it as an architectural sight and a pleasant turnaround point
--- The Getty Center provides more visit options but also constraints. They have bicycle parking in the garage, and a ride volunteer will watch your bike and any valuable accessories during your visit. You may not ride to the Center itself so you will either walk or take the tram. There is no admission fee and we will make a timed reservation for all riders who RSVP. If you are visiting the galleries you will either need cleat covers or non cycling shoes. If you are just visiting the garden I think you can pass but some of the nice views are from the perimeter of the exhibit buildings so think about it. The Getty will require proof of COVID-19 vaccination or recent test.
Administrative details.
Helmets are mandatory
An electronic waiver will be required for you to acknowledge to indemnify the LA Chinatown Firecracker Ride Committee and the LA Wheelmen Bicycle Club, co-sponsors of this group. (LA Wheelmen members: your membership waiver suffices).
For bike computer geeks, links to ridewithgps tracks will be made available below for download for both basic and extended rides. NOTE: These may be updated prior to the ride (or after).
Current ridewithgps.com track for the 11 mile route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/38516617
Extended Route Current ridewithgps.com track for all other options: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/38503286
Cue Sheets:
http://bfk.com/wheelmen/Newc_UCLA_Sculpture.pdf
http://bfk.com/wheelmen/Newc_GettyCenter_Plus.pdf
Neither is required for this ride because both the basic and extended rides will be led by volunteers from the sponsoring organizations. However you may want to retain them so that you can repeat the ride or impress your friends with your knowledge.
Plan to spend extra time on this ride than if you were riding alone because we will not drop any riders and delays may be encountered due to mechanical problems or flat tires. That said, please make sure your bike is ready to ride and you have a spare tube and are dressed for the weather.
