If you've lived in LA and never taken a bike ride from the Westside to the South Bay...do it. Seriously, like, now. Here's why...
1. It's easy and cheap. All you have to do is be able to ride a bike (so be older than six), have enough in the bank account to cover a bar tab or three and the ability to enjoy natural (and artificially enhanced) beauty.You can start in Venice or Santa Monica, but unless you're training for an Ironman, you may want to start around Marina Del Rey. My suggestion, park in the lot at Fisherman's Village. Here, you can rent your bike for a few bucks an hour or fill your current bike with air, grab a quick drink at Whiskey Red's and take off.
2. It's a great way to get your tan on. Even, if you don't love "Bromosa," or you're whiter than The Bare Naked Ladies, a little Vitamin D feels pretty good sometimes. If you've really wanted to look like local weather man Dallas Raines, then this is a good place to start.
3. You're exercising. That's right - you can feel good about yourself while you burn calories and weave your way through loads of Manhattan Beach yoga moms. Seriously, it's like Lululemon decided to adopt a section of bike path.
4. As long as you're not completely blasted, it's a pretty good way to get your drink on and visit some local South Bay watering holes like Fish Bar or Hennessy's, a Mexican spot like Dia de Campo and the true hole-in-the-wall where college drinking games and people who look like they play college drinking games reign supreme, Poop Deck.
5. Besides the bars, the beach and the ocean, the people-watching is fantastic. Whether it's your quintessential casual westsider-type, your families and over-night campers building fires at Dockweiler Beach, your Mr. and Mrs. Manhattan Beachers or the Hermosa greek life you thought you left back at the dorm room, there's a fair amount of diversity that covers your 12 mile round-trip ride.