More people are getting around town by riding their bicycles. What once was just a great way to get outside and improve your overall fitness has become a regular mode of transportation. In addition to increasing your fitness level, you can also eliminate the headache of traffic when riding your bike through a busy city like San Diego. And if you live in California, particularly Southern California, that’s definitely a headache you want to avoid. With that in mind, it just got easier than ever to ride your bike in San Diego County thanks to its improved bike routes and bike rental options.

Here are some insider tips and important rules to follow when it comes to cycling in San Diego.

Best Bike Routes

Cyclist on the Pacific Coast Highway

Pacific Coast Highway

The scenic route of the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) stretches along the coast, making it accessible to people living in cities such as Oceanside and Del Mar. The route has many stops, and offers both flat stretches and hills along the way. With the PCH, you can bike through residential streets, shore roads, and sandy beaches.

Bayshore Bikeway

This 25-mile predominantly flat route called the Bayshore Bikeway stretches through Coronado, Downtown San Diego, and Chula Vista. What puts this bike route on the best list is that 13 of those miles are car-free bike paths that go around the Bay, taking you through scenic spots like the San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge and Silver Strand State Beach. There’s even a bike-friendly ferry to Coronado.

State Route 56

State Route 56 is a 14-mile long connection with a gradual incline that can take you inland from the coast. It’s separated by traffic, and there’s a gas station at the midway point in Camino Del Sur. Paved and off the street, the route is great for cyclists, and it passes through a variety of neighborhoods like Carmel Valley.

Most Dangerous Spots for Cyclists

Typical Downtown San Diego street

While cycling is a great way to travel around town, there are some spots you may want to avoid. Several intersections in the city were determined to be the most dangerous to cyclists in a San Diego bicycle crash study by EB Cycling Law. Midway Drive and Rosecrans Street in San Diego as well as Rose Street and Valley Parkway in Escondido had the most amount of crashes and injuries, according to the EB Cycling study.

“The intersections and crash zones are either high-speed streets or high-volume streets with lots of bike and foot traffic mixing with cars,” said Maya Rosas, director of policy for pedestrian and cyclist advocacy group, in an article to the San Diego Tribune.

Some of the other areas to be cautious about when bike riding include South Coast Highway 101 and Encinitas Boulevard in Encinitas, Broadway and Palomar in Chula Vista, University Avenue and Alabama in North Park, Palm Avenue and Saturn Boulevard east of Imperial Beach, Coronado Cays and Route 75 in Coronado, and Washington Avenue and Broadway in Escondido. 

Riding Tips & Tricks

Bikes locked at the beach photo by Shutterstock

Any Bike Will Do

While bike types can run the gamut, from mountain bike to road bike to hybrid and more, no matter the type, you can use any bike on the paths and trails in San Diego County. It’s important to remember to make sure your bike is fully functioning and won’t break down. Check your tires for impending flats or air leaks, and try to have a patch kit, spare tube, or pump on hand. 

Ring Your Bell

While safety gear such as pads, helmets, and reflective accents on your clothing and your bike are both useful and important, many cyclists have forgotten the use of a bell. Bells are small, easy to install, and will help you announce yourself to pedestrians, other cyclists, and drivers. Also, you should never assume that drivers can see you; always stay vigilant.

Security

Bike-parks may not always be readily available. If you can’t park your bike inside the facility of your destination, be sure to have a proper lock for outside storage, and if you can, remove the front wheel, which makes it less likely for your bike to be stolen.

So Fresh and So Clean

If you’re riding in to work or to an event, you may want to keep a fresh shirt in your bag. You can roll up your clothes instead of folding them in your bag to help eliminate wrinkles. If a shower isn’t available at your final destination, a pack of baby wipes can help freshen you up in pinch. 

To Dock or Not To Dock

Discover Bike station photo by Shutterstock

If you don’t own a bike then you need not to worry because there are bike-rental programs available throughout the city and surrounding areas. San Diego offers residents access to the bike-sharing program Discover Bike, which recently made a deal with Discover Card to improve its bike-sharing network, bikes, and stations. Customers can rent and drop off rental bikes at designated stations throughout the city. Although this isn’t the most popular option, it’s available for cyclists in need of a bike.

In San Diego County, dockless bikes have hit both National City and Imperial Beach, and they are working with LimeBike, which also offers electric bikes and scooters in addition to standard bikes. According to the San Diego Tribune, dockless bike-sharing company Ofo was also allowed to operate within the city, providing more options for people without bikes. With dockless bike programs, more people will have access to bike rentals with the touch of their smart phone app.