Life in the Bike Lane : Cyclists Gear up for Fun, Health

The Saturday morning haze had not yet lifted when about 15 members of the North County Cycle Club took off on their weekly ride from Restaurant Row in San Marcos. Clad in the bright jerseys, stretch shorts and riding helmets that mark experienced cyclists, they soon bunched according to ability.

For front-runners such as Jim Markwell, this would be a quick, hilly, 34-mile training ride through San Marcos, Vista and Oceanside. For Dan Deal, it was a chance to spend time with 18-year-old daughter Renne, doing something they both enjoy. And for first-timer George Elwers, it was a chance to check out the club and the terrain.

Whether they race or tour, ride for fitness or pleasure, stick to the roads or head into the woods, North County’s cyclists agree that the sport is a natural attraction for the health-conscious population that makes up much of this section of the San Diego County.

The miles of well-marked bike lanes, varied terrain, temperate climate and spectacular views of North County’s geography also create one of the nation’s most hospitable environments for cycling.

Small wonder then that a sizable number of the world’s top triathletes (who bike, swim and run) have made North County their home. Or that Bicycling magazine this year named San Diego the third-best place to ride in America (after Seattle and Palo Alto, Calif.).

Bicycling “is an athletic activity that helps to maintain a certain amount of physical fitness,” said Ben Hatfield, a founder of the North County Cycle Club, who rides about 5,000 miles a year. “It’s recreational. It can be social. You can see so much from a bicycle that you never see otherwise.”

“The big attraction for North County is the coast bike route,” added Dennis Thompson, transportation planner for the San Diego Assn. of Governments (Sandag), who tracks the growth of cycling. “It’s very heavily used, and it’s probably some factor in people locating where they do.”

Consider some statistical evidence of the cycling boom in North County:

* On any given weekend day, as many as 1,000 people traverse the coast route between Camp Pendleton and Torrey Pines Mesa, making that stretch the most heavily traveled in the county and one of the most heavily used bike routes in the nation, according to a 1988 count conducted by the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition.

* According to a 1987 count by Sandag, the intersection of Lomas Santa Fe and the coastal highway in Solana Beach is one of the three top intersections in the county for peak-hour bicycle traffic (excluding the intersection of Montezuma Road and College Avenue, where San Diego State University students make heavy use of bicycles to commute to classes).

* The Tour de North County, now in its sixth year, bills itself as the largest cycling event in Southern California. This year, the Oct. 14 “Fabulously French Cycling Adventure” and subsequent French-style feast will attract an estimated 5,000 participants, promoters say.

Most sports run through boom and bust periods, and bicycling is no exception. For perhaps the past five years, the sport has enjoyed an impressive surge in participation nationwide. The Bicycle Institute of America estimates that, in 1989, 23 million adults were riding at least once a week, more than double the 10 million in 1983.

Sandag has no statistics on the number of county cyclists, but it estimates that in 1988, 230,000 bicycle “trips” were made, for reasons varying from recreation to fitness to a commute to work. That number is up from 160,000 in 1980. By 2010, the number should reach 500,000, Thompson said.

The forces behind bicycling’s growth are diverse, but almost all are typical of North County’s lifestyle or geography.

Bicycling is part of the overall health and fitness boom, but it also is benefiting from the conversion of former joggers and tennis players looking for a lower-impact workout, say experts who chart the sport’s re-emergence.

“Cycling is, let’s face it, easier on the body,” says the 60-year-old Hatfield, “and people do it for that reason.”

Interest in cycling also stems from the nation’s reawakening environmental consciousness, a sentiment that should take on added dimensions with the recent jump in gas prices, says Scott Martin, a senior editor for Bicycling magazine. In the 1970s, a cycling boom followed the Arab oil embargo and the sudden reality of gas lines, Martin said.

“It’s part of the rise in environmental concerns,” Martin said. “People are seeing that the bicycle is one of the good guys, I guess you would say. You can save a lot of money (and) it’s something good and positive you can do.”

Then there is the emergence in the past five years of the mountain bike, whose fat tires, sturdy construction and upright handlebars allow cyclists to take to the hills and trails of off-road terrain while providing more comfort than traditional road bikes. Last year, U.S. sales of mountain bikes surpassed sales of road bikes for the first time.

The mountain bike’s new cousin, the “hybrid,” or “city bike,” is attempting to bridge the gap between the two with thinner tires and lighter construction, allowing on- and off-road riding on the same bicycle.

In North County, many of these developments fit like a riding glove. The region is home to a sizable population of young adults, typical participants in the fitness boom, and families interested in recreational activities that adults and kids can participate in together.

But the most important local factors may be geography and the timing of North County’s growth. Much of the area was planned and built in the past 30 years, with wide, curving streets that accommodate bike lanes, along north-south and east-west axes. For example, a sizable portion of the North County Cycle Club’s ride on a recent Saturday afternoon was on roads that did not exist five years ago.

There are long, flat stretches for pleasure riders, tough hills for workouts, a view of the Pacific from much of the coastline, and quite a few good spots for off-road trail riding.

There are no breakdowns for North County, but San Diego County has 325 miles of bike lanes, 75 miles of separated bike paths and 140 miles of signed bike routes.

North County still has open space where cyclists and their nemeses, motorists, need not conflict. The most striking example is Camp Pendleton, which is flooded each weekend with cyclists in search of relief from menacing automobiles. But some of North County’s rural areas also provide lightly traveled cycling routes.

“The opportunities for cycling are greater up here than in the metropolitan areas of the county,” said Andy O’Leary, Solana Beach’s representative to Sandag’s Bicycle Facilities Committee.

Still, cycling in North County is not without its blemishes.

The most serious problem, many cyclists believe, is that the explosive growth of the region has led to an increase in conflicts between cyclists and motorists, a battle that 25-pound bikes can’t win against 2,000-pound automobiles.

While some say that motorists’ attitudes are changing, almost every cyclist has a horror story to tell. “They don’t see us,” said Lisa Ruby, a North County Cycle Club rider. “They’re not looking for us. They’re looking for cars. They’ll look right at you and not see you.”

But the growth of the sport also has led to increasingly large packs of riders spilling out of bike lanes and interfering with traffic. Last year, the Marine Corps threatened to close Camp Pendleton to cyclists because they were straying across roads and disobeying traffic signals.

Solutions may come from local governments, some of which have been historically reluctant to establish or improve bike lanes and other bicycle facilities, cycling advocates say. With the passage of a 1-cent sales tax increase in 1987, Sandag’s Bicycle Facilities Committee has had $2 million annually to dole out, and some towns are taking advantage of the money.

Solana Beach, for example, is writing a master plan for its bicycling facilities and upgrading the Lomas Santa Fe bike lane. Carlsbad is installing technology under road pavement that will detect bicycles and activate traffic signals.

A large survey of bicycle usage is planned, said Gordy Shields, chairman of the Bicycle Facilities Committee, and the hope is that better statistics might influence cities to improve striping, sweeping and maintenance of bike routes.

The cyclist-friendly environment has spawned at least seven North County-based cycling clubs and other informal group rides catering to a variety of cyclists.

Racers belong to the Celo-Pacific racing club in Vista. Team on Fire, out of Carlsbad, caters to junior racers ages 10 to 18. Off-roaders can join Bubba’s Morning Ride out of Pacific Coast Cycles in Carlsbad or Team Spokey Doke, the off-road section of the North County Cycle Club. Rainbow Cyclists, based in Carlsbad, is composed of gay and lesbian riders.

The North County Cycle Club may be the region’s most diverse recreational club, with about 200 members seeking companionship, training partners, touring opportunities and unusual rides.

On Saturdays, the group sponsors 10- to 15-mile rides for beginners, 35-mile rides for training and 55- to 60-mile rides for touring. On Sundays, the club’s social ride takes cyclists on a leisurely trek to some North County location, usually with a break for brunch, and a second training ride.

The club also has organized Wednesday night summer rides, and is sponsoring its annual “century,” a three-loop, 105-mile endurance event, Sept. 30.

The social rides are notable because the group will not “drop” anyone unable to keep up due to lack of conditioning or a flat tire, a complaint sometimes voiced about the Saturday rides.

The social rides have included historical tours of some of North County’s oldest homes, and trips to a wide variety of eateries.

The companionship of club riding gives Bill Ecker, ride coordinator, “a reason to ride,” which he says he lacked when he rode alone. “It helps you get into it,” he said.

“You get much better” riding with a club, said Gary Higgins, another longtime member. “If you ride by yourself, you never know when you’re strong and when you’re weak.”

Perhaps one of North County’s most dedicated cyclists is Neil Goren of Carlsbad.

He has established a unique nationwide computer listing service--The Bicycle Bulletin Board--which he operates out of his home.

Goren’s 800 members can gain access to what he calls the largest data base of cycling information anywhere.

In addition to riding partners, Goren supplies route information, diet and training plans, trivia games, up-to-the-minute race results, bulletins from the U.S. Cycling Federation, short stories and articles on cycling.

His classified ads list a wide array of bicycling equipment for sale.

Goren earns no profit from the service, but asks for donations to cover his costs from the 25 or so people who sign on each day. Local residents are the predominant users, but he has matched riders as far away as San Francisco. Anyone with a computer and modem can peruse the bulletin board by dialing 720-1830.

“I just wanted to find a partner to ride with,” Goren said of his experimental application of computer technology to the sport. “And I just wanted to put something back into cycling.”