Breezy Riders

It’s summer. It’s hot. You want to be cool. A bike ride at the beach is a no-brainer. Except when the whole rest of the world has the same idea.

I found this out in a rude way last August. I was gliding along the hip Hermosa Beach bikeway, going with the flow, enjoying the day. A well-muscled guy on in-line skates did a spontaneous pirouette and smacked into my front wheel. We both went skidding across the pavement.

Luckily, bruises and road rash were our only injuries. Pedaling stiffly back to my car, I brightened a bit when I saw a 70-ish lady rolling grandly along on a finely crafted European bike. Gee, I thought while my knee throbbed, I hope I’m still doing that when I’m her age.

Then kaboom. A little boy on a bike made an impetuous U-turn and crashed right into her. The boy was fine but the woman ended her ride with a trip in an ambulance.

Let’s face it: The beach bike paths at Hermosa, Manhattan, Santa Monica, Huntington and Newport are neat places to ride in spring, fall and winter, but they’re just no fun on summer weekends. Flocks of beach-goers on foot, bikes and skates are just waiting to fling themselves in front of your wheels.

The good news is that there are other places to go for a cool ride, with scenery, shade, breezes, flat terrain, no crowds and almost no traffic.

* Whittier Narrows Recreation Area, near the junction of the Pomona and San Gabriel River freeways, is a summer bicycling paradise. The loop around Legg Lake is a tad under three miles and a snap for kids. Adults can opt for a 14-mile circuit over to the nature center and along the Rio Hondo riverbank. Take a picnic lunch.

Park in the lot off Durfee Road, near Rosemead Boulevard ($3 on weekends). Meander along the wide paths around the lake, which are smothered in shade. You’ll see tons of people barbecuing, playing ball and fishing, but the lush and immaculate park won’t look crowded. On Sunday afternoons you might catch the model boat races, which the sunbathing ducks on shore seem to view with amusement.

Traffic-savvy riders can head over to the park’s nature center. Go east from Legg Lake, across Santa Anita Avenue, and when you leave the park, take Durfee Road for a short stretch (warning: narrow shoulder). The nature center’s museum is tiny but informative.Self-guided nature trails beckon you to spend some time on foot.

Retrace your path to the parking lot and then head west on Durfee for three-fourths of a mile. Cross Rosemead Boulevard to Bosque del Rio Hondo Park, where there are shaded benches, a shiny new restroom and a kiosk explainingthe history of the area.

Follow the paved off-road path north along the Rio Hondo riverbank, where you’ll be surrounded by a jungle of shrubs and twittering birds. Cross under the Pomona Freeway and pedal past the construction being done on the park’s new soccer fields.

Stop at the park’s BMX racecourse to marvel at the kids flying effortlessly through the air on their bikes. To return to your car, follow the road a short distance until you come to a sign pointing the way back to Bosque del Rio.

* Any day of the year, it’s a treat to do the Griffith Park/Los Angeles River ride. I’ve done it when the thermometer read 94 degrees, and it was just the ticket to keep Mr. Sun at bay. On hotter days, it’s best to go early in the morning or late in the afternoon. The 10-mile route can be done in an hour or it can span a whole day, depending on whether you want to take in the off-bike side trips.

Park in the lot at the Los Feliz kiddie train station on Crystal Springs Drive. Although the bike path is actually on the street shoulder, it’s wide and reasonably safe. “The great thing about this ride is that cars expect to see bikes. I ride the park all the time, and that’s probably the No. 1 reason I do it,” says John Scoggins, a pharmacist from Glendale.

The route is only mildly hilly, and there’s cool greenery everywhere.

At the two-mile mark, hang a right to the Gene Autry Western Heritage Museum and the park zoo, where you can take a tour and get a bite to eat. Push onward to Travel Town, an outdoor transportation museum with old train cars, trolleys, wagons, fire engines and the like, a thoroughly enjoyable stop for all ages.

Retrace your route briefly and turn left at Riverside Drive. Across the bridge and immediately on the right is the new L.A. River bikeway. This paved off-road trail is smooth as ice cream, and it’s even lighted at night. It also gives you an up-close and personal view of the river, which is surprisingly free of trash and draws birds like a magnet. You could find yourself smiling at the whimsical cat faces painted on the waterway’s huge inlet pipes.

The path ends at Los Feliz Boulevard. Turn right, using extra caution while crossing the freeway ramp, to get back to your car. Just for fun, finish your outing by taking a ride on the kiddie train.

* The Santa Ana River Trail in Orange County has to be Southern California’s best-kept bicycling secret. It’s perfect for non-gearheads who want to spend some easy time in the saddle.

Start at lovely and leafy Yorba Regional Park in Yorba Linda. The 23-mile trail goes all the way to Huntington Beach. But the first 10 miles, to Anaheim Stadium, are good enough for me. There is zero car traffic to contend with, and you don’t need to keep a tight rein on the kids because there’s plenty of room for everyone using the path.

The first 2.5 miles skirt Yorba Regional Park’s endless acres of grass, picnic tables and ponds. At Imperial Highway, a bridge goes over to the west bank. You can leave the trail here and get a bite to eat. Another 3.7 miles brings you to a wilderness-like area with shade trees and flocks of birds, including graceful herons fishing for lunch.

Just before the 10-mile mark, near Arrowhead Pond, is a pocket park with shade trees, water, a restroom, a couple of picnic tables, even a bike rack. The nearby turnaround point is practically within arm’s reach of the “Big A” marquee at the stadium.

You probably will be riding into a head wind on the way there, and in the big book of bicycling, that means you’re supposed to have a helpful tail wind on the return leg. Sometimes the wind diabolically changes direction, but don’t fret. On a hot summer day, you’ll want that breeze in your face anyway.

* Long Beach can easily boast that it’s one of the most bike-friendly places in Southern California. A 17-mile ride taking in the waterfront, Belmont Shore and Naples probably will have you wondering why you don’t visit the Queen City more often.

The one shortcoming of this ride is that it just isn’t long enough, says Sunny Haberman of Belmont Heights, a bike path regular. “In the morning, it’s especially nice. It’s never crowded. The Huntington Beach bike path is just too packed with people. And it’s not as windy here as it is there.”

You can park at the garage next to Catalina Cruises on Golden Shore ($8 per day). Follow the bike path past the Avalon-bound ferries to the new Long Beach Aquarium and the marvelous dolphin fountain. If it’s early in the day and you want coffee or a bite to eat, turn inland and travel a few blocks up Pine Avenue. And check out the Long Beach Bike Station just east of Pine Avenue and 1st Street, the nation’s first bike-commuter facility. It’s a good spot to fill your tires and grab snacks for the ride.

Back on the waterfront, the bikeway threads past the eateries and tourist shops of Shoreline Village, the colorful fishing scene at Belmont Pier and a must-see 1960s-style coffee shop, Chuck’s, across from the Belmont Olympic Pool.

Turn left at Bay Shore Avenue for a leisurely sojourn through the sunbathing mecca of Belmont Shore. Then swing over the 2nd Street bridge for a jaunt around the tiny island of Naples. This Italian-themed citadel is full of splendid homes and gardens. Colorful kayaks ply its canals.

After leaving the island, head back on Bay Shore Drive and take a detour to the right on 2nd Street. This lively commercial strip is brimming with funky boutiques, cool cafes and international cuisine.

Before returning to your car, swing out on the jetty at Shoreline Village, especially if the sun is sinking in the west, for a picture-postcard view of the magnificent Queen Mary.

* The Ventura Promenade and Harbor is the place to chill out when it’s a 100-degree scorcher most everywhere else. Summer weather there is virtually always pleasant, and I’ve sometimes found myself biking in fog.

Even better, this ride is adaptable to all ages and skill levels. “This is the ideal family ride. I have three boys, and we started riding here with training wheels,” says Joan Dodge, a school counselor and Ventura resident who was tootling down the path recently with two visitors from Australia. “This whole area is user-friendly.”

Indeed, there’s no shortage of food, water and restrooms on this 13-mile ride.

Park at San Buenaventura State Beach ($1 per hour), near the Sanjon Road exit of the Ventura Freeway. Pedal west past the pier to the Promenade, a wide concrete ribbon lined with flowers, trees and benches that gives a sweeping view of the coastline and (if it isn’t foggy) the Channel Islands. This segment of the ride can be a bit busy on weekends, and it might be best to walk it.

Head inland for a bit when you come to the Ventura River, where there’s a peaceful lagoon. When the path hits Main Street, retrace your route to San Buenaventura State Beach and then just keep going.

Soon you’ll be sailing past free-form sand dunes, where multicolored vegetation is taking hold as the state rehabilitates native coastal flora. At San Pedro Street, it’s a good idea to end the ride if you have young children because the route merges onto city streets.

Pierpont Boulevard takes you through an aging, laid-back beach community. Then a short stretch on Harbor Boulevard brings you to Spinnaker Drive and the Ventura Harbor. This tidy village of shops and eateries caters to both locals and tourists.

Take Spinnaker all the way to the end, where you’ll find the Channel Islands National Park Visitor Center. The exhibits are few but unusual; you can learn about Pygmy mammoths that once roamed the area and how island foxes are tracked.

Cyber Biking

* For detailed maps of the trips in this story, see https://www.calendarlive.

com. Calendar Live! also has its own biking guide with skill levels, directions and scenic highlights of biking trails in L.A., Orange and Ventura counties.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Riding Out the Heat

Make the most of a summer day with a ride along one of these easy bike paths. For detailed maps go to https://www.calendarlive.com.