Bicycling
San Diego offers bountiful opportunities for bikers, from casual boardwalk cruises to strenuous rides into the hills. The mild climate makes biking in San Diego a year-round delight. Bike culture is respected here, and visitors are often impressed with the miles of designated bike lanes running alongside city streets and coastal roads throughout the county.
Bike Paths
Lomas Santa Fe Drive. Experienced cyclists follow this route in Solana Beach east into Rancho Santa Fe, perhaps even continuing east on Del Dios Highway, past Lake Hodges, to Escondido. These roads can be narrow and winding in spots.
San Luis Rey River Trail. Paralleling the San Luis Rey River, this 7.2-mile (one way) paved trail starts in Oceanside and ends at the beach near the Harbor. Void of traffic lights and motorized vehicles, the path is relatively flat and is a fun way to reach the coast for bikers, walkers, and in-line skaters. North Santa Fe Ave. and Hwy. 76, Oceanside, California, 92057.
Bike Tours and Rentals
Bike & Kayak Tours. This bike and kayak outfitter, with locations in La Jolla and on Coronado, is your one-stop shop for biking and kayaking fun. It offers bike rentals and tours like La Jolla Freefall tour that starts at Mt. Soledad, La Jolla's highest point, and continues down the mountain, past mansions, and along the coastline. Bike & Kayak Tours also offers a hotel delivery service–-they'll drop off bikes right at your doorstep. 2158 Av. de la Playa, La Jolla, California, 92037. 858/454–1010; www.bikeandkayaktours.com. Tours from $59; bike rentals from $29.
Hike Bike Kayak Adventures. This outfitter offers guided two-hour bike tours from Mt. Soledad down to La Jolla Cove. The company also rents kayaks, surfboards, paddleboards, and snorkel gear. 2222 Av. de la Playa, La Jolla, California, 92037. 858/551–9510; www.hikebikekayak.com. From $45.
Holland's Bicycles. This is a great bike rental source on Coronado Island, so you can ride the Silver Strand Bike Path on an electric bike, beach cruiser, road bike, or tandem. 977 Orange Ave., Coronado, California, 92118. 619/435–3153; www.hollandsbicycles.com. From $8.
Wheel Fun Rentals. Surreys, cruisers, mountain bikes, and tandems, among other two-, three-, and four-wheeled contraptions, are available at the Downtown Holiday Inn and a number of other locations around San Diego; call or visit the website for details. 1355 N. Harbor Dr., Embarcadero, San Diego, California, 92101. 619/342–7244; www.wheelfunrentals.com. From $32.
California Academy of Tauromaquia. The academy opened in 1997 as the first bullfighting school in the United States. Year-round, the school offers a weeklong (Tuesday through Saturday) course in San Diego that finishes with a trip to a working bull ranch in northern Baja California. An intensive six-day course, beginning in San Diego and moving to the bull ranch in Baja on Saturday, takes place once or twice monthly year-round. A weekend intensive course in central Mexico and one or two annual field trips to Spain are also part of the syllabus. Alpine, San Diego, California, 92106. 619/709–0664; www.bullfightschool.com.
