Trip Report: Pacific Coast Highway (Highway 1)

[triniboy27]

Hey everyone,

I just got back from a 3-day ride down the PCH and I thought I'd provide some pics and details for anyone considering it.

I booked it through Eaglerider's hipster division called the Roadery.


http://theroadery.com/self-guided-tour-the-pacific-coast


While their website says they have guided tours, they haven't gotten enough numbers as yet to justify a tour guide and support van so all their tours are only available on a self-guided basis right now.


They booked the hotels and provide a broad overview of the route and key stops. I used my iphone maps app a lot though just to make sure I was on the right route and also to map out the sightseeing stops I wanted to go to such as the McWay waterfall, etc.

This was my first ever road trip via bike and I think I've caught the bug.

Pics below:

Day 1: Eaglerider SF:

Bike all loaded to go:

Somewhere b/ween SF and Monterrey:

Monterey Cannery Row

Day 2: Asilomar hotel

Carmel coast:

Big Sur coast:

Bixby Bridge:

Roadstop

McWay Waterfall

PCH:

Elephant seals at San Simeon

Day 3: Pismo Beach

Santa Barbara Coastline:

Old Mission, Santa Barbara

Mugu Beach

Malibu Coastline:

Lunchtime stop

End of the road (LA):

If you guys have any questions, let me know.

 

[shanekingsley]

My lady and I were just talking about doing this as a 2up ride. It seems like they have a lot of bikes to choose from and we would want a comfortable 2up touring bike - Harley or otherwise. I have rented from Eaglerider in Arizona before it was a very problem free experience.

What is your opinion of the itinerary they provided you with?
Did you see amazing things only because of the itinerary they gave you, or did you do your own research?
Did you get deals on the hotels you stayed at because it was arranged through them?
Did you bring your own gear or rent from them?
What was the cost for the bike rental for the 3 days?

Thanks for posting!

 

[triniboy27]

Hey Shane.
I thought the itinerary was well planned in terms of allowing enough time each day for stops, sightseeing, etc. I've seen the same tour done over 2 days instead of 3 and i think that would've felt a bit rushed.

Where I felt they could've done better was with the recommended stops along the way. For example, with the Monterey stop, there was no mention of Carmel despite it being extremely close to the hotel. Similarly, I did my own research on where to stop along Big Sur. I did make heavy use of my iphone Maps app to get me from stop to stop. A lot of the amazing things are actually hard to miss because they're all along the route but things like the McWay waterfall, you'dve had to have done your research ahead of time to know it exists and where to pull off.

The total cost including bike rental, insurance and hotels was $1500 for the three days. I brought my own gear (helmet, jacket, gloves, etc) as well as my own bungee net for my duffel bag. The bike they provided had saddle bags but I have no clue what could really fit in those. I can't speak to the deals re: the hotels as they arranged them for me but they were well located and placed as it relates to the route so it was very easy each morning to wake up and get back onto Highway 1/101.

 

[Old Suzy]

The bucket list keeps getting longer. I think I will be saving up some air miles for a trip out to California.
Thanks for the great Post!

 

[MacDoc]

PCH is just fabulous - really enjoyed it in the cage w GF last November.
Looking forward to doing it with the kid next June on the bikes.

Some pics here
https://picasaweb.google.com/113408714888195024530/PacificCoast?authuser=0&feat=directlink

and you gotta stop at Pelican Brew Pub.
http://www.yourlittlebeachtown.com/pelican

I suggest San Luis Obispo as a start point from the south and go until the fog kills it.

 

[NightShadow]

PCH is a great ride. Just do a little research and you will find tons to do and places to ride. 3 days isn't very long for much. So plan wisely.

 

[MacDoc]

Yeah - if the parks had not finally opened for us we planned a couple weeks on the PCH.

 

[konigralph]

Hey Shane.
I thought the itinerary was well planned in terms of allowing enough time each day for stops, sightseeing, etc. I've seen the same tour done over 2 days instead of 3 and i think that would've felt a bit rushed.

Where I felt they could've done better was with the recommended stops along the way. For example, with the Monterey stop, there was no mention of Carmel despite it being extremely close to the hotel. Similarly, I did my own research on where to stop along Big Sur. I did make heavy use of my iphone Maps app to get me from stop to stop. A lot of the amazing things are actually hard to miss because they're all along the route but things like the McWay waterfall, you'dve had to have done your research ahead of time to know it exists and where to pull off.

The total cost including bike rental, insurance and hotels was $1500 for the three days. I brought my own gear (helmet, jacket, gloves, etc) as well as my own bungee net for my duffel bag. The bike they provided had saddle bags but I have no clue what could really fit in those. I can't speak to the deals re: the hotels as they arranged them for me but they were well located and placed as it relates to the route so it was very easy each morning to wake up and get back onto Highway 1/101.

$1500 for a 3 day trip is really rich! What else did you get ? I mean the views are honestly unbeatable but I think I rather ride my way all the way down there.. Were you doing the more expensive hotels ? How much was it for just the actual bike rental?

 

[pfbmgd]

Looks great .

 

[ReSTored]

California coast is amazing. I've done the PCH 4 times, but in a car, not on a bike. We always stop in Morro Bay, which is underrated. If you are looking for CA roads check out this link, he also does tours as well. http://www.pashnit.com/ He also has a large number of rides mapped out as well for the self guided. Great site.