Sat, Oct 25 · 9:00 AM PDT
Moorpark to Ventura Camping or Hotel Tour
CAMPGROUND OR HOTEL: Emma Woods State Park might be one of the worst Hiker/Biker campgrounds in California. Don’t get me wrong. The park has enormous potential. The grass is nice, and the beach is close; it is close to Old Town Ventura, but the bathroom might be locked in the morning, and the drag racing nearby may keep you up at night. That said, you may like it. Nonetheless, Ventura is a nice destination, a very cute old town. Thus, the hotel bit. I am going to be staying in a hotel near Old Town. I hope others do as well. You will have to make your own reservations but make them as soon as you can.
WHERE AM I STAYING: To be determined.
ROUTE: We will begin our tour at 9:00 A.M. (depart by 9:30 sharp) in the parking lot of the Starbucks in Moorpark (Starbucks, 561 New Los Angeles Ave, Moorpark, CA 93021). From there, we will have a long but gentle climb and descent to near Filmore, where we will turn left toward the sea. We will ride through orange groves, farmland, and Highway 126 to the outskirts of Ventura. The distance is moderate (about 33 miles), and the hills are not too steep. The return route will be shorter and flatter, either on Highway 118 or on scenic side roads—a flat 29 miles. A link to a route map can be found below.
Here is a Bike Maps map of the route.
FOOD: We will stop for lunch in Santa Paula. Dinner and breakfast will be at an Old Town Ventura restaurant to be decided later. If camping, you might want to pack your food or buy it along the way.
Route Link: soon
CAMPGROUND: The hiker-biker camp fee is $10.00 per night. The campground has toilets but no showers nearby. The campground is flat with plenty of room for tents.
DIFFICULTY: I rate this trip as beginning/intermediate due to distance and a few hills, best done with a low gear. You are welcome to come if you consider yourself a beginner who is up for a challenge and in good shape. You should know that I use the word "beginner" with qualifications. I do not mean a beginning bicycle rider; I mean a beginning long-distance loaded bicycle tourist: i.e., you can already ride 30+ miles at 10-12 mph on a bike loaded down with 30-40 lbs. of clothes, food, and camping gear. You also know how to fix a flat.
WHAT SHOULD I BRING? You will need to pack as you would for a backpacking trip (but no backpack), and a multi-gear bike in good repair with very low gears. If your bike has a triple crankset, a compact crankset, or huge cogs, it probably has very low gears. If you have a mountain bike with knobby off-road tires, I suggest you install narrow road tires – you will find your ride much less difficult. If you have a bike purchased in a department store (rather than a bike shop), you may have a very heavy bike with poor bearings and unreliable hardware. If this is the case, I advise against using that bike. If all you have is a department store bike, but you are nevertheless a strong rider (an unusual combination) and still want to go, I can probably loan you an appropriate bicycle. You should also have a spare tube, pump, tire levers, etc. You will need panniers or a trailer to carry your stuff. If you need help with equipment or you would like to borrow a set of panniers, a trailer, or even a bicycle set up for touring, you can use the Meetup message service. Please message me your phone number so I can contact you on the ride if needed.
WHY: The ride, the camping, the shared beverages, and the jokes. And… I hope to introduce more people to the joys of bicycle self-supported camping and touring.
