Ojai to Carpinteria and back Bicycle Camping Tour
Details
START: We will begin our tour in Ojai at 10:00 A.M. (depart by 10:30) from Libby Park in downtown Ojai. You can park your car for the weekend in one of the nearby residential neighborhoods.
SATURDAY ROUTE: We will ride down the Ventura River Trail Bike Path until down the coast and on to Carpinteria, where we will camp for the night. I estimate about 32 miles.
ALTERNATE ROUTE: If you are looking for something with a big hill, you can ride over Casitas Pass on one or both days.
SUNDAY ROUTE: From Carpinteria, we will ride south on Hwy 101 for a few miles and then a frontage road to Ventura. We will ride up the Ventura River Bike Path back to Ojai from Ventura. I estimate about 32 miles. This is the same route as Saturday but the other way.
FOOD: Pack lunch for Saturday. We will not go into Ventura. Instead, we will eat lunch at Emma Woods State Park Hiker/Biker, just off the bike path going north from Ventura. In Carpinteria, we may eat out or shop at the local grocery store for dinner and breakfast. We can barbecue at the campground if we wish.
CAMPGROUND: The hiker-biker camp fee is $10.00 per night. The campgrounds have flush toilets and hot showers (you'll need a few quarters for the shower) right next to the beach-side Hiker-Biker campsite. We can purchase firewood and beer from the campground store. The campground is flat with plenty of room for tents.
DIFFICULTY: I rate this trip as intermediate due to the distance and a big climb (optional) on both days. Saturday is easier because the Ventura trail is a slight decent. Sunday is harder for the same reason. If you consider yourself a beginner who is up for a challenge and in good shape you are welcome to come. 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 very large 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. I also think cruisers, BMX, and mountain bikes with dirt tires are a bad idea for this kind of riding. You can make a mountain bike into an acceptable touring bike by installing light road tires. If you don’t have the right kind of 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 message me.
WHY: The ride, the camping, the shared beverages, and the jokes. And… I hope to introduce more people to the joys of bicycle touring and camping.
MAPS: Check back to this page in a few days for links to route maps.
Ojai to Carpinteria and back Bicycle Camping Tour