Life Cycle

I have lived in three cities, Los Angeles, London, and Portland, Oregon for extended periods of time, and out of the three, Portland is considered the most bicycle friendly and bicycle accommodating place out of the three. On many levels, this is the case, starting in Downtown Portland and steadily making its way out into the suburbs, Portland’s bike network has been the envy of cyclists since it started accelerating the building up its bike infrastructure in the mid 1990s. 6.2 percent of Portlanders (I call them Portlandians) commute by bike, the highest percentage in the nation. A bike share system is scheduled to make its debut in July.

The problem is that Portland, Oregon sees only 144 sunny days a year. It’s a miserable experience biking in the rain, which makes the "Bike City USA" title even more impressive.

London, as well, is a city where many people bike in weather as dreadful as the Pacific Northwest. An estimated 580,000 bicycle trips are taken daily in the city, but cycling in London comes with a healthy dose of putting your life into your own hands. The city’s ancient, narrow roads mixed with extremely aggressive driving and double decker buses makes for a wild ride.

Yet here in Los Angeles, I look around and we have incredible weather nine months out of the year, plenty of room and a desperate need to get out of traffic, and I get the sense that many people are afraid to bike here. Sure there’s an intimidating mix of distance and car culture that make two wheels seem like a pipe dream, but depending on where you choose to live, taking your transportation into your own hands may just be within your grasp.

If you live near the water, chances are you have the best cycling infrastructure in the city, blissfully located in the most scenic and climate-friendly locations. On the Westside for example, If you’re commuting from Culver City, home of Sony Pictures, to famous Venice Beach, Playa Vista (also known as Silicon beach) or Loyola Marymount University, the Ballona Creek bike path is a protected bike path, isolated from traffic. You can make it from the Expo Line Subway Station on La Cienega to the beach bike path in thirty minutes once you get good enough to book it. Once you get to the coast, anywhere from the Pacific Palisades to Redondo Beach in the South Bay of the city is accessible, depending on how motivated you are.

If you live by the Los Angeles River, the bike path extends from the San Fernando Valley to Downtown Los Angeles, and starts again in Vernon, all the way down to the coast in Long Beach.

These are only two examples of Los Angeles’ surprisingly built out bike network, and it’s a viable alternative for many people. Combined with the city’s new and expanding rail network, if we choose to, we have a real chance to get out of our car once in a while and experience a different quality of life. I like the idea that my commute can also be exercise, sightseeing, enjoyable. I like the idea that I can put my bike on a bus or a train if I get tired, and sleep until I get home, or do a little bit of extra work. Breathe a little easier, looking a life a little slower, but with a little depth, a little more patience. 

-Sean Eckhardt