Magoo’s Ride
This ride has few significant hills but does have a fun descent on your way from Moorpark to Santa Paula. The ride is dominated by the run from Ventura to Malibu along the coast. There are a few junk miles while getting around the Seabee Base but the balance of the ride is quite nice. Those of you from out of the area may get the feeling of déjà vu, but it is just that several sections of the course have been featured in commercials, TV shows and/or movies. Be aware of the fact that the wind can play a significant role in you enjoyment of this ride. Extreme Santa Ana or other high wind conditions can make this ride far more difficult than the amount of elevation gain would imply. You may want to check the weather before you head out. Also, be aware of the fact that on a beautiful day in the middle of summer when temperatures are perfect for riding along the coast – you will not be the only one with the idea that the beach may be a good place to go. Thankfully there are either wide shoulders or a bike lane for much of the ride. Keep your eyes on the road and not on the girl in the string bikini or the buff surfer dude, especially when near Zuma Beach when parked cars have a bad habit of opening doors just in front of you. There are several places to eat or grab a cup of coffee if you would like to. A couple of places that we like to stop at are the Santa Paula Coffee Company in Santa Paula and Neptune’s Net near the County Line surf spot. While the food is not that great at Neptune’s Net it is interesting to see the Harley Davidson crowd mix with the Surfer crowd while wandering around in spandex and enjoying the ocean view. The turn around at Malibu Colony has several places to grab something including a supermarket that you can rub elbows with the rich and famous’ personal assistants.
