They call this stretch of Pacific Coast Highway from Sunset Beach to Seapoint Avenue the 4,000 Meters. On any given morning, a train of cyclists would sprint the 2 1/2 miles through this corridor -- one of Southern California's most popular pavements for riding.
But until October, while construction crews build a bridge that's part of a long-awaited project to restore the Bolsa Chica wetlands, racers, recreational riders and cycling commuters alike will be pressured to leave the road and ride on a beach path with pedestrians, dog-walkers and surfers.
Bicyclists don't like the arrangement, which began in January. Neither do pedestrians. But federal officials in charge of the project say there's no getting around it. Cyclists may opt to use the highway lane, but many feel that's dangerous.
Cyclists say there haven't been any major accidents on the beach path -- yet. But as summer approaches, they say, competition for space will grow.
"When you mix pedestrians and bikes, it's always not very good," said Robbie McGinnis, 55, who has been knocked off his bike by a surfer who stopped on the beach path and turned without looking.
The bike detour begins at Seapoint Avenue in Huntington Beach and runs north 4,000 feet.
The construction zone takes up a portion of the 4,000 Meters, all but eliminating the cyclists' sprint.
Plans call for an ocean inlet under the existing highway lanes; a traffic bridge will replace the original lanes when the highway is completed. Crews have already built the northbound detour, diverting cars to temporary inland lanes, and are now building the southbound lanes.
The reason for the recommended bike detour: Several oil wells just inland of the detour meant vehicle lanes had to be made narrower than usual, and the wide shoulders cyclists used are gone. Concrete barriers line the detour lanes.
"I think most of us believe this is an inconvenience to a component of the cycling community," said Jack Fancher, a biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service who is overseeing the restoration. "They have the option to use the traffic lane or to use the bike path, but they just need to observe the rules."
The speed limit on the multi-use beach path is 10 mph, and 5 mph when pedestrians are present.
State lifeguards may enforce the limits by citing cyclists, but first-time offenders typically receive warnings, said Lon Graham, lifeguard supervisor at Bolsa Chica State Beach.
