Of all the national holidays created by publicists and marketing teams, May’s National Bicycle Month is one we’ll take for a ride.
It’s hands down the most enjoyable way to take in a city. Just ask David Byrne.
It’s also good for your health — and your city’s.
To celebrate, we headed to Venice (on a pair of new L.A.-made bicycles) to put together a two-wheeled bar-hopping plan that ends at a new bar hiding in a canyon.
Pedal carefully.
Don’t have a bike?
Solé Bicycles in Venice makes fixies and cruisers that are very comfortable for being so lightweight. The fixies are speed demons: you’ll pedal one stroke for every five that your friends on cruisers do. The colorways are reminiscent of vintage Italian bicycles, and if you order online, they’re shipped mostly assembled (and free!) — ours took 15 minutes to build. Or you can stop in their Venice shop and buy one fully made.
Grab a lazy lunch
Plant Food and Wine’s back patio is one of the best-kept secrets in Venice Beach. Shaded and surrounded by a garden, the stone-and-wood patio is a great place to hide in plain sight. And the delicious food is vegan done the best way: it doesn’t pretend to be meat. Rather, vegetables are enjoyed for being vegetables, in sandwiches and pastas that won’t weigh you down. And the wine list is full of obscure wines that make a long lunch inevitable.
Bike on to the following…
There are far fewer crowds on the Marvin Braude Bike Trail on a weekday. Enjoy moving quickly as you make your way to Will Rogers State Beach. Take a break and enjoy the waves. Do pick up some sunscreen and a pair of RAEN’s polarized shades for protection.
tallulas (3 images)
Finish with dinner in coastal Rustic Canyon
Vegan food is fine, but it burns fast. As soon as you hit cocktail hour (fourish), head to Tallula’s, a new Mexican-themed restaurant from the Milo and Olive/Rustic Canyon crew. From Will Rogers, head back towards Santa Monica, and near Channel you’ll find the stairs for the Roosevelt Tunnel that leads under the PCH. You’ll emerge on Channel; from there it’s a block south. Tallula’s is brightly colored and bumping with Cymande. The stiff cocktails — like margs and an avocado-calada (think piña colada with avocado) — will quench your thirst. Order some nachos and the turkey enchiladas: both are fresh takes on classic dishes.
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