ROLL OF A LIFETIME WINTER THE IDEAL TIME FOR A BEACHSIDE BICYCLE RIDE TO SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO.

Byline: Story and photos by Christina Uss Correspondent

The Adventure Cycling Association's Pacific Coast bicycling route stretches for 1,836 glorious miles, from Canada to Mexico. While the northern route may offer lush forests and dramatic shorelines, the segment passing through Los Angeles and Orange counties features something unique: the longest, densest network of vehicle-free bike paths on the entire ride.

The 80-mile stretch of the coast leading from Santa Monica to San Juan Capistrano is laced with more than 47 miles of paved beachside cycling paths.

Winter is the perfect time to explore the bike trails of the Southern California coast, since the crowds of sightseers and joggers pushing baby strollers are thin. On a weekday or early morning at this time of year, cyclists will feel as if they own these paths.

Riders interested in a two-wheeled weekend adventure should start with the coast route map available from the Adventure Cycling Association. However, no single map currently shows all the available paths, so riders need to keep their eyes peeled for the trails described below.

Will Rogers Beach State Park marks the journey's start: the impressive 22-mile South Bay Bicycle Trail. It's a palm-lined study in contrasts, leading south through the bustling circus of Venice, past the yacht-filled Marina del Rey harbor and under the flight patterns of Los Angeles International Airport traffic and hang gliders amid the sandy dunes of Dockweiler State Beach.

Then cyclists wind through the volleyball courts of Manhattan Beach, the Strand of Hermosa Beach, finally ending in Redondo Beach, coasting through possibly the only parking garage in the world with its own dedicated bike path. This trail is alive with endlessly entertaining scenery and human drama, not to mention plenty of junk-food stops.

Continuing south, riders follow bike lanes through the verdant peace of Palos Verdes, pedal through the busy gray industry of Long Beach, and finally turn down Pine Avenue toward the Pine Avenue Pier. Following Shoreline Drive to the left, the next path is the Shoreline Village Beach Trail. The right-hand branch of this path offers a grand view of the majestic Queen Mary. The left-hand branch takes cyclists for three miles along a 17-foot-wide trail with ocean views through Long Beach City Beach.

After you cross the Second Street bridge, the serene islands of Naples offer a pleasant sidetrack. Turning right on The Toledo, cyclists can briefly explore this canal-enclosed cluster of three islands, the smaller two encircled by paved paths.

The main route leads pedalers down Pacific Coast Highway into Seal Beach. At Warner Avenue, the smooth Huntington Beach Path winds for nearly 10 sandy miles from Sunset Beach through Bolsa Chica State Park through Huntington Beach.

Wet from the waves, surfers glide along the path using skateboards or bikes with ingenious surfboard-carrying attachments. (For cyclists who want to spread this trip over two days, Huntington Beach offers all levels of accommodation, from a laid-back youth hostel to four-star hotels.)

Cyclists funnel off the Huntington path onto a Newport Beach sidewalk, then take their first right to join a bike lane traversing a quiet one-way street. The pretty, three-mile beachside path begins at 36th Street, glittering colorfully in some places with inlaid wave-shaped designs.

This path dead-ends on the peninsula, but rather than retrace back to PCH, take the short Balboa Island Ferry at Palm Street for 80 cents and rejoin the mainland route at the corner of Jamboree and PCH.

Farther down the coast, the undeveloped dunes and black sage bushes of Crystal Cove State Park await riders. Turn off PCH before Laguna Beach at Pelican Point to savor two tranquil miles of paved paths here.

The San Juan Creek Trail makes up the final stretch of path, taking riders from Doheny State Beach in Dana Point to the San Juan Capistrano train depot. Turning right on Dana Point Harbor Drive, cyclists will find the start of this trail at the park's southwest corner. Follow the creek for three miles, cross a pedestrian bridge to the far side, and leave the path at Del Obispo Street.

The Capistrano Depot is just a block northeast, where both Metrolink and Amtrak Pacific Surfliner trains carry built-in bike racks.

After two days of two-wheeled traveling, riders can hop a train to Union Station and find themselves back up the coast in less than two hours with nary a revolution of the pedals. Or truly intrepid cyclists can turn their bikes around, point their front wheels northward, and discover what fascinating details of these paths present themselves when approached from the opposite side.

IF YOU GO

RESOURCES: The Adventure Cycling Association map for this route includes two of the seven bike paths mentioned in the story: [phone]; www.adventurecycling.com. A bikeways map is available from the Orange County Transportation Authority: [phone]; www.octa.net/streets/bikeways/map.asp. ``Short Bike Rides In and Around Los Angeles,'' by Robert Winning (Globe Pequot Press), does a stellar job describing the South Bay Bicycle Trail. The fourth edition of ``Bicycle Rides: Los Angeles,'' by Don and Sharon Brundige (B-D Enterprises), describes the area around Long Beach and Naples Island.

PATHS MENTIONED: South Bay Bicycle Trail (22 miles); Long Beach (4.5 miles, including Queen Mary detour); Sunset Beach and the Huntington Beach Path (9.5 miles); Newport Beach (5.2 miles, including bike lane section and backtracking from the peninsula's end to Balboa Island ferry); Naples Island (1 mile); Crystal Cove State Park (2 miles); San Juan Creek Trail (3 miles).

CAPTION(S):

3 photos, box

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(1 -- 3 -- color) Sights along a bike trip from Santa Monica to San Juan Capistrano include a geometric design in Newport Beach, above, the wide-open spaces of Huntington Beach, left, and a path between Marina del Rey and Manhattan Beach, top left.

Christina Uss

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IF YOU GO (see text)