Beverly Hills gets kind of a bad rap: Rude drivers, expensive cars, a complete lack of marked bike lanes, more expensive cars, stupid people, dark streets, the list goes on. But I was thinking a little bit on the ride home tonight that I actually really like my stretch of ride through that strange little city. Sure, the stretch on Santa Monica South feels a little perilous, but Burton Way more than evens the score (and for the map of this ride, see here). Buttery-smooth pavement, empty shoulders (because everyone in Beverly Hills has their own driveway), lights timed that you can just roll on green if you’re hustling. When the wind is right, you can smell the steak at Morton’s while you’re waiting for the light at La Cienega to change.
And as for rollin’ deep: It was no critical mass (Did anyone ride that the other day? How did it go?), but I passed a guy holding steady on a blue cruiser in traffic: iPod in, lepoard-print Vans, lights front and back. We waited a light cycle at Wilshire, and he caught me at the next couple reds. Didn’t do much more than nod, but for a moment, Beverly Hills felt pretty bike-friendly after all.
los angeles rides 
You sure it wasn’t your buddy Jake Gyllenhaal ?
yeah – pretty sure about that. though that would have been kind of cool.