The Marvin Braude Bike Trail, known to locals as the Strand, runs for miles along the coast. The stretch from the Santa Monica Pier south to Venice is the classic morning ride, flat, easy and right beside the sand.
Bike rental shops and bike-share docks are dotted along the beach, so you don't need your own wheels. Go early and you'll share the path mostly with joggers, surfers carrying boards and the odd volleyball game warming up.
Roll past the pier and down toward Venice, where the boardwalk is still quiet and the skate park is just waking up. Keep going and the path heads on toward Marina del Rey.
Ride on the bike path, not the pedestrian walk, keep your speed easy where people are crossing to the sand, and remember the marine layer can make early mornings cooler than you expect.
Stop for breakfast near Main Street in Santa Monica or Abbot Kinney in Venice on the way back. Salt air works up an appetite.
