If you want to know the definition of the love / hate relationship, then Paseo Miramar can serve as your dictionary.
There is a lot of good going on here.
You could call it the best gateway to the Santa Monica Mountains being so close to the Pacific Coast Highway in the idealistic setting of the Pacific Palisades.
As the crow flies, it’s not a lot of distance until you get some good views, but that comes as a price.
The pavement is a slap-in-the-face warm up at just over a mile at a brisk 9% that even includes a questionably engineered 20% stretch.
Once you hit dirt, you have about two miles to the most likely destination point for hikers Parker Mesa Overlook.
While it only averages 8%, take out the downhill and it’s closer to 11%.
It’s a true gravel grinder and the popularity of it all floods the road enough that you have to be aware of keeping your line.
Reaching the top, you owe it to yourself to visit Parker Mesa Overlook, even though we were clouded in on this day.
Doing this loop perfect for getting a full ride in with plenty of challenges and views along the way.
The strength of it for me is that you can do this coming out of the Valley using the Sepulveda Pass which is a central collecting point for cyclists.
All in all, you can get a good forty miles in by following this loop, but there’s a lot of other possibilities dipping back into the westside or continuing deeper into the Santa Monica Mountains.
Paseo Miramar is a rock of a climb, while also serving as a great way to kick off your ride.