Irvine, California: Irvine Round Tour

Irvine Ranch is a historically vast area covering modern-day Laguna Beach, Tustin Ranch, Newport Beach, Anaheim Hills, Orange, and of course Irvine. In the 1960s renowned architect and city planner William Pereira created plans for the greater cities of Irvine and Newport Beach. The designs for the City of Irvine incorporated many, many bike trails and walking paths to encourage walking and bike transit. Historically, the Irvine family and company were early backers of the bicycle. In fact, in 1889, James Irvine II traveled from San Francisco to the Irvine Ranch to survey the land he was to inherit on a bicycle called a velocipede. Irvine’s journey south took lots of energy and sweat on rough roads, but we can see the lands he inherited and developed, from the comfort of a Pedego Electric Bike. Irvine has over 360 miles of bikeways so you can explore, connect, and enjoy Irvine in a way that no other city can compare. James Irvine II would be proud of how friendly his City is to biking and walking with its bountiful paths and trails. We have a pleasant route in mind that shows off some of the lovely bikeways and notable locations in Irvine. 

1. Pedego Irvine 

Start your adventure at Pedego Irvine! There are many different choices of Pedegos to choose from at minimal rates. Furthermore, trailers are available to bring on the little ones or your furry friends. Pedego Irvine is centrally located to allow you to get to the Tustin Hangars, Shady Canyon, the Orange County Great Park, and even Upper Newport Bay. The best thing is that on a Pedego, at any age or fitness level, you can go anywhere you desire. 

3800 Barranca Pkwy Suite J

Irvine, CA 92606 

2. South Lake Gazebo and Island 

Irvine is home to two main lakes: the north and south lake. These lakes in addition to the coastal air help keep the inland Irvine area temperate during the summer months. The south lake has a pleasant gazebo looking over the water and a central island for bikes and pedestrians to cross sides of the lake. Birds in migration love to stop by both of these lakes as a cool pit-stop on their journeys. From here, there are a plethora of bikeways to choose from to ride.

4624 Alton Pkwy

Irvine, CA 92604

3. University of California Irvine / Aldrich Park 

The University of California Irvine, better known as UCI, was also designed by William Pereira, subsequently, there are plenty of paths to take to explore the campus area. In the center lies Aldrich Park. This park is the perfect place to bring your lunch and have a picnic, study, or take a stroll. Adjacent to the park is many school buildings, a sculpture garden, and the Langson Library. The unique design of the library is reflective of the artistic qualities of his architecture. Be certain not to fall asleep in the tranquil park because we still have plenty of beautiful trails and destinations to cover.

UCI

Irvine, CA 92697 

4. Turtle Rock Viewpoint / Chaparral Park 

This small hill is optimally positioned to get a stellar view of Newport Center, UCI, and businesses near John Wayne Airport, along with more natural views to the south and east with hillsides and nice houses. When you arrive at Chaparral Park to get to the viewpoint, sadly you will have to dismount and lock up the bikes at the park to walk up the steps to the viewpoint to the north. Besides, this park is a nice checkpoint for the next leg of the journey.

Chaparral Park

Irvine, CA 92603

5. Shady Canyon Hiking and Biking Trail 

Along Shady Canyon Drive are several trailheads and a main hiking and biking trail that runs parallel. If you have the time, the Bommer Canyon trail is absolutely splendid but it can really work up a sweat. Bommer Canyon is a fun labyrinth of trails that leads into Crystal Cove State Park, so plan ahead which ones you will take so you do not get lost in the thrill. Besides Bommer Canyon, the Shady Canyon trail leads along the road with a slight uphill, but nothing a Pedego can’t handle! As you journey up, to the left you will see down into Strawberry Farms Golf Course and it is quite a sight. The hiking and biking trails are mostly separated along the road, but be sure to stay on the paved portions as those are the bike trails. 

Shady Canyon Dr.

Irvine, CA 92603 

6. Quail Hill Loop Trail 

This short 1.8-mile loop trail is a relaxing ride with views of the entire area. If you are getting a little tired of riding bikes, this would be an ideal trail to stretch your legs. While on the trail, just like in the name, quails can be seen ducking in and out of bushes and shrubs. This trail is just slightly uphill, so it is best to go clockwise around to get the downhill on the return. The fields of grasses here get very tall at certain times of the year, so riding up high on a Pedego Electric Bike allows you to have great visibility.

34 Shady Canyon Dr.

Irvine, CA 92603

7. *Optional* Great Park OC, Sidewalks only 

The Great Park in East Irvine is a former Marine Corps Air Station by the name of El Toro. In recent years, this land has been reclaimed into many sports fields, parks, and ball courts. When you arrive, there is a giant orange helium balloon that you can ride up into the sky for an epic view of all of Orange County and a nice hangar museum that tells some nice local history. There is a caveat; because this land was out of the Irvine city master plan’s jurisdiction, there are no dedicated bike paths that lead there, only sidewalks. Furthermore, because several major freeways and highways intersect nearby, the sidewalks and their respective crossings are a little difficult to cross. We would recommend this park on this journey only if you are comfortable with crossing these busy streets. 

Great Park Balloon Ride

8307 Great Park Blvd, Irvine, CA 92618 

8. North Lake Gazebo 

The north lake and the south lake are very close and very similar, however, the north lake is a better rest stop because of the food available in the center to the south such as hand-crafted pizza or an Asian lunch cafe. This area is accessible by a convenient footbridge. From the south lake, you can also easily access this center by taking the small footbridge across San Diego Creek. 

4615 Barranca Pkwy

Irvine, CA 92604 

9. North Lake Island and Return

The north lake is an excellent little loop around the water, you can go either way, but the island in the center is where it starts to loop back. This little island has a little gazebo to boot. To get back to Pedego Irvine, all you need to do is follow either the San Diego Creek Trail north, or Barranca Parkway north until you get back to the center. 

1 Islandview

Irvine, CA 92604 

Above we have some images of the route. Although this route says 2 hours, that is on a standard pedal bike at around 10 miles an hour, on a Pedego Electric Bike, this route non-stop should take just under an hour and a half. Of course, we encourage enjoying your time at your leisure, subsequently, our recommended time is 2 to 2 and a half hours. 

The Best Pedego For Your Ride

For this ride, we recommend the City Commuter for its comfortable ride and its overall versatility and practicality for this journey. The pedal assist and twist throttle features on the city commuter allow you to passively aid yourself as you go along and give you power when you need it. Furthermore, the City Commuter, despite the name, can handle itself on the less strenuous trails and bumpy paths. For those interested in the Bommer Canyon excursion, the Element would be the better option because of the aforementioned features plus fat tires for a better grip on that softer terrain.

Hello, Fun!

To schedule your rental or answer any questions, feel free to contact Pedego Irvine at [email protected] or call (949)-418-7383.