Yes, LA is actually a decent town for riding. Unless you are sticking to the beach paths, you do have to know how to ride in traffic, but there are a lot of rewards and a very wide variety of environments. Within county - and really, city - limits, you can ride through:

- The high-rises downtown, as the reporter noted
- The beach, either along the path that goes from the South Bay all the way up to Santa Monica, or, if you are more experienced and with a group, on PCH into Malibu and beyond.
- Along your run of the mill city streets, commuter-style
- Up into the hills and down into the canyons for some great climbs and great views
- Through the streets of mansions of Beverly Hills and whatnot
- Along the river trails parallel to the 710 and the 605, that will take you through a variety of neighborhoods without the cars and in relative safety, at least during the day when there are other cyclists out and about.

The bike lanes seem to be getting better, thanks, I'm sure, to the grass-roots types.

I actually like Ballona Creek, but I wouldn't ride it too long after sundown or too early if I were alone. It was my regular commute path for a while. Like the river/wash trails, I think it's ok if you are riding when other folks are there.