I live in Long Beach and mainly try to ride during the weekends.
I like to have a goal like an event, something scenic or museum (not a bar) as a stop during the ride.
For an example, on Tuesday night (4/27/03), there is a Astronomy lecture tittled "Stardust: Its Biological Legacy" at the Huntington Library in San Marino, CA at 8pm. There are three of us going: Busa, Harley and a Ducati. We will use the bikes to cut through the traffic and make the commute interesting. Feel free to join or meet there. By the way, it is a free event put on by the Carnegie Observatories.