Yup,

take BART to Daly City, ride over toward Pacifica and down you go. The next 400 miles are great
until you get to Ventura.

I was riding out there September last. Hwy 1 from Coleman Valley Road (between Bodega Bay and the Russian River) south can be busy at times. I believe, but do not know, that the riding might be better heading north from there. Route 1 can be narrow in places, and full of tourists during the season, especially weekends. South of Bodega Bay, there are side roads that might be more fun. As you may have found out already, Cali roads can be quite inconsistent: narrow shoulder, wide shoulder, (suddenly) no shoulder, wide road, narrow road - and CA1 is no exception.

Suggest you find a copy of the "North San Francisco Bay & Wine Country Bicycle Touring Map" if you haven't already. There's a lot of good riding to be had, especially as you get north-ish towards Healdsburg and beyond. If you get the urge to go inland, CA29 can be jam-packed as far north as Calistoga. Avoid CA29 between Calistoga and Middleton (Harbin) at almost all costs.

There's a great bike map company here.... www.krebscycleproducts.com/ They're often available at local bike shops, too. I know REI carries them.
The maps have all the info you need, including grade and alternate route info. If you're going south from the Bay Area, be wary of 'devils' slide'- a tricky narrow windy part of the 1 that is pretty dangerous on bicycle. Really, the 1 is a beautiful ride anyway though- just be prepared for some big hills, and lots of little ones!