A Melbourne man has died after being hit by a car allegedly driven by a drunk driver while riding his bike in Los Angeles.

James Rapley, 29, was riding his bike on Sunday when he was hit from behind by a vehicle that had drifted into the bike lane.

The scene of the accident where James Rapley was killed in Los Angeles.

Mr Rapley had been working in Chicago as a software developer, after studying in Melbourne and growing up in Seymour.

His father, John, said he had flown from Chicago to Los Angeles a day before his flight home for Christmas because he was nervous that bad weather would delay his plans. He hired a bike for a day when he was struck in the Pacific Palisades, a hilly area to the west of the city, about 9am (Los Angeles time).