# Best mountain ride?



## Brandon351

What have you found to be the best Mountain ride in Southern California? 

Your definition of "best" could be from road condition, scenery, climbs, roadside services, whatever.

I am just looking for what other people think is good and then going out and trying it. So far, I have only ridden around the lake in Big Bear and climbed Mt. Baldy. Both fun, but I know there is better out there.


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## mtrider05

There are quite a few good ones, Angeles Crest (pretty broad here), Hwy 39, GMR, Palomar, Santa Monicas (again, broad).


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## rdcarter111

Lone Pine Canyon Road and Hwy 138 from Silverwood Lake to Crestline are my stomping grounds


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## 1stmh

*mine too*



rdcarter111 said:


> Lone Pine Canyon Road and Hwy 138 from Silverwood Lake to Crestline are my stomping grounds


I ride the climb into crestline all the time. Where do you live?


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## rdcarter111

1stmh said:


> Where do you live?


Victorville...


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## Mapei

Guadalasca Trail at Sycamore Canyon State Park, at Point Hueneme, south of Oxnard. Lush. Gorgeous views of canyon and ocean. Just hard enough to make you feel good about yourself.


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## mtrider05

rdcarter111 said:


> Lone Pine Canyon Road and Hwy 138 from Silverwood Lake to Crestline are my stomping grounds


What is the water-refill situation like in that area?


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## rdcarter111

There is fire station / ranger station just past Silverwood Lake that has water fountain.


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## mtrider05

Sweet thanks, I think we are riding from 15/138 junction to Crestline or maybe Arrowhead tomorrow.


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## rdcarter111

Nice ride I use to always park at the gas stations along the 15 and start from there it's about 40 miles from the 15 to crestline and back. The only hard part was starting out on a 6% grade with no warm up. Have a good one...I'll be going from Victorville to Wrightwood and back, maybe I'll see ya.


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## 1stmh

I live in crestline, and ride down towards Hesperia twice a week (tues and thurs) every week, at about 6 am. Also stop for water at the fire station. There is also a store at the summit valley turn on hwy 138.


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## 1stmh

As for best mtn rides, GMR to baldy ski resort is my fav. Followed by the ride up to Keller Peak, near running springs. Also enjoy Oak glen and Angeles Oaks to Jenks lake. 

Palomar is always fun (except for all the racers on motorcycles).


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## JSR

Mapei said:


> Guadalasca Trail at Sycamore Canyon State Park, at Point Hueneme, south of Oxnard. Lush. Gorgeous views of canyon and ocean. Just hard enough to make you feel good about yourself.


My favorite, too, but this is the ROAD bike review forum.

JSR


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## glance2

The "signature" climb in the San Gabriel mountains is Glendora Mountain Road (GMR). People usually start at the dirt lot just north of Big Dalton Canyon Rd. Most cyclists stop at the shack about 8 miles up. The favorite ride is to Mt. Baldy village. The most difficult "extra credit" is to the ski lifts.


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## TJ3

Check out the Fullerton Loop. It's a decent trail ride. Intermediate level I would say. I used to ride it all the time when I was into mountain biking.


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## vladpop

Several:

- Solvang!!! Probably the most scenic and beautiful part of Southern California. Not the standard definition of "mountain" but you can put together rides with even in excess of 10k of climbing. Lance and US Postal used to train there.

- GMR/39/ Mt Baldy combos. Look up the route of this year's queen stage of the Tour of California (also the route of the amateur L'Etape du California. Will blow your legs off! Andy Schleck struggled to keep upfront in the last miles, so try it out.

- Angeles Crest / Mt Wilson is a great quick loop you can complete in a couple of hours.


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## hept

Palomar!


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## 1stmh

rdcarter111 said:


> Lone Pine Canyon Road and Hwy 138 from Silverwood Lake to Crestline are my stomping grounds


I rode up to Wrightwood from Crestline today, and then went onto Angeles Crest hwy. I turned around when i hit 40 miles, giving me an 80 mile ride with 10,500ft of climbing. Lone Pine Canyon rd sucks. it has nothing on the Crestline hill. I looked, but never did see the lone pine. You are totally exposed, cars rushing by at 55 mph plus, and the road surface is terrible. The climb itself is ok, starting out 6-8% and then onto steady 8% and then finishing 8-10%, but the narrow road and cars make it really terrible. Next time I'm riding up 138 and then onto Hwy 2 into Wrightwood. 

Also had a bad experience descending Lone Pine Canyon rd. As the road is dead straight, you can see for miles ahead. A quad overtook 3 other cars as they approached me, but the quad staying in the oncoming traffic lane. The driver drove straight at me. When I realized he was not going to pull over, I had to break really hard and move off onto the soft gravel, and this guy flew by me at 55mph (or more) missing me by inches. All the while him and his buddy were hollering and laughing their asses off. People like this spoil it for everyone. Wish i had of been able to get his license plate. 

On the other hand, hwy 2 from Wrightwood was amazing. Got this pic:


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## mtrider05

You're a brave man to ride Lone Pine, I hate driving driving that road. I know how fast I go there and I'm nowhere near the top end of what some people do. It just isn't worth it when there is so much climbing beyond Wrightwood.


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## SROC3

I Hear Glendora Mtn Road is the best.....I haven't tired it but I love doing Latigo Canyon in Malibu. Great climb and fantastic scenery.


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## Hollywood

*full moon*

Angeles Crest from La Canada last week, at night, under a full moon was exceptional!

once out of the city we turned our headlights off and climbed by moonlight to Clear Creek. An amazing experience. The descent back down required lights 



(for the safety-minded: < 5 cars total and lights came back on when they approached.)


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## tbsurf

+1 for Latigo Canyon in Malibu. Great climb & scenery, feels close to nature & almost no cars. Best weekday ride on the Westside is Mandeville Canyon in Brentwood.


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## FNGRIDER

I have a couple:
Griffith Park, behind the zoo and golf course, a closed road that traverses up to the Observatory. road is a little rough but their are overhanging trees and views are outstanding.. a 7 mile climb and 14 miles up and back. you can extend the ride along several routes.

The other is Palos Verdes Via Hawthorne Blvd. I normally ride from Marina Del Rey up the up the coast around Malaga Cove, then climb up and Hawthorne Blvd.from the coast, down Silver Spur then back on Palos Verdes East. This is about 50 miles and can be done in 3 1/2 to 4 hours. I do this about 2 or 3 times a week. You can take either the bike path or the streets, there a nice rollers along the PV coast and the climb will make you a believer.


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## Cni2i

Reviving old thread...


Yeah, I would agree that GMR to GRR to Baldy village to the ski lifts is a great route!

Not too many cars from GMR to Baldy Village....especially after the 9 mile mark or so. Depending on when you go up, sometimes a lot of fast riding sport motorcycles, but not too bad after that 9 mile mark. Once you hit Baldy Village, you'll start to see more traffic....but now that the ski season is officially over, shouldn't be too bad.


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## red elvis

we went to big tujunga road to angeles crest hwy last saturday. it was great and more likely we're doing it again next weekend.


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## arai_speed

I've ridden Angeles Crest Hwy (2) up to Mount Wilson a few times. Road to mount Wilson (the last 4 miles) is usually/almost always dirty and rocky sometimes resembling a slalom course but otherwise a great ride. There is a snack bar (open on weekends only) and water at the junction of HWY2 and RedBox.

Another fun loop in the Angeles Crest area is Lower Tujunga > Angeles Forest > Hw2










Lots of rolling hills and you get to enjoy the descent on the HWY2.


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## jkompa

Orange Country through Camp Pendleton to Oceanside.


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## Rockapple

I Agree amazing


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## Erion929

jkompa said:


> Orange Country through Camp Pendleton to Oceanside.


After Dana Point, that's pretty flat, no? 

**


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## octobahn

GMR/GGR is my favorite now. Before they opened the roads hwy 39 to CRYSTAL lake was a great ride. It still is but I just have to be more mindful of the traffic. For something short (4 [email protected] 7-8% grade) I use to hit Chantry flats north of Arcadia.

BTW, anyone in the Chino Hills area? What do you ride in the vicinity?


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## quatre24

Live just up the freeway from you in Phillips Ranch. The biggest hill climbs in the local hills are Turnbull Can. between Whitter/ Hacienda Heights or Carbon Can. between Chino Hills and Brea along with serval other shorter and maybe steeper hills climbs if you do not have time to get the mountains. Onix Summit/Hwy 38 is the highest road in Socal, not insanely steep grades but a longer climb than others from Redlands to over 8,000 feet before dropping down to Big Bear. 

Mt. Baldy is steepest of the long mountain climbs locally. If you have a cx bike or tuff road tires you can go to the top the dirt road where the ski lift end up at Baldy Notch. You loose the last .25 mile of pavement but get a little over three miles more to to end of the road with good place to eat at the top to about 7,800 feet at the Baldy Notch.


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## octobahn

Appreciate the info quatre. I've only been in Chino Hills a little over a year and have wanted to do Carbon Canyon, but having driven that road a few times it makes me nervous how little there are in terms of shoulders and how fast the traffic is on that road. Might have to find a small group to ride that with or do it early on a Sunday. 
Mt Baldy is the other one i've wanted to tackle. Again, maybe an early weekend go at it is what I need. I'm most curious about that last 3K after the GRR junction; heard that was a killer.


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## quatre24

Best time to do Carbon Can. is midday on the weekdays or the weekend morning when you see groups from the OC or IE riding it. Turnbull is fine any time do, being the scenic out of the way over the the hill instead of Colima has a very busy main street with cars going 45mph+. Monrovia Can park is like Chantry Flats road short and steep just a little northeast of downtown Monrovia.

Hwy 39/Crystal lake the second hardest climb in the San Gabriels. Long 25mi canyon climb with the main climb starting at West Fork 12miles in after the picniers and ORV area. Road can hit low double digits in places. Hwy 39 past Crystal lake has been closed to car traffic for over 20 years due to maintenance problems. It is sort of open hikers and cyclists but you are on your own. Rangers if they see may give you a ticket if they feel like it. A lot of times they do not. The closed section probably has potholes and rocks on it due lack of care. If you get to hwy 2, left takes you down to Pasadena right gives you more climbing to Dawson Saddle just shy of 8,000ft before descending to Wrightwood. Been has far as Crystal Lake and that alone is but kicker. The other San Gabriel climbs are over out of Pasadena or Canyon Country area.


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## octobahn

I agree with you about Crystal Lake being a butt kicker but then again i've never ridden to it starting from the bottom. I've ridden up to west fork or started from west fork to crystal lake. Seems a worthy challenge though.

I appreciate all the detailed info.


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## mando54

Malibu Canyon is a nice ride with plenty of cyclists. I've done Big Bear from the ranger station to Angeles Oaks, Barton Flats and then Onyx Summit. You could ride it down into Big Bear. Highway 74 over Mount San Jacinto from Hemet to Palm Desert is great and you can refill at the top of the mountain. For a day of shorter, but steep climbs, try La Cresta in Murrieta.


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## mattotoole

Another plug for GMR/Baldy as SoCal's best road loop.

That Tujunga/2 loop looks great too.


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## octobahn

Out of curiosity do most of you that do a lot of climbing ride alone or do you start in group rides that eventually thin out? I am not talking about leisure/fun riding.


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## Hollywood

octobahn said:


> Out of curiosity do most of you that do a lot of climbing ride alone or do you start in group rides that eventually thin out? I am not talking about leisure/fun riding.


I try not to ever do any leisure / fun rides. Its all business.


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## mando54

Unless I'm doing a gran fondo or some other sort of organized ride, I rarely find a large group that does a large amount of climbing. Our group definitely thins out on the climbs as do the large groups. It's not very often I go alone, but I have.


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## leathernek

I ride on a whim so I always ride by myself, but that's only because my work schedule is so erratic. My free time is limited so I try to never take it easy on my rides.

I did Carbon Canyon twice. Shortly after getting home from the second ride, I thought about all the traffic that was passing me at mach 1 so I did an internet search for any related traffic accidents on that road. I found numerous car/bike accidents listed including a story about a young cyclist who had been struck by a car and killed the week prior. I've never ridden that stretch of road since.

On the other hand, Turnbull Canyon has almost no traffic on weekday mornings and afternoons. I've put more miles on Turnbull than any other road. In fact, I do hill repeats all the time. The only down side is that it's not as long as I'd like it to be. It may not be the best, but the proximity and lack of traffic make it a really good ride for me.


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## octobahn

I'm in complete agreement as I usually go riding to get a good workout. Fun rides I leave to short, leisurelly trips on the the hybrid pulling my daughter on her trailer. Maybe a recovery ride might be categorized as a fun ride but they usually see some effort on my part regardless. From my observations, I usually don't see groups beyond 4 (maybe 5 tops) doing climbs together, and when I do, you can easily spot the riders exerting less effort and is "hanging back". My main problem, which I haven't been able to fix, is properly pacing myself on climbs (or even out on the flats). I push and push because I feel good and I think I can keep up the pace, but then I start to peter out and struggle towards the end. It ensures I get a good work out  but I'm guessing there are better ways to train. 

As an aside, I see some posts from guys that seem to be doing a lot of climbing miles in some fairly remote areas. Besides trying to find water sources along the way do you guys ever use a Camelbak or similar water bladders? I never see them on road riders doing climbs but it seems logical to have one given where some of these climbs are. 

leathernek: I'm going to try and hit Turnbull Canyon this weekend. I've heard much about it but haven't had an opportunity to hit it yet. I live out in Chino Hills and riding West on Colima is a b1tch sometimes.


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## arai_speed

99% of my climbs are solo. The few cycling friends I have are not in shape to try them out or have other commitments so most of my rides are solo and start at the crack of dawn. That way I'm back home early to hang out w/the family. On my descents I often see groups of 4-6 climbing up ACH so they are out there!


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## leathernek

There is little to no slipstream advantage on very steep climbs. That's why you won't see a lot of guys sucking on someone's wheel. You're on your own. Some say the TT is the race of truth. I say it's a brutal climb.

I have a feeling you're starting the climb in a lower gear than should be. Try a higher gear and kick it down to a lower gear once near the top or when you're out of saddle. Some guys can push a wicked low gear on an entire climb, I can't.

Hydration packs are too cumbersome and heavy. And unless you REALLY need it, you risk being labled the dreaded "fred". Try larger water bottles if need be (I just ordered a couple of 27 oz bottles for my longer rides) and throw a couple of smaller ones in your jersey pockets.

Yes, Colima has a lot of traffic. There is a long way around to Turnbull from Chino Hills, but it's much longer/harder (like that's a bad thing), albeit safer.

I just realised that I rode north to the foothills of Highway 39 yesterday. I stopped and turned back partly because I didn't bring any nutrition with me and I had no idea how steep, long and safe it was. I plan on trying it in the future, but I think I'll take Fork Rd. to GMR. Any safety issues with Fork Rd.? I've done GMR and there was very little traffic.


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## octobahn

East Fork isn't too bad. I've done it on the weekend and traffic is minimal. I think going down GMR is probably a better option as the OHV traffic on the 39 is dicey sometimes. I've had some close calls with the 4x4s and trailers - I hate going down the 39. East Fork has big rollers but it's only about 6 or 7 miles until you get to GMR.


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