Hey! I’m a beginner muni rider, having gone on a few trips now up into the hills of Turnbull Canyon and riding much of the fun sections (has anyone else ridden a unicycle in Turnbull or am I the first?) I’m looking to go elsewhere… but being that I’ve never mountain biked or scoured for cool riding trails before, I’m kind of in the dark as to how I should proceed in finding other places to ride.
I can’t hop, really, not yet, nor idle, but I’ve ridden a lot of steep sections, hopped off a couple things, am pretty good at some more ‘technical’ stuff (mainly coming down a steep series of sharp switchbacks without eating it) and that’s the direction I really want to go in: I like technical stuff. Leisurely riding a flat/rolling trail is fun but I want stuff that really challenges me. I head out every Saturday (or Sunday) to ride, so it’s definitely possible for me to meet up with anyone in the SoCal area for a day of riding if there’s a group I don’t know about that I can be invited into.
Otherwise:
1.) Does anyone have any recommendations? I live in Whittier, on the border of the LA/Orange County county line, pretty much. I’ve only ridden in Turnbull.
2.) If by chance no one is familiar with the area/doesn’t know of any good places to ride in all of southern california, is there a good place to look at trail reviews and the like? My Google hunts land me a bunch of pay sites and the like… I’m assuming there isn’t a “Muni Rider Trail Reviews” site, but there totally should be. Maybe there’s a book I should buy? I don’t know how useful mountain biker’s notes on trails would be considering riding something on a unicycle is entirely different than blazing over it on a bicycle or shifting your gears to climb it?
I use mountain bike books. They give pretty good descriptions of the trails as well as technical and fitness levels. They often show a profile of the ride. It’s a good place to start. I appreciate the description they offer to the starting point. More of them are giving map coordinates to plug into a gps unit. You can also ask for advice from a nearby bike shop that specializes in mountain biking.
I also like being where others are likely to cross my path. Since I mostly ride alone I want to know someone will pass me in case I get hurt. Cell phones are not always dependable.
Hey Amiantos,
Check out the “Fullerton Loop” or “Carbon Canyon” Both of them are close to Whittier. I’m in Buena Park and do about 60+ miles each week on “the loop” Which is about a basic ride of 12mi. and can add on up to 22mi. Start at the fire house on Rosecrans 1/2 mi east of Beach Blvd. (Park on the side street) Lots of different terrain, and check out geoladders.com, most local rides are in there. Lots of different trails, uphills and downhills, Trials, and of course the street to get there.
Thanks to everyone who has responded so far! Singletrack.com (or whatever it was) is great. Will definitely be trying out The Loop this Sat in Fullerton!
Aliso Woods & Canyon has some of the best trails in Orange County. They have everything from fire roads to very technical downhill (stairstep). Simi Valley has some great trails as well. There are a dozen or so riders in OC/LA so you should be able to meet up with someone to show you the trails…
Aliso Woods & Canyon has some of the best trails in Orange County. They have everything from fire roads to very technical downhill (stairstep). Simi Valley has some great trails as well. There are a dozen or so riders in OC/LA so you should be able to meet up with someone to show you the trails…
Simi Valley, Aliso Viejo, Santa Monica Mtns, San Diego, Poway, Pine Valley, Ojai, Santa Barbara, Pasadena, Mammoth Lakes, Kernville, Lake Isabella, and more. All have great trails, most very technical.
Since people are still responding: I’ve stared at the Fullerton Loop on Geoladders, tried to get some sort of guide into my eTrex Venture HC (it doesn’t support geoladders or seem built at all of any kind of assisted cycling) and the result of all of it is… I’m scared of getting lost! I’ve lived in this area all my life, so I can’t really get lost, and the trail goes past several places I’ve already been to (geocaching or hanging out) but it just seems so daunting.
In short: If anyone actually makes the full Fullerton loop regularly, can I meet up with you so that I can learn the loop? My longest Muni ride so far is 7 miles (and half of that was straight up hill and not at all fun for me on my 24"), but I’m sure I can make the full 12mi on my first attempt. I’m sure a 12mi muni ride probably takes forever (4 hours?) but if someone is out there doing it… drop me a line, let me know when you’re going if you’re comfortable with taking a relative newbie along with you. I’m free Sats and Sundays.
Otherwise this muddy Saturday I’ll be up in Turnbull trying out the two singletracks up near the water tower that I managed to completely bypass this last Saturday.
While I ride Fullerton Loop a couple of times a week on my mtnbike for training I do not think it is a very interesting as a muni coarse. Also, most of the other trails noted here such as Aliso Wood are much easier to follow from the trail head for a first time out. Fullerton is a collection of little trails strung together and doing the entire loop can take some time.
As soon as the trails dry out I am sure you will be able to meet up with some of the So Cal riders. I will pm you on my next planned ride.
Trails throughout SoCal will likely be extremely WET for many days after the heavy downpours we’ve been getting have stopped. So if you do plan to ride this weekend (with LOTS more rain expected through at least Friday) just hope there’s little or no clay content where you ride, or it will be a wasted trip!
Clay will very rapidly pack into every nook and cranny of your tire, ultimately making it next to impossible to ride, as it will block the already narrow clearance between the tire and frame. I know that Sullivan canyon is clay-free, and actually is a blast to ride after the rain! Not really technical but a nice 9 mile up and down, with a good 1,200’ elevation gain, beautiful scenery, and all DH coming back.
