Rode Caliente/Walker Ranch loop yesterday, great ride. Ideas for more like this?
02-16-15, 04:11 PM
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Rode Caliente/Walker Ranch loop yesterday, great ride. Ideas for others like this?
Yesterday my wife and I rode the Caliente/Walker Ranch loop. It's 38 miles, starting at the small town of Caliente, west of Tehachapi. 2500' ascent at the start, then some gentle ups and downs, then a long gradual ascent, then downhill for 20 miles. (Whoopee!) This was a great ride with excellent scenery, a bit of California history, and few cars. I was interested in finding a fun, slightly exotic loop ride not to far from the L.A. area, and found it by scanning the AAA California map. It looked like a suitable prospect and when I "drove" it in Google street view, it looked even better. (BTW, if you go there, check out the Red House BBQ in Tehachapi - fantastic!)
https://www.strava.com/routes/1428942
Now I'm looking for similar loop rides that are reasonable drives from L.A., either with or without an overnight stay. Basically I'm interested in 30-40 mile rides that are mostly paved, with light to moderate car traffic and interesting scenery, within about 200 miles of L.A. I especially like little-used small older roads through rural areas.
We love the desert and since we're still in the cool season, I've been looking for an interesting desert ride, but haven't found anything promising so far. (Most of the candidates I saw so far are heavy on long monotonous stretches, and light on scenically interesting sections. But I'm still looking, and I think there must be some good options out there.)
As a side note, we've spent the last 2 months doing train-bike trips with the California Surfliner. There are a lot of great options that involve disembarking at one station, riding south, and then taking the train home from another station. It's been great, but I think we've done most of the better routes at this point, and that's what led to the "drive to point X and do a loop ride" idea.
Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
https://www.strava.com/routes/1428942
Now I'm looking for similar loop rides that are reasonable drives from L.A., either with or without an overnight stay. Basically I'm interested in 30-40 mile rides that are mostly paved, with light to moderate car traffic and interesting scenery, within about 200 miles of L.A. I especially like little-used small older roads through rural areas.
We love the desert and since we're still in the cool season, I've been looking for an interesting desert ride, but haven't found anything promising so far. (Most of the candidates I saw so far are heavy on long monotonous stretches, and light on scenically interesting sections. But I'm still looking, and I think there must be some good options out there.)
As a side note, we've spent the last 2 months doing train-bike trips with the California Surfliner. There are a lot of great options that involve disembarking at one station, riding south, and then taking the train home from another station. It's been great, but I think we've done most of the better routes at this point, and that's what led to the "drive to point X and do a loop ride" idea.
Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
Last edited by 3949dxer; 02-16-15 at 04:27 PM.
02-16-15, 05:11 PM
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San Diego has the Great Western Loop, I haven't done it - just read about it.
Maybe some of the Santa Barbara rides? Those are Surflinerable.
I'm curious what some of your Surfliner rides were.
Maybe some of the Santa Barbara rides? Those are Surflinerable.
I'm curious what some of your Surfliner rides were.
02-16-15, 08:57 PM
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My Surfliner rides so far have been:
Ride from SF Valley to Oxnard via Ventura Blvd., Westlake Blvd., and Portrero Road, back via train. (Also SF Valley to Ventura via the same route.)
Train to Santa Barbara, ride to Ventura, train home. (Also ditto that route, except train to Carpinteria, then to Ventura. This section is really the best part of the SB-Ventura route, especially that spectacular new bike path out of Carpenteria.)
Train to Guadalupe, overnight at Santa Maria, then ride to Surf Beach via Casmalia and Santa Lucia Cyn. Road, train home. (On the first day we also did a side trip to Oceano Dunes.)
Train to San Luis Obispo, ride to Pismo Beach via Prefumo Canyon and See Canyon Roads, overnight at Pismo, train home from Grover Beach next day.
Train to Irvine, ride to Oceanside, train home.
Note that all rides have been north to south, to take advantage of the prevailing winds which almost always blow in that direction. I also want to do SLO-Morro Bay-Grover Beach with an overnight, and also Surf Beach-Solvang-Refugio Beach-Goleta (via Refugio Road) in the next few weeks.
Ride from SF Valley to Oxnard via Ventura Blvd., Westlake Blvd., and Portrero Road, back via train. (Also SF Valley to Ventura via the same route.)
Train to Santa Barbara, ride to Ventura, train home. (Also ditto that route, except train to Carpinteria, then to Ventura. This section is really the best part of the SB-Ventura route, especially that spectacular new bike path out of Carpenteria.)
Train to Guadalupe, overnight at Santa Maria, then ride to Surf Beach via Casmalia and Santa Lucia Cyn. Road, train home. (On the first day we also did a side trip to Oceano Dunes.)
Train to San Luis Obispo, ride to Pismo Beach via Prefumo Canyon and See Canyon Roads, overnight at Pismo, train home from Grover Beach next day.
Train to Irvine, ride to Oceanside, train home.
Note that all rides have been north to south, to take advantage of the prevailing winds which almost always blow in that direction. I also want to do SLO-Morro Bay-Grover Beach with an overnight, and also Surf Beach-Solvang-Refugio Beach-Goleta (via Refugio Road) in the next few weeks.
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