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Gravel Bike Trails Near Pasadena

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Gravel Bike Trails Near Pasadena

Old 06-25-21, 08:31 AM
  #26  
trailangel
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^^^That is a bit of a rocky gravel trail right there!^^^
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Old 06-25-21, 02:25 PM
  #27  
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Originally Posted by Eric F
I've been riding my singlespeed MTB on the Flint Canyon Trail in La Canada recently (https://www.lcftrails.org/trails/flint-canyon-trail/). It would be suitable for a beginning-level rider on a gravel bike- fun ups and downs, not too technical, and no long steep climbs. Generally I use it as a link between the Hahamonga/JPL area (I live close to there) and Cherry Canyon.
Flint Canyon is a really fun, surprisingly underused trail IMO. I use it as a connector like you, but I also hit it just for fun. It's great on my singlespeed gravel bike. I mean, why ride on the pavement when you can take something like this?
I live right over here too - my turf is all the great stuff others have already suggested--Cherry, JPL area, etc. So much gnarly steep stuff, I now have a 34t and 11-46 on my geared gravel bike, and knobby Senderos.

Last edited by pbass; 06-25-21 at 02:33 PM.
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Old 06-25-21, 02:32 PM
  #28  
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Originally Posted by jonathanf2
I actually tried riding up the Gould Mesa climb to ACH on my single speed bike with a 34:16t gear setup. I nearly died of exhaustion, but made it to the highway (with a few breaks along the way)!

I also did the El Prieto loop on my geared gravel bike a few weeks ago and almost finished it unscathed, but when I was about to complete the loop and return to the base of the Gabrielino trail, I flipped over on the last rooted tree trunk on the path gashing my right shoulder and getting a long scratch my leg. My bike stem also twisted out of alignment, but luckily I had my multi-tool and put my bike back straight before continuing. I really need to be careful considering I'm not all that young!

Riding El Prieto with no suspension:
Man, I feel ya. I don't do El Prieto very often on a gravel bike. I like under-biking as much as the next guy (I also ride a ss around here) but not getting any younger!
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Old 06-25-21, 07:59 PM
  #29  
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I finally checked out Cherry Canyon trail today and I think for a beginner gravel ride it's a good place to get your feet wet. I found most of the trails easy to ride except for certain areas made for technical MTB'ing. You can either try the single track trails or stick to the larger fire roads. Though as a destination ride for gravel biking I didn't find it all that interesting. If biking directly there, it's a long road climb and when you arrive there isn't much to see once you get there. Most of the trails just loop around. In my case I drove and parked at the Glendale Sports Complex. The dirt is extra loose this time of year, so you have to be careful on fast descents while braking, since you could slide out and go off the side of a steep cliff! There were some sketchy single track that you'll need to be careful if you're not an experienced rider, so I'd definitely take it easy. To be honest I found riding the trail that goes around the sports complex to be the most fun since it felt similar to Fern Truck trail by JPL, with gradual elevation and trails that loop around the hill side in a wavy-like flow.

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Old 06-27-21, 12:35 PM
  #30  
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Instead of starting at the parking area for the Gabrielino trail.. I usually would come over the dam from the Rose Bowl.. through that tunnel (walking at this point) and then ride on the dirt road toward JPL parking, stopping at Johnson's Rock for the drinking fountain to water-up, and then up the paved short connector to the trail.... If I go too close to those water ponds or whatever they are, it seems there are a lot of goatheads there..... and one time coming up the connector to the trail..well, you need to watch where you are going.


Also... worse than the snake are the employees coming out of JPL on their way home... they come out of there hot... they don't give a **** about bikers.
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Old 06-27-21, 04:12 PM
  #31  
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Originally Posted by trailangel
Instead of starting at the parking area for the Gabrielino trail.. I usually would come over the dam from the Rose Bowl.. through that tunnel (walking at this point) and then ride on the dirt road toward JPL parking, stopping at Johnson's Rock for the drinking fountain to water-up, and then up the paved short connector to the trail.... If I go too close to those water ponds or whatever they are, it seems there are a lot of goatheads there..... and one time coming up the connector to the trail..well, you need to watch where you are going.


Also... worse than the snake are the employees coming out of JPL on their way home... they come out of there hot... they don't give a **** about bikers.
Yep, lotsa those critters in these parts. I get them in my yard every couple years. I was riding down there on Gabrielino a few weeks ago and came across a woman with her barefoot kids straggling way behind her and a couple off-leash dogs running in and out of the brush. She said she saw what she thought was a rattlesnake on the trail and asked me if she should go "try to move it" . . .
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Old 06-27-21, 07:17 PM
  #32  
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LOL WTF... you get some weird walkers there.
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