diphthong

ummm...exactly. my old bleepy 1999 giant hybrid would be (slowly) able to navigate a lot. like a shark...keep moving forwards.

whatever gets your butt off the couch, out of the bed, out of the chair and out there.

BobbyG

33yearslate When the rider is ready, the bike will appear.

33yearslate

Just watched this video. Uh.... WOWWWW.


I'm coming from a location where the entire ground is sea level near my place. I've literally NEVER had the opportunity to do any biking like this before. The small hills I've got a few miles out from me are nothing like this.


I still don't know whether I'm going to grab a hardtail or gravel bike, but regardless, this video brings a tear to my eye. Jeez man. It's practically one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen.


It seems like, ideally, if money and space were no issue, I'd have a road bike, gravel bike, and mtb, and alternate depending on the terrain. Gravel is definitely the most well rounded of those - but I think for socializing reasons, it may make more sense for me to grab a hardtail and then grab a road bike down the line for a different type of riding if I stay in the area. Then in a few years, I'll grab a gravel to round it out if I want.


My reason for leaning a bit more into wanting an mtb over gravel in the short term I think (but please let me know if I'm thinking about this wrong) is because:


a. It will be easier to find a group of people to ride with on mtb since it's more of a "defined" sort of activity given the terrain. I imagine there are less "gravel" clubs or groups out there than mtb. It seems like opportunities for socializing would rank like this: mountain > road > gravel?


b. If I want to explore those more technical paths, I'm just not skilled or experienced enough to do so in a gravel bike since I haven't been riding long, and the terrain simply looks difficult (sometimes dangerously so) to me. I'll accept the speed penalty for a smoother ride.

c. I have plenty of opportunities to ride roads (and occasionally smooth gravel) if I return to the north east. But exploring rough terrain on an mtb in Southern California is sort of a once in a life-time opportunity. The extensive mountains make SoCal unique. So I want to take advantage of that. The loss of speed on tarmac and smooth dirt seems like an okay compromise to me for what an mtb can open up, especially given the mountainous environment.


If there are "gravel" clubs though, let me know. That would definitely change things.

33yearslate

I honestly feel like I've been ready for an upgrade for so long now. It's been "road, road, road" in my head all along over the past 1-2 years. And then I got the news I'm moving across the country and suddenly it's "mountain, road, gravel" in equal measure.

joesch

This gravel bike was one of my latest and smartest buys.
If I had to keep one bike this would be the one.
No more Dead Ends or end of roads for me on this bike

70sSanO

Here’s what you do.

Move and get settled in. Rent a mtb and go to the Santa Monica mountains and see what you think.

There is definite skill set and mindset that is required and you won’t know till you try.

John

33yearslate

I think that, ultimately, I may need to just suck it up and do this.

Eric F 

I've lived in So Cal (Pasadena area) my whole life, and got serious about cycling in '92. If you're looking to perform in specialty conditions (singletrack, fast group road rides, racing of any kind, etc.), you will want a bike that isn't a hinderance to performing your best at the most challenging moments. However, if you're looking for an all-purpose go-anywhere (almost) bike, a modern gravel bike is a really good choice. jonathanf2 Does a lot of miles on his gravel bike, and I think he lives in a similar area to what you're considering.

Germany_chris

I'm not going to lie and say I've spent a ton of time in LA but I have ridden there and the road is the last place I'd want to ride. There but there are a lot miles of trails so I'd just get a mountain bike.

70sSanO

Another reason to wait to buy is the possibility that there might be a bigger itch to scratch once you paddle out a few times.

While never a big fan of LA County, you will have one of the best breaks close by that you can share with a few million of your closest friends.

John

Thomas15

I'm in NE PA in the Lehigh Valley/Pocono Mtns. Not to belabor the point but within 15 miles of my house there is decent mountain bike trails. This area used to be a MTB destination not so much anymore but there are trails here no question about it.

When we were getting ready to move here from oh so flat NJ I thought ok Mountain bike here we come. Well at least for this rider I wasn't in good enough shape to do anything but the easiest single track. And it turns out there are several road bike clubs here, the one I belong to has 100s if not 1000s of members. Between my club and several others I could do a club ride literally every day. So again I would say wait and see when you get there and be open minded you might be surprised.

Others here with more mountain bike experience might see if differently but regardless of the kind of riding you eventually get into if you are going to do it in style it is expensive so waiting before opening your wallet, test the waters i think is the prudent thing to do. It may seem awkward but I know that if someone shows up to a weekday road ride that is rated for beginners, say <500 feet of climbing and short <15 miles or so the group will go as fast as the slowest rider but if you ask someone will probably let you borrow a more suitable bike for a more difficult ride, this is not uncommon.

LarrySellerz

I bet your hybrid can do everything that a gravel bike could do, isn't drop bars the only real difference? I'd get a road bike or a mountain bike over a gravel bike since you already have the hybrid. It's not like there will be terrain that is too rough for the hybrid that a gravel bike would help you with, the only real difference is you can get there a little faster in the drops.

Eric F 

The only rule about what kind of bike and how many you should have is...

N+1

WAY more road clubs/teams/group rides than any other discipline.

A gravel bike is a compromise. A road bike is a compromise. A MTB is a compromise. If riding technical terrain is a priority for the kind of riding you want to do, buy the bike that does that best (for you), and accept where its short-comings are.

33yearslate

This is a great point. If I get a gravel bike it would basically replace what I already have, but also be a substantial upgrade at the same time. My hybrid is genuinely entry level.

slowpacer

There are bike paths all over Griffith Park, it's a huge park. I live close by and that's where i ride. There are so many cyclists who ride road bikes, hybrids and mountain bikes on these paths, so you'll be fine with the bike you already have.

That said, getting to Griffith Park paths and returning from them safetly using your bike could be a challenge because of insane traffic and dangerous and careless drivers, that's why insurance companies charge higher rates in these areas. I am currently recovering from a fractured hip being hit by a car from behind while coming back from a ride. That was a few weeks ago and the lane i was riding on is a couple hundred yards from my home which has big colored bicycle signs drawn all over on the asphalt. I have been riding in this area for years but recently i don't even feel safe driving here.

After recovery, i plan on driving to a safe place away from trafic and ride there. I don't want to discourage you and hardly ever post in these forums, i just want to inform you to be careful and don't think you are safe just because there are signs for cyclists all over the place.

SkinGriz

I think Griffith park is the largest park within a metro area in the world.

LarrySellerz

if I were you I'd hold off on buying a new bike until you ride in your area and decide if the hybrid struggles on the more technical terrain (and if you want to ride that terrain.) I don't think a nice gravel bike would be any better in terms of tackling technical terrain. It will be lighter, stiffer, and have better shifting, but I think most of those advantages will be seen on the road or climbs. A gravel bike would let you keep up with fast road rides, but tbh entry level hybrid are pretty nice and you should be able to keep up with the "b" group on a club ride and see if it's something you want to do

33yearslate

Thanks for the heads up. By the way, since you mentioned it, I'm trying to live as close to Griffith Park in Los Feliz as possible. (So basically, as far up north as I can afford on my budget).

Are there any unsafe areas in Los Feliz I should avoid in general (traffic aside)?

Flip Flop Rider

you have a bike. make your move and ride your bike. adjust as needed

slowpacer

Los Feliz is a very busy street with heavy traffic heading in and out of Hollywood, i don't think there are any bike lanes on it and even if there were i would avoid them. I live in Glendale-Burbank area close to north section of Griffith Park, the roads are shared by cars and bikes with dedicated bike lanes on each side of the street, the traffic is usually not bad by LA standards. And there are many cyclists here on weekends. Your Trek FX1 would be a great bike for this area.

There is also the bike path by the Los Angeles river, i think it's around 23 miles or so. Here is some more info about biking around Griffith Park. I will have to explore some of them myself when i feel better.

If you want to visit a great non-bike related spot, check out Griffith Observatory, although it can be crowded, it's well worth it.

33yearslate

I really appreciate the info. Thanks a bunch.

slowpacer

You're very welcome and enjoy your time in LA.

diphthong

yah...it's essentially a de facto freeway. best to cross los feliz at a light and use alternate streets.

33yearslate

Damn. Okay that's very good to know. Maybe I'll check out Atwater when I go visit before moving. Or Glendale?

Definitely still checking out Silverlake, but that freeway comment is scary.

diphthong

previously mentioned the toluca lake/burbank/atwater village areas as place of residence considerations vs south side los feliz/silver lake.
pricing/availability/more bang for the buck possibly along with less vehicular traffic. it's not totally devoid of car traffic but it's noticeably less
and closer to more trails if that's the way you wanna go. dunno work obligations (5 days a week in the office, a few days here and there, one day a week
or working from home) but if you've gotta go over the sepulveda or cahuenga pass to dtown la, century city, (or end around elysian park/dodger stadium area)
et al...it's not too difficult. entire north side of griffith park much quieter than the south side by los felix/silver lake. it's not much farther from
atwater village/burbank/toluca lake...plus the subway (yes, you read that right) goes from the valley to dtown la.

glendale, eagle rock, highland park and echo park all have their charms as well.

dunno if you'll have access to a car or want to but any of the los felix/silver lake/toluca lake/burbank/atwater village/glendale areas are pretty accessible
to the light rail or other public transportation if necessary.