Southern California - La Tuna Canyon

I've never climbed La Tuna, does anyone have a good route from the Pasadena area? Thanks.

From the Rose Bowl...Salvia Cyn - right on Linda Vista
Go up Linda Vista - Highland - Right on Chevy Chase - left on Descanso - left on Verdugo - take verdugo straight..it will become Honolulu...take that to La Tuna...then you can ride it down and climb back up...

.....or you can join the Sunday morning La Tuna Canyon ride which takes off from the GP zoo parking lot. They go up La Tuna and head over to the Rose Bowl and loop back down Colorado, back to GP. They re-group at the top of La Tuna before heading down into Montrose.

Thanks. Great suggestions. Hopefuly I can make it out there soon.

.....or you can join the Sunday morning La Tuna Canyon ride which takes off from the GP zoo parking lot. They go up La Tuna and head over to the Rose Bowl and loop back down Colorado, back to GP. They re-group at the top of La Tuna before heading down into Montrose.

They gather and take off from the BIG TREE in the GP zoo parking lot.
I did this Sunday ride once. About 40-50 riders regrouped at the top of La Tuna. There was even a SAG vehicle refilling water bottles for anybody at the top of La Tuna. I recommend you stay in the back out of the pack. It got very unruly at the regroup and on the descent. Riders milling around in oncoming lanes at the regroup. Riders taking up two lanes, six abreast on the descent. One or two with no helmets doing this. I only did this once and it was some time back so I don’t know if that is the normal.

Chevy is better and much closer to Pasadena.

Chevy is better and much closer to Pasadena.

+1
quieter, more shade, less traffic....not as long, but still pretty hard..

Chevy also leads to Lida and St. Katherine's, Iverness, etc. So many options and usually pretty quite up there in terms of traffic.

Thanks all. I agree, Chevy to Lida and all around there is some good ridin'. I've done it many times. I was just hoping to get a few extra miles in with La Tuna. Or, maybe I'll just stay home and eat popsicles with the kid.;)

If you taKe the Chevy Chase or Verdugo route down to Glenoaks, go west on Glenoaks around to Sunland and right up 2 blocks you will be at the bottom of La Tuna Cyn. Up La Tuna and Honolulu to Verdugo at Montrose, back over the hill to the Arroyo. That makes about a 28 to 30 mile loop from Brookside Park without having to retrace much ground.

.....or you can join the Sunday morning La Tuna Canyon ride which takes off from the GP zoo parking lot. They go up La Tuna and head over to the Rose Bowl and loop back down Colorado, back to GP. They re-group at the top of La Tuna before heading down into Montrose.

Which group is this? Is it SFVBC? In which case they'll be speeding up La Tuna Canyon?

thats not SFVBC spingineer

Thank god, cause I dont see anything special with La Tuna Canyon, other than riding through GlenOaks junkyard infested neighborhoods.

La Tuna is a pretty short/relatively non-steep climb anyways with awful scenery.

Yea, that's true, it doesn't have a really long climb ... it's pretty mild, but that's one of my old routes when I was in SoCal. Maybe that's why my climbing sucks ... because I considered La Tuna Canyon a hill???

The route I took from Pasadena was Lida ->Linda Vista -> Chevy Chase -> Glenoaks. Then weave your way around to Kenneth, and take that all the way to Glenoaks, and take Glenoaks to La Tuna Canyon. Kenneth is a much better alternative than taking Glenoaks all the way.

Yea, that's true, it doesn't have a really long climb ... it's pretty mild, but that's one of my old routes when I was in SoCal. Maybe that's why my climbing sucks ... because I considered La Tuna Canyon a hill???

well its definitely a hill but I dont see whats so special about it. The road is usually full of debri and has all sorts of ugly terrain.

The route I took from Pasadena was Lida ->Linda Vista -> Chevy Chase -> Glenoaks. Then weave your way around to Kenneth, and take that all the way to Glenoaks, and take Glenoaks to La Tuna Canyon. Kenneth is a much better alternative than taking Glenoaks all the way.

+100

The route I took from Pasadena was Lida ->Linda Vista -> Chevy Chase -> Glenoaks. Then weave your way around to Kenneth, and take that all the way to Glenoaks, and take Glenoaks to La Tuna Canyon. Kenneth is a much better alternative than taking Glenoaks all the way.

This is my regular weekend ride but I do it in reverse. Depending on where you start, head westbound on Foothill until you get to Lowell in La Crescenta, turn right on Honolulu and left on La Tuna. Follow it all the way down until you get to Glenoaks. From Glenoaks, you have the option to take Kenneth (my regular commute) or take Glenoaks (much nicer riding at 7 AM Sunday morning without traffic) to Chevy Chase. Add in a few twists and turns and I get about a 36 mile loop.

This is my regular weekend ride but I do it in reverse. Depending on where you start, head westbound on Foothill until you get to Lowell in La Crescenta, turn right on Honolulu and left on La Tuna. Follow it all the way down until you get to Glenoaks. From Glenoaks, you have the option to take Kenneth (my regular commute) or take Glenoaks (much nicer riding at 7 AM Sunday morning without traffic) to Chevy Chase. Add in a few twists and turns and I get about a 36 mile loop.

http://www.routeslip.com/routes/56042

This is one of my shorter loops that is just under 30 miles.

I don't know why everyone is so down on Glenoaks. It's a nice 4 lane wide street with bike lanes. Just because it doesn't have those nice overhanging trees for shade in 100+ F temps like Kenneth does. Sheeeeesh, what a bunch of pansies. :D Besides, riding Kenneth and Mountain you have to remember all those turns and stuff. When I ride, I don't wana-hav-ta think! And don't anyone say "it shows.":p

The road is usually full of debri and has all sorts of ugly terrain.

...said the guy living in the barrio mas macho. :p

La Tuna is legendary among local racers because it is over 2K of climbing in 5 miles at a very regular grade. Excellent for training.

I don't know why everyone is so down on Glenoaks. It's a nice 4 lane wide street with bike lanes. Just because it doesn't have those nice overhanging trees for shade in 100+ F temps like Kenneth does. Sheeeeesh, what a bunch of pansies. :D Besides, riding Kenneth and Mountain you have to remember all those turns and stuff. When I ride, I don't wana-hav-ta think! And don't anyone say "it shows.":p

Glenoaks is kinetic with cars and activity. That's it's only drawback IMO because, yes, it is very wide.

...said the guy living in the barrio mas macho. :p

whateverzzz

La Tuna is legendary among local racers because it is over 2K of climbing in 5 miles at a very regular grade. Excellent for training.
The elev. at Sunland and La Tuna is about 875 ft; the peak of La Tuna is 1750 ft. It is almost 5 miles, but I don't see where the 2K of climbing comes from.

Glenoaks is kinetic with cars and activity. That's it's only drawback IMO because, yes, it is very wide.
I'm kidding Mary! Yes; there are a lot of cars on Genoaks.

Come with a full auto if your going to ride on Glenoaks, thats your only chance of survival.

Oops read my topo profile wrong its more like 800

I rode La Tuna today for the first time (solo at 5:30pm, yikes!). Went around the Verdugo mountain clockwise: Kenneth, Glenoaks, La Tuna, Honolulu, La Canada, Mountain, Keneth. Nobody mentioned those 6-inch ruts on the north side towards Sun Valley. The descent was surprisingly car-free and smoothly paved.

Yeah, I was headed uphill on those bumps... would have taken the lane if I were going downhill there. That's an impressive commute, urbanknight. The peak was a bit of a challenge for me. Room for improvement.