Happytime
12-26-07, 05:55 AM
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Bicycling Los Angeles County (http://www.amazon.com/Bicycling-Los-Angeles-County-Guide/dp/0897329503):
A Guide to the Great Road Bike Rides
by Patrick Brady
Paperback: 224 pages
Publisher: Menasha Ridge Press; First edition edition (May 1, 2007)
Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.7 inches
Book Description (from Amazon)
With some of the most extensive and scenic road biking in the United States, Los Angeles County riders now have an expert guide to 40 of the best road rides in their own backyard. Researched and written by world-class road biker and Asphalt editor Patrick Brady, Bicycling Los Angeles combines first-hand road research with GPS map-making technology. From the descriptive narrative and crucial at-a-glance info to the cutting-edge ride maps and elevation profiles, Brady definitively shows riders how to get there, what to expect, and how to get the most out of each ride.
My Review
When I first started cycling I found Don and Sharron Brundige's Bicycle Rides: Los Angeles County (http://www.amazon.com/Bicycle-Rides-Angeles-County-Fourth/dp/0961915188/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1198672148&sr=1-3) at an LBS and was determined to try out many of their 70-odd rides. It wasn't long, however, when I discovered that my fitness ability went far beyond 95% of the rides in their book, which seem geared toward the 10-mile recreational rider, in contrast to those who ride for athletic or competitive endeavors (like most of the riders I've met on BF.) After reading their description of the Palos Verdes East switchbacks as a "gutbuster" it was hard for me to take their routes seriously.
So when I picked up Bicycling Los Angeles County: A Guide to the Great Road Bike Rides (http://www.amazon.com/Bicycling-Los-Angeles-County-Guide/dp/0897329503) the other day at Borders I was hopeful, but not expecting too much. Imagine my surprise when I cracked open this little gem and found not only challenging road rides, but routeslips and descriptions of almost all of the popular rides BFers go on.
Information listed with each ride includes detailed maps, GPS-downloaded elevation profiles, distance, aerobic difficulty scale, weather exposure, typical traffic patterns, road surface, riding time (15mph avg), facilities and typical weather conditions. On certain training rides, the author also notes areas where riders can recover, and where they put on the gas.
Included among the 40 rides are:
• The Simi Ride
• The Donut Ride
• The Pier Ride
• The Montrose Ride
• The Rose Bowl Ride
• Mulholland Highway Loop
• Nicholls Canyon
• Fargo Street Hillclimb
• Glendora Mountain Road
• Mount Wilson Loop
I've never been on many of these rides. So to check out the author's accuracy, I combed over the section of the South Bay which I know very well. This book's PV Loop, for example, is not the typical PV West-South-East-North route that most people do. His "Radar Domes" version covers my personal favorite climbs: Via del Monte, Via Coronel and Via Zumaya. His description and profile are spot on and more detailed than any advice I can give to anyone. Wow - that grassy spot on Granvia Altamira has a name? Who knew?! He overlooked painful Forrestal/Ganado, but since that route involves a minor traffic violation, it can be forgiven. ;)
If there is any downside at all to this book, I would have to say that there are not enough rides in the Santa Monica Mountains. There are descriptions of the Mulholland Highway Loop, Topanga Canyon Loop, Pt. Mugu out-and-back and the Latigo Piuma Loop, but there are many more storied climbs up there than are included. If there was a space limit for this book, I personally would have preferred a little less of the easy rides/Homes-of-the-Stars tourist stuff and more on the puke-yer-guts-out sufferfests. But that's just me. All in all, highly recommended and well worth the 15 bucks ($10.80 on Amazon).
Bicycling Los Angeles County (http://www.amazon.com/Bicycling-Los-Angeles-County-Guide/dp/0897329503):
A Guide to the Great Road Bike Rides
by Patrick Brady
Paperback: 224 pages
Publisher: Menasha Ridge Press; First edition edition (May 1, 2007)
Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.7 inches
Book Description (from Amazon)
With some of the most extensive and scenic road biking in the United States, Los Angeles County riders now have an expert guide to 40 of the best road rides in their own backyard. Researched and written by world-class road biker and Asphalt editor Patrick Brady, Bicycling Los Angeles combines first-hand road research with GPS map-making technology. From the descriptive narrative and crucial at-a-glance info to the cutting-edge ride maps and elevation profiles, Brady definitively shows riders how to get there, what to expect, and how to get the most out of each ride.
My Review
When I first started cycling I found Don and Sharron Brundige's Bicycle Rides: Los Angeles County (http://www.amazon.com/Bicycle-Rides-Angeles-County-Fourth/dp/0961915188/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1198672148&sr=1-3) at an LBS and was determined to try out many of their 70-odd rides. It wasn't long, however, when I discovered that my fitness ability went far beyond 95% of the rides in their book, which seem geared toward the 10-mile recreational rider, in contrast to those who ride for athletic or competitive endeavors (like most of the riders I've met on BF.) After reading their description of the Palos Verdes East switchbacks as a "gutbuster" it was hard for me to take their routes seriously.
So when I picked up Bicycling Los Angeles County: A Guide to the Great Road Bike Rides (http://www.amazon.com/Bicycling-Los-Angeles-County-Guide/dp/0897329503) the other day at Borders I was hopeful, but not expecting too much. Imagine my surprise when I cracked open this little gem and found not only challenging road rides, but routeslips and descriptions of almost all of the popular rides BFers go on.
Information listed with each ride includes detailed maps, GPS-downloaded elevation profiles, distance, aerobic difficulty scale, weather exposure, typical traffic patterns, road surface, riding time (15mph avg), facilities and typical weather conditions. On certain training rides, the author also notes areas where riders can recover, and where they put on the gas.
Included among the 40 rides are:
• The Simi Ride
• The Donut Ride
• The Pier Ride
• The Montrose Ride
• The Rose Bowl Ride
• Mulholland Highway Loop
• Nicholls Canyon
• Fargo Street Hillclimb
• Glendora Mountain Road
• Mount Wilson Loop
I've never been on many of these rides. So to check out the author's accuracy, I combed over the section of the South Bay which I know very well. This book's PV Loop, for example, is not the typical PV West-South-East-North route that most people do. His "Radar Domes" version covers my personal favorite climbs: Via del Monte, Via Coronel and Via Zumaya. His description and profile are spot on and more detailed than any advice I can give to anyone. Wow - that grassy spot on Granvia Altamira has a name? Who knew?! He overlooked painful Forrestal/Ganado, but since that route involves a minor traffic violation, it can be forgiven. ;)
If there is any downside at all to this book, I would have to say that there are not enough rides in the Santa Monica Mountains. There are descriptions of the Mulholland Highway Loop, Topanga Canyon Loop, Pt. Mugu out-and-back and the Latigo Piuma Loop, but there are many more storied climbs up there than are included. If there was a space limit for this book, I personally would have preferred a little less of the easy rides/Homes-of-the-Stars tourist stuff and more on the puke-yer-guts-out sufferfests. But that's just me. All in all, highly recommended and well worth the 15 bucks ($10.80 on Amazon).