Southern California - Favorite Climbs in the hills near Tustin?

Today I went from Red Hill, then right on Skyline SE, then left to Skyline, and followed it up and down until it ended at Newport. I think I might have found the longest sustained climb, but are there any other favorite variations on this route to continue the climbing?

I used to ride Skyline a lot several years ago. It was a good training ride and the reward was fun. I don't know much about any other local climbs.

Today I went from Red Hill, then right on Skyline SE, then left to Skyline, and followed it up and down until it ended at Newport. I think I might have found the longest sustained climb, but are there any other favorite variations on this route to continue the climbing?

There are lots of good climbs in that area, so just explore a bit! Huntsman is another climb off of Skyline (if you go all the way to the top), then you can come down Equestrain to Skyline and turn right, then right again onto Cowan Heights for a bunch more climb variations (some steep).

Also in that general area are the Panorama climbs, i.e. off Fairview between Old Foothill and Barrett. They really wind around and you can get lost easily, but eventually you'll find a road that drops back down. At the top of one of the Panoramas there's a map by the side of the road and it gives the distinct impression that you're lost in a maze!

I used to do a lot of hill training up there when I lived in Orange. Still get up there occasionally with the Rebels on the Tues. and Thur. evening rides.

Rick / OCRR

Brian I have started doing some hill work in the area. Unfortunately I really don't know the names of the streets but they are a good workout. After I climb up Newport and crest at Peter's Canyon, I turn left at the next light and start climbing again. The grade is fairly steep like 8% - 10%. If you continue on that street it goes up and down to Chapman and you can climb up again. If you turn right into the neighborhood, several streets drop you down onto the top of Chapman and you can turn around and climb back up. Most the grades are 10%.

I have done the Huntsman hill as suggested by Rick. BCI does a really nice ride, at the bottom, before climbing up turn right (is that Cowan Heights?) and then keep climbing (If you do Skyline, on the downhill, turn right at CH). At the end of that street veer left and keep climbing. It veers all through that neighborhood and you can either take alternative streets back to Cowan Heights or there is a horse path at the top that drops down onto Newport (just at Peters Canyon). That's a really tough workout for me!

Pam, the left turn you're thinking about from Newport is Canyon View, This is in my neck of the woods, so I've done that several times, including the climb back up Champan

I thought of checking the route slips on the BCI website, but they are organized by rest stop, so I wasn't about to open them one by one to check for the Skyline route slip.

On another note, there is a bridge that they put across Newport when they widened it to 4 lanes. From Google Maps street view, it looks like cars can't use it, but bikes and peds can get through. It looks like it goes over into to the gated community of Rocking Horse Ridge. I might explore that next time I'm out there.

http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/172482

did this one a few months back.

up jamboree, left on santiago canyon area, right on cannon(this is murderous), down into anaheim hills, get onto the SART, ride to the beach, go through newport back bay and end up back in irvine/tustin. about 50 mile loop.

Both ups and downs of Cannon are worth a shot. Serrano up into Anaheim Hills is a good one too.

Brian, that bridge is actually what I mentioned... you can either cross to Rocking Horse or take a dirt path down to Newport. I'll look on the BCI site and find the route I was talking about. It has alot of tough climbs.

OK go to bikeirvine.org. Rides... ride bank. SUN26. The long ride. It's commonly called the OVERHILL ride. Coffee stop is Bagel Me, Villa Park.

Thanks, Pam. I'm not understanding the right turn from Highcliff onto Newport, as that is the bridge I'm talking about that goes over Newport - is that where you use the horse trail?

Edit: Oh I see now, looking at Google Maps street view. Just before the bridge, the horse trail goes to the right and then meets up back at Newport. Great connection to get back to Newport without having to bomb down Cowan Heights Rd. - as I may do this at night and would rather have all my downhill on the smooth and well-lit Jamboree and Tustin Ranch Rd.

That was a neat detour, turning right onto Cowan Heights at the end of Skyline and dropping down behind Peters Canyon. Man, that's a real b***buster of a hill climbing up out of Overhill! Still, I did the loop in under 50 minutes starting at the shopping center at Jamboree/Chapman and prefacing the climb with the downhill on Jamboree/Tustin Ranch/La Colina. Only regret is that I didn't bring my cleat covers, as I ended up walking instead of riding the horse trail connecting to Newport.

That was a neat detour, turning right onto Cowan Heights at the end of Skyline and dropping down behind Peters Canyon. Man, that's a real b***buster of a hill climbing up out of Overhill! Still, I did the loop in under 50 minutes starting at the shopping center at Jamboree/Chapman and prefacing the climb with the downhill on Jamboree/Tustin Ranch/La Colina. Only regret is that I didn't bring my cleat covers, as I ended up walking instead of riding the horse trail connecting to Newport.

Actually that sounds like a good route. I generally do it straight from my house (just the first part leaving out all the Villa Park travel). No matter it's a tough ride. The first time I did Overhill I was afraid of falling over i was going so slow! it was sheer will that got me up (and fear!). From home and then back on Jamboree the rides is less than 20 miles but it feels like 100!!!! It takes me closer to 2 hours to complete my loop.

And yes I meant to warn you about the gnarly, rutty, bumpy, dirty trail down to Newport - sorry!