cgper

ive been looking for flat areas to ride in and trying to avoid busy streets. SART has no cars so that takes care of the traffic. is the trail flat or full of hills? would this be an easy ride for a beginner?

1955

You should have joined us today...yes it's a great beginner ride.

my58vw

Great beginner ride, the only hills are the underpasses - watch the sand there!

Slight downhill to the beach, then overall slightly uphill (not even real noticeable) on the way back. Headwind and Tailwinds can change things.

Neccros

If you want a beginner to ride with on SART, hit me up... I live close to it in HB

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What's SART?

Neccros

Santa Ana River Trail

Jeronimo_

This is the SART:



The paved thing along the drainage ditch known as the Santa Ana River is a bike path, not really a trail in the pure sense of the word.

Mr. Beanz

I thought the OP was talking about this SART!

TrevorInSoCal

For the record, if you're talking about the dirt one (My local MTB haunt.), it's certainly not a beginner ride. It's not all that technical, and there really isn't any hard climbing, but I think the exposure would seriously freak out a lot of beginner mtn. bikers. There's a few spots there that you do *not* want to go over the edge on.

But yeah, having ridden the SART, in the mountains, for about the past 15 years or so, I still have a hard time getting used to the OC bike path being referred to as SART. OTOH, they've recently completed more paved portions of it from San Bernardino, through to Riverside. Eventually it's going to go all the way from the trailhead in the San Bernardino mountains to the beach. I can't wait. That'll be an awesome ride.

-Trevor

Mr. Beanz

I think the guy said he wanted to avoid cars and traffic. Is there traffic on mtb trails?

The trail I have been riding on has been called SRT for the last 10 years that I've been riding it. Over 20 to the riders I've met that live near the SART!

Neccros

I've ridden the evil SART(the paved one) since about '87-'88..... never knew about the dirty SART until I got my first mountain bike in '02

Mr. Beanz

I didn't know there was a dirty SART till I read this thread!

Extort

SARP just does not sound right...

1955

I've been riding the SART Santa Ana River Trail since the 80's off and on in most of it's incarnations from Green River to HB.

Mr. Beanz

Hey that's us!

1955

I'm just getting used to...using Photobucket, so I'll be putting more pics up later.

Yeah, that's us.

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I would love to do this ride. What's the normal pace you go and how's the terrain? Does it lead to any cool places? If you guys do this ride again I would love to join. Thanks.

Jeronimo_

The paved Santa Ana bike path has been around for quite some time, but the SART in the dirt has been in existence for much longer. The SART is a CCC trail and has been around since the 30's. I've been riding the paved Santa Ana bike path off and on since the late 70's and never called it "trail". As far as the SART dirt trail being a beginner trail or not is debatable. I've taken beginners (and rode it a few times a beginner there) on it from Middle Control to Glass many times throughout the 22 years I've been mountain biking.

Jeronimo_

What I find interesting about it all is those who call it a trail also seem to call it a MUP. Doesn't the P stand for "path"?

voltman

What does the city call it?

Er, cities. Whatever.

Happytime

Here's a SART question, since I've only been on the southern portion of the path:

There appears to be paths on both the east and west side of the "river" or pavement gulch, or whatever you call it. I've only been on the westerly side near PCH. Which side is the "real" SART?

I have a fit/foot adjustment this week in OC and want to put a few miles in right away to test it out. I thought I'd start at the Mr. Serious place (since I know where that is) and ride the path for a couple of hours. Can I go straight north? Or should I go south a bit, cross the rickety bridge and go northbound on the opposite side?

Mr. Beanz

HT, take the trail North, cross the wodden bridge. Ten miles later, you'll hit another bridge, cross it.

Another 12 miles or so, you will hit another bridge (Imperial), cross it too.

When you gt to the Wier Cyn underpass, the trail immediately swoops UP to the left. You will end up on LaPalma, continue on the trail. Dro down to the right once you pass the carwash, takes you to Gypsum Cyn, GO right on the trail (Gympsum) then curve down to the right and under then to the right, then to the left, then you are on your way to Green river.

Neccros

Where you getting your foot adjustment?? I need one myself.... and whats the cost??

jschen

Watch out for killer headwinds on the way toward the coast in the mid to late afternoon. After Beanz left me to my own devices, I was doing an average of about 14 MPH the rest of the way. As for navigating, just follow the dotted yellow, and you'll be fine. If you reach the part where you temporarily ride right next to the road, well, it's pretty obvious which way to go at the fork to stay along the river trail. That asid, the dotted yellow always tells you where to go.

Tortise45

Starting from there, you should go south till you hit the wooden bridge and cross it, then proceed north as Beanz and Jason described. When are you getting the fit adjustment, and any idea when you expect to be on the trail?