mikey_

Hi, I'll be visiting Pasadena for about a month and am interested in doing some rides. Can anyone suggest some routes (or B level group rides)? Or even some links to pages with routes? I am most interested in climbing (there is very little where I am now). I am looking for something like 20-40 mile out and backs from the area around Velo Pasadena.

Thanks!

Lesper4

Angeles Crest Highway #2?

volosong

+100

Common bike route, enough so that cars are aware of cyclist out and about. Heavy traffic during commute hours, otherwise pretty nice. There are several logical turn-around points. Clear Creek where the Angeles Forest Highway branches off the Angeles Crest Highway. Or, you can turn left onto Angeles Forest Highway and take Big Tujunga Canyon back down into Sunland, then along Foothill back to Pasadena. Or, continue on Angeles Crest Highway to Red Box, turn right and on up to Mount Wilson. ridewithgps.com might be useful in mapping out a route.

cruiserhead

Glendora Mountain Rd then up to Mt Baldy
you can go up quite a bit and do a nice loop with plenty of climbing.

jimxyz

+1 on Angeles Crest. Weekends can get busy with cars and motorcycles if you don't start early. There is another ride we have done that goes out through Glendale and down toward LA and then up the back way up to the Griffith Park observatory that was a great ride and had cumulative climbing that worked out to 1000 ft per 10 miles. i'm sure someone on here knows that route.

Wulf

A pretty ride is out to Sierra Madre and Chantry Flats.

blarnie

Velo Pasadena has a group ride or someone riding from the shop every day. There are some of the finest riders and the friendliest most knowledgeable blokes in the area. Hrach, pronounced Hrach, is the most awesome shop owner you will ever meet.

The rides in the San Gabriel Mountains are numerous and varied. From the short and steep to the long and altitude challenging. As well as many neighborhood streets that strung together can add the elevation numbers nicely.

Many riders in the area tend to stick to the same crowded path, but if you're more adventurous you will find a great number of less traveled routes away that fit the bill.

I would even suggest tossing the route sheet and just following your nose.

rooftest

Hwy 2, Chantry Flats, Chevy Chase in long to short order.

mikey_

Thanks everyone!

bitingduck

Highway 39 up to Crystal Lake and/or the 2. There are about 6 miles of road that are closed to cars between the Crystal Lake turnoff and Hwy 2, but they're fine for bikes (with a few rough sections). Sometimes we go up that way and descend via the 2-- on weekdays the afternoon traffic on the 2 is heavy going from La Canada to Clear Creek (and on to Palmdale) but there's almost no traffic headed down from Clear Creek.

I think I have a bunch of routes that are public in mapmyride if you look under the same username I use here.

ThePOWERtoRULE

Alot's already been covered here.
The big ones are Angeles Crest and Highway 39/Azusa Canyon/Glendora Mountain Road.
Chevy Chase is good, but isn't nearly as long as I thought it would be... but def worth doing. I like it, but have a hard time convincing my prissy group to do the Colorado Blvd mash through Eagle Rock to get there. They're right though, if we get there later there's tons of traffic and pretty poor street conditions (although much better than a year ago, I think)
I just try and keep close to the foothills and wind up and down them as part of the route. Any climb up into Sierra Madre, also up New York and Altadena Dr. After that we usually work our way down to South Pas and then up Arroyo into the Rosebowl, and will sometimes zig-zag up and back across and out of the arroyo to get some short climbs in.

Edit: Also wanted to chime in that I will confirm the earlier mention that the guys at Velo do rides. I've never rode with them, but that shop is a class act. I'm glad I bought my bike from them, they are always very cool about anything I call or approach them about.

Pug

Might want to take a look at some SFVBC rides, too.