bitingduck

Anybody know anything about this road? I'm looking for alternate routes (rather than taking 74) down from Idyllwild to Hemet that are passable on a road bike. I've had or heard of a bunch of bad experiences (bus on fire, insane drivers trying to drive people off the road) on the descent down 74 so usually when we're going over the mountain there we take 371->Anza->Bautista Rd (dirt road), but it would be kind of nice to ride up to Idyllwild and then take a fire road down.

If it's like an ok fire road without too many sections with big rocks then it's probably not bad on a road bike. It looks like it's just a little over 6 miles down. Given that it actually shows up as a marked road on Google Earth, rather than just a stripe of a fire road, it seems promising.

Anybody ever ridden it? Recently?

TrevorInSoCal

It's been a few years, but I rode my dual-sport motorcycle up an old fire-road that started near the bottom of the 74 and ended up in Idyllwild. If it's the same road, you definitely wouldn't want to do it on a road bike. *Maybe* a cross bike, but even then it'd be pretty rough.

That's assuming it's the same road I was on. It's entirely possible that it was a different road.

Yeah, whole lot of help there eh?

bitingduck

Sounds like the right road. If you can maybe do it on a cross bike, I'd do it on a road bike (and I only intend to go down it, not up). I've done a lot of fire roads on a road bike-- as long as you watch out for sharp rocks to avoid pinch flats it's not bad.

Do you know Bautista road from Anza to Hemet? How does that compare?

Maybe time for a field trip.

TrevorInSoCal

Don't think I'm familiar with that one.

The only thing I really remember about the road to Idyllwild was that there were a lot of really loose, sandy corners. I remember that mostly 'cause it was my first off road ride on my then new KLR 650 and I dropped it in said corners several times...

Keep in mind this was nearly 5 years ago, so who knows what condition it could be in now.

-Trevor

bitingduck

So do you remember if it was gated or open to motor traffic? Some of those roads are marked state or county roads that are open to motor traffic and graded occasionally. Old Control Road actually shows up on google earth as a road, which made me think it might be at least marginally maintained.

calamarichris

Judging from all the tracks on the trailhead, some of you guys must be riding this road regularly.

So how is it? I'm thinking of giving her a go this weekend and would sure appreciate any guidance or tips!

rollinalong

Go for it. A lot of mt bike trials in the area prob what the tracks are from. I've done it on a dual sport dirt bike...hard packed with some sand, rocks etc. Used to live in Idy as a kid just down the road from the control road....friends and I would ride down the hill and dad would pick us up at the bottom. Nothing too challenging....Walk the sandy parts if you gotta.

Bautista cny down from Anza the same but much flatter...plus the last 8 miles or so from the fire camp down to valle vista is paved with almost zero traffic....

rollinalong

btw on a dirt bike I always had probs hearing through my helmet dudes in their prerunners or rhinos coming from the opposite direction and having some near misses on the very narrow road...but on a bike you'll be able to hear them coming and get outta the way. Bee canyon and old control road both start at the same place in Idy and end pretty close to each other on 74, but bee canyon is open to ORV's so on weekends is used pretty heavily.