peiffer83

Hi Everyone,

I am going to be visiting my sister in early March that just moved to Echo Park, LA. I am bringing my bike. I was wondering if anyone rides around there and knows any safe routes. I have never been to LA before, will have to drive places to ride? Anyone have any suggestions/group rides? I race with my club in Ohio, so this will be a great little pre season trip for me. My sister has a car I could borrow probably, but I know traffic is crazy there!

I found a couple routes like this:

https://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united...eles/678403390

chefxian

Check So Cal Cycling.com, under training rides. There are a few. BArry Wolfe ride Tues and Thur morning. Love Ride and the Amigos ride on Sunday out of Griffith Park. Depending on what time in MArch the Rose Bowl Ride will start Tues and Thursday Nights. There are 100 rides that leave Santa Monica on Saturday. Monday Night is Wolfpack which is super fast night ride that leaves down from Echo Park. Cyclones is another night ride on Mondays thats a little slower and shorter than Wolfpack. Hope this helps

chefxian

I don't know how much of ACH is open. There have been conflicting reports. There are several guys on here that will be able to tell you for sure as they are up there all the time. IF it is open that is a good route you picked.

rooftest

I think this is the one that starts on the right side of the zoo parking lot. It's been a while, so I forget the day/time.

Highway 2 (Angeles Crest) is closed from 2 miles north of La Canada to Red Box. (Mt. Wilson road.) Sure - you could climb the barrier and ride it, but you're risking a 4-figure fine - and you're getting in the way of the construction folks. If you look on the map, there's a "back way" that heads into the mountains from the Sunland area. All that stuff is open. All the water sources back there were destroyed in the fire - so plan accordingly.

peiffer83

What do you mean by night ride? Completely dark or is the sun still out? Thank you this helps a bunch!!! I will get my butt kicked though considering its winter here!

bitingduck

It's actually only closed from La Canada to Clear Creek-- they opened up Clear Creek to Red Box some time in the last couple weeks, and when I rode up there about 1.5 weeks ago the big light up sign at the intersection of Big T Canyon and AFH said "Highway Open to Red Box" or something like that. We rode from Altadena up to Red Box (via Tujunga) one day, and then from Sunland to Newcomb's a few days later. There's water at the Ranger Station at Clear Creek (go to the little hut along the 2 rather than the fire station that you'll pass on the Forest Hwy).

Night ride means night ride-- bring a good headlight and a tail light. LA can be really nice by night, even areas that you wouldn't expect to be. And monday night Cyclones is a great ride-- intensity level varies based on what the leaders planned and who shows up. Wolfpack is like a fast club ride, but in the dark (I haven't done it because I have to work in the morning and would rather do intervals at the velodrome in Carson tuesday nights anyway).

sdgrannygear

there is also a ride called TRFKAS, the ride formerly known as silverlake that is similar to wolfpack that is pretty fast, but a fun ride. check out midnightridazz.com, they have a listing of rides in your area.

rooftest

I'm confused - that sign that you speak of says that ACH is open from Big T to Red Box - that's always been the case. However, the CalTrans site (for some reason, the Angeles Forest web site no longer carries road closure information) seems to confirm that it's open from Clear Creek to Red Box-

SR 2
[IN THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AREA]
IS CLOSED FROM 2 MI EAST OF THE EAST JCT OF I 210 TO 8 MI EAST OF
LA CANADA (LOS ANGELES CO) - DUE TO STORM DAMAGE REPAIR - MOTORISTS ARE
ADVISED TO USE AN ALTERNATE ROUTE


Thanks for the heads-up. I'll be doing a ride up to Mt. Wilson this weekend now.

bitingduck

The sign I was referring to wasn't on big T, it was on the Forest Highway (on the side, with all the barriers that have been on the AFH removed) and said "Something like open to mt wilson" or "open to red box". I've been up the long way a few times before when it's been closed, and this was very clearly indicating the AFH was open to CC, where before they were clearly indicating it was closed.

All the barriers between Red Box and CC are also gone-- A while back we did Mt Wilson on successive weekends by different modes-- once going up on the road via Tujunga all the way to Wilson, and once by going up the Toll Road on mtbs and descending via the paved road-- the ACH was marked and barricaded between just west of Red Box. Now it's just nice smooth open road. The only downside is that the Mt. Wilson snack bar is closed til spring, though Newcomb's is open and serving food and needs the business.

bitingduck

TRFKAS is pretty good and ends in food, though it's kind of late if you have to work early.

peiffer83

Thanks guys! I don't know about the night rides considering I will be available the whole day. My plane comes in 3/6 and I leave 3/16. So if any of you want to ride, I would be up for whatever. Thanks again for all the information!

bitingduck

If you can ride the angeles crest on a weekday it's even more awesome, because there will be hardly any traffic after about 9 am. Quite a few people commute through from Palmdale (although maybe less since it's closed to La Canada), but after the commute is over it's pretty empty.

sdgrannygear

Well, you got 10 days in town, many of these night rides are on the weekdays when your sister will be working the next morning so if you get the chance, I highly encourage you to try them out, this is the best way to see the "real los angeles." Check their facebook pages for more info.

peiffer83

Hey guys anyone been up to Mt. Wilson? Anything still closed? Also has anyone done the Barry Wolfe Ride - Burbank, CA? If so have you done it lately and what is the turnout?

Thanks guys, I am really looking forward to visiting this weekend.

zzzwillzzz

no one mentioned the montrose ride on sat mornings, 150 to 250 riders.

chefxian

Montrose sucks

peiffer83

Why?

zzzwillzzz

i don't know never had too many problems there myself

sdgrannygear

I like montrose too, the only reasons for me to not like the ride would be that they get a little overzealous with running lights. Some of the local PD have started to crack down on this so they seem a bit more law abiding these days. Other than that, occasionally you get some jerk that likes to yell at people, but what group ride doesn't have one of these?

chefxian

Montrose is great because you can get different levels of workout depending on where you ride in the pack.

Montrose sucks because there are way too many squirelly riders and weekend warriors that have no bike handling or fitness.

Montrose is a training ride not a race and people treat it like a race.

The cop thing is getting old and tedious. Last year with Glendora PD was a joke. There are better Saturday rides.

bitingduck

Things were open, as mentioned above, but the rain of the past week (and next few days) may result in some new road closures in the mountains. Call the forest service ((626) 574-5200) before you try to head up. Usually they have a recording that's more up to date than the website, which is under construction and doesn't make road closures easy to find anymore. Glendora Mt. Road was open this past weekend (a friend of mine rode it, despite the weather), so some of the nice mountain roads are open.

If you're down for night rides, Cyclones is still happening on mondays at 8 and if it's not horribly cold or raining I'm going to try to get back out next week.

peiffer83

What is the best Saturday ride then? If you could only do one Saturday ride within about an hour driving distance of Echo Park, what would it be? Im only going to have one Saturday!

chefxian

You could make Como street in an hour if you leave early enough, now that ride is money. Sorry just realized it's Sunday.

You could to the Westside and check out one of the many rides leaving off Ocean Blvd.

Monday Cyclones is great. Kenvin and those guys are great.

zzzwillzzz

i'd do montrose as the como street ride is over 50 miles one way from me and i don't drive to training rides and is not on sat as previously mentioned and in orange county, that's three strikes for me

rooftest

You're the one that said "within an hour drive." That definitely too much - I agree; but you asked for it.

Not sure why you're opposed to "slumming" in Orange County as opposed to hanging in Echo Park, though...