Dalai

Planning on riding Mt Baldy - Glendora ridge road loop on my last day before flying back to Australia.

I have booked a hotel near Ontario airport. How are the neigborhoods between the hotel and Mt Baldy rd? Suitable to ride or better drive and park closer? If the later, any safe places to park?

Pug

You'll be fine riding from Ontario to Glendora. Question is whether you want to based on: a) extra time required b) extra energy expenditure before hitting the mountain. If you have plenty of both then go for it!

On the weekends I've parked at the Goddard Middle School which is not far from GMR. It's a nice residential neighborhood. Plus, the school has an outside water fountain.

Dalai

Thanks. I have all day; only have to drop of the hired van at LAX around 5pm and am flying out at 11:30pm.

It will be the last day of a three week peak bagging trip; riding a few days in the Bay area to start, a week Eastern Sierra, a week Colorado and then back to LA via Tucson and hopeful Mt Palomar. So I will most likely be keen to cut out the suburban riding from Ontario if the area near the Goddard Middle School is okay. Just concerned about all my gear left in the van on the street...

It won't be on a weekend as I fly out on a Thursday. What are school hours? Guessing restricted parking on school days?

volosong

Glendora is a pretty safe city. You can probably leave your car on any residential neighborhood street and it will not be messed with. When I ride GMR/GRR, I usually park at George Manooshian Park. The park is located behind a school, but has a separate driveway entrance. The parking lot is "hidden" behind the school and is right next to the groundskeeper shack. He must work there all-day because every time I've been there, I see his old Cadillac parked and the shed doors open. If you see the groundskeeper about, it wouldn't hurt to say "hello" and let him know you're going to ride up the hill. You might compliment him on how well the grounds look. He really does a good job of keeping the fields looking good and the trash picked up. It's not really a "park" as such. Just a complex of baseball diamonds. The only time I've seen people there is during little league season, (on weekends), or when there is a high school game. In either case, there are a lot of parents about, so kids won't be getting into much mischief. I like parking there because in addition to being pretty safe, it gives about a mile of flattish warm-up before hitting that first short, steep hill before hitting the gate and GMR.

Have a good ride. If it's warm, bring at least two, preferably three bottles of fluid. No water on the hill until you get to the village, 21 something miles and 5,000 or so feet later.

volosong

Oops. Forgot to mention. School hours vary, but typically you can figure from about 7:30 to about 2:30/3:30. Restricted parking is a maybe. Usually not.

Pug

Excellent point! Carrying the extra weight stinks but it really is a good idea on this ride. Also note that once you get up there in elevation cell phone service will be slim to none. Just something to keep in mind if you're riding alone.

Genaro

If you want to ride from the airport area, here is the route I would take.

https://goo.gl/maps/i08Tz

rooftest

When I ride GMR, I always park at the base near Sierra Madre road and the oak tree. (you'll see the other cars with bike racks there.) Never a problem and very convenient.

hamster

Neighborhoods along the 210 near the foot of Mt Baldy Road the entire distance from Glendora to Ontario are upper middle class and safe. Neighborhoods immediately adjacent to Ontario airport are more working class / Hispanic but still reasonably safe (last year's Etape took D street west to Euclid north.)

jimxyz

I grew up near the start of GMR and still have friends and family living in that area and it is very safe - though a bit dated in its look. You can park pretty much anywhere without worry or restrictions (except no overnight street parking is allowed in the city). We are actually riding GMR tomorrow morning and will likely park near Goddard so as to get a little warm up before heading up the hill. If you don't want to ride back through the mountains coming back from Baldy village, you can always descend to to Foothill and cruise back on the flats. All the neighborhoods you pass through are middle-class, wide streets etc.

Dalai

Appreciate all the suggestions and tips. Hotel is just off Nth Vineyard Ave which runs parallel to Nth Archibald, so could follow much of the mapped route if I still decide to ride from Ontario...

Will be mid September, so guessing still warm in LA. Will make sure I carry extra water on the ride.

Pug

If you are not locked in to Ontario may want to also take a look at hotels in Pasadena/Arcadia area. Lots of places to eat, etc., and a little more centrally located but still fairly close to GMR. I usually stay at the Embassy Suites in Arcadia, for example, and find the location convenient.

jimxyz

Ride early - September is almost always extremely hot, especially in Ontario and up the hill

TJKnight

Do you want to climb Mt Baldy Road and do the junk miles at the end, or do the junk miles at the beginning to get to GRR?

Dalai

I have booked the hotel already, but with no deposit via booking.com. So can still easily cancel and look elsewhere. Will check the Pasadena/Arcadia area.

I will make sure I ride early. Don't want to be pushed for time to get the pick box packed and drop off the van after driving across LA to LAX.

Thinking junk miles at the start TJKnight. Warm the legs up before the climbing and the last section to the car is a fun descent?

Genaro

Mt. Baldy Road is a fun decent. Steeper than GMR/GRR. Make sure you have a rear blinkie as you will go through two tunnels and watch out for rocks on the road. (no major issue) as long as you keep your eyes open. I've picked up some of my highest speeds on the bottom part of that decent

TJKnight

There are about a million more things to do in Pasadena than Ontario, but if you'll be in the saddle the whole time, it doesn't really matter much, and hotels are probably cheaper in Ontario, if that's a factor.

Mt Baldy Road is a great descent, but I prefer more technical descents. This one is steep and straight.

Dalai

I would like to do the loop anti-clockwise - as I plan on riding to the top of the Mt Baldy climb before dropping back down and taking GMR/GRR.

Ontario will be the last night of three week riding holiday where I've roughly estimated ~3000 miles driving solo and riding all but 4 days. Not too concerned about what to do off the bike other than eat and sleep...

53-12

Between now and Sept you're going to get a lot of advice, here's the best though. Park in the Vons lot at Baseline and Mills, in Claremont. Heading west on Baseline to get to GMR is level / downhill mostly, and a good way to warm up the legs. Do the GMR / GRR loop, add the climb to the ski lifts, if that is what you were going to do, then except for one short rise it is all one long, fast descent back to your car. Order a panini and cold drink at EuroCafe (at the Vons lot), relax a bit, and then it's an easy drive to the airport.

jimxyz

IMO it is easier to go up GMR/GRR to baldy and then climb to the lifts than the other way around - plus the road up to Baldy tends to have lots more cars, I actually try to avoid it and just go back via GRR etc...

Dalai

Really set on riding the steeper Mt Baldy ascent first and returning GMR/GRR. Trip is about hitting as many long and hard west coast climbs as I can.

I like the sound of the Eurocafe. Please say they make a nice coffee...

hamster

If long and hard is your cup of tea, and you'll be in Eastern Sierra anyway, make sure not to miss https://app.strava.com/segments/1334431 and https://app.strava.com/segments/613827.

The ultimate killer would probably be https://app.strava.com/segments/932718 but I'm not sure if it's doable without knobby tires.

Dalai

First two are in the schedule. Didn't know about the third... Reference to knobbies - is some of this road unsealed?

Planning 18 days riding over 22 days

Couple of days around San Fransisco -

• Old La Honda + Tunitas Creek first afternoon on landing.
• Mt Hamilton + Sierra rd + Mt Diablo.
• Mt Tamalpais loop.

Eastern Sierra -

• Death ride loop 4 climbs.
• Mosquito Flat.
• Bristlecone.
• Horseshoe Meadows + Whitney Portal.
• Onion Valley

CO -

• Grand Mesa (both sides).
• Independence pass (both sides).
• Copper Triangle.
• Trail ridge rd (both sides).
• Mt Evans.
• Pikes Peak

AZ -

• Mt Graham.
• Mt Lemmon

CA -

• Mt Palomar.
• Mt Baldy GMR/GRR

hamster

It is not paved. Photo from 4800' elevation (may not be representative of conditions higher up): https://ssl.panoramio.com/photo/16779172

My legs would fall off somewhere between death ride and whitney portal.

jimxyz

That is one crazy ride schedule! Looking forward to hearing about it. If I had the time I would add a ride up hwy 38 (the last leg of Breathless agony - 20+ miles of climbing at with 8000+ ft elevation), Angeles Crest (climb climb climb) and any of the sections of Mulholland Challenge as the Santa Monica Mountains are incredible, even if the climbs are not super long.