How many So Cal Riders use this forum?

[bcipam]

It seems like alot of the California posters are from Northern California. There's is alot of great riding in Southern California and in particular, Orange County.

I would like to know who all rides in So California and maybe get some facts and information. I'll start:

Where do you live: Irvine, Ca

Age: 55

What Do you ride: road and mountain bikes

Which is your favorite? I'm a better roadie than MTBer but love MTBing best.

Where do you ride?

Road: All around Orange County and into San Diego. Generally from Irvine south to Lake Forest, Mission Viejo and Aliso Viejo and North up through Huntington Beach to Belmont Shores. Favorite ride is Back Bay, to Balboa Island, ferry to Newport and back.

MTB: From Chino Hills (favorite route North Ridge to Sycamore, down to Telegraph, up to 4 Corners, Bovian and back down South Ridge), Peters Canyon, to Irvine Park to Weir Canyon, Limestone Canyon, Wood Canyon/Aliso Woods. Laguna Coast Wilderness Park.

Bike Clubs: Bicycle Club of Irvine (road), Team Basso (MTB) and docent for The Nature Conservancy

Bicycle wish list: Someday... a custom Kish ti road bike and a Specialized Stumpjumper M4 Expert mountain bike.

Life wish list: Find a guy who also loves to ride, isn't all messed up in the head (i.e.crazy), who loves also to travel.

[tprevost]

Hi!

This is my first post but I've been lurking and I LOVE this forum!!!

Live: Canyon Lake, CA (over the hill -74 from you)

I'll be 41 this year

I am just starting to get back into riding. I do enjoy reading about the Nor Cal rides though because I am from there and started out doing the Cinderella etc; I actually plan to do the Healdsburg Century in July though as it is my favorite.

I haven't done any riding in Orange County yet but will probably expand to that area this year. Mainly I've been riding close to home trying to build my conditioning back up! However, I broke my arm roller blading and am stuck in this cast until mid to late Feb...ugh!

I usually ride my road bike but recently had my husband's old mtn bike tuned up and was really enjoying riding it! I've heard there is some good riding off of the Ortega but I've still got to go check it out! I'm also going to go check out the areas you posted about!

I just ordered a Specialized Roubaix Comp but I usually ride my Cannondale Touring Bike (GREAT Granny Gears!). I consider myself pretty much a beginner but I do have 12-15 Metric Centurys that I've done (WAY back when!) I've got a list of about 10 rides that I'd like to try to do this year so as you can imagine, this cast is driving me crazy!!!

I don't belong to any clubs yet - I'm a bit intimidated about it since I'm sure I can't keep up with other riders! I will probably start checking around to see if there are any near me...

Well, I'm jabbering but would also like to hear if there are more people down here in this area!

Tracy

[bikerchick68]

Where do you live: San Diego, CA

Age: 37 (38 REAL soon)

What Do you ride: road (I tried mtn biking and kept bleeding so gave it up!)

Where do you ride? All over... when at home I ride the east county of San Diego thru the winter... great climbs and training. My training route includes a part of the Alpine Challenge! In the summer when it gets hot I ride the coast, which is part of the Amtrack Century route... I am going for the Century a Month Club this year so will be riding all over the place! Did the Stagecoach Century on Jan 14 in Ocotillo and am riding Tour de Palm Springs on Feb 11!

Bike Clubs: Bike Buddies (bikebuddies.org) and my personal group of buds... 3 chicks and 2 guys who ride together all the time!

Bicycle wish list: I really want one of those Elektra Cruisers... they're cheap so I should just cough up the dough and do it! LOL... I'd like it for riding to the coffee shop, with the nieces and nephews and with friends who don't really ride... my bike scares the non-rider friends, and if it got stolen at the coffee shop... well, I'd cry. And have to file a homeowner's claim to replace it!

Life wish list: travel, do more bike tours (rode 6 days in Ireland in 2004) and date whoever fits in to where my life is at the time! Divorced just over a year ago so ZERO desire to remarry at this point! Maybe someday... maybe. LOL

[bcipam]

Tracy:

If you ever want to tool around the OC, check out BCI (bikeirvine.org). Either come do one of our Saturday rides (all the rides are listed on the website) or at least pull some of the route slips off the computer and come try them yourself. BCI is a recreational/touring club. On Saturdays we have introductory rides which are shorter distances. Members go from the very new to the gold medalist last year in the Sr. Olympics. You should be able to find someone to ride with. Are there any bike clubs in your area? I know of the Riverside Club which is also a recreational club like BCI.

Also, TNC offers some great MTB rides. Go to OCWILD.org, click The Nature Conservancy, "Let's Go Outside" and peruse the activities offered. If you need any information about the rides, let me know.

I don't think there are many of us posting from So Cal on this forum which I think is weird. I would like a connection to meet other riders and show them my riding area and be able to go check out theirs. I would love to do some rides in the San Diego area so Bikerchick if you have any suggestions let me know. I've ridden from OC to SD and taken Amtrak back. I've also started in Carlsbad, ridden out to Rancho Cordova and around and back. That ws a fun ride. Would also like to check out the MTB riding in SD.

* * *

PS Bikerchick - how did you like the Stagecoach? I had alot of friends from OC and San Diego both do the ride. It got mixed reviews. Would like to try it next year.

This year I got alittle messed up. I had surgery in November last year to repair a collarbone fracture which never healed. Just now getting back on my bike and have to take it real slow. No rides over 20 - 30 miles for at least another 2 - 3 months. So my early riding season is shot. Also can't do any difficult MTB rides. Can't risk a fall, at least not right now. So decided this year to take it easy and just enjoy riding.

In 2004 I did 9 centuries, starting with Palm Springs and ending with the Spooktacular in Bakersfield (also Solvang, Wildflower, The Bear, Cruisin the Conejo, Windmill, Cool Breeze -my favorite- and Amtrak) plus the Moab Skinny Tire Festival and a week long ride through Utah. Glad I did it but glad I'm done!!! Now it's time to ride for just fun!!!!

[bikerchick68]

bcipam... ya know what? This year is my big goal year... next year my goal is to have no goals! LOL... next year will be the year of riding for the sheer joy of it... and I'm NOT having surgery! Sometimes riding for the love of riding is the BEST way to go... if you;re ever down here (or me up there) we'll have to do a spin... OH! And I also LOVED Cool Breeze... dang wish I'd known you were there!! How is Cruisin the Conejo? It's on my list for this year...

Stagecoach was tough... mostly due to the wind. 20-30mph headwinds the whole climb to lunch... which was a 2% false flat with NO breaks... interspersed with a coiuple smallish climbs and one that danged near ripped my legs off at around 12-14%... I ride a double... anything steeper and I'd have to consider compact cranks or a triple! BUT, without the wind this would be a great ride... support was excellent, scenery nice, food plentiful and you can ride 3 abreast most of the way as there is VERY little traffic... and as advertised only ONE stopsign the whole ride! I will do it again... Here are some other comments from other riders about it:

The ride was awesome. Just beautiful.

Since you asked ......
Bottom line: I WOULD do it again. At lunch I said I would never do it again .... because we fought strong headwinds and gusty side winds for 46 miles to lunch. And it was generally uphill, with some grades 11 - 14%.
you had to fight not to get blown off the bike. At one point near the end, with a 1% downgrade, we were doing 28 Mph without pedaling at all for miles.
The support was good and they were organized. there were about 1200 riders, and I understand there were less than 200 last year, their first year. The jersey looks nice

It was windy with head winds and side winds and winds that swirled all
around It was great!!! Two cute guys kept us company

very!!!!! but we did it, ( probably wont happen again, but at least i did it once)

It was windy. I'm glad I went on the adventure and I had a good ride, although I question the intelligence of driving 470 miles round trip to bicycle 100 miles. El Centro is not exactly a California hotspot. But the people made the whole thing fun. The desert scenery was exquisite, if you like barren landscapes. I do.

The ride was challenging. The sponsors said that morning winds were neutral, whatever that means. They were actually headwinds. Outbound, we were riding at a brisk 8 mph, which was worrisome because the course closed at 4
PM. Fortunately, finally, the headwinds turned mostly to tailwinds on the return, The support was good. The rest stops were nicely spaced every 12 or 13 miles. The food was good and the service was excellent. I'd recommend the Stagecoach to anyone who wants to ride it -- at least
once.

[nicolezoie]

Where do you live: Oceanside, CA

Age: 29

What Do you ride: 2004 Bianchi Axis, a cyclocross bike, on the crappy roads in North San Diego County

Which is your favorite? I love trail riding, but stick mainly to roads since most of what I do is solo.

Where do you ride?

Road: All over coastal North San Diego County. These days I stick mostly near home, but I've ridden as far south along the coast as La Jolla and as far north as halfway through Camp Pendleton. Most of my riding consists of doing the San Luis Rey river trail in north Oceanside and climbing the massive hills around the county.

MTB: (when I had a trail bike) Tresspassing!

Bike Clubs: Swamis

Bicycle wish list: I like what I ride now but I'd like to get a new saddle though; this one's getting worn out. I've put close to 10,000 miles on it since I got my bike in June '04.

Life wish list: To get my boyfriend to start biking again since he lost his left arm in a car accident a year and a half ago. He was my riding partner before his accident.

[tprevost]

has anyone ridden either the Santa Ana River Trail or the San Gabriel River Trail???? I'm going to be needing to get a lot of mileage in quickly after my cast comes off and since I usually end up riding alone, I thought maybe these would be good options (both above 60 miles round trip). I'm a little nervous about being on new roads far away from home ... somehow a straight out and back trail (no traffic/can't get lost) doesn't seem so scary...

Thanks!

Tracy

[caligurl]

i rode the santa ana trail during the smog to surf... but it wasn't straight out and back.. there were a few places you had to go roundabout and up and over ! if it hadn't been marked for STS i surely woulda gotten lost! then the bridges!

however... it is FLAT as a pancake so very fast... as long as you know where you are going it's a fast mileage builder!!!

don't know anything about san gabriel!

hopefully some others have some info for you!

[tprevost]

Thanks Caligurl! At least I know to watch for those spots you mentioned! I am pretty sure my neighbor has ridden it before (he's kinda weird so I wanted to ask here first) so I may ask him as well. Are you going to the Red Riding Hood ride in UT? ... I saw that you posted you might go, so I thought I'd ask!

Tracy

[Googlie Wooglie]

I think the trail is repaired now ... at least, last time I rode it I made no detours and that was 70 miles up and back. Can a local confirm?

[caligurl]

ahhhhh so parts were closed??? that's why we went up and around and over and down a little path? lol! well if it is an out and back with NO chance of getting lost... i may drag hubby down there sometime when i want to go shopping (ride first.. then shop )

tprevost... i want to do little red riding hood.. it's just a logistics thing.... it's still on the calendar.. so i haven't written it off yet! lodging with a dog is the biggest set back.... not sure i want to camp (not sure there's even a tenting campground) and finding hotels/motels that take dogs (even one that behaves better than a lot of kids) is hard! it's too far to go in a day like we do the centuries here in socal (we'll drive up to 4 hours but that's ONLY if it's a good century! we like to keep it to a 3 hour drive or less cuz even that's 6 hours on top of the ride time!) but anyways.. i'm babbling!

[Trek420]

Have the So Cal gals tried checking and posting to the map of TE?

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showt...hlight=frapper

[chartman64]

A friend of mine participates here and suggested I check it out -- thought this would be a good place to get my feet wet.

Where do you live: just north of downtown Los Angeles

Age: 42 (43 next Sunday)

What Do you ride: Specialized Hard Rock (MTB)

Which is your favorite? Smooth with as little traffic as possible.

Where do you ride? LA River trail, Arroyo Seco. Planning to start checking out other trails. I live at the top of a hill not far from the beginning of the Arroyo Seco trail; training to make the ride home easier.

Bike Clubs: Wasn't aware of the concept until recently. Haven't found one that looks like a good match for me, but that might be fun.

Bicycle wish list: I'm in a wonderful state of blissful ignorance -- I like what I've got, mainly because I don't know any better.

Life wish list: To not be daunted by long uphill climbs.

I'm fortunate to live with a guy who introduced me to cycling while on vacation, and have done a couple of self-guided bike tours, one in England and one in Ireland. On both trips, I didn't train enough in advance and the hills were killers. We're talking about either going back to Ireland or perhaps Italy (the touring company we like does a package for Tuscany/Umbria that sounds really amazing). I won't be able to afford it for another three years, so that gives me plenty of time to train.

[laughlaugh18]

chartman!!!! Yippee!!!!!

Pam and everyone - I'm not ready to do the ride with you all tomorrow (I'm still a 10mph girl, plus I have to get back up to LA late morning), but I do want to meet everyone. So, I'm going to drive down to meet you all at 8:30ish. I'll toodle around at my own pace either before or after (depending on how early I roll out of bed).

Cathy

[tprevost]

Cathy!!! I'm so glad we'll at least get to meet you! You could also try riding maybe the first few miles and then going back if you just want to see what its like! We'll take good care of you!

Trac'