Video: 'L.A. Sucks for Riding'

Jan 18, 2022 at 20:12
by Canyon  

Join world-traveling, multi-sport athlete and aspiring actor, KC Deane, as he discovers one of the United States' most-unlikely mountain bike trail networks—Los Angeles—with guest stars, former BMX pro Andrew Jackson and restaurateur Arnaud Moulin.

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bigquotesLos Angeles is not necessarily a mountain bike destination, but it’s a great place to ride. The thing I like about L.A. is the diversity that you don’t get in other bike towns in America.—KC Deane

KC Deane’s Favorite Trail in Los Angeles:





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KC Deane—@kcdeane

Frame: 2022 Canyon Neuron CF 8
Fork: Fox 34 Performance Elite
Shock: Fox Float DPS Performance
Drivetrain: Shimano XT, 32T x 10-51t
Wheels: Enve M730
Tires: Schwalbe Hans Dampf 29” x 2.6” (f), 2.35” (r)
Handlebar: Enve M9
Stem: Enve M7, 35mm
Seatpost: Canyon Iridium Dropper
Saddle: Chromag

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bigquotesYou can feel the different cultures and the different personalities [in Los Angeles]—and a bike is the perfect way to experience it.—Andrew Jackson

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Andrew Jackson’s Favorite Trail in Los Angeles:




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bigquotesWhen I realized there was mountain biking [in L.A.], I was like, ‘O.K., I found my place.’ The weather is beautiful all year—you can ride all year here.—Arnaud Moulin

Arnaud Moulin’s Favorite Trail in Los Angeles:




photo

Arnaud Moulin—@arnaudmla

Frame: 2022 Canyon Spectral CF 7
Fork: RockShox Lyrik Select RC
Shock: RockShox Super Deluxe Select+
Drivetrain: SRAM SX Eagle, 32T x 11-50t
Wheels: RaceFace AR30
Tires: Maxxis Minion DHF 29” x 2.5”
Handlebar: Canyon G5
Stem: Canyon G5
Seatpost: Canyon Iridium Dropper
Saddle: Ergon SM10 Enduro Comp
______________________________________________________________________________________

Produced by: Capture.Share.Repeat
With support from: Canyon
Featuring: KC Deane, Andrew Jackson and Arnaud Moulin
MENTIONS: @Canyon-PureCycling
______________________________________________________________________________________

Author Info:
Canyon-PureCycling avatar

Member since Feb 18, 2013
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133 Comments
  • 113 7
 No, LA sucks for living.
  • 10 10
 There's a reason we coined #lasucksforcycling. We're fine with as many people thinking this as possible.
  • 13 4
 @pb-kg: It sucks for living because it is super expensive with high taxes, high crime, etc. The only redeeming factor is the weather, but even then, that's offset by the horrible smog.

Fwiw, all of my dad's extended family lives there and I visit somewhat regularly (and lived there for six years).
  • 28 1
 LA is the best, please don’t leave, ever.
  • 4 6
 @HB208: upvoted to support the narrative.
  • 5 0
 @pb-kg: I mean, I am serious.
  • 11 0
 LA sucks for everything
  • 2 2
 @HB208: ok
  • 2 3
 @pb-kg: Have you lived anywhere else? Because a lot of places are better to live.
  • 4 2
 @HB208: Born and raised here, moving to PNW in the next 5 years or so. 40 years in, I have no illusions about this place. IMO, it's the transplants that contribute to what makes LA great and terrible at the same time. Talk all the smack you want, just don't buy into the notion that our riding is worth checking out.
  • 3 1
 @pistol2ne: not for food.
  • 2 0
 @jrocksdh: this is fair.
  • 1 0
 @jrocksdh: any suggestions? I like the hole in the wall kind of spots and generally have a hard time finding them out here.
  • 1 1
 @Revkev151: I work throughout the region in field services so I'll usually just pull up google maps and search lunch etc. Obviously socal has never ending primo mex; fish; Mediterranean; chicken sandys; korean bbq..so diverse.
I prefer OC though as not so heavy handed with the mask mandates.
  • 1 0
 @Revkev151: there’s a place called Thai Town with the most Thai people in one area outside of Thailand…
  • 72 0
 "Mom can we go mountain biking in Canada?""Sweety we have La Cañada at home."
  • 42 0
 LA: Where you can ride your bike through a post-apocalypse downtown on your way to illegally built trails because NIMBYs refuse to give MTBers access or let them build good trails.
  • 31 1
 LA is not DTLA... Between San Gabriel mountains, Santa Monica and OC, anyone living in LA has plenty of options for riding. But, anyone who doesn't like LA, I believe you're free to leave or you're free not to visit. If we run into you, 9 out of 10 of us will be friendly to you and will tell you about the trail work we have been doing. Remember, mountain bikers are mountain bikers. Just because we live in LA it doesn't mean we are trying to identify as being part of Hollywood LOL
  • 26 0
 Was fully expecting Michael Douglas to walk through with his uzi, and briefcase.
  • 17 0
 Born and raised in LA in 70s and 80s. Like most people who grew up there and moved somewhere else (NorCal), I have an intense distaste for the place. LA has changed since then. The traffic is still just as bad, if not worse, but it is much more culturally diverse and friendly than it was 30 years ago.

One of the best rides I did last year was Brown Mountain/El Prieto when I was down visiting my mom. Out of the 30 or so riders/hikers I saw, all except one were friendly and polite, far better than the about 50/50 rate I see in the Bay Area. In some way LA and SF Bay Area have flipped roles in the last 30 years. The SF Bay Area used to be where all the friendly people were, open and accepting, tolerant, diverse. LA seems to be far ahead in this way now.
  • 13 0
 That's interesting; as a Bay Area native who moved down to LA I can confirm that LA seems way more friendly and diverse than the Bay did when I left
  • 2 0
 "Bay-arean Supremacists"
  • 2 0
 Spend a little more time down here... that friendly rose tint will fade.
  • 1 0
 Granted it's been a decade since I've been to either, but that was the impression I got too. Surprised by how much I liked LA, and disliked SF considering their reputation (at the time at least).
  • 3 0
 @Eatsdirt: I have no illusions that everyone is friendly. It is friendly than when I grew up there, more diverse, and has, for lack of a better description, more of soul than it used to.

Just within the biking groups I see, it is much more diverse. Go to Snow Summit and look at the people there, lots of families, women, white, brown, black, and yellow people. Go to Northstar, while there are a lot more families and women than there used to be, they are still far smaller in proportion, and still 80+% white.
  • 2 1
 @carym: Diversity, yes. Not sure that means friendly in any traditional sense.
  • 13 2
 Andrew Jackson is awesome. Anyone who enjoys some BMX content but hasnt' heard of him should google his WeThePeople CREAM edit. Dude absolutely slayed then just dipped out because the BMX industry is wack. Now he just does his own things. Rides gravel bikes down MTB trails and does some MTBing as well. Def a rad dude.

That said, LA does suck. For most things basically. But for riding its particularly abysmal. Plenty of places are no bike access and local residents continue to push for less and less bike access (we are critically outgunned at city council meetings). The places that are bike access are often just normal hiking routes and like all of LA it's overcrowded and dangerous with people walking dogs without leashes. And on top of that there isn't a single sanctioned trail with 'features' on it. I have no idea how Kenter has lasted this long. All the other places I grew up riding BMX on and found riding MTBs now get torn down by local gov. Then they open a tiny pump/jump track out as far east as possible and call it job done.

If you wanna promote MTBing in LA like this... By all means, please help us push for continued bike access on trails, more trails, a potential bike only trail with features, etc. I wish we could follow a bit more in Orange County's footsteps but it seems we have 2 different approaches to 'natural land'...
  • 4 1
 Andrew rips..I miss the Banks LA video and media, always wished it turned into more...that said I've done well in the BMX industry..maybe it's perspective but the issues in BMX are possibly not any more wack than the ones in any other aspect of the cycling industry..or industry in general. You either understand the industry or you don't.
  • 4 0
 Sounds like you live in West LA. There are so many places I am stoked to ride within 20-40 minutes of where I live near downtown and many more within an 1-1.5 hours. And then there's always the bike Park 2 hours away, what more could you ask for?
  • 1 0
 @kingsrideshop: Well 50% of it isn't BMX's fault. But action sports just started fading in 2010 and came to a bit of a crash in 2015. You'll notice this from the amount of brands and websites that dropped off the planet in between that time. As well as venues like X Games being more focused on literally motorcycles riding in a circle than actual skating and BMX.

Then the other 50% is the BMX industry struggling to adapt to the market change and trying to survive with all these influencer type riders and vloggers and one foot curb peg chinkers. I guess that helps them stay afloat by appealing to what's left of the teenage market but I definitely don't think it's a great long term plan.

And with many riders not able to secure larger sponsors to actually pay the bills from energy drinks to shoe brands etc. That means they can't afford to ride for smaller brands with smaller contracts bike-wise. So you see heavy hitters like Broc Raiford go complete Full Factory and certainly got a heavy hitter contract to go with it. Precisely as he deserves.

I'm glad that Kings is doing well. I'm just over here in San Pedro and have always supported the BMX-centric shops in the area. Most of the bike shops by me don't even stock BMX parts, only kids bmx bikes. But ultimately, BMXers need to cultivate stronger things in the industry and community. The clique-y street riding gang shit's gotta go. It's like Adam22 won the BMX wars lol.

Now that BMX street/park is in the Olympics we should try to build a stronger mainstream presence. I used to work for an action sports website and camp Woodward a decade ago. I think we could definitely return to that golden era of like 2005-2010. But not if people are just posting IG stories riding a one foot curb and getting paid peanuts by a single sponsor.
  • 3 0
 @Dogl0rd: Yeah for LA it's best to live as northeast as possible. I live in south LA. So I just drive to the OC instead. but being west or even central LA is pretty horrible. And pretty prohibitive to younger people wanting to start to ride as I doubt any parents these days want them riding through LA traffic to get to trail heads.

But here in south LA we absolutely have some cool terrain to ride... But it's illegal. And we nearly lose a trail of access every year. There used to be a decent group of older riders showing up to city council meetings, but that has seemingly fallen off. We need a new organization to lobby for bike access on the peninsula.

But again, what really makes riding suck in LA is just being in LA. Takes me over an hour to get like 20 miles away to ride some dirt. And much longer to just get to Skypark or something in the actual mountains. Plus the price of gas is hammering me into the ground. $5/gallon!
  • 1 0
 @lepigpen: As I commented on another thread I find that unless you live right next to trails...youre pretty much guaranteed to spend an hour in the car each way. Even if you're not that far..after work traffic eliminates a lot of afterwork riding options and in general you're just going to sit on freeways and wait no matter where you want to go. Obviously you'll have to drive to reach trails from any major city...but the stress of just sitting on a packed freeway seems so much worse than a long drive on a scenic road with moving traffic.
  • 3 0
 @IsaacO: 1000%. I've lived here all my life. I used to drive up north to surf Santa Cruz with friends a lot. Didn't mind it at all. Just throw it on cruise and get the music goin. Can do some self reflection. LA traffic, even at its better hours, is more self torture than reflection time. So being in south LA I just go to OC because I can work around the traffic and take nice routes. But I'm almost always SoL for riding Santa Monica/MT Wilson due to having to cross DTLA.

And even then, I'm still not stoked on the amount of hikers and unleashed dogs on those LA trails. Compared to some of the less hiker friendly and more bike-centric trails of OC.
  • 2 0
 @lepigpen: ive ridden mt wilson a couple times....personally I dont understand what people like about it. Theres a few sections towards the bottom that are fast and a bit flowy but the 180 degree switchbacks and stopping every minute for a hiker really suck the fun out of it. Way better off riding areas northwest of the city or southeast. There are some gem trails to be found, but best riding is all an hour outside the city.
  • 3 0
 @IsaacO: totally agree about mt Wilson, but a lot of people love it
  • 1 0
 @IsaacO: Yep, realistically all our neighboring counties are laughin at us. I'd like to shuttle Wilson one day... But the videos I've seen don't really sell it as a destination trail. If it was your local and you had a shuttle buddy it might be more... Valuable.

I wish Greer Ranch was my local. That trail system looks awesome.
  • 1 0
 @lepigpen: Ride at Greer pretty often, it is pretty damn good. Though it gets annoying when dirt bikes go out there and start ripping into MTB trails. But even when it is slammed full of people, it feels like a slow day at Skypark.
  • 2 0
 @JSTootell: The climb at greet this weekend was an absolute traffic jam haha. Had to go on the gnarlier trails to get away from it, I saw a whole group of people stop in the middle of distortion and walk it around a corner. Woof!
  • 1 0
 @Revkev151: My GF and I aren't morning people, so I imagine we miss a lot more traffic. We usually leave when it gets dark, but don't get there until after noon
  • 12 2
 The Greater Los Angeles Area has truly excellent riding. Full stop.

Before I moved here back in 2003, one of my teachers told me “people either love LA, or hate it”. In my experience that’s true and seems to be born out in some of the comments. I personally love Los Angeles, but I can see how some would hate it.

It’s not for everyone, but to say that it sucks for riding is a gross misstatement. There’s TONS of riding around Los Angeles. It may just not be the kind you like. I personally struggled to adapt to just how different the trails are here.

The majority of them are crowded, loose, dusty, exposed, and lacking man-made features. If you want jumps and features, you gotta spend the time finding them and the people who know where they are.

If you want a trail network right in your back yard then move to some backwater place that has one. Enjoy not riding for 5 months out of the year, the abject poverty of the surrounding areas, the shit politics, and the unfriendly locals who hate that their town is now an “IMBA certified Trail Destination!”. Oh, and not being able to ride 5 months out of the year. Did I mention that already?

I can say with all confidence that I could bring an out-of-town intermediate level rider to so many spots within an hour of Los Angeles (some much closer) that they’d leave shocked at how good the riding is.

People just love to hate on LA. And that’s fine. It leaves that much bigger a slice of dusty, wild, sun-baked singletrack for me.
  • 3 0
 Are you implying LA politics aren't shit?
  • 2 0
 @TwoNGlenn: lol period full stop
  • 3 0
 What’s does full stop even mean? Because you definitely kept going
  • 1 0
 @deez-nucks: haha it's our governor's trademark line. 'period, full stop!'
  • 9 1
 I'm in Ventura, grew up in New England. I can say that the mountain biking here is waaay different but it's plentiful. Also, it's 65 degrees in January, so a great winter getaway from the icy hellscape that is the northeast in the winter.
  • 5 0
 Shhhhh…. Don’t let the LA’er know how much better the riding is up here.
  • 1 0
 @TSR497 @Sevenere I ride Ojai, SB, Thousand Oak and Simi. What am I missing?
  • 11 0
 I guess Rocky Peak is technically Ventura, but there's also solid stuff out in Topanga. Blue Bug trail is great too.
  • 3 0
 Yup, I don’t bother with LA when there is a wide variety in Ventura and Santa Barbara
  • 1 0
 @TSR497: I visit Ventura often, and I've yet to consider bringing my mtb...I've almost brought my gravel bike. What's good?
  • 3 0
 @owl-X: nothing
  • 6 0
 LA looks sweet - I feel like everyone from the PNW and CO and should move there for the great riding,

I’ll be bummed I can’t be there and totally jealous of you and I’ll follow you on the ‘gram I promise.
  • 5 0
 I moved to Los Angeles around ten years ago, I actually only brought a road bike with me thinking I wouldn't ride mountain bikes anymore, boy was I wrong. I lived in the Atwater Village area I would ride to the red line hop onto the gold line head towards Pasadena and be at the trail head of some of the most epic riding places in the country, in my opinion. I love the city, I love the people.
  • 2 0
 100%
  • 4 0
 Props to Andrew and KC, two rad dudes that bring a lot to the local riding scene. LA is by far the most polarizing City I've lived in. It's funny how the debate about if it sucks or not is always prevalent. Having lived here for 5 years now I can say that LA life has some great things about it and some not so great, and it can be a difficult place to get comfortable in. As a mountain biker, you have to change your expectations of the riding experience a lot and it's why some people have a really difficult time adjusting to LA. For most of the year, the sun is really intense and riding in the afternoon is pretty much off limits due to the fact that there is no shade at all. You also have to get used to driving 45 min- 1.5 hrs to ride trails. It's pretty often that you'll spend as much time in the car as you do on the trails if you want to ride anything really fun. One thing that LA does not have is trail networks. All of the riding in LA is climb to descend, usually climbing dusty exposed fire roads or paved roads, which means you actually don't spend that much time pedaling on actual single track. One thing LA does have going for it is the proximity to very large mountains, its pretty cool that you can ride from the city and as the video says end up in Angeles national forest with 5-6K of elevation. The only bummer is that in all those mountains, most of the trails to descend are very hiking oriented trails and you won't find any trails that are more oriented for mountain biking. Great for gravel bikes or maybe a hardtail but if you're looking for rock rolls, jumps or natural features theres only a couple trails actually in LA that have that kind of riding and they are swamped with hikers. If you're used to spending your Saturday afternoons in the woods, riding different routes and getting a variety of trails in than you might have a difficult time adjusting to LA. If you enjoy riding dusty ridge lines at sunset and pedaling 1,000 ft up for every descent...you'll be right at home.
  • 4 0
 All the best MTBing is accessible from the valley, no need to live in the west side. in fact the west side really is a terrible place to live and while yes mount wilson is great, by far rocky peak and sycamore have better riding,
  • 4 0
 Arnaud Moulin

Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts
Assistant Director of Banquets
May 2018 - Present

"Managed labor effectively, maintaining a high quality of service while ensuring low productivity."

Lolz
  • 5 2
 Awesome to see this on here; I really relate to the stories of the guys in the video (other than being a pro athlete, which I definitely am not). But I got my first job out of college in LA and moved here to further my career, and figured that by doing so I was probably sacrificing access to good mountain biking/the outdoors in general. I was pleasantly surprised to find out how easy it is to get into the mountains, and how much excellent riding there is out here.

I live 10 minutes from JPL, so I ride El Prieto and Sunset ridge pretty regularly, and those trails really are fantastic. I feel really lucky to be able to ride such awesome trails all the time.

The JPL area is probably my favorite, but there are so many different areas with awesome riding; I love the Santa Monica mountains as well. Even after living here for seven years, I'm still finding new, kickass trails: I rode Space Mountain and Cheeseboro for the first time this weekend, and again, had an awesome time.


As someone who was initally very skeptical of LA, and who now loves calling it home, it's great to see LA getting some love.




Side note: they're clearly riding in Elysian Park in a bunch of these shots (all the stuff really close to downtown/Dodger Stadium); is there actually anywhere to ride there? Trailforks and MTB Project both don't show anything...
  • 7 1
 Its good if you can live in a gated community in a nice area and can afford to send your kids to private school.
  • 2 0
 Space Mountain is an all time favorite. Try riding it at night, that is really where it’s name came from, or so the folklore goes.
  • 4 0
 @HB208: So you're saying it's good if you make at least 300k a year?
  • 3 1
 @drunknride: Yup, and then its a normal middle class life in most places.
  • 4 1
 @HB208: I've been in socal my whole 38 years and I have never understood why anyone would want to struggle and suffer for the opportunity to live in the epic shithole that is LA. I've always viewed is a the massive inconvenience that I have to get thru or go around to head north.
  • 1 0
 Fun to mess around on a gravel bike yes, dont drive there with a mountain bike you'll be disappointed. There's one traverse trail that runs parallel to the 5 which shows up in almost every LA Mtb video but its mostly because its a cool visual. Thats the best part of the park.
  • 3 1
 @HB208: I'm convinced you learned nothing in your time here.
  • 2 0
 @TSR497: Meh, way better trails in TO / Ventura / Ojai than space mtn.
  • 1 2
 @pb-kg: My grandmothers house is worth like $1.5M and it isn't even in THAT good of an area. LA is expensive as hell for what you get.
  • 2 0
 @IsaacO: you guys did rip that one tiny super steep downhill in Elysian, sketchy!!
  • 1 0
 @HB208: Dude, I get it. You think where you live is better. That's fine.
  • 2 0
 @pb-kg: I mean, there is a reason where I live has a ton of Californians moving here.
  • 1 0
 @HB208: Like I said, I plan to move out too. Way more and better riding in the PNW, communities that support trails and building, different weather (summers actually suck here contrary to what most people think, and its only going to get worse), different dirt, Whistler and Canada, nature in general, Seattle is cool, Mt. Baker, less concrete, slower lifestyle, can pay cash for a home the equity I've built here, plentiful work opportunities in my particular field... I get it, but LA and CA in general have major advantages over many places, depending on what you're into. It really doesn't need to measure up to your narrow-minded standards. It's all just preference, and after about 50 years of boom, people leaving (literally less than half a percent of its population) isn't a bad thing, IMO.
  • 1 0
 @pb-kg: The exodus has had reverberating effects in a lot of communities. Half a percent per year of a huge metro is a lot of people in some commmunities.
  • 1 0
 @Mattyhawk: for sure, but it is consistent, easy access, easily repeatable, just enough variation really make it a good test and tuning trail.
  • 4 1
 The trails listed are all part of the same mountain in Altadena, and not technically part of LA.

LA proper doesn't have many trails (that I'm aware of living in LA) but there are a ton of mountain ranges all along the coast in either direction. Driving to the trailhead is required.
  • 1 0
 How long of a drive is it usually? I know it depends on where in town you are, but generally speaking?
  • 1 0
 @withdignityifnotalacrity: Budget at least half an hour. If you want to ride south of LA (OC), it's going to take an hour or more with traffic.

If you live in LA, you're accustomed to driving everywhere.
  • 2 0
 @haen: Half hour to get to good trails is pretty good, tbh.
  • 4 0
 @withdignityifnotalacrity: I live in Long Beach (not LA proper but LA county), and its about half hour to Oaks, 45 to Laguna/aliso/the luge, 45-1 hr to Simi valley, 1 hr to Greer, 1.5 to Vail Lake farther out. 2 hours to big bear Many good options, it's not so bad imo.
  • 2 0
 @Revkev151: our local mtb group text had an argument about this. My city (Philly) has a very solid trail right in the city, in fact it's just a 5 minute pedal for me right into single track. And there's some pretty nice stuff within an hour, but we lack in elevation. Most descents top out at 500 feet, which is considered really good for the area. To get to a 1,000 foot descent, you gotta drive 90 minutes to a bike park. Meanwhile a place like LA doesn't seem to have a system right in town, but is surrounded by mountains with some actual elevation. I'm assuming there are some big descents to be had. So who's got it better?
  • 2 0
 @withdignityifnotalacrity: Did a ride with a friend who lives in LA (I live an hour east) recently where we climbed from 1000' up to 5000. The ride back down (different trail) was fantastic.
  • 3 0
 The LA and surrounding areas have surprisingly good riding. Are there better areas? No doubt, I can think of countless areas I would rather go to if I was visiting as a tourist or looking for a place to call home with great mountain biking. That being said, if you're here for work, visiting family, etc, there is some solid riding. If you have a few days to kill go check out Santa Barbara or Laguna. Pretty fun given the overpopulation we have.
  • 13 6
 LA just sucks.
  • 6 0
 Love that its called "mount dissappointment"
  • 5 0
 He just hasn't ridden the Santa Monica mountains, they are pretty darn good
  • 3 0
 Riding in LA? No.
Rocky Peak, yah or come to the real stuff in Laguna
Kerr, Gwin (Lives in Temecula), Rude, Sedlak, Kelley (His mechanic owns Bike co in Lake Forest) Are all hanging out here in the off season.
  • 1 0
 Just saw Gwin at Greer a couple weeks ago. MIddle of a busy weekend, so I assume it was for something work related.
  • 2 0
 To be honest, I've been to Laguna a bunch of times and never really been blown away. There's definitely some cool stuff, but all the individual trails are super short, and it's hard to string together a big ride without crisscrossing the same stuff a bunch of times. I know Im in the minority here, I know people love it and its where all the pros hang out, but the San Gabriels are solidly my favorite area in greater LA.
  • 2 0
 You can see first hand all the diversity as you travel on the 101 freeway through Hollywood. All this diversity has turned this once great city into a shit-hole! Go North of L.A. and the trails and lack-of-diversity are primo.
  • 1 0
 Yikes
  • 4 3
 LA sucks. No one, particularly people who live in the middle, non coastal parts of North America, should ever visit. It’s full of crime, the people are awful, the food is garbage, it’s a boring city, and everything there is to do there sucks.

Please keep hating on LA so those of us who know better can keep enjoying it. #LAsucksforcycling #LAsucksforeverything
  • 2 1
 I mean, the food is good and the people are alright. I prefer being 10 minutes away from trails, not having homeless everywhere, etc. And yeah, shitting on middle America might be cool and all, but most of the top trail systems are in what the coastal cities think of as "fly over states."

Montana, Utah, Arizona, Idaho, Colorado, etc.
  • 1 0
 @HB208: Good point about the food, best mexican in the country. One of its only redeeming qualities.
  • 1 0
 @Mattyhawk: San Diego taco shops are betterrrrrrrr!
  • 2 0
 @drunknride: You are not wrong Smile
  • 10 7
 You can feel the different cultures and the different personalities [in Los Angeles]—and a bike is the perfect way to experience it.—Andrew Jackson

i want to throw up
  • 5 0
 LA definitely sucks for driving
  • 1 0
 This is sweet. I love this sport; you can ride anywhere there are trails and nature. You don't need special climates, specific altitudes, weather, tides or chairlifts (although those are nice too). Just get out and ride what's in your backyard.
  • 4 0
 Lol aspiring actor…redundant
  • 3 0
 Best thing about LA riding is the access you have to all the other areas north and south within an hour or so
  • 2 0
 Exactly
  • 2 1
 Those trails are from the same area. Glad they didn't mention my local spot (which is better).

L.A., (and CA for that matter) have weak leadership. Imagine if we had a sports commission like Utah.
  • 2 0
 @flyingchancla let's make it happen
  • 1 0
 My meta-analysis of LA riding indicates to me that it is amazing. However, I've been told that it often takes waiting hours and hours in traffic to make it to the trails though...can anyone corroborate these findings?
  • 3 0
 I just took a quick look. I picked Compton as a starting point, for the obvious of being well known as being "inner city" and also right in the middle. According to Google Maps, right now (beginning of "rush hour" on a weekday), it is 45 minutes, conveniently, in about every direction to something to ride.
  • 4 0
 I live in long beach, work in East LA, and often do pre and post work rides where it takes less than an hour to get to the trails. I'm not talking the smaller local spots with only blue trails, I'm talking about The Luge, Laguna, El Prieto, Santiago Oaks. the worst traffic for the local spots is when i drive to Simi Valley on a saturday morning it takes me an hour, but about 2 hours to get back down through santa monica back home. That's a pain, but the riding is worth it, and it's not like I go there every weekend. LA traffic can be bad but honestly living in Chicago for 8 years this traffic is much more manageable if you plan it out alright. Back there, it was a slog to get through the loop on 90/94 at every hour.
  • 1 0
 LA mayor is old fashioned. The city plugs it’s ears and tells itself, “bikes will go away.”

LA is a car town but bikes are a machine that’s been around longer.
  • 2 0
 Are Andrew and Elliot brothers, same last name and some appearance and demeanor similarities?
  • 1 0
 Yes
  • 3 0
 Speaking of LA. Are the Mt Wilson folks still running their shuttle?
  • 2 0
 El P and the San Gabriels have some of the best riding out there
  • 1 3
 NorCal folks laugh at people from LA and South California in general. From there dumb sports teams such as Dodgers and Lakers. To complete lack anything that matters. This article cements my focus to never buy a Canyon, YT or any brand representation LA waste land.
  • 3 0
 > From there dumb sports teams


how ironic
  • 1 0
 @trollhunter username doesn't fit
  • 2 0
 Considering that SF and Oakland are lumped in with "NorCal", I would be careful who you talk trash about. Your house isn't exactly in order either.

I had a 510 area code for 7 years.
  • 1 0
 Hope is acting is better then his MTB riding!!! Should have stayed in the snow.
  • 1 0
 Soundtrack should have been Kenny Hoopla-Hollywood sucks
  • 1 0
 Is there any reason to head up to LA if one lives in OC?
  • 4 0
 rocky peak and mount wilson are worth the trips I'd say.
  • 1 0
 @mariomtblt: Seconding the Rocky Peak recommendation. Such a fun place to ride.
  • 2 0
 The NorthEast bits are worth a look. But compared to OC basically no, far better to head south and try stuff like Greer compared to what the LA mountains offer. If you are a big fan of hell climbs and good views, LA becomes more appetizing. Not quite my tempo. I'd kill to live between OC and SD and be able to easily surf newport or tamarack and ride laguna or greer any day. lol
  • 2 0
 @lepigpen: Hells yeah, then you'd have san clemente in your back yard too. That's the dream right there.
  • 1 0
 @Revkev151: Yeah, and it's sad to think I'm relatively close to those areas... But it's easily an hour drive. But likely 2 hours with traffic. Sigh lol
  • 1 0
 Depends on your flavor. You have plenty of good stuff where you are. But I did join a friend a few months back and we climb up to Wilson, rode back down in a loop. 4000' of descending on narrow singletrack with a few short climbs to connect trails. Totally different from Greer where you climb for 10-20 minutes, then drop for 3-5. I like to ride just about everything. But I do end up at Greer WAY more often.
  • 1 1
 @JSTootell: Interesting. Rode Greer for the first time last weekend, the only two interesting trails were the DH-tagged ones (to me, at least), and even they probably weren't worth an hour drive IMO. I guess I'm more in it for the tech. SCST cures the itch for jumps and speed, Luge has got speed for days, and Laguna has tech covered. Shuttling is sort of a weak spot here, but I guess that can break it all up with trips to LA.
  • 1 0
 Some incredible trails in Greater Los Angeles / OC
  • 1 0
 Left So Cal For Bellingham!!!! Never looked back.
  • 2 1
 can't w8 to move my tent there lol
  • 1 0
 Cool CLLACTVE man...
  • 2 1
 no MT wilson?? FAIL!
  • 1 0
 I took a sh!t in LA once
  • 2 4
 Funny no mention of smog.
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