Great Rides in San Diego, California

To the best of my knowledge, all these rides permit (and most actually seem to encourage) mountain bikers, as of summer, 1998):

• Lake Poway/Mt Woodson Trail (Poway. One of the best climbs in the county, and a great 360 degree view at the top!)
• Lake Hodges (Rancho Santa Fe/Escondido. This can be an easy ride, but last time we rode there, we discovered a terrific hill to climb as well. There's a 360 degree view and logbook to sign at the top. It's definitely a technical, hard hill -- Sharon broke her leg on the way down (June 7th, 1998)! She twisted her ankle when she fell into a rut down the middle of the trail and fractured her fibula at the ankle. Don't worry -- her bike's okay. Mine, on the other hand, died that day, before the ride. The frame was subjected to an unusual force while preparing it for transport, which caused a stress crack. I'll write about it later, when I'm over the immediate grief.)
• Mt Israel (Elfin Forest, San Marcos)
• Daley Ranch (Escondido. Super-friendly to bikers, and it has a watering hole in the middle of the park (by the ranch house.) Don't take the paved road. Take the trail to the right, right at the main staging area (near Dixon Lake).
• Sycamore Canyon (Poway or Lakeside. The ridge road starting from the entrance off Route 67 is incredibly rocky and thus, both tiring and technical. Wear good elbow and knee pads (not to mention a chest protector!) for this one!)
• Mission Trails (Santee. Gets especially hot for some reason. Bring even more water than usual, and drink lots of water well before the ride.)
• A number of canyons near La Jolla (Pensaquitos, San Clemente, Rose, Tecolote, and Marion Bear Memorial Park.)
• Calaveras (Carlsbad)
• Balboa Park (San Diego. There is a small amount of singletrack on the Eastern edge.)

• Anything by Jerry Schad, such as Afoot and Afield in San Diego, will prove useful.
• Also, try San Diego Mountain Bike by Daniel Greenstadt, which has all the rides shown in the list above, and many others. Good, informative maps, and it is extremely well indexed (what a rarity that is these days!). Greenstadt's book contains lots of references to other useful resources -- even to competitor's books! His book is a class act and Highly Recommended.

Mountain Biker's Staging Area

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First placed online June 20th, 1998.
Last modified July 10th, 1998.
Webwiz: Russell D. Hoffman
Copyright (c) Russell D. Hoffman