Mountain Biking in Southern California

Specialized Stumpjumper For Sale

2011-03-25T20:18:00.000-07:00

I've just listed my Stumpjumper for sale on ebay. It's in great shape. I believe it's an '05 with a mix of xtr and lx components. More details on the ebay listing page.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260758692227&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT

2010

2010-01-16T14:43:00.000-08:00

I'm no longer really posting on this blog. I am leaving it up as hopefully the ride descriptions can provide some good info on local trails to someone. I do occasionally post to the Don's Team Blog at

Below are some links to things I'm doing now -http://donsbikesraceteam.blogspot.com/

My Racing Profile - http://www.loopd.com/Members/jeffstanners/Default.aspx
Don's Bikes Team Page - http://donsbikesraceteam.com/default.aspx
White Spider Photos - http://www.whitespider.photoreflect.com
My Picture Page - http://picasaweb.google.com/socalmtbiking
Don's Team Picture Page - http://picasaweb.google.com/donsbikesraceteam
My Cyclocross Races - http://www.crossresults.com/?n=racers&sn=r&rID=35692
My Rides on Garmin - http://connect.garmin.com/explore?owner=pinnacle10

The 2010 Racing season is underway. Below are links to most of the racing.
Southridge - http://www.southridgeusa.com/
US Cup - http://www.mtb-uscup.com/
Team Big Bear - http://www.teambigbear.com/
Cycling Dirt - http://www.cyclingdirt.org/

2009 Season

2009-06-10T22:48:00.000-07:00

The 2009 season finished well. After the trouble I had at Fontana things greatly improved at the next race - the Sagebrush Safari in the San Diego area. I finished 8th out of 28 guys in my class. Looking back that was one of the funnest courses of the year, and at the time it was by far my best race.

The next week was US Cup race #4 at Sea Otter. My goal all along was to finish in the top 30 which at one point I didn't think I'd really have a chance to do. I started in the very back of the 105 person field, but got out hard and quickly worked my way to the front group. The first mile or so of the race is on the Laguna Seca racetrack, so you're riding in a big peloton. I was pretty beat by the end but I managed a 26th place finish out of 99 finishers.

I had another good race at the US Cup race in Santa Ynez finishing 7th and then it was on to Colorado Springs for the final race where things didn't go so well. Finished 13th out of 20 on a tough but fun course. Not being able to preride hurt and the higher elevation didn't help either, especially with most of the field being local to the area. A camelbak would have been the way to go as there were no spots on the course where you could safely get a drink. Everything was too tight and technical on both the ups and downs. At one point when I thought I had a chance to get some water, I quickly ran out of safe space and I ended up riding right off the trail into the weeds.

Here's my series finishes for the 2009 Season.
US Cup West - 6th overall
Socal Series XC - 4th overall
Socal Series Super D - 2nd overall
12 Hours of Temecula (4 person team) - 3rd overall

Fontana

2009-03-28T21:12:00.000-07:00

I've been racing almost every weekend for the last 3 months. It's a bit excessive, but without much time to ride during the week it's been a good way to get in shape and it's been a lot of fun. I have managed to see myself get better every single week, every single race. I don't think there's been a race this year where I didn't feel like I improved from the one before. That is until today...

My allergies have been acting up pretty bad recently so for now I think that's the main reason for my downturn at Fontana. Whatever it was though, I simply didn't have anything to give. I'd push up a hill, and then my legs wouldn't stop burning. I just couldn't go. I essentially stopped racing about 3 miles into the first lap. From that point on I just sort of cruised. It still hurt though, I just didn't try to push it all that much from then on. I think I finished 24th out of around 36. My goal after the first US Cup race was to finish in the upper half of the field (after finishing 19 out of 32 there). I think that would have been doable, but now I'll have to wait another week.
Can you feel my pain in this picture? This was just over a mile into the race and I was already hurting.

I'm a little unsure of what will happen next week. If I don't start breathing better the racing isn't going to get any better. Especially with next week at Sagebrush being an 18 mile race. I am going to try to change allergy medicines and see if that helps.

Things were a little better in the Super D. The course was a little disappointing as it was mainly just the 2nd half of the xc course. We started by category in a sort of crazy LeMans start. First we set our bikes down, then walked down the hill about 15 yards and sat down facing away from our bikes. Then at "go" it was a sprint to our bikes and we were off. All the reaction drills I did from running track in college paid off here. I was the first one to the bikes and then I was off and in the lead. I knew it wouldn't last long and it didn't, but it at least felt good to get off to a good start. After the first 20 seconds or so I was in 5th and I held that position for most of the race. Then at the flat section towards the finish I was pretty much done. I couldn't go as fast as I needed to and was passed. I finished 6th of 12. Not bad considering how my xc race went.

My Super D run is here.
And my XC laps - Lap 1, Lap 2, Lap 3.

Despite the lack of posts I am updating my racing results page. This is mainly for my own reference, but feel free to take a look.

I also continue to post my Crafton TT times. Now seems like a good time to mention the Crafton TT after my poor racing today. My only concrete goal coming into this season of racing was to break Mike Erb's record at the Crafton TT we do. He went 16:25 and when he did it I busted my ass to get 17:41 and I couldn't believe how fast he went. I thought that time was untouchable (by me anyways). Well last week I beat it. And I didn't just beat it, but I went 14:53 to crush it. I was feeling good that day. If only I'd felt that way today.

Racing

2009-01-31T14:40:00.000-08:00

I decided a few months ago I'd do a little more racing and as it turns out it looks like I'm going to do a lot more racing. Racing has always been an occasional thing for me. I did my first race when I was 13 at the 1987 World Mountain Bike Championships in Mammoth. I did 1 or 2 races a year for the next 3 years or so. I did well at the 1989 Mammoth Downhill. I finished 2nd in the beg men 17 and under division. Other than that I mostly did xc races and didn't really do all that well.

I resumed my 1 or 2 races a year schedule about 3 years ago. It was at Rim Nordic and I again didn't do all that well. It was fun though as I liked the challenge and the competition. I finally decided I'm ready to make a little commitment to racing and getting in real shape to race.

I did my first race in about a year and a half in November at the Fontana Southridge Classic. I raced beginner and finished 4th out of 8 in the xc race and I did the Super D for the first time and finished 1st out of 9, again in the beginner division.

Then on January 10 I went back to Fontana to race the first race of their series. It was a brutally windy day and they cut the course short, making it a little over 4 miles instead of 7 miles. They also upped the lap count for beginners from 1 to 2 making this 8.5 mile race my longest to date. The wind made it tough, but I felt okay and finished 3rd out of 8. I then went on (after the wind had died down some) and won the Super D again, out of 9 people again also.

At the top of the podium after my 2nd Super D race.

About halfway through the Super D race on Jan 10.

I'm going to start devoting most of my entries now to my races. I'm not sure how things will go once track season starts. There's a good number of races on Sunday so I'll have options to race, but training gets real tough when I'm at track meets every Saturday.

Garmin 305

2009-01-15T23:07:00.000-08:00

I got a Garmin and have been tracking my rides at motionbased.com. Everything I've done the last couple of weeks is on there (except it shut off when I crashed at Temecula last weekend).

http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/user/pinnacle10

Gooseberry 2008

2008-12-01T22:13:00.000-08:00

Joy and I headed to St. George right after Thanksgiving for some Southern Utah riding. Day 1 was Gooseberry and the Day 2 was a quick ride at Bearclaw Poppy before heading home (after a hearty breakfast at Cracker Barrel).

Weather was great, riding was epic, and scenery was as beautiful as can be.

The rest of the pictures are here.

Muddy Buddy

2008-11-02T13:32:00.000-08:00

This was my first race of 2008 and my first Muddy Buddy ever. The concept is pretty simple and really fun: There are teams of 2 with 1 mountain bike. One person starts on the bike and the other starts off running. There are 4 transition zones. At each transition, the person on the bike gets off and runs and then the runner will get on the bike and ride when they get to the transition zone. There's also an obstacle of some kind at each transition, plus there's a mud pit to crawl through just before the finish.

http://www.www.muddybuddy.com/results.php

The Race Bike

The race itself is a little under 6 miles. I did the race with Aaron who routinely runs 16 minute 5Ks. Clearly, I was the weak link here. Aaron had done the race twice before with Mike and they finished fairly well. Last time they did it Aaron had a lot of trouble finding the bike at the first transition zone...thus the inspiration for our team name - Dudwhrmybik? (Dude, where's my bike?)

The Race
My leg started on the bike with a steady uphill followed by a short steep downhill into the transition zone.

My next leg was a run which was mostly uphill (at least it seemed like it). This was probably the toughest leg for me. I was even hurting on the flat sections. Luckily, Aaron only beat me to the transition zone by about 10 seconds, so even if I'd been able to go much faster here, I would have beaten him to the transition and would have had to wait there for the bike.

The 3rd leg I was on the bike again for what again seemed like mostly uphill. Aaron passed me here along with another runner, but not a single biker passed. There was then a short downhill into the transition zone which allowed me to get back in front of Aaron.

The 4th leg was nearly all downhill. I felt pretty good running here, but it was the last of Aaron I saw until the finish. This led to the funnest transition zone which was a climb up a cargo net and then down a giant inflatable slide.

This picture is from a different race, but it's just like the slide we had.

The final leg had the steepest climb of the day. It was followed by some semi-steep downhills. It was then into the bike drop area where Aaron was waiting for me (and had been for a few minutes). From there it was a short run into the mud pit and then to the finish line. I was pretty clueless about what place we were in, but Aaron knew exactly where we were. We were in a battle for 2nd place in our division with 3rd place literally right behind me coming in on the bike. We crawled through the mud pit pretty much neck and neck. Then the final sprint to the finish and we got them by 0.2 of a second.

We finished in 43:33.4. This was good for 2nd place in our division out of 95 teams and 20th overall out of 1100 teams. If they kept track of fastest individuals Aaron probably would have won the whole thing.

To see all the pictures - Click Here

My Races

2008-09-14T19:55:00.001-07:00

All the races I've done that I can find results for....

2011
7/9 Cedar City Fireroad 60k 1st of 2 SS, 3rd of 37 overall
6/26 Subaru Cup Super D
6/26 Subaru Cup Short Track
6/25 Subaru Cup, Wisconsin XC
6/11 Southridge Predator #1 1st of 1
6/4 12 Hrs of Temecula 1st of 3 4 person SS
5/21 Southridge GS #3 1st of 1 SS 35+
5/14 The Traverse 32nd of 50 (sick)
4/3 Sycamore Canyon US Cup XC 4th of 13 cat 2 SS
3/27 Fontana US Cup XC 2nd of 12 cat 2 SS
3/19 Keyesville Classic XC 9th of 20 cat 2 30-39
3/13 Bonelli US Cup XC 5th of 19 cat 2 SS
3/12 Bonelli US Cup SD 2nd of 6 30-39 open
3/6 Southridge #5 XC 3rd of 4 SS 35+
2/27 Sagebrush US Cup XC 7th of 13 cat 2 SS
2/20 Southridge #4 XC 4th of 4 SS 35+
2/5 Southridge #3 XC 6th of 7 SS 35+
1/22 12 Hours of Temecula 1st of 2 4 person SS
1/16 Bakersfield CX 26th of 28 Master 35+
1/16 Bakersfield CX 7th of 7 SS B
1/8 Southridge #1 XC 7th of 8 SS 35+

2010
12/4 San Marcos CX 11th of 12 SS b
11/27 6 Hours of Bootleg Canyon 9th of 29 open men
11/21 Southridge Challenge XC 5th of 6 SS 35+
10/10 Velocity Cross Prado CX 13th of 17 SS b
10/9 Southridge GS Final XC 1st of 2 SS 35+
10/3 Krosstoberfest Bonelli CX 43rd of 64 cat 4
10/3 Krosstoberfest Bonelli CX 10th of 17 SS b
9/26 Irvine Lake CX 52nd of 81 cat 4
9/12 Bonelli Specialized Final 7th of 16 cat 2 SS
7/23 TBF Friday Night Race 4th of 7 sport 30-39
7/22 Northstar Thursday Night Race 5th of 8 (?) sport 35-44
6/20 Big Bear #2 SD 2nd of 2 open 30-39
6/20 Big Bear #2 XC 13th of 16 cat 2 35-39
6/12 12 Hours of Temecula 7th of 24 4 person open
5/16 Southridge GS #3 SD 2nd of 2 expert
5/16 Southridge GS #3 XC 3rd of 3 SS 35+
5/2 Idyllwild Super D 16th of 26 open 30-39
4/16 Sea Otter Classic SD 25th of 43 open 30-39 8:21.40
3/28 Fontana US Cup SD 3rd of 13 open 30-39
3/14 Bonelli US Cup SD 2nd of 5 open 30-39
3/14 Bonelli US Cup XC 14 of 26 cat 2 35-39
3/6 Southridge #5 XC 7th of 7 expert
2/28 Sagebrush US Cup XC 12th of 21 cat 2 35-39
2/20 Southridge #4 XC 5th of 7 expert
1/23 Southridge #2 XC 1st of 2 expert
1/9 Southridge #1 XC 3rd of 3 expert
1/3 Hansen Dam CX dnf cat 3/4
1/3 Hansen Dam CX 2nd of 11 cat 4

2009
11/8 Hart Park Cross 18th of 21 48:47 cat 3/4
11/8 Hart Park Cross 4th of 16 32:34 cat 4
11/7 Hart Park Cross 15th of 16 41:32 cat 3/4 35+
11/7 Hart Park Cross 3rd of 11 32:37 cat 4
11/1 Mt. Sac Classic 6th of 7 SS 35+
10/24 6 Hours of Bootleg Canyon 2nd of 15 sport/beginner
10/17 Incycle Bonelli xc 3rd of 3 SS 35+
10/4 Velocity Cross Irvine 41st of 59 30min cat 4
9/27 Big Bear State Race xc 2nd of 12 1:39:20 cat 2 35-39
9/20 Bonelli US Cup Final xc 10th of 18 1:15:03 cat 2 35-39
9/20 Bonelli US Cup Final SD 3rd of 10 7:56.39 open 30-39
9/13 Rim Nordic xc 1st of 1 tandem
9/5 Mammoth Super D 3rd of 6
9/5 Mammoth xc 2nd of 7
8/26 Over the Hump xc 4th of 43 sport 30-39
8/9 Rim Nordic Stage Race 1st overall
8/9 Rim Nordic xc 6th of 9
8/8 Rim Nordic Hillclimb 1st of 3
8/8 Rim Nordic Short Track 1st of 3
8/8 Rim Nordic Super D 1st of 3
7/12 Big Bear Shootout #2 xc 4th of 19 1:23:36 cat 2 35-39
6/28 Rim Nordic xc 3rd of 18 1:41:54 cat 2 35-39
6/27 Rim Nordic Super D 2nd of 5 6:32 open 30-39
6/20 12 Hours of Rim Nordic 4th of 18 12 laps 4 person open
6/13 Colorado Springs - US Cup #6 xc 13th of 19 cat 2 30-39
6/7 Santa Barbara xc 8th of 19 1:36:28 cat 2 35-39
6/6 Santa Barbara SD 9th of 16 9:45.27 open 30-39
5/31 Big Bear Shootout #1 xc 13th of 26 1:26:16 cat 2 35-39
5/9 Racers and Chasers #4 SD 3rd of 10 5:49 sport all ages
5/9 Racers and Chasers #4 xc 5th of 12 1:21:57 sport 30-39
5/3 Idyllwild Super D 7th out of 12 17:41 open 30-39
4/26 Santa Ynez - US Cup #5 xc 7th out of 22 1:32:05 cat 2 35-39
4/18 Sea Otter - US Cup #4 xc 26th out of 99 1:37:16 cat 2 35-39
4/17 Sea Otter - US Cup #4 SD 9th out of 48 7:37.1 open 30-39
4/5 Sagebrush - US Cup #3 xc 8th out of 28 1:34:46 cat 2 35-39
3/28 Fontana - US Cup #2 xc 24th of 37 1:21:12 sport 35-39
3/28 Fontana - US Cup #2 SD 6th of 12 13:40.56 open 30-39
3/14 Racers and Chasers #3 5th of 15 1:07:59 sport 30-39
3/7 Southridge #5 xc 3rd of 3 1:03:42 sport 27-34
3/7 Southridge #5 SD 4th of 7 6:10 sport all ages
3/1 Bonelli - US Cup #1 xc 19th of 32 1:19:20 sport 35-39
3/1 Bonelli - US Cup #1 SD 4th of 10 9:03.02 open 30-39
2/21 Southridge #4 xc 2nd of 6 1:06:19 sport 27-34
2/21 Super D 4th of 7 5:58 sport all ages
2/14 Racers and Chasers #2 4th of 5 1:29:11 sport 30-39
2/7 Southridge #3 xc 3rd of 3 1:09:10 sport 27-34
2/7 Super D 5th of 9 6:25.52 sport all ages
1/31 Racers and Chasers #1 4th of 8 1:09.44 sport 30-39
1/24 12 Hours of Temecula 13 of 19 13 laps 4 person open results
1/10 Southridge #1 xc 3rd of 8 59:29 beg 27-34 (2 laps on shortened course)
1/10 Super D 1st of 8 5:20 beg all ages

2008
11/22 Southridge Classic xc 4th of 8 49:31 beg 27-34
11/22 Super D 1st of 10 12:18 beg all ages
11/2 Muddy Buddy - LA 2nd of 90 in age group, 20th of 1100 overall 43:33.4

2007
2/24 Southridge #4 xc 3rd of 6 48:11 beg 27-34

2006
11/21 Southridge Classic xc 6th of 6 56:22 beg 27-34
8/27 Rim Nordic #4 xc 7th of 7 55:46 beg 30-34
3/25 Dreaded Hillclimb 14th of 15 18:20 open

1990 (age15)
6/10 RockHopper South, Big Bear DH 5th of 17 3:38.6 beg 17 and under
6/10 RockHopper South, Big Bear uphill 7th of 11 30:18 beg 17 and under
6/9 RockHopper South, Big Bear xc 12th of 27 33:56.3 beg 17 and under
5/5 Coors Light National Series #1, Big Bear xc 17th of 34 33:39.1 beg 17 and under
5/6 Coors Light National Series #1, Big Bear uphill 16th of 25 31:02.5 beg 17 and under
4/8 Keyesville Classic xc 5th of 12 31:50 beg men junior

1989 (age 14)
10/15 Fall Classic, Big Bear xc 453rd of 550 2:05:37 men overall
Sep Mammoth Norba World Championship overall 7th of 19 beg 17 and under
Sep Mammoth Norba World Championship xc 12th 58:20 beg 17 and under
Sep Mammoth Norba World Championship DH 2nd of 20 7:03 beg 17 and under
6/10 RockHopper South, Big Bear xc 11th of 18 31:30.0 beg 17 and under

Redlands to Big Bear

2008-09-10T21:28:00.000-07:00

I had planned on going to Mammoth to do the downhill thing for the weekend, but instead I ended up doing the uphill thing. I've been thinking about riding from my house to Big Bear for a few years now, but it's just been recent when I've gotten serious about it. I decided Thursday night I'd finally attempt this ride.

The Numbers
Roundtrip Mileage - 102 miles
Day 1
Mileage - 44 miles
Starting Elevation - 1419'
High Point Elevation - 8140'
Elevation Gain - 6721'
Day 2
Mileage - 58 miles
Starting Elevation - 8180' (after chairlift ride)
Ending Elevation - 1419'
Elevation Drop - 6761'

The Plan
I wanted to carry as little as possible with me. With a restaurant in Angelus Oaks at about the halfway point I didn't need to worry about carrying too much food. There were also a couple other water stops along the way in addition to Angelus Oaks so I didn't really need an excess amount of water either. I'd spend the night in Big Bear and then ride home the next day.

It took me 11 hours to get up (44 miles) and 9 hours to get down (58 miles). The most unexpected thing was the heat. I really wasn't ready for it. The previous weekend I had driven up to Seven Oaks to check things out and it was 75° in the middle of the afternoon. On the Saturday I did my ride weather.com reported highs of over 100° in both Redlands and Angelus Oaks. The heat took so much out of me and I was hurting by the time I got to Angelus Oaks.

The Route
Stage 1 - I left my house at 8:30am and rode through Redlands and Mentone on the streets. Once I got to the Beef Jerky place towards the end of Mentone I turned and picked up a dirt road that went towards the wash. then I was back on Highway 38 for a couple miles until I took a short break at the Ranger Station. From there it was about 3 miles up the 38 until I got to Loch Leven.

Stage 2 - This is where the majority of the offroad riding started. At this point I was really starting to feel the heat. Loch Leven is a nice 7 mile ride up the Old Highway 38. Parts of it are still paved, but most of it is now dirt and there is even some singletrack on the ride. I took almost an hour at The Oaks restaurant to eat lunch and recover.

Stage 3 - The was my first of 2 downhill sections on the day. I took a section of the SART down and then picked up Middle Control Road and took it the rest of the way down to Seven Oaks Road.

Stage 4 - This was the big uphill of the weekend. The elevation went from 4790' to 8140'. Luckily it was a little cooler, but it still had to be at least 90° at this point so I was anything but cool. I took 1N04 right when I got to Seven Oaks Road. Then climbed about 1000' with occasional little downhills and it met up with 2N06 (Radford Truck Trail). I had one last stop for water at a fire station there right where 2N06 started. It was then up 2N06 and it was all uphill and it was at a pretty steep grade. I was so worn out at this point there were sections I walked. The views up this section were great. I was seeing things from angles I hadn't seen before. I was essentially looking straight down the canyon between the Big Bear mountains and the Gorgonio mountains. Finally I got to the hump and had that feeling of sitting on the bike and having it move without me pedaling. This was the 2nd best moment of the trip.

Stage 5 - It was up and down for a bit on the fireroads (2N06 to 2N10). I then got to Grandview Point and turned onto the Pineknot trail to take it into town. This was the 2nd of the 2 downhills on the day. The sun was just starting to go down at this point. I rode into the Village and found the Big Bear Hostel (A great place to stay) and was finally able to fully rest.

The Ride Back

After a stop at the bike shop to get some new tubes I headed to Snow Summit. I decided I wanted the full experience of riding all the way from the top of Snow Summit to my house. I took the chairlift up and it felt incredibly good to gain that elevation while sitting back and taking in the scenery. I took Falline down and then headed towards the golf course. From there I picked up 2N27 and took it to 2N93. this was a gradual 5 mile climb on a fire road that essentially took me around Sugarloaf Mountain. Then I took the Wildhorse singletrack down to the 38 and then down to Southfork.

Once at Southfork I was in territory I knew well. At this point I was just ready to get home and I was dreading every little climb. I was also nearing the Middle Control Rd. climb which I had been dreading right from the start when I was planning the ride.

At about 80 miles I got to Middle Control Rd. It's about a 3 mile fireroad climb up to Angelus Oaks. When I got to it, it was as bad as I had imagined. I just didn’t want to pedal anymore at that point. I wasn’t on it more than 2 minutes and I got off and started walking. I was figuring on it taking me about 45 minutes to get up those 3 miles with a mixture of walking and riding. I was walking for about 30 seconds and a car came up behind me and the guy rolled down his window and said something like, “hey, want a ride, grab on and I’ll pull you up.” I grabbed on to his back window and held on for dear life. It may have actually been the hardest I worked on the whole ride. He certainly didn’t slow down and take it easy for me. I was just holding on with every muscle I had and trying to keep the bike steady with my other arm. My triceps felt like they were going to fall off. It was worth it though, 7-8 minutes of intense work was much better than 45 minutes of moderate work. Thank you to Jeff and Melissa for the ride. I've ridden up that road close to 100 times, and never has anyone asked if I wanted a ride up (possibly because I've never been walking before). If anyone were to ask at any other time I would have declined and kept on riding. This was different though. When I got to the top I went to the restaurant and had some pancakes and even after I ate I was still feeling it in my arms. For the official record, I did subtract those 3 miles from my 105 mile total to make it 102 miles.

From this point on it was all downhill. I decided to take the Old Highway down rather than the SART. I wanted the easiest and most direct way at this point. There still would have been a little climbing had I taken the SART. It was about 18 miles to my house, the first 8 on trails and the final 10 on pavement. The absolute best moment came in Mentone when I looked up at the mountains and looked at what I had just ridden. I've seen those mountains hundreds of times, but never had I seen them in quite that way before.

I won't entirely rule it out, but I doubt I'll ever do this ride again. If I do, the number one priority will be checking on the weather more closely and making sure it's not too hot.

Stumpjumper for Sale

2008-09-07T20:53:00.000-07:00

The winning bidder never paid the last time so I've listed it again. The Medium Stumpjumper is back on ebay. Auction ends Monday evening (Sep 15).

Ebay Auction for this bike.

More Mammoth

2008-08-27T21:56:00.000-07:00

Took another Mammoth trip this past weekend. This was the first time I've done the downhill stuff 2 days in a row. I feel like I can't get enough now. For the first time in awhile I feel like I'm getting better at some things. There's still a few sections I walk down, but I give most of it a try now.

Twilight Zone is the newest trail at Mammoth. It's listed as a double black diamond, but it wasn't as tough as the other double blacks, it was just pure fun. Huge banked wall, plus lots of jumps and bridges.

We really didn't waste too much time taking pictures or video. Really it was just 1 run down where we got some stuff, then I got a few quick pics on a couple trails by myself.

Another Mammoth Video

2008-08-19T20:51:00.000-07:00

Mammoth July 26-27, 2008.

We went on 3 rides, but nearly all the video is from ride #3.
1) Lower Rock Creek - 11 miles
2) Mammoth Mountain Night Ride - 13.5 miles
3) Mammoth Mountain - 7 hours of downhill

FOR SALE - Specialized Stumpjumper

2008-08-01T13:00:00.000-07:00

It turns out the Stumpjumper I bought was too small for me. It's a medium size and I really need a large. I now have it for sale on ebay. The auction ends next Thursday evening.

Ebay Auction - Specialized Stumpjumper

RELISTED - CLICK HERE FOR CURRENT AUCTION

Mammoth 1987 and Now

2008-07-28T15:57:00.000-07:00

When we were at Mammoth this weekend we were riding "Bridge the Gap" after coming down "Skid Marks" and I suddenly felt like I was in a very familiar place. I quickly realized that I was going down a trail (a fireroad actually) that I had ridden up in my very first race. It was 1987 and I was 12 years old and I believe it was the Raleigh World Mountain Bike Championships. I think it was the 2nd one they had there. There weren't even age divisions, just classes, so I was in the beginner division. The picture was taken just at the start of the steepest climb of the course. I remember seeing the photographer and making sure I rode far enough up the hill to get my picture taken on the bike before I had to get off and walk up. You'll notice one guy behind me didn't even attempt the hill.

I was riding a $350 Univega Rover Sport. I also have to point out that the red watch on my wrist is actually a Swatch.

Anyways....here's me in 1987 and then again in 2008 at the same spot.....

Mammoth

2008-07-25T13:52:00.000-07:00

I'm heading to Mammoth this weekend. Here's a video of my last 2 trips there.

The first trip was an end of the summer last chance kind of trip 2 years ago. We had one good run. On the others we had flat tires, a brake cable pulled right out when I squeezed the brake, and Mike had his rear derailluer fall off. These were on the cheap Giant rental bikes. Luckily we stopped at Lower Rock Creek on the way home and had a great ride on our own bikes.

The 2nd trip was much better. We had a day of riding at Mammoth on the way to Tahoe. Then on the way back from Tahoe we stopped at Lower Rock Creek again, this time we had a driver to shuttle us and didn't have to ride all the way back up to the car.

The Stumpjumper

2008-07-13T15:07:00.000-07:00

I got my new bike yesterday. It's an '06 Specialized Stumpjumper FSR Pro.

Whiting Ranch

2008-06-17T22:12:00.000-07:00

Finally some good news about Whiting. It's expected to reopen by the end of July.

http://ocparks.com/newsroom/default.asp?Show=1001851&subshow=A

American Gladiators

2008-06-17T18:05:00.000-07:00

Most of you didn't know this, but I made a short appearance on American Gladiators. Check it out...

An Eventful Ride

2008-06-15T16:32:00.000-07:00

I'm not really sure where to start, other than to say a lot happened on this ride. There were deer, great views from the lookout tower, police, paramedics, a bear, plus a great 40 mile ride along the SART.

The plan was to shuttle to Southfork and then ride all the way to my house in Redlands. We followed that plan but there were a few unexpected things that happened along the way. The first 12 miles were typical great SART singletrack with about 70% downhill. Then came the 2.5 mile climb to the restaurant.

After a good lunch and a fun technical singletrack we were on the fireroad that goes to the turnoff for Morton Peak. About 2 miles down I was stopped and off my bike waiting for Joy, and I look down the fireroad and see a full grown brown bear walking right towards me. There was nowhere to go but back up the fireroad. I quietly moved around the corner and then started riding back where I came from. After waiting a good 5 minutes we proceeded down slowly and making a lot of noise. Luckily the bear was not to be seen again. It's the first bear I've ever seen in the wild.

After the rest of that downhill came the steep 1.5 mile climb to Morton Peak. There was a nice couple that had rented the lookout tower for the night and they let us come up and check it out. After spending a little time there and taking some pictures we were off for the last of our ride.

The Morton Peak singletrack was actually in much better shape than it was 8 months ago when I last rode it, but it's still overgrown in a lot of sections. We managed to get to the pavement just before dark. We took mostly side roads the last 8 miles back to my house for a total of 40 miles (actual odometer reading on my computer was 39.99 miles)

-----------------------------------------The rock I would have used---------------------------------------------Waterfall along Middle------
The exact spot I saw the bear. ----- to fight him off-------------------Joy a few miles past Glass Rd.--------Control Rd.-----------------

----------------------------------------The lookout Tower at Morton Peak------------------------------------------------------------------------

The ride was over, but there's more to write about. We drove back to Southfork and I was back to my car at 11:00pm. As I'm coming down the mountain, thirty minutes later, just past the Forest Falls turnoff, I see two cars coming from the other direction. The car behind wants to pass the other car, so the front car pulls into the shoulder to let her pass, she goes to pass him and just as she starts to pull next to him she sees a dead deer laying right in the middle of her lane. She starts to turn to the left to avoid it. Remember, I'm coming from the other direction watching this...she turned right towards me. As soon as she did that she realized I was coming right at her so she swerved back to the right and hit the truck the guy was driving. I look in my rear view mirror and all I see is a giant wall of sparks from the guys truck flipping. I quickly stop and turn back. Luckily everyone was okay. The girl was perfectly fine (other than a little shaken up) and the guy driving the truck had some neck pain and was eventually taken to the hospital by the paramedics, but he seemed okay and there wasn't a scratch on him. It was pretty remarkable considering his truck flipped at least a couple of times and looked to be totaled.

Moab 2006

2008-05-13T19:05:00.000-07:00

In trying to think about where I'd like to ride this summer I was reminded about Moab and my one trip there. As far as riding goes, it's without a doubt the best trip I've taken. Porcupine Rim remains my favorite trail of all time.

This was also the first trip we took with the helmet cam. Unfortunately there was one problem after another with it and we didn't get any helmet cam footage. Maybe this summer....

Box Springs Park

2008-02-09T18:15:00.000-08:00

Box Springs Park sits right between Moreno Valley, Grand Terrace, and Riverside. It's one of those mountains you see off the freeway with all the Radio Towers at the top. I haven't ridden all the trails in the area, mainly because every time I go I feel like I have to do the M trail. I finally realized last weekend why it's called the M trail (it's because it's near the spot on the mountain where they have the great big M for Moreno Valley). The M trail is a very technical 2 mile singletrack that starts at about the highest point of the mountain and ends at what I believe is the main park area in Moreno Valley. The end point is not far from Canyon Springs HS.

I used to think it was called Box Springs Park because people would dump there box springs in this area. When I use to go there up Peacock road I'd see mattresses and other junk that had been dumped. Thanks to this article I now know the origin of the name - http://www.pe.com/sports/outdoors/stories/PE_Sports_Local_D_out_feat_25.33f6281.html

It's a brutal place to ride in the summertime. As you can see, no trees, plus 100° weather. It's great out there at this time of year though.

Has this ever happened before?

2008-01-12T14:57:00.000-08:00

Have the hills at Hulda Crooks ever been this green before? Actually, I'm sure they have, but I really don't remember it happening last year. With all the rain we've had the last few weeks everything has turned green out here and the trails are in great shape.

The Jedi is the best it's been in a long time.

St. George, Utah

2007-12-04T18:00:00.000-08:00

It's been almost a year since we took this trip. The first day in St. George we drove up to Gooseberry Mesa. That was one unique ride. Just watching these videos reminded me of how beautiful that place is. The second day in St. George we did a short ride at Bearclaw Poppy.

Gooseberry Mesa
I don't think I have the words to really describe this place. Basically, most of the ride is on a sandstone similar to Slickrock. The major difference in this ride is it's relatively flat without any big climbs or descents. It's more of a very gradual climb out and then gradual downhill coming back. There are a few different options of loops you can do. I think we ended up going around 18 miles. The scenery here is just unbelievable though. You have to see the videos and pictures just to get an idea of what it's like.

Bearclaw Poppy
This ride is sort of like a cross between a mt bike trail and a bmx course. There's all kinds of fun stuff out there. It's an up and back that's maybe 4-5 miles each way. The whole way up you're just looking around and salivating at how much fun you're going to have coming back down. Most of the video we have from this ride is at the top, aka - the Three Fingers of Death.

The Videos
Mike and I decided we'd both make a video of this trip, using the same footage, and have a friendly contest on who could make a better video of the trip. It took him a good 3 months to finish his and I just finished mine this week, so neither of us were really on top of things. In what was unplanned, Brian made a video the week we got back using just a couple of short video clips I had emailed him. His is a lot shorter and still encompasses the overall feel of the trip so he gets the top billing here.

Brian's Video

Mike's Video

My Videos

Gooseberry Mesa

Bearclaw Poppy

Cannell Plunge

2007-11-25T18:30:00.000-08:00

I finally did it. The Plunge! One of the biggest and best rides in Southern California. After doing the SART earlier this month (from Southfork to Morton Peak and then into Mentone - 35 miles total), this was my 2nd big shuttle in 2 weeks. And just like the first one there was plenty of climbing involved. But also like the first one, there was a whole lot of downhill fun.

- The Facts -
Beginning Elevation - 9200'
Ending Elevation - 2700'
2500' of climbing
A total of 9000' of downhill!!!
All this in 24 miles (although because of a wrong turn I made at the end Geno and I did closer to 28 miles)

- The Ride -
This ride has just about everything.
Fast smooth singletrack
Windy singletrack
Rocky technical singletrack
Narrow cliffside singletrack
Singletrack through meadows
Switchbacks
Steep technical singletrack climbs
Gradual fireroad climbs
A fun rock to play on
Even a stretch that could pass for a trials course
Oh yeah, also a spring about halfway down with fresh cold water

- The Unexpected -
I'd say the only thing I really wasn't ready for were the frozen creek crossing. It's a different feeling to go through a creek, and then realize you're not going through it, but instead you're skimming across the top of it on the ice. Very cool.

This is a great area to ride. Thanks to Geno for setting everything up. I'll be back as soon as I can, which I'm guessing won't be for another 6 months or so due to snow.

The Kona

2007-11-20T22:58:00.000-08:00

It's been about a year since I got my Kona. Here's a video of my first ride on it.

Freeride

2007-11-04T12:15:00.000-08:00

I'd say I ride my xc hardtail 90% of the time, but I do like to get out and test my amateur freeride skills. Brian and I went out on Saturday and had a little fun.

Palm Springs - The Goat Trails

2007-10-25T19:19:00.001-07:00

Previously I thought this was part of the Art Smith trail, but apparently it's not. I've generally followed the geoladders route when I've been, but there are many variations you can make.

With school canceled for the rest of the week and the bad air quality from the fires, it was a perfect time to go down and ride the Art Smith Trail in Palm Springs again. I took the Kona this time. I figured it'd be more fun on the technical section in the last half mile. I can't say it was really worth it on the Kona though. It was over 90 degrees and those steep fireroad climbs got to me pretty quick today. The climbs are tough enough on my hardtail. Don't get me wrong, it was a blast coming down, but for the complete ride experience I think I'll stick to the hardtail for this ride from now on.

Regardless, it was still worth the drive down. If nothing else, I was able to breath clean air and get some exercise at the same time. I also brought the camera so I could get a few pics of the trail this time. Most of these are from the last 1/2 mile section of the ride.

Click on a picture to enlarge it.

Probably the most technical ............................ Nice little drop here. ..........................The last fun section of the ride.......
section of the trail.

This is up a little higher on the ride....................Lots of Rocks!..........................
Notice the steepness of the fireroad to
the left. Also notice the lack of shade.

Hurkey Creek

2007-10-18T19:26:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we went to Hurkey Creek. It was everyone's first time camping there. Certainly not a bad place to camp. I had never realized how big of a campground it was, plus there's a whole other campground just a mile down the road at Hemet Lake. Be warned that the Hemet Lake Campground isn't nearly as nice, unless you just have to be near the water.

We did the usual "24 hour" loop. You can check out the full description here. It was pretty overcast, but the trail was in great shape. It had rained a few days before , so the trail was nice and packed.

Palm Springs

2007-10-03T20:58:00.000-07:00

I've since been told these are the Goat Trails, although the geoladders route lists it as the Art Smith trail. For pictures you can go here - Goat Trails Pictures.

I finally rode the Art Smith trail in Palm Springs. I never realized how close it was to town. If you're familiar with Palm Springs at all it's not more than a mile or so from the airport. The trail starts right next to a Vons parking lot. This isn't a ride you'd really want to drive far to get to and you certainly wouldn't want to do it in the summer time - there's not a single tree on the whole ride.

I rode it yesterday on my way down to my parents house in La Quinta. It's essentially a very steep fireroad up, with lots of singletrack options coming down. I followed the geoladders route.

I imagine there's many, many other ways you could do this ride. The whole time going up, and coming down, you see all kinds of different singletrack trails that go in all directions. None of them seem to go on for too far, but when pieced together you get a really fun ride down.

The highlight of the ride was the last singletrack option just before the finish. This was the longest one I went on (about 1/2 a mile). It also was the most technical by far. It very much reminded me of Box Springs. I really wish I'd had my camera to get a few shots of some of the rocks and drops. I rode it all, and it was the kind of technical riding where I needed to take a couple of breaks to rest my forearms from all the ground they were absorbing.

If I didn't have a reason to go to this area, this is a ride I probably wouldn't do more than once a year. But now that I've discovered it, I'll keep coming back on a regular basis as long as my parents are still living in nearby.

Crafton Time Trial

2007-09-25T21:45:00.001-07:00

I did the Crafton Hills Time Trial today - (trail description) - and went 18:52.

It seemed pretty routine. I worked getting up, but I didn't kill myself. I think if I really pushed it I could get under 18:00 again. This is a great time of year to ride. I went around 6:00pm and it was probably about 70 degrees out.

South Fork - SART

2007-09-23T22:54:00.000-07:00

Brian and I rode a section of the SART today. We went from Glass Road, up to South Fork, and then back to Glass Road on the SART - a total of about 12 miles. It was a beautiful afternoon. It was mostly sunny with just a few clouds and probably in the low to mid 50s for most of the ride. Also, as I predicted, we didn't see another rider on the trail.

Obviously this was 9/23/07 (not 08)

For a complete description of rides on the SART check my previous entry -
Santa Ana River Trail

We Have it Good!!!!!

2007-09-16T23:12:00.000-07:00

I searched around the internet and found this picture of a race that Mike did in Wisconsin last weekend.

Notice there isn't even an actual trail, the grass is just cut real short where you're supposed to ride.
This is mountain biking?

Let's all take a moment and appreciate the riding we have here in Southern California.

Crafton Hills

2007-09-10T21:09:00.000-07:00

The Crafton Hills fireroad starts by the tennis courts at Crafton Hills College. It goes up a few miles and you get some options of some nice singletrack trails which end up either in or near Yucaipa Regional Park. There are many options you have as far as loops go. I'll post more about those some other time.

Today I did the time trial Mike and I would do sometimes. He's since moved to Wisconsin (hope he's at least enjoying his road bike) so I'm on my own with this time trial for now. My fastest times have always come with him starting a couple minutes behind me and trying to catch me.

The ride starts where the gate is, right where the dirt road starts, just past the golf course. It ends about 2.4 miles up the fireroad right where it flattens out for a short stretch.

I went 19:41 today. I don't feel too bad anytime I can get under 21 minutes so today went pretty well. My best time is 17:41. Mike's best is 16:25, which he did trying to chase me down when I rode my 17:41. 16:25 is awfully good when I think about how hard I had to work just to get under 18 minutes.

A Map of the Crafton Trails

Updates
PR = 14:08
7/3/07 - 19:52
7/10/07 - 17:41
9/10/07 - 19:41
9/25/07 - 18:52
11/8/07 - 21:30
1/20/08 - 19:58
6/29/08 - 23:55
7/21/08 - 23:51
8/5/08 - 18:50
9/20/08 - 16:57 (SS) <----First ride on the SingleSpeed
10/4/08 - 18:04 (SS)
10/29/08 - 17:55 (SJ)
12/28/08 - 19:55 (SJ)
2/16/09 - 18:25 (in the rain)
3/16/09 - 14:53 (SJ) <---Destroyed my old record GPS on Motionbased
5/5/09 - 14:08 (SJ)
7/2/09 - 17:41 <----- On the Tandem
7/15/09 - 14:32 (Sp)
12/29/09 - 15:05 (Sp)
1/26/10 - 18:33 (Sp)
5/30/10 - 17:58 (Sp)
7/6/10 - 17:59 (Sp)
9/1/10 - 16:02 (SS)
12/11/10 - 15:44 (CX)

Key
SJ = Stumpjumper
SS = Singlespeed (KHS)
nothing = Fisher Big Sur hardtail
Sp = Intense Spider

Whiting Ranch

2007-09-02T23:28:00.000-07:00

I don't get down to Orange County to ride all that often. There is good riding there, but the truth is the crowds really bug me. I did go down this weekend and rode at Whiting Ranch. Whiting is the only spot in OC that I've been to more than just a couple times (probably 10-15 times). There are certainly better spots, but Whiting seems to be the most convenient (just off the 241) and you do get a little of everything in the main loop. At least it wasn't crowded on this day...probably because of the 100 degree weather.

The ride starts right off the Ralph's parking lot. You'll start with a very easy climb of about 1.5 miles. I believe this is the only section of the ride that is one-way. You'll also see quite a few hikers on this part. Most of this is under tree cover and is very pleasant scenery. It's easy to forgot you're not more than just a couple of minutes from a grocery store parking lot.

This trail takes you to Mustard Road where you'll make a right. You can make a left instead for a very short and fun little loop (about 1/3 mile in total length). Mustard Road is the one big climb on this ride. It's really not that big, but it'll make you work. It's maybe 1.5 miles and it gradually gets steeper as you get closer to the top. Once at the top you'll be at the highest point of the ride. As a reference point, you'll be just below the top of the Dreaded Hillclimb (http://www.geoladders.com/show_route.php?route=550).

There are lots of routes you can take down (or up..to the top of Dreaded). You could also continue on, get on the highway for a short stretch, and then get on the Santiago Truck Trail. The most popular way down (also, the most fun) is down Cactus. This is a tight, swerving, mildly technical singletrack with, you guessed it, cactus along the side. The first half of the video below shows this section. You then have a short, but steep climb and you get another downhill. This one a little steeper and more technical. The second half of the video shows this.

You'll then finish on some downhill trails through the trees. These aren't very technical but can be pretty fun. This comes out at the road. Make a right if you need to get back to the Ralph's parking lot.

This video is not from this weekend. It was actually one of the first times I used my helmet cam, so the footage is not great. Unfortunately the quality is not very good either.

Check geoladders for a more detailed description.
http://www.geoladders.com/show_route.php?route=1438

Strawberry Peak

2007-08-26T15:10:00.000-07:00

We went and rode the Strawberry Peak loop yesterday. It was just my second time there, and I have to say it may be my favorite ride in Southern California. The SART has it on length and Noble Canyon has it on technical challenge, but for a good challenging ride I think the 16 mile loop at Strawberry Peak has it all.

Essentially you start with a killer climb where you gain about 1600' of elevation over 3 miles. It's a steady climb on a fireroad that doesn't give you many breaks. The picture to the left is just about at the top of the climb. From there you'll hit some tight, rolling singletrack right on a hillside. The penalty for failure is pretty high on most of this. After a couple of miles this starts to descend and you get your first extended downhill on the ride.

You'll then hit the 2nd of the two big climbs. This one is about 800' of climbing over about 2 miles. The grade is extremely steep the first 0.3 miles or so, but it then flattens out to an easy to moderate climb the rest of the way. At the top of this climb you'll come to an intersection. You'll also be at the high point of the ride. You'll want to go straight for the ride and start heading down. There's a trail to the right that goes up about a mile and will take you to Strawberry Peak.

I hiked up about 1/8 mile towards Strawberry Peak. In this picture you can see the start of the downhill. If you look closely you can also see our bikes leaning up against a mileage sign.
(click on the picture to enlarge it)

From this point it's essentially all downhill back to the car. For the first 3 miles you get great views on fun singletrack. You'll then need to cross the highway and pick up the trail again at Redbox (just on the other side of the road). From this point you have about 4 miles left but most of this singletrack is in the trees. It's also a lot more technical with a lot of rocks in spots. It's a very different type of terrain than all the previous ride.

For a more detailed description with Nav Points and Pictures check here.
http://www.geoladders.com/show_route.php?route=74

Bridge Drop

2007-08-04T12:19:00.000-07:00

I got the first bridge dropoff I made all setup and in place. It's a 2 foot drop. With the slope of the hill it ends up being 3 - 4 feet.

I have plans to put a few other structures along the ridge. Recently I put a 1 foot drop about halfway down on the right. The bottom of the ridge drops you into a nice little curvy canyon trail that goes back to the parking lot.

This picture shows the singletrack I dug out to get to the ridge with the bridge dropoff.

Idyllwild

2007-07-26T00:20:00.000-07:00

I've just been to Idyllwild maybe 6-7 times and in those times there's just 2 rides that I've done. There's Hurkey Creek, and then there's an area called Alvin Meadows.

Hurkey Creek -
This is the site of one of the 24 hour races. I've only done what I think they call the short course, but it's one great ride that gives you a little of everything in only 9-10 miles of riding. Parking's a couple bucks at the Hurkey Creek Campground. From there you'll head out on a singletrack that parallels the highway for a mile or so. This first part is a gradual climb for close to 2 miles. There's then a little downhill and a little more climbing before taking a dirt road briefly. You'll then get the the Exfoilator. This is a fun, fast downhill. Lots twisting turns. You'll make a right when you come out at the dirt road. There's one pretty good climb after that and then you'll get to a short, but extremely fun technical downhill. I think we did this section 4 times the first time I went. At the end of this the ride is more or less done. It's just another mile on an access road back to Hurkey Creek.

Alvin Meadows -
Here's a video of our first trip here

This is just outside the town of Idyllwild. There's tons of short singletrack trails. There really isn't a set way to go and if you don't go with someone who knows where they're going you'll just have to explore. As a general rule, ride up the fireroads and down the singletrack.

Welcome

2007-07-18T12:43:00.000-07:00

I guess I should have started with some kind of welcome message. I decided to start this blog to have a record of my favorite rides. Most of the content will be rides in Southern California. But if I branch out and leave SoCal for a ride, you can be sure it'll show up here. This is obviously in the beginning stages so be patient. If you have suggestions I'm happy to listen.

Santa Ana River Trial (SART)

2007-07-18T12:10:00.000-07:00

The SART is roughly 30 miles of singletrack. I'm pretty sure I've ridden all of it at different times and there's numerous ways to make different loops.

Option #1 - Post Office
There's one loop in particular that I think of when SART is mentioned. I've ridden it well over 30 times and if you're looking to ride SART and aren't looking for too much mileage it's the way to go.

Directions -
From Redlands: Take Highway 38 about 15 miles. When you get to the town of Angelus Oaks you're there. They'll be a restaurant, general store, and post office on the left side of the road. There's a turnout you can park in about 1/4 mile past the restaurant.

The Ride -
This ride is only about 9 miles. The only bad part about the ride is that it finishes with a 3 mile uphill. The good thing is that it feels like it's 6 miles of downhill to start with only the 3 mile uphill finish. In reality there's bits and pieces of climbs at the beginning, but nothing that would be at all strenous.

Start on the road and head back to the restaurant. Take the dirt road that goes past the Post Office. You'll follow it up about 1/4 of a mile and they'll be a trailhead on your right. You can take it if you want to cut out about 2 miles of good riding. The best way is to continue on the dirt road about another mile. There will then be a turnout on the right to get to the trail. You can go left at the singletrack and get good riding, but for this ride you'll take a right. After about a mile of good winding singletrack you'll see a SART sign. This is where the real fun starts (it's also where the first turnoff that you didn't take meets up with this one). The next 3 miles will be some of the best downhill singletrack you'll find anywhere. After the fun, the singletrack will then climb for about a 1/2 mile and then it'll meet up with Middle Control Road (a dirt road). Take a right on this road and you'll have a solid climb back to your car. The road comes out at the pullout where you parked your car.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Option #2 - South Fork
This ride is a nice 12 miler. You'll start at Glass Rd. and head up to the South Fork Campground on a dirt road. You'll then come back to Glass Rd. on the SART.

To get there turn off highway 38 onto Glass Rd. Take Glass Rd. down about a mile and you'll see a trail head on the left. There's also a trail head on the right, this is where you'll be finishing. Park anywhere in this area.

Start off riding down Glass Rd. and make a right at the first turn you come to - about 1/4 mile down the road. This road will soon turn to dirt and start heading uphill. You'll have a pretty gradual climb for about 5 miles. This road runs along a stream (possibly the Santa Ana River?) and is among a lot of trees. Just keep an eye out for cars. You won't see many, but you will see some.

This road takes you right to Hwy 38 and the South Fork Campground. From there you'll pick up the SART and take it 7 miles back to the car. The first 3 miles is a mixture of up and down with slightly more down than up. Then the final 4 miles is nearly all downhill on fast fun singletrack with a nice steep drop on your right side.
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Option #3 - Shuttle
It's been awhile since I've shuttled SART and I don't do it very often. If you're looking for mostly downhill there's one good shuttle option.

Start in Angelus Oaks by the Post Office. Head up that dirt road and at the 2nd trailhead make a left. It's a little hard to see that the trail goes left, but it does. If you go right you'll be doing the ride in my first description. From this point on you'll stay on the SART for quite awhile. The first mile from here is a gradual climb, then there's an area that'll be mostly flat. This is the one spot where it gets real sandy and you might have to walk a stretch. After the sand you ride over a hump and then it's all downhill from there. There are a couple times where you cross a dirt road. This is the same dirt road that you started on by the post office, and it's also the dirt road that you'll meet up with at the finish.

This singletrack is different than most of the SART. This section of it is nearly all downhill for quite a ways, plus it's more technical in most places. There will be one point where you drop down on a short, but steep dropoff onto the dirt road. Make sure you look to your right, the singletrack continues on for another mile or so. After this section you'll be on the dirt road for the rest of the way.

There will be one short climb after a long downhill on this road. If you want another fun option, make a right at the top of this climb. There'll be a gate you'll have to go around. You'll have a steep fireroad climb for about 1.5 miles. Once at the top you'll be at the top of Morton Peak (where the fire lookout is). Hop on the singletrack there and it'll take you down a fun 6 miles into Mentone. This section isn't quite as fun as it was 1-2 years ago before the fire, but it's still a good way down.
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Both of these videos are primarily on the South Fork/Glass Road option.