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Favorite Santa Cruz ride?

2K views 11 replies 8 participants last post by  gobike 
#1 ·
My girlfriend and I will be in Monterey this weekend and we want to do some riding. Any suggestions for the best place to ride in the Santa Cruz area (or the Monterey area, but from what I've read it seems like Santa Cruz is far better biking territory)? Preferably technical and scenic... Henry Coe? Soquel? Wilder? I've never ridden at any of these places, and many of the reviews are very positive, so any opinions on how best to spend a day of riding would be much appreciated. One more caveat: my girlfriend isn't a big fan of long arduous climbs... and obviously, considering the current weather, the best choice would probably be someplace that will be open after/during rain (so I think Coe is out, according to their website).

Thanks!

Scott
 
#2 ·
I would probably go to the Soquel Demo Forest. Killer singletrack, although you will have to climb it eventually if you want to go down it, no matter where you start. Too bad long, arduous climbs are not wanted. Starting in Aptos Villiage and climbing through Nisene Marks State Park up to Demo Forest is a great, long ride. Henry Coe is not in the greater Monterey/Santa Cruz area, but is also within an hour drive. Wilder is nice, but farther than Demo, and most of the best trails have been closed thru the years.
 
#3 ·
Gotta put in my two bits for the Fort Ord backcountry by Monterey; mostly less technical and steep than Demo but rippin' fast, and riding conditions will probably be way better down here than in SC given the weather we've been having this week. Demo and Wilder get pretty muddy. Do a Google search and you'll be able to find the trail map for the Fort Ord BLM land where the Sea Otter course is, I'm not sure which exit you take coming from Monterey, but it's just out along Highway 68. Pretty easy to find. The best place to park is on Portola Road, which is marked on the map, and from there you can find hours of riding.
 
#4 ·
Gotta agree.........................

With Speedy - Anything in Santa Cruz is 1) Going to involve a long climb and 2) Going to be SSSSSoooooooo muddy after the pounding we've taken after the last couple of days.
Your best bet is riding the East Garrison side of the Ft. Ord BLM lands..... Nearly No climbing & some really fun, fast & twisty singletrack - just add pedaling. If you do go to ride the traditional Sea Otter loop it will be SCHLOPPY!!! And your lady will have to deal with the short, steepish climbs.
 
#5 ·
Coe is indeed closed

for 48 hours after 0.5" of rain, the singletrack at least. The rule is ambiguous enough that it probably means that once it rains 0.5" in a 48 hour period that the singletrack is closed until it doesn't rain at all for 48 hours. So it's been closed for a couple weeks, and will remain closed until it dries out some.

Besides, there's not more than 2 miles anywhere around there without a "long arduous climb". It is awesome when it's dry if you don't mind climbing.
 
#6 ·
Ditto on the East Garrison trails as the choice for riding this weekend. The hills here in Santa Cruz are saturated. The sandy trails of East Garrison actually improve after a good rainstorm.

There is a race at East Garrison this Sunday
http://www.cccx.org/mtb/2004/index.htm

The course is pretty contained to a small area of the available riding so it wont affect your ability to go ride, but it might be fun to check out and the gates will be open so you can park inside.

Sabine
 
#8 ·
Thanks for the tips! Fort Ord was fun.

Thanks for all the suggestions. We rode at Fort Ord on Saturday and it was great- perfect conditions, not too sandy and beautiful weather. We followed the route described in Mtn Bike America Northern California, and it was fun - started with some climbing up to Skyline, then up to the Red Rock trail, down that, back up to the Goat trail, down that to the end and then fire road back to the car. I took some pics which I haven't checked yet, but if they came out well I'll post some. Thanks again for the advice.

Scott
 
#9 ·
JustScott said:
Thanks for all the suggestions. We rode at Fort Ord on Saturday and it was great- perfect conditions, not too sandy and beautiful weather. We followed the route described in Mtn Bike America Northern California, and it was fun - started with some climbing up to Skyline, then up to the Red Rock trail, down that, back up to the Goat trail, down that to the end and then fire road back to the car. I took some pics which I haven't checked yet, but if they came out well I'll post some. Thanks again for the advice.

Scott
Curious to hear what the condition of Red Rocks is? That trail just gets more shredded each year... Fort Ord is sweet.
 
#10 ·
Red Rock trail

gobike said:
Curious to hear what the condition of Red Rocks is? That trail just gets more shredded each year... Fort Ord is sweet.
I have some pics that I'll post soon. I've never ridden there before, so I don't know how it was in the past. There was definitely one spot 2/3 of the way down that was very rutted, loose and muddy, but in general, the trail seemed to be in pretty good shape, some ruts, but nothing too terrible. It was quite fun though.

Are any of the other trails technical at all? That was the only thing we found disappointing about the ride- it was quite beautiful and fun, but aside from RR trail, we didn't find anything technical.
 
#11 ·
that's the only bummer about riding on the Ord...the only real technical challenges you get are trying to clmb up fire roads covered in rain ruts. Supposedly some of the poach rides near the Army land are gnarly, but I know absolutely, positively, unequivocally nothing about them. I've been making log piles here and there on the CSUMB side, but people keep busting them up.
 
#12 ·
JustScott said:
I have some pics that I'll post soon. I've never ridden there before, so I don't know how it was in the past. There was definitely one spot 2/3 of the way down that was very rutted, loose and muddy, but in general, the trail seemed to be in pretty good shape, some ruts, but nothing too terrible. It was quite fun though.

Are any of the other trails technical at all? That was the only thing we found disappointing about the ride- it was quite beautiful and fun, but aside from RR trail, we didn't find anything technical.
There are lots of fun downhills branching off of the main fireroad (starting from CHP). Trail #'s 32, 33, 31, and 02 off the top of my head. However, they are not as technical, or as long as Red Rock. I've only ridden those trails on my Chameleon. I'm dying to get my new Heckler out there. Personally, I think Fort Ord is a blast!

Any recommendations for trails starting from East Garrison? I haven't tried that.
 
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