Riding With My Dad

Today I skipped the Agoura Cycles road ride for something much more personal, a good mountain bike ride with my dad.

We took off from my house here in Newbury Park and snaked our way over the the Santa Monica Mountains.  As we rode up to the top of the black bitch, we suited up for what we knew would be a cold decent and boy were we right.  

After dropping in we shot over to the single track that runs adjacent along the road and settled into a nice pace as we worked our way down the canyon towards the beach.  Just before hitting the campgrounds, we made our way to the sky by heading up Overlook trail.  The ground was tacky and smooth, which made for spot on riding.

By the time we made it over to the top of Backbone, we had covered 15 miles.  As we made our way back to the canyon floor, we had one of the most perfect runs you could ever imagine.

We aimed back towards the black bitch talking about rides past, Rocky Peak, Johnson's Motorway, Lone Oak and more.  When we came up on Dos Vientos, I decided to treat him to some of my typical stomping grounds and gave him a taste of some tight switchbacks that lead to the housing track just above Albertsons.

My dad isn't necessarily a fan switchies, but he made the most of it and gave me a good laugh as he attempted to swing his rear end around the tight turns.  Needless to say, he nearly ended up in the bushes a few times.

The whole ride was 3 hours and 30 miles.  Try that on a mountain bike and you'll feel like you just did a century on a road bike.

So now as I sip my wine (who are we kidding, gulp it down) I can feel the ache in my legs.  Good ride Pop, you made me what I am today.

Mountain Bike BDay Ride

With today being my birthday, I played hooky and went for a three hour ride on the Mountain Bike.  Needless to say, it was a great day to be out on the trail and Sycamore Canyon was calling my name.

After dropping in from the black bitch, I hit the rolling single track that runs parallel to the road.  Running right across the trail in front of me, I was able to spy a bob cat.  It was great to see animals like this still out there where so many humans now visit... I am glad we can venture out together and I leave him alone and fortunately he leaves me alone... though I think a bob cat is nothing like a mountain lion but I digress.

I decided to hit up Hell Hill.  Now I haven't been able to conquer hell hill in the last 7 years but today I was determined... and I did it!  Of course now my legs are punishing me, but by god I nailed it.

Backbone was typical as always.  Even on a Wed. afternoon, there was still riders coming up. For the life of me I will never understand why they do that.  It is such a well known downhill run, I would never recommend ascending that trail for the risk of getting clipped is far too great.

All in all it has been a great birthday.  Maybe in the weeks to come we will do a mountain bike ride out in Sycamore for one of the Agoura MTN Bike Rides.

Big Sycamore Ride on Sunday

So last Sunday I decided to do a big 3.5 ride into Sycamore.  After blasting over the Dos Vientos hills, I dropped in down the Black Bitch and rolled over to Hell Hill.

For those of you that don't know, Hell Hill is a direct route to the top of where Backbone and Overlook meet.  It is steep , grueling and now recently plowed.  Back in my prime, I could climb this hill without stopping.  Now, not so much.  It took me two stops - it's the heat and I'm sticking to that excuse!

At least after torturing your legs on this climb, you are rewarded with one of the best single track descents I have ever been on.  I also was extra fortunate to not run into any climbers, which seems like it would be equally challenging but insane to me considering how fast some people come down that hill.  When you throw in how many inexperienced riders I encounter out there, that makes for a crazy combo!

And speaking of other riders, what has happened to friendliness?  What the hell is wrong with saying hi when you pass a fellow rider, hiker or jogger?  It seems more common than not now I meet some uptight individuals on the trails who for the life of them can't mutter two letters.

Regardless, try a nod or small wave... we are all sharing the trail, enjoying nature and getting exercise - let's remain friendly because lord knows hikers and horseback riders would love nothing more than extra ammo to kick us off the dirt!