The latest monthly ride hosted by the authors of Where To Bike Los Angeles and the LACBC rolls this Sunday on a challenging ride up Glendora Mountain Road.
Touring Los Angeles County with LACBC and Where To Bike Los Angeles
Glendora Mountain Road
When: Sunday May 18, 2014 Time: Meet at 8:30am; ride at 9:00am Where: Claremont Metrolink Station, 200 West 1st Street, ClaremontGlendora Mountain Road (also known simply as GMR) and its sibling, Glendora Ridge Road, meander upward through the San Gabriel Mountains from the historic town of Glendora to Mount Baldy Village at the base of one of the regions few ski resorts. This ride is simply amazing for its relative tranquility (the two roads are often closed to automobile traffic) and unparalleled views of everything from the valleys to the high peaks of the San Gabriel Mountains. It is not surprising that Bicycling Magazine listed this ride among its “50 Rides of a Lifetime.” So join us, and the Pomona Valley Bicycle Coalition, on this classic ride in eastern Los Angeles County.
We will begin in Claremont and ride west through La Verne, San Dimas, and Glendora before turning north and uphill onto GMR. We will ride its many oak shaded switchbacks before connecting onto Glendora Ridge Road at Horse Canyon Saddle. From there, we’ll pedal east along Glendora Ridge Road for several miles before dropping into Mt. Baldy Village for a brief rest. From there, its 12 miles of downhill back to Claremont.
Ride Length: 45 miles.
Ride Duration: Approximately 6 hours, including stops.
Difficulty: Recommended for intermediate-level riders, age 16 and up. You should be comfortable, and capable of, riding uphill for sustained distances. While the grades are not steep (GMR averages about 5 percent), the total elevation gain is about 4,800 feet over 31 miles.
Rain Policy: Torrential rain, snow, earthquake, or fierce wind cancels the outing. Otherwise, we ride.
What to bring: A road-worthy bike, extra inner tubes, a patch kit and pump, drinking water (2 bottles), a pocket snack (such as an energy bar, banana or trail mix), a helmet, and money for refueling stops and post-ride refreshments in Claremont.
RSVP: Strongly encouraged, via wheretobikela@gmail.com, so we can send you last-minute advisories, particularly about weather.
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Bike Talk airs every Saturday at 10 am; listen to it live or download the podcast from KPFK.
Bike Long Beach hosts Bike Saturdays every weekend; ride your bike to participating local shops and business throughout the city to get special offers and discounts.
Downtown’s Just Ride LA bike shop hosts weekly no one left behind Monday evening and Saturday morning shop rides, 1626 South Hill Street.
Saturday, May 17th, the LAPD Topanga Community Police Station is hosting a free Kids Bike Safety Fair from 10 am to 1 pm; 21501 Schoenborn St in Canoga Park.
While LA’s Bike Week is sadly over, Pasadena’s wraps up with a mini-ciclovia from 11 am to 1:30 pm on Saturday, May 17th with Ride, Roll and Stroll, sponsored by Kaiser Permanente, in advance of the penultimate stage of the Amgen Tour of California, which finishes at Pasadena City Hall; RSVP here.
Also on the 17th, Team LUNA Chix Los Angeles Cycling is hosting a Road Riding Skills Clinic. Check in ready to ride at 8 am at the Sports Chalet, 2 Chalet Dr in La Cañada Flintridge.
Santa Monica’s Helen’s Cycles host a no-drop Women’s Only Group Ride on the third Saturday of each month; the next ride is scheduled for 8 am on Saturday, May 17th, details TBD.
Join the Eastside Bike Club for a 10-mile, family-friendly no-drop Community Bike Ride celebrating Bike Month on Saturday the 17th; meet at Stan’s Bike Shop, 880 Myrtle Ave in Monrovia at 7:40 am, departing at 8.
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Newly bike-friendly Rancho Cucamonga hosts the Annual Cucamonga Challenge this Saturday, May 17th, featuring a 35 mile ride, family fun ride and 5k/10k run/walk.
As noted above, the Amgen Tour of California finishes up with two final SoCal stages, on Saturday May 17th, from Santa Clarita to Pasadena, and Sunday the 18th in Thousand Oaks.
Helen’s Cycles in Santa Monica invites you to join them in a ride to view Stage 8 of the Amgen Tour of California on Sunday, May 18th. The ride offers your choice of two starting points, San Vicente and Ocean in Santa Monica, rolling at 6:30 am, and the Michael Landon Community Center at PCH and Malibu Canyon Rd in Malibu at 7:15 am. The rides will catch up with the Helen’s Cycles van on Mulholland Highway for complimentary food and beverages.
Glendale is hosting the 2nd Annual Jewel City Fun & Fitness Ride on Sunday the 18th at Verdugo Park, with rides ranging from seven to 45 miles.
KCRW’s Design & Architecture joins with the Helms Bakery complex, 8723 Washington Avenue, to host Reinventing the Wheel on Sunday, May 18th at 1 pm. The forum of the future of mobility includes space-age cars from the Petersen Automotive Museum, Linus city bikes and mobility exhibits, as well as live music, food trucks and complimentary beer; admission $15.
The San Marino Traffic Advisory Commission will hold a meeting on Monday, May 19th at 7 pm to discuss the city’s draft Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan at the San Marino Center, adjacent to the Crowell Public Library, 1890 Huntington Drive.
The semi-scuttled plan to install desperately needed bike lanes on Santa Monica Blvd in the Biking Black Hole of Beverly Hills comes back before the BH City Council on Tuesday, May 20th at 2:30 pm, 455 N. Rexford Drive.
The California Bicycle Coalition is hosting a Bike Advocacy Day to influence elected officials in Sacramento on Wednesday, May 21 in Sacramento.
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Walk ‘n Rollers, Bike SGV, City of El Monte Health & Wellness and Day One team up to host the free El Monte Bike Festival on Saturday, May 24th from 9 am to 1 pm at Mountain View High School, 2900 Parkway Drive. Activities include a Bike Skills Course, Bike Repair, Group Rides, and Fitness Obstacle Course.
The San Fernando Valley Bike Club offers a twice monthly Compagni Group Ride — Italian for companion — on the second and fourth Sunday of every month; the next ride takes place on Sunday, May 25th. Click here for details and other rides; lots of other great sounding rides on the list, too.
Join Milestone Ride’s Johnny Lam and Sang Hung on a four-day ride from Chino Hills to Joshua Tree and back, from Tuesday, May 27th to Friday, May 30th; details TBD.
The Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition is hosting a series of workshops aimed at empowering local advocates. The next workshop, focusing on winning campaigns, is scheduled for 10 am on Saturday, May 31st at LACBC Headquarters, 634 S. Spring Street in DTLA; see poster at left for additional dates, times and topics.
The California Bicycle Coalition, aka Calbike, will host a Los Angeles Better Bikeways House Party from 6 to 9 pm on Saturday, May 31st at a secret, undisclosed location which will hopefully be revealed upon registration. Donations will be requested to support their campaign for better bikeways throughout California.
The Los Angeles Bicycle Advisory Committee, the city’s only official voice for bicyclists, meets on the first Tuesday of every even-numbered month; the next meeting takes place at 7 pm on Tuesday, June 3rd at 6501 Fountain Ave. I’ll be celebrating the Corgi’s birthday that night.
Learn the basis principles of bicycle and traffic safety with CICLE’s free Traffic Basic Safety Class on Saturday, June 7th from 11 am to 1 pm, in conjunction with the Caltech BikeLab; Caltech Y Ground Floor Meeting Room, 505 S. Wilson Ave in Pasadena.
Helen’s Cycles host a no-drop Men’s Group Ride on the first Saturday of each month; the next ride is scheduled for 7:45 am on Saturday, June 7th, at the Santa Monica location, 2501 Broadway.
The Chatsworth Neighborhood Council invites you to ride the COLT — the 2nd annual Chatsworth Orange Line Tour — on Sunday, June 8th. Meet for the family-friendly bike rally and health walk at 9 am at the Chatsworth Train Depot Parking Lot A, 10040 Old Depot Plaza Road.
Sunday, June 14th marks the first Tour de Downey bicycle ride, followed by the second annual Make Music Downey concert. The $25, 35-mile ride to Long Beach and back departs from Downey City Hall, 11111 Brookshire Ave, at 7 am; there’s also a free six-mile Community Ride departing at 9 am.
LA’s most popular fundraising bike ride rolls on Sunday, June 22nd with the 14th edition of the LACBC’s Los Angeles River Ride. Ten rides of varying lengths, with starting points in Long Beach and Griffith Park, including two centuries, a 15-mile family ride and a free kid’s ride; discount prices available through May 27th.
Mark your calendar for the Peace Love & Family Ride for Crohn’s and Obesity in South LA on July 5th and 6th. Great cause; more details when they become available.
Bike racing returns to Downtown LA on Saturday, July 12th with Wolfpack Hustle: The Civic Center Crit; racing takes place from 1 to 8 pm on the streets surrounding LA City Hall, 200 North Spring Street.
The Honor Ride Irvine rolls at 8 am on Saturday, August 2nd, starting at A Road Bike 4U, at the corner of Main St & Red Hill Ave in Irvine.
The year’s second CicLAvia takes place on Sunday, October 5th with a new variation on the classic Heart of LA route through Downtown LA, from Echo Park to East LA.
Paso Robles hosts a Wine and Roses Bike Ride on Saturday, October 11th; the event is limited to the first 350 riders to sign up.
Calbike is hosting the inaugural California by Bike Surf ’N Turf Tour. The multi-stage ride travels from Santa Barbara to San Diego, starting on Halloween and ending November 5th; registration is now open.
The first winter — or late fall, anyway — CicLAvia is also the first to roll through historic South LA on Sunday, December 7th, from the cultural center of the Southside in Leimert Park to the birthplace of West Coast Jazz on Central Avenue.
Find bike racing schedules and other cycling events at SoCal Cycling.
