SoCal riding suggestions

I live in Colorado.

Looks like I’m spending winter break in SoCal with my family, trailering my R1200GSA along so I can ride while my wife and daughter spend money and do SoCal stuff. I’ve been down there before but have never done any riding there.

Edit: The original plan, below, changed. We will now be based out of San Diego the whole time.

We’re still planning but I think we’ll be staying in Venice then Laguna Beach then San Diego. I’m looking for good day rides out of each. I like twisties, both paved and dirt. I have no idea how much access there is to good dirt riding there but I’d like to take advantage of what there is.

Would love to hear some suggestions so I can start drooling over maps and making plans.

Thanks.

Probably best to get the Butler Southern California map.

there aren't any non-congested twisty day rides straight outta Venice, Laguna or San Diego you got to travel at least an hour inland to get to the twisties

I can live with that. I figured it would take time to get to the good stuff. It’ll be fun to split lanes too.

there are several canyons between the 101 and pch

Tons of great canyon roads just a bit north of Venice. Just head up PCH, and starting with Las Flores Canyon Rd, Malibu Canyon Rd, Latigo Canyon Rd, Kanan Dume Rd, Encinal Canyon Rd, Decker Canyon Rd - many of which connect to Mulholland Hwy - you should have no problem keeping yourself entertained. Some have more traffic than others, and would be best on weekdays post-rush hour.
For a longer all-day ride, continue on through Ventura, and head up Hwy 33 past Ojai, continuing to Lockwood Valley Rd, then on through Frazier Park, with an easy I-5 / I-405 commute back to Venice, traffic notwithstanding.
Or head out to Angeles Crest Hwy (CA 2) from La Canada, and play out that way for a few hours.
These are all paved stuff, but great riding nevertheless. Others will have to chime in on the areas further south. Have fun!

my favorite...once you get to Tuna Canyon (one way, south direction), use of the engine is optional


https://goo.gl/maps/Q9rDc8Rv6sdkrXEr9

if thats the case you have some of the BEST sessions and roads that the U,S and A has to offer....and i can show you any/all of them....

As far as off road. Since it’s winter you’ll probably want to avoid Big Bear. Even with avoiding the entire big bear mountain, there is still a TON of off road.

Johnson valley, el mirage, cal city Stoddard Wells are all north’ish.
The IE has a bunch of non-posted “secret” spots for central. Just browse google maps and look for trails.

Anza-Borrego, Ocotillo, superstition, glamis are all south.

Winter is considered the desert riding season.

That looks like a blast!

I grew up and learned to ride in the Bay Area. After leaving it’s this kind of tight technical road that I really miss. We’ve got good canyon riding here in Colorado but it’s much more open. Lots of sweepers and few decreasing radius turns.

I spent a good chunk of the 90’s working as a motorcycle messenger out of San Francisco. I miss lane splitting.

We’re still figuring plans and of course COVID could play a part in that, but I appreciate the input and I’ll enjoy looking at maps.

I’ll look these spots up. On the GS I’ll be after fire roads and two track. I can deal with some sand but I don’t seek it out.

+ 1

don't forget to check out 2 moto landmarks and restaurants, Rock Store on Mullholland and Neptune's Nest on PCH.

hey 309, if you want to stretch the gsa legs, try the Los Padres Loop, there's a gps track in there too. it's a FULL day of riding, bring heated vest. you could always tailor it to your schedule.

you want dirt? take a detour to Carrizo Plain National Monument, easy (Soda Lake Rd) or intermediate (Elk Horn Grade)...check out map link.....https://goo.gl/maps/FZKpAN9tQTaBeJdc6

Lots of sand in those spots. The main roads are fine going through the desert but the off shoots will vary a lot depending on the day. If you can handle the temps and potential snow, check out the mountains for less sand.

Funny you mentioned Carrizo Plain... That's where I went today, breaking in the wife's new Jeep Cherokee, making sure it got good and dirty. Only took the main road (Soda Lake Rd), and a few side roads, but easy-peasy for any ADV bike for sure. No snow to be had anywhere at Carrizo (and almost zero sand on Soda Lake Rd), although there was a small amount of snow on the roadside near Pine Mountain Club. No traffic either! I can't speak for sand on Elkhorn Grade, though, as I've never ridden it. We ran out of daylight since we got a late start.

one of our crew from yesterdays ride was up in Big Bear on Saturday motoing around and he said it was absolutely fucking freezing .... you just have to time it right, and do a lityle intel on the CURRENT weather up there....80s in LA, freezing up there....sometimes flipped, warm up there, cool in LA.... it can be the middle of winter up there and it's perfect .... I've ridden up there in ice and snow .... a through ride on the 18 to the desert on the otherside..... that's actually one of my favorite routes leaving here from HLp ....

210 > 15 > 138 > 18 (Big Bear) > 247 > Pipes Canyon Rd (Rim Rock/Pioneer Town) > 62 > 10 > 243 (Idwyilld) > 74 > 79 > 10 > 210 (home) .... ALL DAY effort

+300mi of epic socal twisties. so good.

https://advrider.com/f/threads/sund...finished-business-ride.1471205/#post-41027206

dirt

smashed the "Beyond Starbucks" ride yesterday in the Mojave Desert .... desert season is in full session .... thousands of people out in the flats blasting across the dry lake, however we're up smashing it in the sandy tracks..... got separated and lost the group for a minute, easy to do out there

https://advrider.com/f/threads/cherry-poppin-good-time-aka-beyond-starbucks-ride.1476190/

grew up in that area .... stomping grounds of youth .... cub scouts to this day as an old fucking guy smashing it

another one of my favorite rides when I go to visit friends and family in San Diego ....

jam up to Idwyilld and take 74 > >sage rd > 79 > Palomar > East grade > South grade > mesa grande > maybe peel off do Montezuma grade to borrego or ride into Julian > banner grade to borrego > S2 > ocotillo > agua caliente loop back to San Diego, long day but well worth the suffering.... especially in the summer ... desert heat = the road is all yours no tourists, nobody, nothing, nowhere

summertime in the mountains and deserts of southern California will expose the size of the undercarriage of any machine and man.

see above

San Diego, you have ridiculous amounts of grade A roads.

Mount Palomar should not be missed. South Grade Rd (S6(!)), East Grade Rd.(S7) Look at the map.

S2, S22.... You just can't go wrong east of San Diego. Julian, Banner Grade...

doing this ride on saturday if you want to join, meet at Àbloc.LA, 0700 saturday morning. all day session. have moto ready.

https://advrider.com/f/threads/sund...finished-business-ride.1471205/#post-41027206

Decker, Latigo and Yerba Buena in the Santa Monica mountains above Malibu will give you the tight twisties fix you're looking for. Just watch for bozos and debris in some of the corners.

Elkhorn is pretty easy for a noob on a big bike - my very first ADV ride was on a 1090 on that road and it was fine. There can be some spots of sand to watch for - nothing bad, but it's easy to get coking along and then all of the sudden you're in a sandy patch. If there's been recent rain/snow in Carizzo I'd think twice about going. The mud that place gets is the slickest, stickiest shit I've ever seen. Lots of side roads about for something a little more challenging if you're in the mood. Plus, riding up and over the 33 to get these is divine - but like others said, gotta check the weather and even make sure the road is open to get over the top. Every time in rains in the winter here, we can see snow on those mountains from my house.

Just did this down San Diego way a couple weeks ago. The Otay Mountain Preserve has some fun gravel/dirt roads to explore. Palomar Mountain, Sunrise Highway, etc. There is Ortega Hwy (74) out of San Juan Capistrano all the way to Palm Desert. Could be snow in Idlewild this time of year though. I live in and normally ride around the Ventura area. This includes the aforementioned Santa Monica Mountains between 101 and PCH as well as north through Ojai and out 33 to the Carizzo Plain. East there is Angeles Crest Hwy (2).

yeah....have to say, for lowcal (san diego backcountry) palomar, julian, borrrgo, mt laguna is the shit.....malibu canyons? naw too many boneheads...ill use it to get over to PCH, or coming back ftom the Ojai Lollipop....but its a commute from or to another segment of another ride....a transit, just too many cowboys being all cowboy like.....cops too....too many, same with the crest....shitshow.... used to ride all that stuff on my bicycle up until about a year ago now I don't even bother .... too messy .... another fantastic one is

Ojai Lollipop -

Angeles Crest > Acton > Bouquet Canyon > Lake Hughes > Elizabeth Lake > Rock Inn > Three Points > Sand Canyon > Gorman > Frazier Park > Pine Mountain Club > Bitter Creek > 166 > 33 > Ventacopia > Ojai > Ventura > Oxnard > PCH > Malibu Canyons 101 > home ..... another endurance event .... +300mi full day session....yo....got to go further out to get away from the the yahoos.

might be doing the Ojai Lollipop instead of Big Bear > JT > Idlywild loop on Saturday.....both exceptional sessions.