Those Trails You Love to Hate (or Hate to Love)

[uzziboy]

yes.... definitely Mathis but on my 40lb uzzi thats a b***h. the only time i haved hurled ever riding, wont go back. Damn, I hate that trail. And its not even that fun riding down anymore either.

[klowie]

Originally Posted by mytrustysteed

Gotta be Blackstar.

I agree with you Steve. I hate Blackstar and don't consider the Motorway much of a reward. Feel like I need to ride it all fall and winter to get ready for the CC or VQ. I also despise Mathis, don't know why. Let's ride one of these on Sunday!

[Pho'dUp]

Great thread Robert.

For me it's gotta be Poles @ El Moro. I've been trying to clean that thing for 5 years now and I swear I get to the exact same spot and my brain/body just shuts down and I can't go any further. Haven't tried in a about a year so it I guess it's time to visit my spot again and start walking.

As far as the Luge, love it on a suspension bike, hate it on a hardtail.

[mytrustysteed]

Originally Posted by klowie

I agree with you Steve. I hate Blackstar and don't consider the Motorway much of a reward. Feel like I need to ride it all fall and winter to get ready for the CC or VQ. I also despise Mathis, don't know why. Let's ride one of these on Sunday!

You're funny, "I hate these trails...let's go ride them" j/k bro, I can ride early on Sun call me.

[Waldo]

Originally Posted by Pho'dUp

As far as the Luge, love it on a suspension bike, hate it on a hardtail.

Funny, my best rides there were on the old beater h/t. Guess that either means I need to go back to a h/t or buy something with more suspension than I have now. Wonder which way I'll go....

Loving all the "I hate it...guess I'll ride it tomorrow" sort of replies. I've been off the bike for most of the last three weeks, and I'm feeling ready for some suffering myself. Haven't been up Blackstar yet, and am overdue for Mathis and Harding. Time to live some pain!

[Pho'dUp]

[quote=Waldo;66437]Funny, my best rides there were on the old beater h/t. Guess that either means I need to go back to a h/t or buy something with more suspension than I have now. Wonder which way I'll go....[quote]

Maybe you need to check your suspension setup. Perhaps you have too much rebound dampening and the shock/fork is packing up on you.

[allison]

Originally Posted by Waldo

F

Loving all the "I hate it...guess I'll ride it tomorrow" sort of replies. I've been off the bike for most of the last three weeks, and I'm feeling ready for some suffering myself. Haven't been up Blackstar yet, and am overdue for Mathis and Harding. Time to live some pain!

I definitely agree with the other post about Silverado Motorway ST descent NOT being worth the climbing.. That's actually one of the most shake your body to the core descents also I was just glad that when I rode it in CC it was the best time I'd had down it! Very little hand or back cramping and I cleaned everything.

Blackstar itself isn't a bad climb.. Main Divide is, but for the most part anyone that rides in the Santa Ana's goes back for more

[Keith B]

I actually enjoy fire road climbs. Plenty of time to take in the view of ride alongside someone for a chat. Whre's the imagination guys?!

[allison]

Originally Posted by Keith B

I actually enjoy fire road climbs. Plenty of time to take in the view of ride alongside someone for a chat. Whre's the imagination guys?!

I like fire road climbing.. just not Main Divide. Or the insanely steep fire road in Idyllwild.

[cjwally]

Definately some good reponses. Some I agree with....

For me, SS'ing Mathis is definately not fun but definately doable. Some how I have created a loop to stay away from that climb....

For pucker factor, 5 Oaks on the HT 29er is always a wake up call.

I agree with the Upper Merrill decent...That make the Luge look like it doesn't even have exposure. Does Luge have exposure? I have never been afraid of falling on that one...

[mytrustysteed]

Originally Posted by allison

Blackstar itself isn't a bad climb.. Main Divide is, but for the most part anyone that rides in the Santa Ana's goes back for more

Yeah the actual Blackstar canyon is cake compared to the MD. For some reason I always forget about 1/2 of the climbs on that loop, and no the motorway is not all that worth it.

[maxwell]

For me it's Harding to Joplin.

It always seems that after pedaling up Harding on a 39lb bike, there's never enough energy left to own Joplin.
Then throw in riding it in the summer, and you get a lot of me doing this...........



At one point on this ride, I actually crawled under a bush, and just layed there.

But I keep going back for more!

[SAR_boats]

This is one that I am sure that few here have done, but I hate to love the lost valley trail. On the way in it is a 5 mile climb (I dunno about altitute) that isn't steep enough to get out of the saddle but saps your strength dry and you ask yourself why you are doing this to yourself. The answer is of course that on the way out you get 5 miles of fast hardpack with turns that are great for holding a line. It is a little washboarded here and there but it is a good ride with great scenery. (Deer, snakes, owls, rabbits) and if you go during the right time of year the monarch butterflies congregate in huge masses there.

[xhuskr]

Nice thread here. Love Trabuco S/T....hate the main divide portions (the wall!!) to get to it....but doing it again soon.

[CalEpic]

Hate, Hate - Blackstar to Motorway. I trained on this a lot for CC and I grew to despise the section of Main Divide to Motorway. However, going down Motorway with your hair on fire and skinny tires sliding all over the place is a pretty good reward I think.

Love, Hate - Trabuco trail. I absolutely love to ride this trail but for some reason I can not seem to ride down that trail without cutting a tire. I think I've only made it down twice without flatting and I run Stans.

Love, Love - Chiquito/Viejo Tie, Palm Canyon, it's a long list.

C