In how many cities can you take a 20-min train ride to mountain bike trails? Thursday morning Budge wanted to take out his new single-speed 29er (fixed gears are so 2005. 2008 is all about SS 29ers) so we rode 10 minutes to Chinatown and hopped on the Gold Line to Pasadena. We ran into an urban planner friend of mine on his way to Pasadena for a meeting about their new ‘Bicycle Boulevard’. For us, we had a short jaunt through a neighborhood and we’re at JPL.
It’s a bit of everything back there. Long, dry climbs, with beautiful views. For the single-track it’s cold and wet with multiple stream crossings (record rain fall in LA has led to snow at high elevations and heavy flow in the rivers).
I pinch-flatted twice riding the cross bike (700×32 knobby-less tires), but otherwise, what a great way to spend a week-day morning! We rode back home along the Arroyo-Seco watershed past the Rose Bowl and through Highland Park. Budge tried to talk me into eating at Cinnamon Vegetarian, but I actually had to get to work.
His blog has some more photos.
Who says it doesn’t get cold in LA?
Wow that’s great, I didn’t realize it was so easy to find a dirt trail.But I’m actually more interested in this “Bicycle Boulevard” you mentioned. What’s that about?
Woah, ten degrees! It actually got that cold where I am about 6 months ago. Brr! When you’re used to 30 degree temps, 10 is so cold.
Matt: I love reading about your adventures, but it pains me that you get so many flats on your cross bike. Are you running enough pressure? I can’t recall ever getting a pinch flat, even on a “road bike” with 25mm tyres, in thousands of miles of “off-road” riding. Maybe pump up your tyres more or try a different tyre? See http://www.xo-1.org.
I don’t believe it, I think you conveniently stuck that thermometer in the freezer before taking the shot!