LA RIDE GUIDE

We Ride the World.

By Black Sheep Cycling

May 13^th, 2021

At Black Sheep, we’re proud of our international flock. What started as a small Australian business has transformed into a global family of people who all love riding their bikes. And hate colouring between the lines. Every week, We Ride the World with you as you share a piece of your globe. This got us thinking. As the world slowly opens up, and our dreams of riding bikes in new places becomes closer to reality, we want to connect our Black Sheep Family to these places to ride like locals. To know where the best cafe stops are, how steep the climbs are, where to catch the best views. All of the things you can’t get from a navigation file or off the internet. And sent with love from a Black Sheeps’ home rides. Introducing the We Ride the World Ride Guides Series. Meant to share local knowledge, hot tips, and personal recommendations.

We’re starting our journey in Los Angeles. Which also happens to be the location of our new US distribution centre. When most people think of Los Angeles, they don’t assume it’s a cycling paradise. But luckily for us, LA local and Black Sheep Ambassador Camila Restrepo is giving us all the reasons to put LA high on the list of favourite riding locations. Ride the World with us, like a local.

Crystal Lake Ride.

Strava Route

Distance: 52 Miles / 84 Km

Elevation: 6000 ft / 1800 meters

Highlights: Starting and ending at Encanto Park you are up for an epic climb to Crystal Lake (spoiler, there is not really a lake that you can see at the top). Once you are climbing on Hwy 39, your first couple miles will be rollers along the San Gabriel Reservoir. For the second half of the climb, the road gets steeper and you get some switchbacks to quickly make your way up the face of the mountain. Once you make it to the Crystal Lake Campground, stop at the cafe and indulge yourself with chips, a coke, a burger or even a big bowl of chili. I like to think the snacks make up for the lack of lake on the Crystal Lake ride. Make sure to save some energy for the end as you will once again face the same rollers but now with a very likely headwind.

Goat Ride.

Strava Route

Distance: 50 Miles / 80 Km

Elevation: 7000 ft / 2100 meters

Highlights: This route starts at the bottom of Glendora Mountain Road, also known locally as GMR. Make sure to enjoy the switchbacks as you make your way up. At the top you will connect with Glendora Ridge road to make your way over to Baldy Village. Don't forget to refill your water bottles at Mount Baldy Lodge, a bike-friendly restaurant. This is where the real ‘fun’ begins; 4 miles of climbing (often with gradients in the double digits) to get to the Ski Lifts. Enjoy the fast descent down Mt Baldy Rd and loop back to the bottom of GMR.

Malibu Fun Ride.

Strava Route

Distance: 62 Miles / 100 Km

Elevation: 7000 ft / 2100 meters

Highlights: Starting at Pedalers Fork in Calabasas, you will make your way up Old Topanga, towards Malibu. Ride PCH to Latigo Canyon (a classic among all the climbs you can do in Malibu). You will then make your way down Mulholland to the Old Place for some nice mid-ride coffee (sadly, only open on weekends). Continue riding on Mulholland to the base of Piuma Rd. Climb to the top where it connects with Stunt Rd for some stunning Pacific views before dropping to Pedalers Fork.

Topanga State Park Gravel Ride.

Strava Route

Distance: 32 Miles / 51 Km

Elevation: 4800 ft / 1460 meters

Highlights: For those who prefer offroad adventures, this Topanga State Park Gravel Ride is for you. Starting from the top of Dirt Mulholland near the NIKE Missile site, make your way to Topanga Fire Rd. This will lead you to some spectacular views of the coast above the Pacific Palisades as well as Santa Monica in the background (you will have to work hard to earn the views). From there, you get to the fun part – ripping the descent down Paseo Miramar to ride back inland and climb back up to Dirt Mulholland via Westridge Rd and Sullivan Canyon.

Griffith Park to Hollywood Sign and Coffee Stop Ride.

Strava Route

Distance: 24 Miles / 38 Km

Elevation: 2800 ft / 800 meters

Get your Hollywood fix with this iconic LA route. Start at Griffith Park Ponies parking lot. Ride around the park past the golf course and the LA Zoo to climb up the backside of Mt. Hollywood (closed to cars). Once you make it to the top you will have amazing views of the city and the Hollywood Sign off to the side. Short descent to the Griffith Observatory to further enjoy the city views. Continue descending to make your way over to the Hollywood hills. Climb up Beachwood Canyon to get up close and personal with the Hollywood Sign. Once you are done taking in the views, head back to Griffith Park but don't forget to make a stop at one of many coffee shops in the Los Feliz neighborhood.