Looking to mix it up with some new bike routes. I usually ride from my home here in San Clemente to the end of the San Luis Rey Trail in Oceanside and back on Saturdays for just under 60 miles, or I go up and ride the Santa Ana River Trail, but I’m starting to get a bit bored.
I like riding alone, and I like riding as far from traffic as I can.
I was wondering about the Santiago Canyon area. I like riding the Aliso Creek Trail, which ends at El Toro Road just down from Cooks Corner where Santiago Canyon Road begins. I could continue off the trail onto the road, but I’m wondering how safe that ride is, and how long it is. I’m usually at around 14 miles by the time I hit the end of the trail and want to make the ride 30 each way, so can I go 14 miles up Santiago Canyon Road and have a safe ride (nice wide bike lane, etc.) and then head back to the Aliso Creek Trail? Anyone?
When you get to Dana Point head inland and go up through San Juan and Mision Viejo into El Toro. I am doing this tomorrow so I will try to get street names. Basically you want to get on Margarite and ride that north till you hit where El Toro Rd turns into Santiago Canyon. Take Santiago Canyon till the end, which dumps you on Jamboree. This is most of the Como Street ride that leaves out of the Tustin Marketplace on Sunday mornings. Then there are a number of ways to get back down to the coast from there. The good thing about Margarite is there are some good climbs and the bike lane is really big. So although there is traffic, you have plenty of room. Best thing is to get a map and figure out how to get on Margarite and then back to the coast from Jamboree. I will take some metal notes tomorrow and respond if someone has not done so all ready.
I ride that area every weekend. It’s fine. Check this link:
http://www.octa.net/bikeways.asp?category=bikeways&page=bikeways%20map
Thanks Woofy! What I do is park off AWMA road and ride up the Aliso Creek Trail from there to Cook’s Corner. You only have to go on the road for about 1.5 miles and the rest is a class 1 bike trail until you hit Cook’s corner at the start of Santiago Canyon Road. I’ve never ridden past Cook’s so I don’t know how safe the road is. That’s basically what I’m trying to find out.
What I would do is get off the trail at Trabuco and go left, Trabuco TNT Irvine blvd, take that to Jamboree and go right then go right on Santiago that will take through the Canyon and past cooks. The route is about 33 miles with alot of good hills. This might sound weird but if you go through the cyn first it’s a lot easier.
If you want anymore info just IM me.
Jus…looks like that stretch is Class III…no bike lane…signs only. Is it sketchy?
I ride that loop alot, never had any problems, but then again I ride PCH from Dana Point to H.B. and back. Just get out early and you will be ok.
Not sketch at all. You’ll generally see tons of bikers heading through the canyon. It’s not a bike lane per se but there’s plenty of clean shoulder space and most cars going through there are used to cyclists, motorcyclists, Mt. bikers, etc. It’s totally cool, man.
You can even head off on the eastbound roads like Silverado and Mojeska for some more hills. You’ll share the roads with vehicles but the traffic is sparse.
Tribodyboarder - from the SART @ Cook’s Corner you would want to continue straight (stay on the left of Cook’s). From that point until you hit Jamboree at the opposite side of the canyon is approximately 12 miles. Through Santiago Canyon is a very wide bike lane and rather safe. A fair amount of cyclists and mtb’ers. From Cook’s to Jamboree and back would be about 25 miles and from Cooks to Irvine Lake and back would be probably 20 miles. It is a really fun area to ride. The way (towards Jam.) is pretty fast with the way back to cook’s being only the slightest bit more uphill that flat. Hope this helps makes sense
If memory serves me right, riding on Jamboree just south of Tustin Marketplace (and 5) really s@$x. Dangerous as hell too.
I used to ride on some of the roads that go around Tustin Marketplace to the West of Jamboree and then connect further up. Walnut? and then Tustin Farm/Ranch? road.
And FWI worth: I remember the Canyon being subjectively “easier” to ride while going East to West.
If you happen to turn left onto Jamboree coming out of the Canyon heading towards the 5 freeway, intending to go to PCH, you are going to want to take a detour once you get to Irvine Blvd. After IB, Jamboree turns into a Toll Road/Freeway for a about 1 mile and it looks like death for a bike. It’s an easy detour though. Turn Left on Irvine Blvd. Then Right on Culver. Right on Barranca and you wil approach Jamboree again. Turn Left on Jamboree and you are on your merry way. Beware: from that point until you hit PCH can be very traffic heavy and quite sketchy.
There is more than one way to skin a cat 
Your detour has the added benefit of being shorter…
You’re still talking about relatively high traffic and multiple stoplight/stopsign areas. Make a drive of it, if you have the time, and go to the San Gabriel Mountains. Get up to the 210 and Azusa/HWY39 and then head north for a few miles. Park at the ranger station or the new parking lot on the northwest side of the road just before that. Head up HWY39 to HWY2 or over to Glendora Mountain Road/Glendora Ridge Road/Mt. Baldy Road and rediscover why you love to ride your bike. Beautiful place, no stoplights, one stop sign (at east fork and HWY39) and over 30 mles of roads closed to traffic if you count the front of GMR, parts of HWY2 and the top half of HWY39.
Sounds perfect. I’d get in about a 55-miler in some new territory. I think I’ll give it a shot tomorrow. Fog is rolling in with a vengeance right now, and my office is 4 miles in from the beach here in San Clemente! The Pendleton ride sucks in these conditions so the inland ride sounds like the call. Thanks! I’ll check my Thomas Bros just to be sure.
That’s where I’ll be tomorrow. From Bonelli Park, up GMR, over the ridge to Cow Canyon Saddle. Then we’ll flip it and head back the same way. We meet at the park n ride (57 & Via Verde). Clip in time is 8:00.
Gary MC
Jay
The fog has been here all day. The sun came out for about 2 hrs. today. Heavy fog tonoght!
Head inland tomorrow ride safe Bob
Gary
What is GMR? I don’t know the area. I have only done the TRI’s at Bonelli park. So my knowledge of the area is 57 to Via Verde and the race route.
Bob
GMR is Glendora Mountain Road. Its about 7 miles north of Bonelli Park. The road has been closed to traffic for a year due to damage from last year’s rain. It is perfectly rideable and bikes are allowed on weekends and evenings. Very popular with cyclists because of the miles of uninterupted riding, despite the moderate, constant grade (5.5-6%). I live close by and ride it frequently. There is never a time when I’m on GMR that I don’t think “There is nowhere else I’d rather be than right here on my bike”.
Gary MC
Gary
Thanks, I will check it out in the Thomas guide. How many miles can you ride uninterupted?
Train safe Bob
Gary
Thanks, I will check it out in the Thomas guide. How many miles can you ride uninterupted?
Train safe Bob
No stoplights anywhere below, and only a few stopsigns.
The front of GMR (@~1200’ elevation), from gate to gate, is about 8 miles and is closed to traffic. HOWEVER, ride it like there IS traffic. A few nights back I was bombing the hill and a sheriffs car came flying around a corner, with a couple of feet hanging over on the wrong side of the road. That’ll wake you up. From the top of GMR (@~3400’) you can latch onto Glendora Ridge Road and take that about 12 miles (hitting a high of about 4500’) east towards Mt. Baldy. There are no stopsigns or signals on that road. It’ll freak you out if you’re used to just riding on city streets. That road IS currently open to traffic, so beware. If you take that road to Mt. Baldy, you can then head up another 5 or so miles to the ski lifts (@~6300’), or down about 7 miles back to civilizations. No stoplights either way. Instead of going on Glendora Ridge Road, you could also go down the backside of GMR, which is 5 miles and about a 1400’ drop. Head west another 5 miles on East Fork Rd. and you’ll hit HWY39 (@~1500’). You can go south and roll down about 800’ over about 8 miles, or head north and get a net gain of about 5,000’ over about 17 miles if you ride up to (intersection of 39&2 at ~6000’?) HWY2. The last 15 miles of HWY39 is currently closed to traffic. The last 5 miles is ALWAYS closed to traffic, with no scheduled date to ever reopen. At HWY2 you can ride east towards Wrightwood for about 15 miles (topping out at about 7900’) and then take Big Pines HWY (intersection of BigPines&HWY2 is about 6800’) down/northwest? about 12 miles to Valyermo (~3400’) and visit the guys who bring you this great site. Or you could’ve headed west on HWY 2 and bridged up with a bunch of other stuff that I don’t have time to write about because I have to head off to a race…
The San Gabriel Mountains will make a strong rider out of anybody who spends enough time back there.