I’m heading off to California for a week later this month and would like to get some riding in – so, where’s best?

Mountain biking’s home in Marin would be a good place to start.

Downiville is worth a look.

Had some suggestions for places like Boulder Canyon out the back of Vegas depending on where you are.

Santa Cruz with the redwoods and loam is pretty good.

I enjoyed palm desert.

Technically nevada but only just… Tahoe rim trail followed by flume trail is oretty good…. And there is better in the area i just didnt have time for more.

If your into dh , mammoths pretty **** good too.

Mr Toads Wild Ride at Tahoe

Coolbeanz where are you going/staying? It takes 10+ hours to drive end to end.

Another vote for Mammoth and the eastern Sierra around Bishop. Tough going the first few days due to altitude until you adjust 🙂

Where in CA are you going to be? Massive state and if you’re only there for a week you don’t want to be driving round too much.

J.

“Tough going the first few days due to altitude until you adjust”

didnt notice it in the slightest – i suffered worse in the alps.The mrs struggled with it at mammoth. She was ok at tahoe – but we only went to 9800ft there.

I found Tahoe pretty awesome, could easily fill a week there, plus you can get uplift from Flume Trail bikes for the rim trail/flume trail combo as Trail Rat notes above. All sorts of riding around there from singletrack to chair lift DH.

onething – if your not taking your own bike – the standard hire bikes at flume trail bikes have brakes that cannot be flipped so the brakes end up backwards…..

we didnt find it an issue but judging by how somefolk on here reportedly fall off just by having the wrong tire on it could be an issue for some.

the standard hire bikes at flume trail bikes have brakes that cannot be flipped so the brakes end up backwards…..

Just to add to this, we hired slightly posher bikes, and for five days, and the guys there swapped the hoses over for use, so worth asking if you end up there. Also, one of my favourite rides was from Brockway Summit heading north east on the Rim Trail towards Mt. Rose, then turning back once you reach the end of the mtb permitted section. Basically a ~2hr 30min climb on mixed rocky and dirt singletrack then a 30-45min blast of a descent!

It’s also worth doing the Flume Trail twice, the first time to stop and get off at the sign-posted sections, the second to think ‘pfft, I can ride that,’ catch your front wheel every so slightly on an edge, then hurl yourself away from the edge shrieking like a pre-pubescent banshee. Not that I’d know.

fair point – we had one day , and completely forgot about it until we arrived at the shop for the uplift….

how ever THE CAFE OMG THE CAFE OMG !

+1 for Downieville. We were there for three days last year and we’re already planning a much longer trip. Yuba Expeditions couldn’t have been more helpful.

Mr Toads wild ride at Tahoe – awesome
Downieville – brilliant riding, brilliant town, Yuba went beyond the call of duty for us.

Make sure you book accommodation ahead at Downieville, it is a pretty small town at the end of a long road surrounded by not a lot.

Those were the best riding spots we got to in two weeks but we loved California! As others have said be realistic about driving times we spent a lot of time on the road as well as riding.

according to cars computer we did 1600 miles in 40 hours over 3 weeks and averaged 43 MP(us)G out of a 2 litre focus.

we didnt even drive that much compared to some of the itinararys that “travel agent” tried to put together….. they had us going to mt st helens…. thats not happening – not while im driving anyway.

we went up to lassen instead of downieville to see the volcanos – the mrs is a geography teacher so thats her thing rather than awesome trails hah

Isn’t most of California on fire right now?

Also, if you are going over there, how much spare luggage do you have. I’ve been mulling over buying a Bronson and they are a lot cheaper in the US….

I’m not the first to point out that “California” is a bit vague as a destination. Which PART of California will you be in?

I’m in Marin County, if you’re coming this way we have some cool trails and the new bicycle museum.

fairfax museum was closed on monday , tuesday and wednesday i was there 🙁

so we went to blackmountain cycles and oogled his collection of old bikes then went kayaking in tomales bay