This short ride is suitable for Beginner riders. It is 100% pavement. This ride requires a shuttle drop off at the Catalina Airport in the Sky.
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Blog Archives
Cannell Trail
The Cannell Trail is a truly EPIC all day ride covering about 26 miles of high elevation terrain ending with about a 6 mile single track final descent back down to the Lake Isabella area. It requires a shuttle service to the top.
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Chilao / Charlton Area
The Chilao / Charlton area ride consists of easy fire road climbs and single track descents down mostly smooth terrain. It can be done all year round so long as long as there is no snow. Even in the hottest days of summer, the temperatures here are typically 10 degrees cooler than anywhere else.
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Chilao Area to Arcadia
This ride requires a drop off near the Angelus Christian Camp deep within the Angelus National Forest. It is a 26 mile all-day adventure with about 3,300′ of varied terrain including single tracks, fire roads and some pavement sections. It is truly an EPIC ride by any standards,
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Chiquito Trail via Blue Jay Campground
The Chiquito Trail may seem like a short route down from Blue Jay campground, but don’t let the mileage fool you. And don’t think that just because this a shuttle ride that it’s going to be an easy downhill ride. It’s not! This trail has some of the most Advanced technical features of the entire area.
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Chiquito Trail via the Upper San Juan Loop
This route combines the upper section of the San Juan trail with the Viejo Tie and Chiquito trails. Although only 14 miles, it will feel like double that. This route for Advanced and Expert riders only. Count on 3-4+ hours of riding on 100% single track trails with plenty of rocks and some cliff exposure.
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Laguna Meadows Loop
A fun loop near Noble Canyon that can be ridden by most strong beginners and more experienced riders with options to extend or shorten mileage and difficulty Continue reading
Laguna Meadows to Noble Canyon
This ride begins with a flowy singletrack through meadows and pine trees, includes an EPIC level singletrack through oak trees and sycamores and ends with a desert like terrain with jagged rocks, cactus plants and cliff edges over the canyon floor. Continue reading
Maple Springs
Maple Springs is the Silverado Canyon gateway to the Santa Ana Mountains. Popular destinations from this entry include the Maple Springs to Four Corners out and back ride, Santiago Peak, and for the ultra long distance riders, connections to Harding Truck Trail, Joplin, and Holy Jim.
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Mt Pinos Downhill
Mt Pinos is a shuttle-assisted downhill ride that almost anyone can do. It’s easy enough for a strong-Beginner, but has enough technical features to keep even the most experienced riders entertained. This ride requires a shuttle service to the top. It is usually done with multiple trips to the top on the same day for maximum enjoyment.
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Mt Wilson Area
XEN MTB provides guided mountain biking tours all around the Mount Wilson area. There are many mountain bike rides to enjoy in the Mt Wilson area. Some, like the Mount Lowe Loop can be climbed as up and backs and some can be done as loops.
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Tags: advanced, altadena, angeles forest, cliff exposure, cross country, downhill, expert, fire roads, flowy, half day, intermediate, limited cell service, loop, los angeles county, pasadena, poison oak, poodle dog bush, remote, rocky, roots, scenic, shuttle, sierra madre, single tracks, smooth, stream crossings, strong intermediate, tree cover, xc
Noble Canyon
If you’re going all the way to Pine Valley, California you may as well get the most you can out of one day of riding. And that’s why XEN MTB suggests starting Noble Canyon with a gentle ride through the Laguna Meadows. You’ll dodge cow pies on the trail and absorb the beautiful high country views and air.
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Noble Canyon via Pine Creek Road
If you prefer to earn your downhills, this loop is the way to go for Noble Canyon. It starts with a somewhat steep paved road for five miles with 1,665′ of climbing, followed by five miles of pure bliss down the best parts of Noble Canyon single tracks.
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Palm Canyon (Pine View) to Dunn Road
Another variation of the Palm Canyon EPIC ride, this option starts off with a more aggressive single track. On this map, you also see the bailout option down Dunn Road.
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Palm Canyon (Pinyon Flats) to Dunn Road
This is a variation of the traditional Palm Canyon EPIC route. It starts as a less technical option at the beginning than the Pine View Drive option. If you’re out of water when you reach the top of the sand wash at around mile 18,
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Palm Canyon + Art Smith Trail
Another variation of the Palm Canyon EPIC ride, this option is even harder, covering more miles of single track trails. But along with it, you’ll also pay for the extra fun with some big climbs on the way down the Art Smith Trail.
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Palm Canyon EPIC
If you only have time for one EPIC ride in Southern California, and the weather is cool, then the Palm Canyon EPIC is the only thing you need to ride. It requires a shuttle to the top which we usually coordinate ourselves.
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Palm Canyon to Art Johnson
A different way to experience Palm Canyon, this ride ends with a single track similar to the Palm Canyon EPIC route but it easier overall.
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Tags: advanced, all day, cliff exposure, cross country, epic, expert, limited cell service, remote, rocky, scenic, shuttle, single tracks, switchbacks, technical, winter
Redbox to JPL via Gabrielino
San Juan Trail
Whether you ride up San Juan trail or down as a shuttle option, there’s plenty of steady technical riding to be had here. This trail surface is smooth in most parts and extremely fast. The dirt grips amazingly well to your tires,
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San Juan Trail: Up, Around and Down
For most people, this is the traditional San Juan Trail route. You ride up to “cocktail rock”, then around the upper loop in either direction (each way has its advantages and disadvantages), and then come right back down the way you came. Getting to the rock is the easy part to navigate.
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San Juan Upper Loop via Blue Jay Campground
Please note: This is NOT a shuttle-assisted ride. You start at the top, drop down, climb a hill, go down again and then back up what you started at the end. This cuts about half the climbing of starting from the bottom of the San Juan trail and effectively doubles the climbing of the shuttle-assisted option.
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Santa Ana River Trail
This ride will give you a great workout even on the way down and features spectacular views of the San Bernardino Forest. With XEN MTB as your mountain biking tour guide, you’ll know when to push hard up those climbs, when take it easy, and when to let go of the brakes and fly!
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Trabuco to Holy Jim
The Trabuco trail is a narrow, steep and rocky climb with cliff edges in some parts that is challenging even to the most fit riders.
There’s an optional hike-a-bike short cut (West Horsethief) but XEN MTB recommends doing the whole route. Once at the Main Divide,
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Tags: advanced, cleveland national forest, cliff exposure, creek crossings, cross country, fall, flowy, half day, limited cell service, loop, orange county, out and back, poison oak, rancho santa margarita, remote, rocky, scenic, single tracks, spring, stream crossings, switchbacks, technical, trabuco canyon, winter, xc
Valley Forge to Chantry
XEN MTB provides guided mountain biking tours on the “dark side” trails of Mount Wilson. This ride requires a shuttle service to drop us off near the top of Mt Wilson at Eaton Saddle. It begins with a great single track followed by a gentle fire road climb and then an hour long roller coaster of a single track ride down to the Chantry area.
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