You can find the entire article about the California road trip as a PDF download below.
Freeride star Hans Rey on his adopted home of California:
"Hardly any other country in the world has as many cool and varied mountain bike areas as the US state of California. The trails in the Sierra Mountains, including Mammoth, Lake Tahoe and Downieville, are actually only rideable in summer because there is too much snow in the winter months, which have a similar climate to Germany. Mammoth, which became famous in the 1980s and 1990s as the venue for the unofficial mountain bike world championships and the famous "Kamikaze Downhill" race, now has a respectable bike park and a large network of trails. In the Lake Tahoe area there are various bike resorts, bike parks (including Northstar) and also massive tours and routes. Downieville is located in the famous gold mining region of California (north of Sacramento) and is also the venue for the Downieville Enduro Downhill race.
There are plenty of good and legendary trails on the Californian coast. Many of them date back to the first settlers. These trails are usually rideable all year round, although it can rain for a week in winter. The further north you go, the greater the chance of wet weather. The climate in San Francisco is similar to that of Tuscany.
In the area around San Diego there is the Noble Canyon with some beautiful tours. The area is about an hour's drive east of San Diego. In Orange Country (between Los Angeles and San Diego), the San Juan Trail (Ortega Highway) is my absolute favourite. It is probably the most legendary singletrack trail in the world. You can drive up it from the bottom or take a shuttle.
The Chantry Flats trail is located just a few kilometres east of downtown Los Angeles in the San Gabriel Mountains, not far from Mount Wilson. There are also plenty of trails in the Santa Monica Mountains and around Malibu. As well as in Santa Barbara (Tunnel Trail) and along the entire Central Coast and Highway 1, including Santa Cruz (Wilder Park, Demo Forest). There are many trails in and around San Francisco. Some run directly through Golden Gate Park (similar in character to the Isar Trails in Munich). The trails in the hills above Oakland are even better.
Last but not least, of course, Mount Tamalpais in Marin County, where Gary Fisher and Joe Breeze took their first tours on their clunker bikes, must be mentioned."
California: the stops on Lesewitz's USA road trip
Starting point: The starting point of the journey was Los Angeles. The flight from Germany takes around eleven hours. At 300 euros per person, the bike transport is not cheap. For all motorhome travellers, a first overnight stay in a hotel is mandatory in the USA. There are free shuttle buses to all kinds of hotels at the airport. The journey to Hilton Airport only takes five minutes. Bicycle boxes are no problem.
Motorhome: The USA is a classic motorhome holiday destination. There are plenty of hire companies. We opted for El Monte RV. Advice and instruction is available in German (also on site). Internet: www.elmonterv.com You can book in Germany with tour operator Dertour.
Laguna Beach
The quiet coastal town surrounded by mountains is a paradise for surfers, bikers and hikers. No wonder Hans Rey chose this beautiful spot of all places to live. The "Laguna Coast Wilderness" nature park at the entrance to the village is ideal for a first warm-up tour. Great views, great paths. A little overpopulated though. The really great trails are off-limits to bikers to avoid conflicts with hikers. The locals ride them in the evening when the hikers are eating in the restaurants.
Laguna Beach is surrounded by fabulous trails. To find them, you have to ask the locals. The following is definitely worth mentioning: the not really legal Telonix trail begins at the "Top of the World" viewpoint, after which tyre manufacturer Kenda has even named a tyre. Once a year, the legendary but illegal downhill race "Leaping Lizard" is held here, one of the oldest bike races in the USA. The route is only around two kilometres long, but offers everything that bikers could possibly want. Speed sections, steep steps, jumps, tight bends. A dream! But not for beginners.
The San Juan Trail, which winds endlessly through the mountains not far from Laguna Beach, is shrouded in legend. There are many different variants. We took the "Chiquita" variant. It's best to ask the locals where to start. It is only half an hour's drive from Laguna Beach. From the Chiquita side, it's quite rough at first, mostly uphill. After around an hour and a half, you reach the San Juan Trail, which then takes you over thousands of first-class bends towards the valley. The views are absolutely amazing. It's hard to believe that a trail like this really exists. It's best to google the trail and then think about the route you want to take.
San Gabriel Mountains: The mountain range next to Los Angeles stretches 3,000 metres into the sky in places and is criss-crossed with trails that hikers and bikers can share without stress. We were in the Chantry Flats area. Dense, jungle-like forests with rivers, waterfalls and log cabins for overnight stays. A crazy contrast to the coastal area. Almost like Canada. The best thing to do here is to google it.
Central Coast / Morro Bay
The famous Highway 1 leads directly into this beautiful area. White sandy beaches, campsites right on the Pacific, glowing red sunsets, cosy restaurants in small, well-kept picture-book towns. There is no shortage of splendour here. And best of all: everything is surrounded by trails. Our tour started on the cliffs behind the village of Los Osos. A gravel track leads through a green valley to the start of the East Boundry Trail. The narrow path is artificially built into the fabulously beautiful landscape and takes you to the first summit without much bumping, from where you reach the highest point of the tour via a ridge. The Ridge Trail takes you downhill. And you almost want to go crazy with pleasure, because the trail was built especially for mountain bikers. A full-throttle trail with small, safe jumps every few metres, inviting you to take off. After a half-hour downhill orgy, the trail spits you out directly on the beach below the cliffs. Mountain bike porn.
Marin County / Mount Tamalpais
No California road trip is complete without a ride up the almost 800 metre high Mount Tamalpais. Gary Fisher, Joe Breeze and the rest of them in their bell bottoms undertook their first tours here on rusty clunker bikes. Back then, they didn't realise that what they were doing was mountain biking. That was almost four decades ago. Today, mountain biking is a mass sport and Mount Tam is perhaps the most sacred place for bikers. It's definitely worth asking the guys from WTB, whose forge is located in Mill Valley right at the foot of the mountain. They go on tour almost every day and are happy to take guest riders with them. Without a local guide, it will be difficult to find the really good trails. Many trails on Mount Tamalpais are off-limits to bikers. In this historic place for bikers of all places. What a shame.
The wide gravel road to the summit makes no demands on riding technique, but spoils the rider with the best views as far as San Francisco Bay. A hot tip! Spend the night at the rustic West Point Inn summit hut, from where you can look out over San Francisco. Built in 1904, the inn is in its original condition, including a fireplace room and kitchen. Self-catering mode. Drinks, bars and fruit are plentiful and are paid for with the help of a trust fund. Also great: Pancake Brakefast every Sunday.
