The Radavist

LA has a bad rep for cycling. Just the other day I got in a debate with someone at a bar because they literally said “LA sucks for cycling”. I laughed, thinking they were referring to the hashtag (right?), only to find a solid 10 minute debate followed. Basically, any city is what you make of it. It’s your attitude and approach that changes your outlook.

I went through so much film during my last stay in Los Angeles and that’s probably because we rode every single day. Some of the rides I had done before, but having Andy along brought a new perspective. We rode mostly cross bikes and even the “road rides” had a fair amount of dirt thrown in.

Here’s a collection of a few rides, in a playful Photoset. See more in the Gallery!

Tools of the trade:
Yashica T4 / Fuji Pro400H

For some self-deprecating reason, we decided to go ride mountain bikes in Topanga, the day after we climbed Mt. Gleason. Nothing like getting out of bed at the crack of dawn the morning after a 100 mile, 10,000′ ride. Was it worth it? Hell yes.

Topanga Creek Bicycles supplied Andy and me with rentals and Sean from Team Dream Bicycling Team was our guide. On the agenda for the day: Backbone, J-Drop, Sullivan, Snake Stick, Squirrel Cage and other trails, but first, we’d start the day climbing all of Cheney into the trail system.

Basically, we had a cold start and climbed around 1,200′ in two miles. It sucked and the climbing didn’t stop there, because to go down, first you must go up. We totaled our day with 30 miles and 4,500′. The only thing that kept me from cracking at the end of the ride was the delicious banana bread the guys at Topanga Creek Bicycles had cooked up!

See more in the Gallery!

Tools of the trade:
Yashica T4
Neopan 400

Locals Only isn’t about exclusivity when used in this context, because truth be told, each time I’ve been on this ride, there are usually more out of towners than locals. It’s more of a way that Kyle and Ty like to throw visitors into the proverbial fire. The first time I did this ride, it was at night, in the rain, during goat head season and with no lights. It sucked. This time, it was rad. I won’t post the route (locals only, breh), but we did about 25 miles and 3,000′.

Check out more in the Gallery!

Like many cyclists who have spent time in the Angeles Forest, I know that the roads and ranges can be very unforgiving, especially during the hottest time of the year. Over the years, I’ve been up a number of the area’s HC climbs and every time, I’m reminded of the massive undertaking a 100 mile ride is in these parts.

Mt. Gleason is no exception. In fact, I’d argue it’s harder than Cloud Burst and Baldy. The difficulty lies in the shear steepness of the climbs and the full exposure from the sun. If you’re going to go, go early! Had it not been for the two fire stations and the spigots, we all would have cracked…

Our ride began heading out with the sunrise, en route to Big T. From there, we spiked off up this little prick of a peak known as Mt. Gleason. Come mile 50, we’d already hit over 8,000′ in elevation. We climbed for 30 miles straight, got to the top and then had to climb out of Clear Creek. If you’re familiar with that area, you know what kind of an undertaking that is.

Totals for the day were 100 miles and 10,000′. Nice and even. If you feel so inclined, here’s our route.

One of the main reasons for taking on this ride is the exceptional views over the fire-torn mountain tops. It’s truly breathtaking. See more in the Gallery!

Tools of the trade:
Yashica T4
Fuji Pro400H

Enter day 05 of nothing but Alpine mountain biking with Mission Workshop. My body is still sore, almost a week later and all I can think about is how much fun we all had. The morning was cold, damp and silent, save for the cow bells that somehow echoed through the valley all night, barely being muted by the drunken Swiss wine-tasting party that erupted outside my open hotel window.

Lyle and I awoke at 7am and ate breakfast with Stefan (owner of Stilrad Zurich) and Alberto. 7:30am we rolled out into the misty mountains. From the onset, today was supposed to be quite easy, with a few technical sections and one nasty, nasty climb. At this point, the extra rain clothes and merino base layers I brought became a burden. Every ounce of extra weight in my backpack seemed to pull me back down each climb. Not to mention the 5Dmkii and 24-70mm lens… But hey, that’s my job right?

We made it out just fine, save for a few spills, a few flats and loose legs. All I could think of was drinking a sparkling water and a Radler… 30 miles and 4,000′ of climbing at altitude, on a MTB is no joke.

Check out more narrated photos in the Gallery!

Side note: I want to thank everyone who made this trip possible. Stefan, Alberto, Mission Workshop, Santa Cruz Bicycles and anyone else who helped us out along the way. THANK YOU!