Fall Virtual Ride Series: Week Six

Welcome back to the Path Bike Shop’s 6-week Fall Virtual Ride Series, we're glad you're joining us for the final week in this series. We hope you've had fun and we thank you for letting us be your virtual tour guides. Not every week went as planned (fires, rain, etc.), but we had a good time and hope you did too. 

For our final ride we’re going to be riding a classic and favorite OC trail, The Luge! 

We originally planned to include a loop of Whiting Ranch for the advanced route, but the Silverado Fire unfortunately burned parts of Whiting, so we have just one route option this week. You can always add on an out and back to Old Camp on Santiago Truck Trail if you would like to make this ride longer. 

To see the route, head over to Trailforks.com / the app, and search for:

Path Ride Series The Luge Intermediate/Advanced 

NOTE: Please use extra caution riding along Santiago Canyon Road. The bike lane is currently closed due to road construction. 

Choose whichever route you feel comfortable with, and save it to My Wishlist, download the track to your Garmin, save it to your favorites, or scan the QR code with your phone camera to open it in the Trailforks app. 

The routes are also posted on Strava, on our Path Bike Shop Club page and corresponding event: 

https://www.strava.com/clubs/7365/group_events/833660?new=true

When you get to the parking lot at Cook's Corner, open the saved route, and use Trailforks or your Garmin to navigate if you're unfamiliar with the trails. On Trailforks, be sure to check out the points of interest along the way to see photos, and more info about features, intersections and other helpful tips! 

PARKING: Only park in the gated area north of the building that is signed "Mountain Biker Parking"

Ride the route on your own schedule, at your own pace within seven days. You'll have until 5:00 pm on Monday, November 16 to complete Ride #6. 

About The Luge:

The Luge is an earn your turns kind of ride, with nearly all of the climbing done before one long, fun downhill. Located mostly on Cleveland National Forest land, it is done most often as a loop, although riders should still be aware of uphill traffic as the Luge is a multi-directional, multi-use trail. Note also that the first part of the climb is on Santiago Canyon and Modjeska Grade roads, and the final descent pops you out onto Live Oak Canyon road; please use caution when riding these busy roads. 

The downhill portion of the loop is mostly flowy and never super steep, although there are some technical sections and other features to note. It is a solidly intermediate trail, with nothing too gnarly or mandatory. If you would like to make it a longer ride, you can continue out and back past the flag pole toward Old Camp, where the also popular Joplin trail intersects Santiago Truck Trail. 

This is a popular area for other cyclists and runners, so be courteous and cautious while riding here!

How the Path Fall Virtual Ride Series works:

We will post the routes on Monday on social media, here on our website and on Trailforks. There will be an easier and a more difficult option to choose from, so you can do whichever you think best suits your riding style. 

The routes will be available on Trailforks.com / the app and will include Points of Interest for any direction changes, features that may be a little techy, and other helpful information. Be sure to look at these before you ride so you know what to expect. 

Once the ride is posted on Monday, you will have one week to complete the route. Be sure to take pictures and post on Strava or social media using the hashtag #PathRideSeries2020 and tagging @thepathbikeshop so we know you did it! Alternatively, send us an email with a photo and a note about your ride.  

If you ride with us every week and post it (or email us) a photo, you will automatically be entered into an end-of-series raffle where you can win some Path merch and other fun prizes! Everyone who participates in each ride of this series will receive something from us at the end as well, as a thank you for riding with us. Be sure to join our Strava Club and follow us on social media so you don’t miss the weekly route announcement. Look for a ride event on Strava each week as well. 

We want you to have fun with it, no matter which route option you choose. Scope any lines you want, and go around any features you don’t feel ready for. Also, please be safe and ride within your abilities, getting off to walk when you see a feature you don’t think you can handle. And, since we’re still in the middle of a pandemic, we also ask that you take precautions if you do the ride with a friend. 

Trail etiquette and riding tips:

Please ride safely, and be courteous to others on the trail. Remember to yield to other cyclists and hikers as this is a heavily trafficked park. Hikers have the right of way, and the downhill rider should yield to anyone riding uphill.

There are no options to fill water along the route, so carry lots with you. Be sure to check the weather before you go. 

Also be sure to keep an eye out for features and ways to get around them if you're not ready to hit it this time. We just want to make sure everyone has fun and uses this as a time to see new trails or by the end of the series go back and feel confident to hit a new section on a trail.

Feel free to add or take away from the routes that we have made. Go at your pace, whenever you want during the week, and enjoy the ride. Don’t forget to post for the week so we know you did the ride.

Stay safe, stay cool, and have fun!