Claremont Colleges Cycling

:: local rides

Below are the rides we commonly go on, ranked by overall intensity. Below the chart are directions and descriptions. We place no guarantee on their accuracy and comprehensiveness, but we really think they are all correct. Each set of directions should stand on its own, so print them up and hit the road, Jack!

We are in the process of adding GMaps for each of the routes to give you a visual of the route along with mile markers and an elevation graph. Click the route name for textual directions or click GMap for a visual map.

	Hills	Length	Traffic en route	Traffic on ride
Bike Path - GMap	Easy	8.6 mi	Medium	None
Bonelli Park - GMap	Easy	15.3 mi	Medium	Medium
Cal Poly Loop - GMap	Moderate	Medium	Heavy	Heavy
Cop-Out Road - GMap	Hard	15.0 mi	Light	Light
Sante Fe Dam - GMap	Easy	47 mi	Medium	None
Long Beach - GMap	Easy	~115 mi	Medium	None
San Dimas Canyon - GMap	Moderate	23 mi	Medium	Light
Carbon Canyon - GMap	Moderate	Long	Heavy	Heavy
Baldy Village - GMap	Please stop	22.0 mi	Light	Light
Crystal Lake - GMap	Hard	Very Long	Medium	Light
GMR (Glendora Mtn. Rd.) - GMap	Hard	43 mi	Medium	Light
To the ski lifts - GMap	Ungodly	37.0 mi	Light	Light
East Fork - GMap	Hard	57 mi	Medium	Light

Bike Path

Description: The bike path is a nice ride that will take most people an hour or so. It's not perfectly flat, but there are no hills big enough that you can't do them.

Directions:

Go up through HMC to Mills (the street that goes to Von's).
Go up Mills to Baseline.
Left on Baseline.
Go down Baseline to Towne.
Right on Towne.
Go up to the aquaduct and take a right onto the bike path that runs along it.
The path climbs up for a few miles (veer left at all the forks), ending at Mills.
Right on Mills, back down to the Colleges.

Bonelli Park

Description: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! Bonelli is great ride. It's just so versatile and user-friendly. Getting to the park is 6 miles of city streets, but not bad ones. Once there, you can take as many laps of undulating road as you want. One is pretty easy, 3 or 4 is a big workout. It goes around a park, so there are bathrooms and water faucets when you need them. When you've had enough, there's a convenience store (Holt and Fairplex) where you can fuel up for the ride home.

Map

Directions:

Take Bonita Dr east through Claremont village and away from the Colleges.
Follow Bonita over Indian Hill, Towne, Garey, into La Verne until E Street.
Left on E St.
E St. becomes Fairplex Dr which goes left at a 3-way stop, then veers right along the golf course.
Go up, with golf on your right, until the light at Via Verde.
Right on Via Verde, up a hill, through the park gate and down through the park.
Keep going until you go up a hill and leave the park.
Go right on Raging Waters Dr (the stop sign right after the park gate)
Follow Raging Waters down until a stop sign.
Veer right onto the dam after the stop sign.
Follow around to stop sign at Puddingstone Dr.
Right on Puddingstone Dr and follow until you meet back up with Fairplex.
Go right to take another lap, or left to go home the way you came.

Cal Poly Loop

Description: This is popular with riders who aren't fit enough for the big hills yet but are tired of lap after lap of Bonelli. It's basically a Bonelli extension with steeper (but still short) climbs in it. Some would argue that the traffic stinks, though... often literally. It goes right by schools you're glad you don't go to and neighborhoods you're glad you don't live in, so it's a morale booster, anyways.

Directions:

Take Bonita Dr east through Claremont village and away from the Colleges.
Follow Bonita over Indian Hill, Towne, Garey, into La Verne until E Street.
Left on E St.
E St. becomes Fairplex Dr which goes left at a 3-way stop, then veers right along the golf course.
Climb up and past the Bonelli Park sign.
Descend Fairplex, go over the I-10 overpass and then take a quick right on Murchison.
Follow Murchison down and around a left hand bend and under the 71.
Take a quick right on Campus Dr.
Follow Campus past DeVry and past Cal Poly Pomona to Temple Ave.
Take a right on Temple Ave (unlike Carbon Canyon ride).
Go up and over Temple Ave, descending past Mt. San Antonio College.
Take a right on Grand Ave and go up the steep hill.
Descend into West Covina, taking a right at Holt Ave (bottom of the hill).
Go under the freeway and right on Via Verde.
Follow Via Verde into San Dimas, and take a right on Puente St.
Climb up Puente to a right turn at Avenida Bernardo.
Wail up Avenida Bernardo to a right at Avenida Fernando.
Sprint up the wall that is Avenida Fernando to San Dimas Avenue.
Take a careful left onto San Dimas Ave and proceed over Via Verde and downhill.
San Dimas Ave goes down, under the fwy and past Raging Waters.
Take a right on Puddingstone Drive and go up past Raging Waters.
Follow Puddingstone past the reservoir and all the way to Fairplex.
Take a left to go home the way you came.

Cop-Out Road

Description: Cop out road is short ride with an inclined warm-up leading up to a Â½ mile nasty hill. It is the very first part of the climb up to Baldy, chickening out as soon as it gets hard... hence the name. The return route can be a fun way to come home from any one of the rides that gets out this way, especially if you want to hit Tasty Goody on the way home.

Map

Directions:

Go up through HMC to Mills (the street that goes to Von's).
Go over baseline and continue up through the mansions.
Look at the mansions wondering which one is Snoop-Dogg's.
Take a right on Mt. Baldy Road, the first stop sign.
Continue past the light at Padua and up the big, hot hill.
Hang in there.
When you get to Shinn Rd (which turns into Mountain Ave), take a right (towards Upland).
After a few miles, you veer right to stay on Mountain (instead of Euclid).
Wind down a big hill, through a stop sign and down to a light at Benson.
Take a right on Benson and go down to 16th St.
Take a right on 16th St, which becomes Baseline.
Take a left on Mills to descend back to the Colleges.

Sante Fe Dam

Description: Santa Fe Dam is a nice way to accrue a bunch of miles without doing any climbing. It's good practice for flat, wind-strewn pacemaking a la Individual Time Trial. It takes a long time to get out to the bike path (in Azusa), but the ride is pleasant. Once you're there, though, it's GO GO GO.

Directions:

Take Bonita Dr east through Claremont village and away from the Colleges.
Follow Bonita over Indian Hill, Towne, Garey, through La Verne and over Wheeler.
Take a right on Damien and go up to the first stop sign.
Take a left there on Gladstone and follow it past a school and over Walnut Ave.
Take a right on San Dimas Ave and go up to Baseline.
Take a careful left onto Baseline and go down to Amelia.
Take a right on Amelia, go over Foothill Blvd / Rte. 66 and up past the golf course.
At the second stop sign, take a left on Foothill Blvd (stupid, huh?).
Follow this down, through stop sign and down to Valley Center.
Go up through suburbia till it ends (sort of) at Sierra Madre Ave.
Take a left on Sierra Madre and follow it for many miles, all the way to Azusa.
(Watch out for Glendora Police on this road. Stop at the stop signs and such.)
Go until the big divided boulevard that is Hwy 39 / San Gabriel Canyon Road.
Take a right and go up past the town houses until you see a ranger station on the right.
Look to your left and see the beginning of a bike / running path.
Carefully cross the gravel, get onto the path and carefully go through the gate.
Full speed ahead for as long as you like.
Eventually, you go across the dam.
Turning around at the end of the dam and going home is a solid 3-hour ride.

Long Beach

Description: This is what happens when you don't stop at the Santa Fe Dam. It is long, long and flat. And long. "The Beach" goes to Long Beach and back (but not really to any beach). Round trip it makes over a century (100 mile ride) that is very do-able thanks to the total absence of climbing.

Directions:

Take Bonita Dr east through Claremont village and away from the Colleges.
Follow Bonita over Indian Hill, Towne, Garey, through La Verne and over Wheeler.
Take a right on Damien and go up to the first stop sign.
Take a left there on Gladstone and follow it past a school and over Walnut Ave.
Take a right on San Dimas Ave and go up to Baseline.
Take a careful left onto Baseline and go down to Amelia.
Take a right on Amelia, go over Foothill Blvd / Rte. 66 and up past the golf course.
At the second stop sign, take a left on Foothill Blvd (stupid, huh?).
Follow this down, through stop sign and down to Valley Center.
Go up through suburbia till it ends (sort of) at Sierra Madre Ave.
Take a left on Sierra Madre and follow it for many miles, all the way to Azusa.
(Watch out for Glendora Police on this road. Stop at the stop signs and such.)
Go until the big divided boulevard that is Hwy 39 / San Gabriel Canyon Road.
Take a right and go up past the town houses until you see a ranger station on the right.
Look to your left and see the beginning of a bike / running path.
Carefully cross the gravel, get onto the path and carefully go through the gate.
Full speed ahead for as long as you like.
Eventually, you go across the dam.
2/3 of the way across, the path branches off and goes down to the left.
Go down and cross over Arrow Hwy, continuing down next to the San Gabriel River.
Follow the bike path forever.
At some point, there is a poorly marked junction. Go straight. Not a big deal.
When it dead-ends, you're in Long Beach.
FMI, please look at La Bike paths before going.

San Dimas Canyon

Description: This is a pleasant 23 mile ride that snakes along the San Dimas Resevoir. It has one climb that is not terribly steep or long, but still enough to make you feel as though you've accomplished something. While the traffic is very light on the uphill section, the road is narrow and often gravel-y, so be careful coming down.

Map

Directions:

Take Bonita Dr east through the Claremont villages and away from the colleges.
Follow Bonita over Indian Hill, Towne, Garey, through La Verne to Wheeler.
Take a right on Wheeler.
Follow Wheeler over Foothill (Rt 66 at that point) and Baseline Rd.
Keep going on Wheeler until it dead ends into Golden Hills Rd.
Take a left on Golden Hills Rd and be careful on the short, steep downhill.
At the bottom, bear right onto San Dimas Canyon Rd.
Climb San Dimas Canyon Rd.
After a climbing a little beyond the resevoir there will be a very short dowhill section that ends at a firehouse.
Turn around at the firehouse and come back down the way you came. Be sure to take care on the corners with gravel.
When you reach the bottom, instead of going back up Golden Hills, stay right on San Dimas Canyon Rd (unless you're into that sort of thing).
Follow San Dimas Canyon Rd past Foothill (Rt 66) all the way to Bonita Ave.
Take a left on Bonita Ave and follow it back to the campus.

Carbon Canyon

Description: Don't trust these directions, they are wrong. This ride is a solid 50 miles, with plenty of stoplights and traffic, but no deadly hills. Doing it on a Sunday is probably your best bet. In the middle, the pass through Carbon Canyon is very pleasant and good. However, there is one stretch in particular where the motor vehicles can really get you down. There's been some construction lately so these directions are probably out of date.

Directions:

Take Bonita Dr east through Claremont village and away from the Colleges.
Follow Bonita over Indian Hill, Towne, Garey, into La Verne until E Street.
Left on E St.
E St. becomes Fairplex Dr which goes left at a 3-way stop, then veers right along the golf course.
Climb up and past the Bonelli Park sign.
Descend Fairplex, go over the I-10 overpass and then take a quick right on Murchison.
Follow Murchison down and around a left hand bend and under the 71.
Take a quick right on Campus Dr.
Follow Campus past DeVry and past Cal Poly Pomona to Temple Ave.
Take a left onto Temple (unlike Cal Poly Loop).
Take a right on Valley Blvd, eventually going over Grand.
Take a left on Brea Canyon Road, eventually crossing under the 60 Fwy.
Continue over Golden Springs and up along the 57 Fwy to Pathfinder.
Go Left on Pathfinder, over the 57 and to Brea Canyon Road (again).
Go right on Brea Canyon Road and down along the 57 Fwy for a long while, to Brea.
(Watch out for speeders avoiding 57 Fwy traffic by using this road)
Take a right on Lambert (2nd light in Brea).
(This is the part that sucks, hang tough and be careful)
Continue on Lambert thru Brea, under the 57 Fwy, and out into nothingness.
(Carbon Canyon Park (on the right) is a great place to stop for water and toilet.)
Lambert becomes Carbon Canyon Rd / Hwy 142. Follow it.
Eventually, you make a great big descent and dead end at Chino Hills Pkwy.
Take a left on Chino Hills Pkwy, going over Grand and up and over into Diamond Bar.
Go down a big descent, over the 60 Fwy and to the dead end at Santa Clara.
Take a left at the stoplight at the dead end.
Go up the hill to the stop sign at Rancheros.
Take a left at Rancheros and go down past Golden Springs, Mission and the 57.
Rancheros becomes Temple Ave.
When you get back to Campus Drive, take a right and come home the way you came.

Baldy Village

Description: This is a badass climb. For real. The good news is that you can always turn around and call it off-- it is an "out and back" type ride. Bring food, a low gear and lots of pain tolerance. And for the ride home, make sure your helmet, gloves, glasses, brakes and tires are in excellent working order. Also... never, ever do the descent in the dark. The descent is one that you do not want to make any mistakes on.

Map

Directions:

Go up through HMC to Mills (the street that goes to Von's).
Go over Baseline Dr. and continue up through the mansions.
Look at the mansions wondering which one is Snoop-Dogg's.
Take a right on Mt. Baldy Road, the first stop sign.
Continue past the light at Padua and up the big, hot hill.
Hang in there.
When you get to Mountain Ave, contemplate Cop'ing Out (see above).
Continue, instead, up Mt. Baldy Rd.
Be careful in the tunnels and be steadfast throughout.
If and when you reach the Village, stop at the post office on the left to get water.
Turn around and go home the way you came, knowing you rule.

Crystal Lake

Description: This ride is a long, long ride. It's not a full century, but it's made long by the long, steady climb to the Lake. I personally haven't been all the way to the Lake. Let me know what it's like if you go.

Directions:

Take Bonita Dr east through Claremont village and away from the Colleges.
Follow Bonita over Indian Hill, Towne, Garey, through La Verne and over Wheeler.
Take a right on Damien and go up to the first stop sign.
Take a left there on Gladstone and follow it past a school and over Walnut Ave.
Take a right on San Dimas Ave and go up to Baseline.
Take a careful left onto Baseline and go down to Amelia.
Take a right on Amelia, go over Foothill Blvd / Rte. 66 and up past the golf course.
At the second stop sign, take a left on Foothill Blvd (stupid, huh?).
Follow this down, through stop sign and down to Valley Center.
Go up through suburbia till it ends (sort of) at Sierra Madre Ave.
Take a left on Sierra Madre and follow it for many miles, all the way to Azusa.
(Watch out for Glendora Police on this road. Stop at the stop signs and such.)
Go until the big divided boulevard that is Hwy 39 / San Gabriel Canyon Road.
Go up and past the beginning of the Santa Fe Dam bike path.
Continue on Hwy 39 FOREVER.
The only turn in the road is a right turn towards "East Fork". Go straight.
Get to the Lake, which I'm not sure isn't dried up, and turn around and come home.

GMR (Glendora Mtn. Rd.)

Description: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! GMR (Glendora Mountain Road) is the mother of all Inland Empire rides. No ride comes close to matching its smooth surface, its versatility as a training site, its virtual (and often total) absence of motor traffic, its breathtaking views or its practically clean air (yes! clean air!). I love GMR and would marry it if the Governator made such a union legal. The full loop through Baldy Village is 45 miles long, with tons of smooth climbing. It takes most people 3-4 hours to get it done. If you're going all out, you may be able to do it in 2.5 hrs. Be warned: a 5-hour GMR is not unheard-of... bring food, a spare tire, a spare tube, a pump, plenty of liquid (especially if it's hot outside), a camera if it's clear, and warm clothes if it's after Fall Break but before Spring Break. A cell phone or a riding partner is never a bad idea, either. If the road is open to motor vehicles, watch out for the stupid "sport bikes". Those guys are all comfortable with manslaughter/suicide. Otherwise, the 2 hours in the middle of this ride are entirely desolate. Be ready for eerie loneliness. I love it. The only ill I can speak of GMR is this one undeniable characteristic... It does have a "point of no return". You could be right in the middle, realize that you can't pedal another 50 feet ("bonk"), and be stuck. It goes up, then down, then up again... then down. In the middle, there is no water, no food, no shelter and no cell phone service. Don't try the whole loop until you know you can do it!

Map

Directions:

Take Bonita Dr east through Claremont village and away from the Colleges.
Follow Bonita over Indian Hill, Towne, Garey, through La Verne and over Wheeler.
Take a right on Damien and go up to the first stop sign.
Take a left there on Gladstone and follow it past a school and over Walnut Ave.
Take a right on San Dimas Ave and go up to Baseline.
Take a careful left onto Baseline and go down to Amelia.
Take a right on Amelia, go over Foothill Blvd / Rte. 66 and up past the golf course.
At the second stop sign, take a left on Foothill Blvd (stupid, huh?).
Follow this down, through stop sign and down to Valley Center.
Go up through suburbia till it ends (sort of) at Sierra Madre Ave.
Take a left on Sierra Madre and then an immediate right on GMR.
(Stop at the water fountain at the equestrian center, it your last chance)
Do the main climb, climbing up to a summit just past a fenced-in CDF station (1 hour).
Continue down to the intersection of GMR and GRR (Glendora Ridge Road).
Veer right onto GRR, then continue for 10 or so miles of hills.
You're done climbing when you hit Cow Saddle, just before Baldy Village.
Take a moment for the view.
Descend into Baldy Village.
Take a right at Mt. Baldy road and descend back into Claremont. **** Always make sure your helmet, gloves, glasses, brakes and tires are in excellent working order for this descent. Also... never, ever do it in the dark. Also... always make sure you're recovered and attentive before descending to go home. This descent is one that you do not want to make any mistakes on.

To the ski lifts

Description: "To the ski lifts!" is an ambitious extension of any ride that passes through Baldy Village. Follow any such ride (Baldy Village, GMR, East Fork) to Baldy Village. Then go up instead of down. I've heard it reported that the climb from Claremont to the ski lifts has officially been classified as "HC" (Hors Category... beyond categorization). Said ride is 18.0 miles long by my odometer, and probably climbs about 5000 feet vertically. It's brutal.

Directions:

Like I said, go to Baldy Village by way of one of the other rides.
Go up through the village.
You may want to get a Gatorade out of the machine on the right.
You may want to get a pint of something or other at the lodge.
Go up.
Until 5000 feet elevation, it's relatively straight, but still very steep.
At 5000 ft, the switchbacks start.
Here, ironically, is where most people quit... ironic because it's not the hardest part!
Cresting the switchbacks, you thankfully descend for about 100 meters.
After that, the road goes seemingly straight up.
This is the hardest part, but nobody turns around here because it's so close to the top!
In the last km, I usually average, say, 4 mph. Hang in there.
When you see the ski lifts, you've done "to the ski lifts!"
Be very, very careful, please, coming down.

East Fork

Description: East Fork is the GMR for people too tough for GMR. It does much of the same route, merely adding in an extra 15 miles and 1000 feet of climbing. Essentially, it's a hybrid of the Crystal Lake and GMR rides (please read the GMR ride description). It is an all-day type of ride. Sure, it only takes you 4.5 hours, but you are incapable of doing anything but eat and nap by the time you get home. Also, come prepared to be out in the middle of nowhere for a long time.

Map

Directions:

Take Bonita Dr east through Claremont village and away from the Colleges.
Follow Bonita over Indian Hill, Towne, Garey, through La Verne and over Wheeler.
Take a right on Damien and go up to the first stop sign.
Take a left there on Gladstone and follow it past a school and over Walnut Ave.
Take a right on San Dimas Ave and go up to Baseline.
Take a careful left onto Baseline and go down to Amelia.
Take a right on Amelia, go over Foothill Blvd / Rte. 66 and up past the golf course.
At the second stop sign, take a left on Foothill Blvd (stupid, huh?).
Follow this down, through stop sign and down to Valley Center.
Go up through suburbia till it ends (sort of) at Sierra Madre Ave.
Take a left on Sierra Madre and follow it for many miles, all the way to Azusa.
(Watch out for Glendora Police on this road. Stop at the stop signs and such.)
Go until the big divided boulevard that is Hwy 39 / San Gabriel Canyon Road.
Go up and past the beginning of the Santa Fe Dam bike path.
Continue on Hwy 39 up past two or three reservoirs.
When you reach an intersection that offers a right turn to "East Fork", take the right.
Go over the bridge and up the east fork until you cross over it near a penitentiary.
The road here becomes GMR (but a section of it you don't see on "GMR")
Climb up this "backside" of GMR like the climbing machine that you are.
When you reach the intersection of GMR and GRR, take a left.
Continue on GRR for 10 or so miles of hills.
You're done climbing when you hit Cow Saddle, just before Baldy Village.
Take a moment for the view.
Descend into Baldy Village.
Take a right at Mt. Baldy road and descend back into Claremont. **** Always make sure your helmet, gloves, glasses, brakes and tires are in excellent working order for this descent. Also... never, ever do it in the dark. Also... always make sure you're recovered and attentive before descending to go home. This descent is one that you do not want to make any mistakes on.
Eat something, pronto.