With all of the rare and much welcomed rain over the winter here in Southern California our friends from Ventura County urged us to put together a group ride and make the short trip north from Long Beach to do a bit of pedaling around one of their favorite local loops. With spring in full bloom they guaranteed that riding and the views would not disappoint.

First thing first - Coffee

We met up at The Stonehaus which is a great cycling friendly cafe and coffee shop located just a few minutes from the epic roads we were about to pedal over.  So the crew grabbed some coffee to stoke the engines before setting off. 

Hidden Valley: California 

Located near the northwestern border of Los Angeles county; Hidden Valley is a southern California cycling gem.  

Just a few lights, a couple turns and less then 10 minutes into the ride you find yourself on smooth and twisty farm roads that feels more like the central coast then Los Angeles. 

The twisty lakeside road quickly opens up to the "Hidden Valley" where picturesque equestrian farms are surrounded by rugged mountains including Sandstone Peak which is the highest point in the Santa Monica mountain range. 

With cycling there is always a bit of work needed.  It can’t all just be pay-off. As we looped around and headed back across the valley the tailwind which gently pushed the group across the rolling terrain turned into a slight headwind.  It was time to get in-line, hunker down, and share in the work and make our way back home.