Favorites / Disappointments?

I know all this stuff has been asked before so ignore it if you want but I'm quarantined due to the rain the next two days and tired about Coronavirus this and Covid-19 that....

Favorite destination you've ridden? Whistler

Destination that came up short of the hype? Bend

One destination you hope to ride? Revelstoke

Single favorite trail/ride anywhere? North Umpqua, Oregon

Favorite SoCal trails/ride? Mount Wilson from Eaton Saddle drop

Favorite bike ever? GT LTS

Favorite post ride food: Mexican (street tacos)

 

Ohh, my 97 LTS-1. My first full suspension when I bought it used. In the 2000-10's sometime I was getting started or finished with a ride at Cook's when a fellow rider mentioned what an old bike it was. I laughed and said it was the youngest bike I owned by at least a few years.

Wouldn't even notice it was a suspension bike on the climbs but it was not the greatest going down. Wish I could convert it to a gravel bike but have not heard great things about replacement shocks for it. Still, I had a lot of fun on that bike.

 

Favorite destination you've ridden? Most memorable MTB riding was on sections of the Great Divide, Arizona Trail and Colorado Trail, especially the CT. Can't pick just one. Haven't hit many "destinations," but enjoy the riding around Lake Tahoe as much as any one place I've ridden. Buffalo Creek and some of the CO Front Range stuff deserves a mention as do San Gabriel mountains, but the population centers nearby keep them out of my top picks.

Destination that came up short of the hype? Sedona – so far. I rode there one day, undoubtedly the wrong trails.

One destination you hope to ride? Rather scour my local areas for lesser-known gems and bikepack than take vacations to resorts/resort towns – yes I'm boring AF.

Single favorite trail/ride anywhere? See answer #1

Favorite SoCal trails/ride? Yeager Mesa, Los Piños Ridge, Upper Holy Jim/Holy Jim, Joplin-Luge, variations of PCE, Ramona Trail

Favorite bike ever? My current ride, a 2018 GG Smash

Favorite post ride food: Mexican is tough to beat, but Howie's Pizza makes me think twice.

 

Favorite destination you've ridden? Whistler, this I would have to agree with. There are a lot of places that are fun, but Whistler is just really good, plenty of other stuff, family and non-riding, plus Squamish.

Destination that came up short of the hype? Not to travel, but I absolutely do not like riding San Juan. Hard Pass pretty much all the time. I'd rather ride literally anywhere else.

One destination you hope to ride? I'd really just like to do more out of the area riding. More traveling, more bike parks. Utah, CO, Sedona, some East Coast stuff, Kamloops, mix it up.

Single favorite trail/ride anywhere? Squamish, but I really want to ride Lord of the Squirrels in Whistler. Hoping to make it happen this summer.

Favorite SoCal trails/ride? Probably Laguna. Trails are good, easily modular for quick rides or all day events. Pedal or shuttle days, good weather when it's hot everywhere else.

Favorite bike ever? I really love my current Yeti SB5.5. It just excels at so much stuff. It's crazy to think you could have a bike this capable 10 years ago. Now with the Push shock, it's incredible.

Favorite post ride food: Mexican is pretty good. I never met a burrito I didn't like.

 

Favorite destination you've ridden? Haven't been to many destinations but Northstar in Tahoe was a great time. Technical trails were challenging along with good size jumps and chunk. Friendly atmosphere. Surrounding Tahoe trails a bonus too.

Destination that came up short of the hype? Again, have't traveled much so really can't answer this one.

One destination you hope to ride? Whistler.

Single favorite trail/ride anywhere? It changes from time to time. Right now I think it's Blue Bug to the goods below. Mostly because it's still new to me but also because the jumps float you right to the landings and the drops are huge! Exciting for one that desires.

Favorite SoCal trails/ride? Anywhere in the San Gabriels. Endless trail combinations, great mountain views.

Favorite bike ever? WFO9. From XC to Endurance races, Snow Summit lippy jumps, 6' - 8' drops and Epic all day'ers, this out dated 2014 bike still holds it own. I still don't have any intention of replacing it.

Favorite post ride food: Nothing beats a Floop Burger!

 

Favorite riding destination: I'll have to go with Whistler having the biggest impression on me on my first two trips there. Prior to that was St. George.

Destination short of the hype? I may agree with @kazlx that San Juan Trail isn't all that I expected. But I don't dislike it as much as he does, and when you tie in stuff up top, it's really pretty cool. Not a fan of the ruts. I also feel the same about Mentally Sensitive - I'm just not a fan of steep, loose and rutted. I haven't ridden Fully Loop yet, but it can't possibly live up to its status! And dare I say... Golden Eagle. I've enjoyed the hell out of my three rides there, but that was because of the company, not the trail.

One destination I hope to ride? Revelstoke or any interior BC - Fernie, Rossland, Nelson, Golden, Retallack

Single Favorite Trail Anywhere? Haven't ridden it yet!

Favorite So Cal Trail? Car Wreck, Stairs, A-- Sc----. and yes, The Luge.

Favorite Bike Ever? The one I currently own. But that was true with the last four as well (Tracer, Endorphin, 575, 575). I rode best on the Tracer (so far).

Favorite Post Ride Food? Beer. Oh and Baja Fish Tacos - Blackened fish burrito.

That was fun!

 

Too many "favorites" to nail down just one answer for each and every question and it's frustrating to try to actually label the best of the best because each one is so very special in it's own way or ways.

 

Favorite Destination: Crested Butte. The scenery, history, and vibe are hard to beat.

Underwhelming Destination: Mammoth. Just say no to pumice.

Favorite trail ever? 401


Place I hope to ride: I need to visit Utah in spring or fall. I always go through on the hottest or coldest day of the year. My attempts to ride St George and Moab have never gone well.

Favorite So Cal Trail: I’m kinda over everything local right now, but i gauge my riding by how well I survive Hawk at Oaks.

Favorite bike ever: TBD...

Post ride food: after a sub 2 hr ride I often crave a fruit smoothie. Longer rides require Taco Mesa.

 

Thanks @mtbMike for the quick distraction.


Favorite destination you've ridden? Squamish

Destination that came up short of the hype? Sedona (Just not my preferred style of riding)

One destination you hope to ride? Hmmm, Park City is on my list of new places to try out...or Idaho?

Single favorite trail/ride anywhere? Either Angry M in Squamish or Evolution in Bellingham

Favorite SoCal trails/ride? Laguna Ridge or Luge

Favorite bike ever? Don't have one

Favorite post ride food: Hard for me to not say Mexican

 

Squamish is so epically good. Anyone that hasn't made it to Whistler/Squamish needs to go. I know A-Line and massive jumps and drops and gnar get all the attention and wild videos, but there truly is stuff there for everyone to ride and progress. I had wanted to go forever and it was only recently (a few years now) that a friend was there and invited a couple of us. The hand-holding walkthrough of logistics and riding made it easier to digest. Tickets are so cheap (I paid $150 for round trip in Sept to YVR from LAX), take a shuttle from the airport to Whistler or rent a truck with a couple buddies, and then find a good spot on VRBO. My family even loves going. It's beautiful, there's a bunch of outdoors stuff to do even non-biking and lots of stuff for kids. I try to go at least once every summer now and regret not doing it years prior. It really just ratchets up your skills game.

 

Favorite riding destination: Whistler. Hurricane UT a close 2nd.

Destination short of the hype? Cannell Plunge. Rode it once, had a great time because of the friends all around me. But the trail? Meh.

One destination I hope to ride? Oregon (and Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, and...)

Single Favorite Trail Anywhere? Party Wave/Westridge 2016-2018. The trail I've ridden more than any other. Dates included because they're improving it with bigger and better jumps, and, well, they're feeling out of reach for me.

Favorite So Cal Trail? Probably Mt. Lowe.

Favorite Bike Ever? That I've owned - Kona Process 153 2014 model. It was an absolute pig on the climbs, and technical climbing was often simply a no-go. But when descending, it was magical.
.......................................That I've ever ridden - tough to say. Recently I've ridden many excellent bikes, but only for a few minutes each at demo events.

Favorite Post Ride Food? Tailwind! (or Mexican)

 

Favorite destination you've ridden? South West Utah

Destination that came up short of the hype? I haven't traveled much, but Just Outstanding(kernville) and Daley Ranch(San Diego) were pretty boring.

One destination you hope to ride? Would love to get out to Park City, UT

Single favorite trail/ride anywhere? Whole Enchilada

Favorite SoCal trails/ride? Noble Canyon

Favorite bike ever? '98 GT Xizang

Favorite post ride food? Burritos and tacos

 

Favorite destination you've ridden? I don't get around that much, but it's a toss up between Oakridge and St. George.

Destination that came up short of the hype? Sorry, Canadians. GE is always a riot for the social aspect, but as a trail it's a little on the tame (boring) side. The luge is also on this list...

One destination you hope to ride? Get back to Oregon. Or maybe spend a lot more time in the San Gabes.

Single favorite trail/ride anywhere? My local trails (Trabuco, Motorway and Joplin) are all high on the list, but the best single day experience ever was the A-T-C-A route in Oakridge. Alone the entire day in the rain with temps in the 30s and 40s, with almost zero visibility. And a bear.

Favorite SoCal trails/ride? Joplin and Art Smith... Flipping a coin...

Favorite bike ever? mid 80s Schwinn Traveler. It got me started and it's still around. Favorite modern bike? Santa Cruz Highball, although I'll never own another.

Favorite post ride food? Floop Burger!

 

I know I'm going to have a hard time naming favorites for some of these....

Favorite destination you've ridden? Hard not to say Whistler/N Van, but I lived up there for 10 yrs so that doesn't count as a destination for me. Favorite destination I've visited is probably Tahoe area, in which I include Truckee/Downieville and other stuff nearby that you can easily hit within a single trip. Lots of places I keep coming back to.....Kernville, Phx, Sedona, Tucson, Hurricane, Durango, Moab, etc. Montana is awesome as a general destination as well.

Destination that came up short of the hype? Cannell is up there. Gonna say Monarch Crest as well. I had more on this list like Wasatch Crest and 18 Road but after going back to them and liking them, maybe I need to ride the others again. Except Cannell. There is so much other stuff around Kernville that I would much rather ride.

One destination you hope to ride? The Alps. Destinations to ride is a very long list.....

Single favorite trail/ride anywhere? Oh boy.... A single trail, might have to say the Colorado Trail or Arizona Trail. Naming a single ride is much harder. The top one might be Mile Creek to Sheep Creek near West Yellowstone. Others: Bridger Divide near Bozeman. Calico Trail near Telluride. AZT near Superior. Perry Canyon to Ben Lomond, Ogden UT. North Umpqua Trail might round out top 5. Or 6. TRs that include some of these: https://www.imtbtrails.com/forum/threads/tr-montana-wyoming-trip-2012.7706/#post-144930 and https://www.imtbtrails.com/forum/threads/tr-montana-mtb-sept-2018.7844/

Favorite SoCal trails/ride? Can't name my favorite or favorites unfortunately. And some favorites were made so by the conditions or company, not just the trail. I have a loop around Mt Laguna and Cuyamaca that might be a favorite and can range from 40-60mi depending on route. Idyllwild would be up there. Bear Creek near Camp Nelson.

Favorite bike ever? Gotta say my Ibis Mojo SL. Such a perfect all round bike. Climbs better than the Mojo3. I still own it, and when I sit on it, it still feels like a perfect fit. If only they still made it but with updated head tube so it could run more current parts.

Favorite post ride food: Mexican, just cuz we have it so good here. Good pizza or burgers will also suffice.

 

I can say that my favorite bike ever is my current '18 Trek FEX. It's got it all and it's as capable as I am willing to be. My only complaint is it's weight but the only way to reduce considerable weight is to go with a carbon fiber frame and to this day, I am still hesitant to go that route.

 

Favorite destination you've ridden? Not many long distance trips for me so probably Kokopelli with Porcupine Rim finish.

Destination that came up short of the hype? Does Tapia count? Not a destination per se but Mt Pinos while fun to ride isn't all it's cracked up to be either.

One destination you hope to ride? Tons but the realistic ones for me would probably be Santa Cruz, Whitefish or Downieville

Single favorite trail/ride anywhere? Favorite rides probably don't involve any real trails. Our backyard exploration gate hopping adventure rides are by far my favorites. Something about the unknown and getting home in one piece without getting shot or going to jail.

Favorite SoCal trails/ride? Hmm can't pick but I love GE and Horn is pretty etched in my brain and PCE

Favorite bike ever? No brainer Ibis Ripley OG. Did everything I ever asked of it and can't remember a bad ride on it.

Favorite post ride food? Beer is food but food ain't beer. Casa Lupitas or Mikes Pizza hit the spot.

 

Favorite destination you've ridden? I've never ventured out of the OC area except for Snow Summit.

Destination that came up short of the hype? I've been happy everywhere I've gone.

One destination you hope to ride? Hmmmm... I'm happy as long as I'm on two wheels.

Single favorite trail/ride anywhere? As boring as the FLoop is, I can ride out of my garage and hit dirt in about 1/4 mile. It's a blessing and a curse.

Favorite SoCal trails/ride? I like venturing around Santiago Oaks / Anaheim hills. It's easy to find something for every type of riding and doesn't have to be an all day event.

Favorite bike ever? 2005 Kona Stinky... regardless of being shy of 50lbs, no other bike made me smile as much.

Favorite post ride food: A cool white peach from the fridge in the summer.

 

This is a cool thread idea and I’m enjoying the responses. If for no other reason than the approaches to typography...

Smart. CF frame is not the weight saver is once was. Saving weight in the wheels is worth pursuing. I doubt making the frame lighter will make the bike ride appreciably better. The Radimus will be your light bike.

 

Favorite destination you've ridden? Middlesex Fells outside of Boston, it was just so different compared to California

Destination that came up short of the hype? Can't really think of one, but will update when/if I do

One destination you hope to ride? Whistler, I have a friend who just moved there and makes it look very fun

Single favorite trail/ride anywhere? Santa Cruz/ MDO

Favorite SoCal trails/ride? all of them, i don't discriminate

Favorite bike ever? Hardtail: Russ Denny Custom FS: Foes XCT5

Favorite post ride food: Mexican Food, or when on the coast, Sylvesters!!

 

There's a MTB trail back there outside of Boston I really want to ride...for the exact same reason. It looks totally different than anything we have out here. It's called Bruce & Tom's Excellent Adventure.

 

That is a little over an hour out of Boston, but looks like fun and gets great reviews on MTBR. Hope you get to ride it one day.

 

Ditto!

 

Man I love this thread!
The best trail in southern California? Floop!

 

You posted that one before... But I watched it again!

I could never live on the east coast again, but a visit now and then might not hurt.

 

Whistler and Andes inca trail is dream list..
Santa Cruz .. had some great rides there.. Braille n flow r great but SO much more..
Moab lived up to hype...
When I first rode gooseberry n swest Utah.. I loved it but now I prefer more downhill then up n down...
Sedona is better version of gooseberry.. up n down.but down is more techy n flowy.. hogs n any h trails .. u gotta pay w punchy climbs...

My favorite bike? Used stumpjumper 1994..

 

My favorite local trail? Floop of course...

Distant second is any trail that makes me pucker!

 

I bounce around between so many different MTB sites, I never remember where I posted what.

 

Go ride Middle of Nowhere to Kashmir in Whistler or La Milagrosa on Mt Lemmon in Tucson. On that Whistler ride, there will several sections I
couldn't believe I rode unscathed. I don't know if the DH bike rental saved me, I was lucky or what. I know if I was leading, I probably would have stopped to eval them but I was following so I leaped w/o looking a few times.

 

Sorry guys.. that really was a mistake... Trail...

 

Haha! I think you're fine. I think I would've left that alone and seen if anybody noticed. I didn't.