Hello fellow riders, I’m Carl. Before we get into the topic of my first blog, I want to give you a little background about myself. I’ve been riding for over 40 years on all sorts of bikes and in all sorts of environments, from trackdays to touring, moto-camping to commuting. I’ve also worked in the motorcycle industry for almost 30 years in various roles, including sales and writing. I currently manage two museums and events for a large manufacturer and have been teaching motorcycle riding for almost 25 years. Now my bone fides out of the way, let’s talk riding.
I like nothing more than a day in the saddle, whether that’s riding 300 miles out of town or a day at the track, but like most of us life gets in the way, and I don’t get to ride those full days much as I’d like. I do commute virtually every day but the constant battle for survival in LA rush-hour traffic is not my favorite type of riding. So with a busy schedule of work, school, or family commitments, how is an avid motorcyclist going to get their jollies? Sneak in a local quickie!
Southern California has a great topography for twisty roads because of its coastline, foothills and mountains, so there’s a good chance a decently fun route is nearby that you can detour through between life’s commitments or purposely head to when you have a little spare time. “I’m sorry I’m late home Honey; traffic was terrible!”
One of my favorite local quickie routes is in a ridge of hills in southeast LA County that runs east to west from the 71 freeway in Chino Hills to the 605 freeway in Whitter. If I’m on my way home, I’ll exit the 605 in Whittier and turn a 9-mile straight highway shot into a 20-mile twisty route in the hills. When I’m at home and in need of quick fix of motorcycle therapy, I can connect roads into a loop of up to 50-miles.
Now, before I tell you where this local motorcycling nirvana is, I’ll tell you what it is and what it isn’t. The roads are a veritable labyrinth of tight, technical, undulating twisties where you’ll barely get out of third gear on a full-size bike, and so narrow that centerlines are as rare as the traffic. Talking of traffic, it’s amazing how little there is of it. Nevertheless, don’t expect to practice any knee-down antics or high-speed straightaway blasts, but do expect to be on the edge of your tires 90% of the time with more twists, turns, and elevation changes than Six Flags Magic Mountain. Oh, and you’ll also experience frequent dramatic views of the San Gabriel Valley and Mountains to the north, the Santa Ana Mountains to the southeast and on clear days, all the way to the coast to the south and Palos Verdes Peninsula to the southwest.
The main roads to ride are Turnbull Canyon and Colima Roads in Whittier and Hacienda Heights, and East, West and Hacienda Roads in La Habra Heights. There are also dozens of other great roads that connect to these main roads and branch off from them, so routes are almost infinitely configurable. A great place to stop for refreshments is Greenleaf Avenue in Uptown Whitter for its great old town character with historic architecture and cafes, eateries and independent stores. Here’s a suggested 30-mile loop from the east on Google Maps:
Enjoy or find your own local quickie ride.
