Southern Californians often need a break from the suburban sprawl of 24 million residents.  A short drive to Big Bear Lake provides mountain summits topping 10k feet; a rugged valley in the San Bernardino National Forest that’s home to year-round adventures including skiing/snowboarding, off-roading, hiking, fishing and nearly every discipline of cycling. 

Whether your perfect escape includes a solo ride or time on the saddle with a friend, alpine oases like this offer dozens of much needed forest service roads and wandering highways alike.  Miles of head-clearing ride options include Onyx Summit, Burns Canyon, the Bellevue Cabin in Holcomb Valley and downtown Fawnskin…putting a smile on the faces of roadies and gravel riders alike.

It’s on these routes that we are offered the opportunity to quiet our thoughts, to venture down unknown paths, confident the pedal assist can ensure the energy to explore a little further or to climb a little higher into the thinning air.  Regardless of our fitness level or capacity, we can log more miles, attack bigger hills or keep pace with faster riders… squeezing more out of each ride. 

And with plenty of great local eateries and micro-breweries, your post-ride treat is a great way to recount the journey and share stories with friends.  

 

 

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