[California?]

I can live anywhere I want, for this consulting gig, from LA area to San Diego. I'm thinking about taking it, given the fact that I'm currently in Seattle and Seattle sucks(unless you dig rain, clouds, and morose unfriendly people).

I have no interest in Justin Timberlake, Paris Hilton or anything "LA".

Really like to find a small, quiet, laid back, unfashionable town to live, work and squeeze in as much single track as possible....when I'm not working.
Ride off my doortstep onto some good singletrack. Possible in southern California??

I AM interested in access to fast, flowy, challenging, amazing singletrack.

I race CAT 1 XC and have done most of my riding in Texas. So, I'm sure your California trails will rock my world.

I'm NOT a full body armor, full faced helmet downhiller, either. To chicken for that!


Anybody have suggestions for good towns and good trails?


Thanks in advance for your thoughts/suggestions/ideas!


Top five trails that fit description above?

Top 5 towns?

 

[bullcrew]

LA has a bunch of good stuff for sure and alot of good nasty single track as does SD theres going to be a back and forth.

We have all the mtns to the east with some epic riding, LA has it to the North plus you can voyage to SB relativley easy and such. BB is just as far for both so thats a push...
OC is inbetween as well so SJT and laguna trails are a push.

Thats really hard Id go to socalrtrailriders.org theres alot of xc riders and racers on there that know the area. Im DH/FR but will ride anywhere generally and theres soe good stuff on both ends of the socal scene...

Good luck and welcome Im from Woodinville Wa so yeah the rain SUCKS lol... Killer riding just get some RF gear and mob spikes or intermediates but theres still several hours left in that day and several days in the week and so on that it rains LOL...

Look forward to having you down here!


Edited: Inland is HOT in the summer and the smog is pretty hefty, LA isnt bad but no laid back communities to jsut off and ride thats north of LA.
SD has no smog and a ton of laid back communities of which alpine etc in the hills but summers get warm when your 10 miles inland

 

[OB1]

When you're ready to get serious, gimme a jingle. I'm the resident DH Realtor in SoCal.haha Deals ABOUND out here with all the foreclosures, short sales, etc. I have dozens of properties that will never be on the market...sold on inside deals only. I can find you a rental too if that's all you need. There are some great trail systems that you could live near. If you like a little more up and down, somewhere near Laguna Nigel might be worth looking.

 

[rewster]

I'm looking for a flat, far away from east coast ghettos. Whatcha got?

 

[-BB-]

Without a doubt I'd say you should move to Rancho Santa Margarita. It is inland OC right at the base of a 5600+ foot mountain (national forest) with more riding and singletrack than you will know what to do with. EPIC climbs, fast flowy downhills that can be ridden on an XC bike or a 7+in bike. Trailheads all over the place... Heck, you can even ride offroad most of the way to the beach, so you could even go from Sea to Sky or Sky to sea in one shot. Folks are pretty laid back... few nice bars, decent food etc. Plus it isn't LA

This is near Laguna Niguel, but closer to the actual trails (unless you count Aliso, but that still isn't too far from Rancho.) I live in Mission Viejo which is inbetween LAguna Niguel and Rancho Santa Margarita.

Plus you have all the Warrior Society rides and races (XC epics) that all take place right in/around Rancho.

 

[Dog Welder]

The one thing you for got to tell hime about RSM is that it is where originality goes to die. Everything looks the same from the houses to the cars to the people. It is a Stepford community made to life. Rancho Santa Margarita is a new planned community that is too young to have roots. Virtually no mom and pop shops at all. Every mall has the standard Starbucks/24Hr Fitness/Baja Fresh/Pickup Stix etc.

I'd avoid O.C. like the plague. LA or SD.

 

[drtjmpnjosh]

im also looking for a place to live or an extra room to crash in socal. let me kno if anyone has any ideas. thanks.

Josh Stark

 

[qikss]

laguna hills