Malibu Roads - Need Advice

[arai_speed]

So after my backyard burned up and the roads are closed indefinitely I will need to start venturing out to good ol Malibu.

It's been years since I've been and I'm looking for advice on what the best roads are.

My old route there was to take the 101 - exit Las Virgenes, cruise past the Rock Store down into Encinal Canyon and out to PCH.

Mulllholland past the RockStore was fun (but short), Encinal was just long sweepers.

I hit Latigo a couple of times but I remember quite a few drive-ways on that road, I could be wrong.

So what are the best roads up in Malibu?   

[orangelion03]

The coast side of Mullholland was nice last time I was through there.  I think it may have had a repave in recent years???

You might want to check out 150 from Santa Paula to Ojai, then 33 towards New Cuyama, you can continue to NC, or take Lockwood Valley road into Frazier Park.  If you continue on 33, hang a right on 166,  then another right on Cerro Noroeste, back to Frazier Park.  If you're lucky, you get to see a condor.  Then again, you may run out of gas...

[arai_speed]

Ojai is a very nice road but I'm a Sunday-morning-ride-back-home-by-lunch kinda guy.  So Ojai/Palomar are out of the question.

I'm looking for Malibu roads as they are relatively close in proximity to my place of residence.

Gracias

[Sachica]

Hi arai_speed, here are a couple of options:

You could take the 101 and come down Las Virgines, make a left on Piuma, make a left on Schuren, and a left down Stunt, and a left on Mulholland and then up to the Rockstore (big circle that can be done in reverse order too if you want). Stunt is a little more fun up than down though as it is a bit bumpy.

You could also come down Topanga, make a right on Old Topanga, a left on Mulholland, a left on Stunt, and a right down Piuma down to Las Virgines.

Once you are past the Rockstore, you can take Mulholland to Decker if you want and then come back up PCH to Las Flores or Latigo.

Lots of fun options... hope this makes sense. I can visualize perfectly in my head, but then I know the roads rather well. Actually, we had fun riding on ACH together and it would be fun to ride together again... PM me if you want to go and we can meet up and Metalduc and I will show you around.

[orangelion03]

and we can meet up and Metalduc and I will show you around.

What, where is this Metalduc you speak of, wise one?


Signore Bombacelli, my medication please!

[Sachica]

What, where is this Metalduc you speak of, wise one?

Out riding the Malibu canyons of course...

MetalDuc

[NorDog]

Yeah, there are many options out Malibu way.  What I like to do is Google Map the area and pick out some roads before I go.  Google Maps is great for finding the alterante twisty roads.

It's been a while, but for mid-week late evening rides you can't beat Mulholland Drive between the 101 and the 405.  Well, you can't beat it if you live in the area.  Very little traffic that time of day, but you do need to watch some of the corners for bad potholes, and there's a couple of turns that may have water coming out of the rock and making the pavement in the turn wet.  A couple of preliminary slow rides will reveal where these are.  So it's like the old saying, go slow to go fast (I've got the first part of that saying down; still working on the second part).

[arai_speed]

I did the Google thing but there is nothing like locals to point out the best spots.  Sachica, thanks for the offer, I might take you up on that 

Video of ACH:

Angeles Crest Highway after the Station Fire

[orangelion03]

I thought Metalduc might have been a shop!  orangelion03<==dork

An alternative to the Ojai run is riding the roads between Santa Clarita Valley and Palmdale.  Lake Hughes Road has a nice variety of corners and you can mix it up with San Francisquito Cyn Rd via Spunky Cyn.  SFCR usually has traffic on it though.  Another fun ride is on the old Ridge Route from Castaic to Templin Highway...rough as a cobb, but has some cool elevation changes.  At the intersection of Templin, you can turn right and head down towards the pumping station at the back side of Castaic Lake...a set of outstanding sweepers and a few tight turns makes you want to just run this road back and forth a few times (hardly any traffic too...great spot for photos).  If you turn left on Templin and go under the 5, you get on old 99...this dead-ends after about 5 miles and can be a real treat with little traffic.  This section of road is very popular as a film location (CSI LV has used this road, as well as the Castaic side for several episodes).

[madmatt]

Be warned - Malibu fuss is once again making it clear that motorcycles are not welcome.

[GregP]

It might just be me but, Mulholland from the PCH (at the county line) back toward the Rock Store is some really fun riding.  Tight stuff, mostly up hill with very little traffic and usually clear of rocks.  

[RetroSBK]

if you make it up this weekend, Sunday for sure, feel free to join us for breakfast and the ride..Small group of about 4-5 of us.

Couple roads you need to hit for SURE in the area... and a couple of warnings...

Stunt, Piuma, Tuna Cyn, Old Topanga, cold creek, Deer creek, Yerba Buena, all great, lightly policed roads, mostly because the lower speeds dont yeild the higher ticket count.

Mullholland between the rock store and Malibu cyn is a TOTAL bust, may as well just send the counrt a check before you head out! Latigo is likewise a bust, as in Encinal most of the time.

Decker Cyn, while maybe one of the best roads around is iffy police-wise Mullholland fromt he rock store to Leo Carillo is iffy, sometimes great, and some times copland.

Typical canyon rules apply, however I have been noticing more and more "tuner" car traffic and exoctic car traffic after the clock hits noon ish. which is bad, because they dont know how to drive, and crash often.

[ICON]

Wondering if there is a  at every turn makes for a not-so-fun ride. DAMN YOU FIRES!!! Thank God, I have Turnbull Canyon a couple blocks away from my house. Of course I have to run it 10x to get my fix on.  [moto]

[MetalDuc]

Wondering if there is a  at every turn makes for a not-so-fun ride. DAMN YOU FIRES!!! Thank God, I have Turnbull Canyon a couple blocks away from my house. Of course I have to run it 10x to get my fix on.  [moto]

Don't let them scare you. The fire roads (ACH) have a dedicated moto and I feel there is a greater chance of getting a ticket there than the Malibu canyons. Occassionally they have crack downs like all roads where enforecement spikes but generally they have one or two cops that patrol a large area and you may never even see one.

In fact it is much more likely that you will get a ticket on PCH or the freeways on the way to the Malibu canyons. Of course you never know when you will have that chance encounter no matter where you are. The latest round of tickets came on a holiday weekend which of course had higher enforcement so keep that in mind before you write off some great roads.

[lawbreaker]

Wondering if there is a  at every turn makes for a not-so-fun ride. DAMN YOU FIRES!!! Thank God, I have Turnbull Canyon a couple blocks away from my house. Of course I have to run it 10x to get my fix on.  [moto]

+1...

I run Turnbull every couple of days... then to west road..... then to the freeway and off to mulholland..!

Too bad the roads in our backyard are SOOOOO short.