Talkin’ ‘Bout Some Revolutions : Shifting Gears and Pursuing New Paths in Search of the Perfect Ride

You are probably not a cycling junkie if:

* There’s no stretch Lycra in your wardrobe.

* That bike hanging from the rafters in your garage weighs more than the set of barbells rusting in the corner.

* You think braze-ons are for barbecuing burgers.

* You’re a guy, and you’ve never considered shaving your legs.

Not to worry if you fit this profile. Bicycle manufacturers, hoping to put a bike in every garage, are making their products lighter and more user-friendly all the time. And Orange County is actually getting more good places to ride, along with a more politically active cycling contingent that is trying to make sure the interests of cyclists are considered in transportation decisions.

The upshot is you may get hooked yet. But be warned: The shiny new hybrid bike you buy for Sunday rides could lead to harder stuff and, before long, terms like gear clusters and fork rake may litter your conversations.

Less than a decade ago, about the only choice in bicycles for anyone looking for more than a spin around the block was a racing-style road bike, what used to be called a 10-speed.

What happened next is beginning to take on the sheen of mythology. A few adrenaline junkies in Northern California began bombing down the hillsides on old Schwinn cruisers, modified with motorcycle-style brakes and multiple gears, and voila --the mountain bike was born.

A few of the pioneers began putting out their own hand-crafted mountain bikes, but it wasn’t long before the Big Bike Makers caught on and began churning them out too. It seemed that folks who were intimidated by skittish road bikes, with the skinny wheels and the down-turned handlebars, felt a lot better about those big tires and the upright riding position.

As it turned out, lots of people never took their mountain bikes on the dirt at all. They became the bicycle of choice for weekend warriors, who wanted a nice bike for a Sunday ride but weren’t ready to plunge full-on into the Lycra set. The problem, alas, is that real mountain bikes have knobby tires and relatively heavy frames, built to withstand off-road abuse but less than ideal for a smooth roll along the asphalt.

So bike makers decided to split the difference, and in what was either a bold stroke of design genius or just a shrewd marketing move (depending on whom you talk to), they invented the hybrid bike, also known as the cross-trainer. It looks like a mountain bike, only with skinnier wheels, smoother tires and a lighter frame. Hybrids have 15 or more speeds, as mountain bikes do. Built primarily for asphalt, they are tough enough for moderate off-road use.

Bike makers entered the hybrid market gingerly a couple of years ago, maybe offering a single model tucked into the back of the catalogue, but that quickly changed. Specialized, for instance, now offers six bikes in the Crossroads line, while Trek has six Multi-Track models.

Hybrid bikes “opened up cycling to a lot of people who were maybe intimidated by racing-style bikes,” says Sue Gomer, manager of South Coast Bicycle in Santa Ana. Hybrids have caught on almost immediately, Gomer says, while mountain bikes took a few years to hit their sales stride.

The introduction of hybrids has split the market into three main segments. Road bikes (including such subsets as racing cycles and triathlon bikes) retain a very dedicated group of followers. They are built for speed, and many people also find them the most comfortable for long rides and for daily training.

Hybrids are great for cycling around town and for occasional longer rides, along with light duty on dirt roads. Mountain bikes remain the choice for serious trail riding, and continue to evolve with the introduction of suspension systems.

Then there is the rebirth of the tandem. Neglected for years, the tandem is back and fitted with many of the same-quality components found on better single bikes. Many people who got into cycling in the ‘80s and now find themselves married or in serious relationships are buying tandems as a way to share their favorite pursuit.

Purchasing a bike is a complicated subject, one that could take up several articles of this length. The best thing to do is visit several specialty bike shops (the kind that sell nothing else, and have their own service departments) and talk to some salespeople about what’s available. Good bike shops are staffed by people who really know bicycles, people who are probably avid cyclists themselves. Take a look at the cycling magazines too.

When you find a shop and a salesperson you’re comfortable with, it’s time to buy. Go in with a good idea of what you want to spend, and don’t forget to figure in a helmet and other necessities (see story, Page 4). There are a lot of variables that determine the cost of a bike, so it’s difficult to set a minimum, but Bicycle Guide magazine in its latest Bicycle Buyers’ Annual (a good investment--available in bike shops and some bookstores for $4.95) recommends spending at least $300 on a hybrid bike or $400 on a road or mountain bike. Good tandems generally cost $1,000 and up.

So now you have a bike. Next topic: Where do you ride it? Contending with traffic is not much fun if you’re not yet comfortable on the bike, so many beginning riders head to the county’s Class I trails, paved paths off the automobile roads (see map, Page 5).

In all, the county now has 100 miles of existing Class I bike paths, including recently opened additions to the San Juan Creek system in South County. And that figure is expanding, with 113 more miles planned.

One of the most ambitious planned trails just started construction; the Peters Canyon Wash trail will one day (no definite completion date has been set) take cyclists all the way from Santa Ana Canyon Road in Anaheim to Tustin.

Of the existing paths, the Santa Ana River Trail is probably the most popular, stretching from the northeast corner of the county to the ocean. Others include the Aliso Creek and San Diego Creek trails, and a long beach path in Huntington Beach. Paths within some parks, such as Mile Square Regional Park in Fountain Valley and Yorba Regional Park in Anaheim, make ideal riding spots for leisurely spins.

Many of the things that make these paths attractive to recreational cyclists and families, however, make them less than ideal for road cyclists, particularly those who ride fast. The unpredictability of path users--which can include children, pedestrians and dogs--makes high-speed cycling on the bike paths dangerous.

Most road cyclists stick to the roads. Orange County Wheelmen, the county’s biggest cycling club, keeps a computer database of more than 200 bicycling loops that are mostly on the roads (a small sample of the routes are offered beginning on Page 6).

The recent news for road cyclists is mixed. The central and northern part of the county, mostly flat, was largely developed long before the county implemented its master plan of bike paths. Not only are most of the roads too narrow for full bike lanes now, but the situation for cyclists often worsens when engineers decide to re-stripe roads to accommodate more traffic. The Orange County Bicycle Coalition formed recently to fight for the interests of cyclists.

Cyclists have received some positive fallout from a situation that environmentalists are lamenting: the continuing development of the county’s hilly areas, both along the coast between Newport Beach and Laguna Beach and in the foothills of the Santa Ana Mountains.

New roads here are wide, well-marked and, so far, largely untraveled by automobile traffic. These include Newport Coast Drive and the new extensions of Bake Parkway, San Joaquin Hills Road and Oso Parkway, some of which are so new they aren’t even on the maps yet.

These are hilly routes, which is OK by many road cyclists, who enjoy the challenge. Alan Crawford, ride captain for the Orange County Wheelmen, points out that people who haven’t cycled in years may be surprised at how much easier it is to ride hills with the new equipment. One factor is the lighter frames on new bikes; another is index shifting, which eliminates the fumbling for gears that used to lead to a demoralizing loss of momentum.

In the flatlands, Irvine is an ideal city for weekend rides. Many of its wide, well-marked streets are largely empty of traffic on weekends, making them good for group rides.

One of the most scenic places in the county for a cycle is Back Bay Drive, which follows the southern shore of Upper Newport Bay. The narrow road is open to automobile traffic in only one direction, with a wide bike and pedestrian lane making for safe cycling. A bikes-only path continues around the bay from the north end of Back Bay Drive.

On the mountain bike front, two new regional parks have become popular spots since opening within the last two years, joining old favorites Chino Hills State Park and, especially, Crystal Cove State Park. Whiting Ranch and Aliso and Wood Canyons Regional Park are already seeing some of the same numbers of mountain bikers that Crystal Cove attracts.

Several spots in the Santa Ana Mountains, meanwhile, are also mountain bike draws, especially Silverado Canyon and the San Juan Creek trail.

Wheel Life

Biking Accessories: Page 4

Orange County Bike: Paths Page 5

Selected Road Routes: Pages 6-7

Top Mountain Biking Spots: Page 6

Bike Maintenance, Tips and Clubs: Page 6

Publications: Page 7