[jasonm13]

Hello everyone,
I am new to riding and am looking for any recommendations so i can get out and put some miles on my bike. Just got my 29er this past weekend and can't wait to get out there so if any of you are familiar with the AV area or have heard of good trails out in this area, pointers will be greatly appreciated! Excited to get myself involved in this new community and see what its all about.

 

[ajdonner]

Av?

 

[bankerboy]

Antelope Valley, I guess. Us folks in PQ don't know much about it.

 

[jasonm13]

Sorry everyone, yes the av stands for the antelope valley...... The barren dessert. From what I have been told there are some great trails out here yet everyone has failed to mention where these trails are or what they are called

 

[Maddog]

Yes, there are some great areas to ride here in the AV! I'm in Lancaster and have been riding up here for about 22 yrs. Some of the best places are the foothill areas with lots of moto tracks and atv trails. South Palmdale between the aqueduct and Mt. Emma road, the Joshua Ranch trails west of Highland High School and the dirt roads in Quartz Hill west of 70th are great, open areas where you can just follow your nose to seek out the good stuff!

Within an hour drive are some more great trails. Wrightwood, Devil's Punchbowl, Chilao, Acton, 5-Deer and Mt. Pinos all have epic trails. A good ride now with the poppies out is the dirt roads and moto trails around the state poppy park west of Lancaster.

I'm booked this weekend but the 10th and 11th is open. I'm a teacher so I can ride after 3:00 p.m. most weekdays so send me a pm when you can ride and I'll show you around. Also check out imtbtrails.com for more local and SCV riders. Those who live "down below" think the AV is like the dark side of the moon so even our best stuff is uncrowded with no parking problems! We like it that way!

 

[Zuarte]

But welcome to the forums and this crazy hobby.

You can really get your eye in for what riding conditions are like in the AV at the Joshua Ranch trail, as Maddog mentioned. Go on google maps and follow along with these following landmarks. Find Highland High School. Then go west to find Godde Hill Rd. Then find Elizabeth Lake road a little to the south, and the aqueduct to the north. That patch of land between all these landmarks is chock full of a variety of trails. Some are wide service vehicle roads, all the way down to narrow and off camber single track. There are several "entry points" into this area. The most popular are Ave P-12 by Highland HS, and then out where Godde Hill Rd crosses over the aqueduct. It's a good place to see what dessert riding is like. Bring lots of water.

If you want to see some footage, go to youtube and search for Palmdale mountain biking or something.

 

[jasonm13]

Thanks you guys for the great advise! I am looking forward to getting out on these trails and eventually step up to some more advanced trails.