Mountain Bike! Northern California: A Guide to the Classic Trails [Paperback]

Linda Gong Austin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2000 | Series: Mountain Bike!

From the Redwood forests of northern California to the mountains around Lake Tahoe, this land was made for mountain biking. With so much to explore, it pays to have the inside scoop to the fate-tire trails in this region, Mountain Bike! Northern California gives mountain bikers a leg up to the most unforgettable rides in this area. Some of the trail profiled include: Grasshopper Peak Loop, Clickapudi Trail, Manly Gulch Loop, American River Bike Path, Bullards Bar Loop, Sardine Valley Loop, Angora Lakes Out-and-Back, Mt. Diablo-Mitchell Canyon Loop, Henry Cole Middle Ridge Loop, and Monterey Recreation Trail.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

From the Redwood forests of northern California to the mountains around Lake Tahoe, this land was made for mountain biking. With so much to explore, it pays to have the inside scoop on mountain biking in the region. Mountain Bike! Northern California will introduce you to the thrill of exploring this magnificent wilderness while helping you discover its most unforgettable rides. Mountain Bike! Northern California profiles detailed information on 100 of the best rides throughout the area, including the North Coast, Shasta Cascade, the Mendocino Coast, the Wine Country, the Eastern and Western Sierras, Lake Tahoe, the Bay Area (including Marin County), and the Monterey Peninsula and Big Sur. Here, glacial peaks, coastal hills, open valleys, desert canyons, and forested foothills provide some of the best mountain biking terrain in the country. Author Linda Austin has uncovered a diverse collection of trails that offer something for bikers of all abilities. Whether it's a tame bike path, a rolling fire trail, or a challenging single-track, if it's good riding, it's profiled here. Each route profile features at-a-glance key information, a thorough ride description, a detailed trail map, helpful sources of information, proximity of important services, valuable commentary on elevation changes and possible hazards, a rescue index and vivid descriptions of native flora and fauna. (6 x 9, 576 pages, b&w photos, maps)

Product Details

• Paperback: 576 pages
• Publisher: Menasha Ridge Press; 1st edition (June 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0897322886
• ISBN-13: 978-0897322881
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,288,822 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

41 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best guidebook available, December 26, 2000

By 

"joshy27" (Oakland, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mountain Bike! Northern California: A Guide to the Classic Trails (Paperback)

This is by far the best Northern California Mtn Bike guidebook on the market. It is the easiest to use, the most comprehensive, and the most diverse of all the books out there. The book is laid out incredibly well. All of the 100 rides listed are sorted by region, by difficulty, by scenery, and even by whether or not they are family and kid freindly. The maps are detailed enough to give you a good orientation once you arrive at the ride, without being so detailed that you get lost just trying to read it. The written directions provide more detail, and cover virtually everything that you need to know in order to hop on the saddle. Every level and style of rider will be pleasantly surprised by how well this book addresses their specific needs and concerns. So far I've taken 4 of the recommended rides, all of which were exactly as the book promised. This guide is the most used book in our house, and will continue to be until I've exhausted all the rides that I'm interested in. The only thing I haven't been impressed with are the less than spectacular black and white photos. But if you ignore those, this book is a perfect 10.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My Bible to Mountain Biking in Northern California, April 7, 2005

By 

Gabriel E. Borlean (Odense, Denmark - birthtown of fairytale-writer H.C. Andersen) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mountain Bike! Northern California: A Guide to the Classic Trails (Paperback)

This book rocks. If you want adventure, then go with the recommendations in this book. It will never fail you.

The writting is very easy and pleasant to read, and the layout is done by regions. The trail descriptions are very detailed. After visiting a region and biking a trail you will feel that the author has not left anything unsaid. This book is a compilation of her experiences trail biking in Nor. Cal. What really surprised me was that she listed trails that were even esoteric to locals and people who were supposed to be familiar with the area.

Great eclectic collection of trails. Enjoy!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Worthless as a guide! Entirely inaccurate. Better off with no guide at all!, January 21, 2009

By 

Steve Dekker - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Mountain Bike! Northern California: A Guide to the Classic Trails (Paperback)

Total crap! Not worth the purchase price (I paid $[...])

Its a research guide author has not ridden many if any of the routes.

At least in my area of Nor Cal every ride is poorly described and one has not existed since the Clinton Administration. Every ride description has major errors. She puts trailheads on wrong side of road. Left when should be right!. She has ridden one ride recently however loop is impassable for at least ten years, no road no gates just rocks. Not even a game trail! road has been filled in by forest service (well before the first publishing) and is impassable even by foot! The mistakes continue! Most rides are family bike trails anyway and on most area maps.

Forget this book! Go online to find trails for the most up to date info.