GMR a road cycling paradise

Glendora Mountain Road or GMR is approximately a 20 mile ride where you’ll be challenged with climbs, turns & a strong desire to take a lot of pictures.

Route: The route, found all over Strava, starts in Azusa, CA & ends in Mount Baldy Village.

Parking: For the ride I parked my car at Bike Central which is a short & easy ride to the GMR. Beware if you follow Google directions for bicycles you WILL end up on a hiking trail not suited for road bikes unless you & your bike are way more bad ass than me.

A few miles into the GMR boast beautiful canyon view with LA in the distance.

Water & Food: That’s a pretty cool part about this ride because, well, you don’t have to worry much. There’s water & food in Azusa & there’s water & food in Mount Baldy Village so if you plan on 20 miles in between both points - you should be good.

Key sites: During most of the ride you’ll have great views. Particularly, you’ll be able to see the San Gabriel Reservoir which, I’ve semi-joked with friends about being the last visible water in LA. You’ll also be able to see Mount Baldy & other high hills & mounts which do a great job of making a rider feel small & in adequate in the world.

You’ll also be able to see Mount Baldy & other high hills & mounts which do a great job of making a rider feel small & in adequate to the world.

The trip personally for me was bitter sweet. One of my best riding buds, Brett Pitts, is about to move so we decided we had to make the ride happen. We zipped up the inline from Azusa & raced on the ridge after switching to Glendora Ridge Rd. We made the ride in the middle of November so we were comfortable riding with our kits & a vest. I wore my Rapha Lightweight Kit & Vest & it suited me perfectly for the ride.