Moving to Los Olivos, CA (Santa Ynez valley/Solvang/Santa Barbara)

[mhespenheide]

I've accepted a job offer to teach at a school in Los Olivos, CA next year (and hopefully the years following after that...)

It's about 30 minutes north of Santa Barbara in the south end of the Santa Ynez valley, near Solvang. I was only on the ground about 24 hours for my interview. I've browsed google maps in the area a little bit.

What can anyone tell me about the riding in the area?

Looks like the roads aren't in too great shape, so I'm guessing I'll be running 28's on pavement. I've heard about Figueora Mtn.

Any good gravel/dirt rides in the nearby national forests?

Thanks for any input!

[MattTuck]

Congratulations.

I went wine tasting around Solvang/Santa Ynez a few years back. I didn't have my bike and regretted it. For me, it would be a perfect winter training area.

Can't say how it is for riding every day, but certain on my list as a cycling destination.

[beeatnik]

The roads are fine. Plus you won't be thinking about them while you're enjoying the perfect weather and scenery.

[christian]

Good grief. Humblebrag much?

No, seriously, good luck with the move and enjoy. You teaching at Dunn? If I could live anywhere...Los Olivos would be at the top of the list.

Foxen Canyon, Alisos Canyon, Cat Canyon, Figueroa Mountain, Tepusquet will be your local mainstay roads. Cat Canyon is rough, but oh!

For MTB, there's actually a private trail system on Zaca Station/Foxen Canyon. Never ridden it, but you should check it out. There are millions of trails up Zaca Peak -- pick a forest road and explore.

Have fun!

[guido]

My brother lives in SB. I visited him a couple of weeks ago and did some riding in the area you are headed towards. Road surface is nothing great but much better then the freeze/thaw victims we call roads here in Massachusetts. 28s were fine. Drivers seem very aware of riders and gave decent room. Scenery is amazing. Routes in the valley seem to be rolling, but there are plenty of hills to challenge. I didn't get a chance to get off road so I can't comment about that.
Good luck and have fun!

[christian]

BTW, you should be able to cross the Los Padres via La Brea Canyon Road (off Foxen Canyon) to Sierra Madre Road, hook up with the Big Pine Road, and then ride that down to the trails that follow the Sisquoc River back toward Figueroa Mountain. That would be an amazing weekend MTB tour. Don't do it in the summer. Don't get eaten by a mountain lion.

[one60]

We've got six days of cycling with over 300 miles & nearly 30,000 ft of climbing on paved & dirt roads. The climb up Figeroa looks more like a paved bike path than a road....can't wait!

Don't forget that custom framebuilder Lighthouse Cycles is located in the area. Tim was one of the early builders at Specialized and is credited with the design of a number of their early steel frames including the Sequoia. He has the blessing of the Big S to build modern Sequoia steel frames.

Enjoy your new home!

[MattTuck]

... Don't get eaten by a mountain lion.

Yeah, or get burned in a wildfire. I have to imagine the forests there are like a tinder box at this point.

[mhespenheide]

Good grief. Humblebrag much?

No, seriously, good luck with the move and enjoy. You teaching at Dunn? If I could live anywhere...Los Olivos would be at the top of the list.

...

Have fun!

Christian,

I apologize ... I seriously didn't mean it to be humblebragging. I was only able to take one day off my current job to fly down to interview, so I didn't have time to check out the area or stop in a LBS to ask around. I'm assuming that the riding is pretty darn good given the popularity of the Solvang century and seeing the recent pictures of L'Eroica in SLO, but I don't know anything more than that, really.

Yeah, teaching at Dunn and living on campus. My wife will be living there with me and commuting over the hill to teach at Laguna Blanca school in SB.

[MadRocketSci]

I dream of Ojai...

[mhespenheide]

Don't forget that custom framebuilder Lighthouse Cycles is located in the area. Tim was one of the early builders at Specialized and is credited with the design of a number of their early steel frames including the Sequoia. He has the blessing of the Big S to build modern Sequoia steel frames.


I'd love a Lighthouse, but the "benefit" of teaching is that I don't have to worry about spare cash too much...:rolleyes:

That said, if I had money and space for another bike, an original Sequioa would be great for L'Eroica if it returns to SLO next spring!

[alessandro]

Sounds fantastic! But being a Seattleite, how will you deal with this:

Average annual precipitation
38" Seattle
18" Los Olivos

If anybody orders Merlot, I'm not leaving.

[mhespenheide]

Alessandro,

I've only been in Seattle for two years. It's beautiful here, but we couldn't find any reasonable apartments near our work and consequently spend a lot of time commuting. It's not at the level of the Bay Area, but the tech jobs here are similarly driving up the cost of housing and squeezing out others. I'm currently commuting 45 minutes each way going between Burien and Bellevue. While that's my own fault for picking my living/work arrangement, I'm looking forwards to getting back those ~8 hours per week that are currently lost in the car.

It's a lot more ecologically sustainable in the long term up here, though!

[pdmtong]

HTC High Road and US Postal used to train around SB.

You have the mountains and the ocean at your fingertips. Just about any outdoor recreation easily done but skiing.

STA Rita Hills produces some of CA's best pinot. Sideways, duh.

Having visited that area a lot - you scored. You really scored. Probably the only thing "missing" would be the very big city stuff, like top end concerts, fine arts, major sports.

[christian]

I apologize ... I seriously didn't mean it to be humblebragging.Dude, totally joking. From a riding perspective, I think you are in for a real treat. There is wonderful road riding, and mtb. Also, you should obviously buy a motorcycle.

[Louis]

Great news, but I sure hope the school provides housing...

[mhespenheide]

Great news, but I sure hope the school provides housing...

Louis,

They do. On the one hand, that's the only thing that makes it work; on the other hand, they're paying a lot less than I'm making at a day school in Seattle. The benefits of covered housing + utilities brings the new salary almost back to parity.

Because of that salary structure, though, it means that my wife (teaching at a day school) will be making $10k more than I do, even though she has 8 fewer years of experience... Good thing I don't have too much pride in that regard, I guess.

Plus side, we're looking at a friend to rent our house in Seattle (through a management company), so hopefully that mortgage will keep getting paid down without it coming out of our paychecks! {/long term scheming}

[Louis]

That's good news.

I've looked at the house prices around there (via Zillow) and was amazed by how much one had to pay to get something that's just barely decent. (>$500k)

[GuyGadois]

I moved to Los Olivos back in 1980 and attended Dunn Middle School and high school. At that time Los Olivos had a population of about 200 and Bo Derek was one of them (she still lives there) and the town looked like Mayberry (in fact it WAS Mayberry in the Return to Mayberry TV special).

Dunn School is a wonderful school and will be a great experience. The riding is Arguabley the best in the country. his is why many pro teams train in the area, the biggest bike race in the USA rarely misses it each year, there are countless tour groups and it is a main cycling destination. In a nutshell, you couldn't have picked a nicer place to live if you like to ride.

Be sure to look up Lighthouse Bikes (Tim Neenan). He is great to talk with and still makes top notch bikes. Fell free to ping me with questions. I frequently go down to Los Olivos to ride (I'm in SLO which is 1 hour north).

GG

[texbike]

I've accepted a job offer to teach at a school in Los Olivos, CA next year (and hopefully the years following after that...)



Wow! Congratulations!!! What an incredible area. The region between SB and Monterey is just heaven.


Yeah, teaching at Dunn and living on campus. My wife will be living there with me and commuting over the hill to teach at Laguna Blanca school in SB.

I sure hope they're giving you a large enough place to house guests (or even re-los) from Texas! ;)

Texbike

[GuyGadois]

That's good news.

I've looked at the house prices around there (via Zillow) and was amazed by how much one had to pay to get something that's just barely decent. (>$500k)

yep, it's a simple supply and demand thing. It is really a nice place to live. Year round nice.

[54ny77]

beautiful area. it's hot in summer, but as they say, "oh it's a dry heat."

as others have mentioned, the riding is unbelievable.

have fun, enjoy the life. there are certainly worse places to live!

[mhespenheide]

I moved to Los Olivos back in 1980 and attended Dunn Middle School and high school. At that time Los Olivos had a population of about 200 and Bo Derek was one of them (she still lives there) and the town looked like Mayberry (in fact it WAS Mayberry in the Return to Mayberry TV special).

Dunn School is a wonderful school and will be a great experience. The riding is Arguabley the best in the country. his is why many pro teams train in the area, the biggest bike race in the USA rarely misses it each year, there are countless tour groups and it is a main cycling destination. In a nutshell, you couldn't have picked a nicer place to live if you like to ride.

Be sure to look up Lighthouse Bikes (Tim Neenan). He is great to talk with and still makes top notch bikes. Fell free to ping me with questions. I frequently go down to Los Olivos to ride (I'm in SLO which is 1 hour north).

GG

Guy,

Thanks for that. Neat to "meet" an alum before I even start there!

[mhespenheide]

beautiful area. it's hot in summer, but as they say, "oh it's a dry heat."

as others have mentioned, the riding is unbelievable.

have fun, enjoy the life. there are certainly worse places to live!

Honestly, during the summers I'll probably head up into the Sierras for backpacking. I try to juggle cycling, trail running, and backpacking -- but in Los Olivos, it looks like the cycling is going to pull strongly ahead of the other two!

[Louis]

I moved to Los Olivos back in 1980 and attended Dunn Middle School and high school. At that time Los Olivos had a population of about 200 and Bo Derek was one of them (she still lives there) and the town looked like Mayberry (in fact it WAS Mayberry in the Return to Mayberry TV special).

Hmmmmm.

http://www.leninimports.com/bo_derek_bolero_movie_poster_2a.jpg

[eddief]

Cyclists would love you if you reopened the store.

house:

http://4968foxencanyonroad.sealandhomes.com/Listing.aspx

store was for sale:

https://www.google.com/search?q=sisquoc+store+for+sale&espv=2&biw=1422&bih=677&source=lnms&tbm=isch&tbs=qdr:y&sa=X&ei=6_suVYrLEcmWyATXroHoBg&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAw&dpr=1.35#imgrc=fRaGTxXFsFNfzM%253A%3Bu3-9V-E8hCpiPM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fimage.fourwheeler.co m%252Ff%252F31304746%252Bw660%252Bh440%252Bq80%252 Bre0%252Bcr1%252Bar0%252F129_1101_07_o%25252B129_1 101_2010_toyota_4runner_wine_country_wheeling%2525 2Bsisouoc_general_store.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fw ww.fourwheeler.com%252Fproject-vehicles%252F129-1101-2010-toyota-4runner-wine-country-wheeling%252Fphoto-07.html%3B660%3B440

[GuyGadois]

Cyclists would love you if you reopened the store.

house:

http://4968foxencanyonroad.sealandhomes.com/Listing.aspx

store was for sale:

https://www.google.com/search?q=sisquoc+store+for+sale&espv=2&biw=1422&bih=677&source=lnms&tbm=isch&tbs=qdr:y&sa=X&ei=6_suVYrLEcmWyATXroHoBg&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAw&dpr=1.35#imgrc=fRaGTxXFsFNfzM%253A%3Bu3-9V-E8hCpiPM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fimage.fourwheeler.co m%252Ff%252F31304746%252Bw660%252Bh440%252Bq80%252 Bre0%252Bcr1%252Bar0%252F129_1101_07_o%25252B129_1 101_2010_toyota_4runner_wine_country_wheeling%2525 2Bsisouoc_general_store.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fw ww.fourwheeler.com%252Fproject-vehicles%252F129-1101-2010-toyota-4runner-wine-country-wheeling%252Fphoto-07.html%3B660%3B440

YES! You are right. That store is key for long rides. A nice cold beer in the summer heat taste dang good. Foxen Canyon Road is a really nice ride between Los Olivos and Santa Maria.

[sfscott]

Tell him Scott from Volpe days is thinking of him.

[mgm777]

OP - Congratulations! As a guy who spent nearly 20 years in SoCal - OC - Newport Beach and Irvine and a brief stint as a new college grad/2LT living in the Santa Maria/Lompoc area, I frequently tell my wife that if I could figure out how to earn a decent living there, I would move to the Central Coast of California, anywhere from San Luis Obispo to Santa Barbara, along the coast. It is simply a very beautiful part of the state. Enjoy your new career and geography. Cheers.

[Louis]

I'm sure it's a great place, but how much more of this can CA take?

[mhespenheide]

Tell him Scott from Volpe days is thinking of him.

I won't for a while, but I interviewed with him. He seems really solid, and someone I'm glad to have on our administration.

[Jeff N.]

I've accepted a job offer to teach at a school in Los Olivos, CA next year (and hopefully the years following after that...)

It's about 30 minutes north of Santa Barbara in the south end of the Santa Ynez valley, near Solvang. I was only on the ground about 24 hours for my interview. I've browsed google maps in the area a little bit.

What can anyone tell me about the riding in the area?

Looks like the roads aren't in too great shape, so I'm guessing I'll be running 28's on pavement. I've heard about Figueora Mtn.

Any good gravel/dirt rides in the nearby national forests?

Thanks for any input!

You're in cycling Nirvana, man. Head out any direction! Head out Figueroa to Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch gate and back, or just head out in any direction. There really is no place I'd rather ride than that whole area, and next to San Diego, that'd be my next choice as an area where I'd like to live. -Jeff N.

[mhespenheide]

I'm sure it's a great place, but how much more of this can CA take?

Louis,

It's an incredibly serious issue. Having lived in California before (Idyllwild, in the mountains above Palm Springs/Riverside, about eight years ago), it's a critical issue. As a state we need to face the fact that we're overallocated, and in a different environment than we were decades ago. I think lawns and less-productive agriculture are on their way out -- or at least they should be.

[Scooper]

I can't contribute anything that hasn't been said, but will say that I was stationed at Vandenberg AFB in Santa Barbara County for 2-1/2 years in the early 1960s and did a lot of riding in the area back then. I still ride through the area almost every year in June on the AIDS/LifeCycle ride (usually stopping for lunch near Solvang on "red dress day"), and think it's some of the best cycling anywhere with terrific weather and scenery.

Color me envious.

[ontarget]

You're in for some of the best riding. My wife and I visit the area several times a year for weekend getaways. We like the wine tasting :-) I always bring my bike. I even got my wife to try out cycling there.

There are some great routes with gorgeous scenery. As was said, it's hot in the summer, but if you head out early you'll take advantage of the coastal influence.

Enjoy your new job, a great place to live, and a great place to ride.

I'm jealous ....

[mhespenheide]

Stan and Ontarget,

Thanks for chiming in! Any specific roads/rides you'd recommend?


(I had been really excited to ride the dirt road that links Gaviota State Beach to Jalama State Beach, but it looks like that's not open to the public...)

[Scooper]

Stan and Ontarget,

Thanks for chiming in! Any specific roads/rides you'd recommend?

One ride I really enjoyed in the sixties was Alisal Road from Solvang, past Nojoqui Falls, to 101. Back then there was virtually no automobile traffic on that road, but if a car was approaching you could hear it a couple of hundred yards away. There was no shoulder and the road has lots of curves so you have to watch for traffic, but I've never felt closer to nature than riding that road.

Drive it in a car before riding to get a feel for the road and the traffic.

[ontarget]

My favorite ride segment is Ballard Canyon Road from highway 154 down into Solvang. It's about 5 or 6 miles, the road isn't real smooth in a couple of sections, but the scenery is amazing and it's about a 2% average downgrade from the top of the hill so you can keep the speed up easily. Not sure why it's my favorite, but it just is ...

There are some beautiful, smooth, scenic roads east of highway 154, right near where you are. They roll amongst vineyards and are tranquil in the morning. Happy Canyon and Armour Ranch are two of the roads.

I'll post again later with some more ...

[ontarget]

Somehow I think this could go on for a while as I think of more ...

Santa Rosa Road between Buellton and Lompoc is beautiful. The road is in great shape and is nestled among vineyards and groves. Beautiful as the morning fog burns off. I made the mistake of riding from Solvang to Lompoc via Santa Rosa Road, then back via Highway 246. The condition of 246 in that stretch is horrible. Lots of bumps and lots of traffic, though it is a pretty ride. Next time I'll take a different route back. About 40 miles round trip.

All my suggestions will be road rides ... I don't do anything off the pavement.

[Buzz]

At the end of Santa Rosa Rd turn left on Hwy 1 and ride south about 3 miles to Jalama Road and then head west 12 miles on a beautiful ride to Jalama Beach. By tradition enjoy a famous Jalama burger and return. Kudos to Steve Hampsten for showing us this gem.

[Buzz]

Make sure to do an out and back of Tepusquet Canyon Rd which can be found on the north end of Foxen Canyon Rd.

Other roads to and from Los Alamos are Cat Canyon and Allissal.

Tepusquet Canyon Rd:

[ontarget]

Buzz's suggestions are great. I second those rides!

Also, follow this link to the routes for the Solvang Century and metric: http://www.bikescor.com/Routes_Topography.html. Both have beautiful segments.

[MadRocketSci]

It's pixie season, so be sure to pick some up and put in your jersey pockets!

[ontarget]

Ok, here's another. Take Figueroa Mountain Road north out of Los Olivos. You can either go out and back, or ride over the mountain and return through Happy Canyon. Over the mountain will be about 45 miles or so round trip. Out and back can be whatever you choose. It's a very slight uphill as you head north, so if you do out and back you can have a nice ride back into Los Olivos.

I'm so jealous ...

Enjoy your new job and the great riding you're about to experience.

[572cv]

i don't know the area but paceliners say it's great! When you settle in, sit down with your bride and raise a glass of Red to her, great riding, and the year(s) to come!:)

[mhespenheide]

Ontarget, Stan, and Buzz --

Thanks!



(and has anyone heard whether there will be another L'Eroica next year in the SLO area?)

[Ken Robb]

i don't know the area but paceliners say it's great! When you settle in, sit down with your bride and raise a glass of Red to her, great riding, and the year(s) to come!:)

Leslie and I have been enjoying a nice pinot noir sideways tonight. :)