This is the first ride I ever planned out in the Shasta Valley. Starting and finishing in Weed, overlooked by Mt Shasta, and now part of the Shasta Gravel Hugger race course. If you notice, the map has you staging at the Mt Shasta Brewing Company. They are always happy to have a tired cyclist grab a bit to eat and a cold one after a ride, but if you’re going to start the loop early, give them a call and let them know you’re going to be parking in their lot before they open up so they don’t wonder who is taking up their spaces. Recently we’ve been meeting up in the parking lot of the Bel Air Park and community pool that’s next door to the brewery. There’s a ton of spots available, a bathroom, and we aren’t in the way of the regular patrons of the brewery. This route has a bunch of different surfaces. There a fair amount of pavement, but be forewarned, Siskiyou County doesn’t have a huge roads maintenance budget so much of it is cracked and potholed. It’s what we call “Shasta Pave”. Much of the dirt section are quite smooth unless you do it late in the year when it tends to get dried out and washboardy. If they’ve just freshly graveled sections, then those can be hard to find a firm line in, but typically it doesn’t last that long. A heads up to anyone who has never ridden this route. Just past the 26 mile mark you hang a hard right off of the 99-97 Cutoff Rd onto the infamous Jeep Rd section of E Louie Rd. It’s easy to make the turn a 90 degree right hander on the obvious gravel road that has much more traffic down it. Don’t head down that way. It leads into an area that isn’t easy to popo out on the other side. It’s maze of roads to nowhere and sketchy pot farms. When you turn off the 99-97 Cutoff Rd make certain you hang a HARD right onto the sandy “road” that follows the fence line. Thats where the funnest part of the ride begins with a sandy section that will let you play out your Dutch CX fantasy. Then there’s a section, right about the 28 mile mark on E Louie Jeep Rd, that the terrain gets pretty rough. Definitely not road bike country, although they have made it through… eventually. It has rocks, sand, and usually big mud puddles to navigate. It’s not very long, but it adds a nice zest of challenge to the ride. A person can do this route almost year round, as weather in the Shasta Valley is usually dry and sunny. If there’s a snow storm you’ll need to wait a week or two for things to clear up and dry out. Summer can be quite warm, so plan on going early to beat the heat. The real killer on this ride is the wind. When it blows hard out of the south, the return trip back to the car can be quite the suffer fest. Save some matches for the return trip if it feels like someone is pushing you along when you depart. Uphills and headwinds always last longer than downhills and tailwinds. If there is no wind, this ride can be a quick one. One of the benefits to rides in the Shasta Valley is there is hardly any traffic on the back roads at all. This is cattle country, so be prepared for the four legged friends dropping presents for you and look out for the occasional ranch truck. 32-35mm wide tires work really well if you can pick a smooth line, ride light, and the dirt isn’t too wet. Up size to a 40ish tire that rolls fast and you’ve nailed the secret sauce. There’s no real need to knobs or gnarly traction on this loop. Two water bottles is usually enough, but a third or a hydration pack wouldn’t be a bad idea.
Honey Badger Rides 