My Favorite Run at Luiseno 4K

[@LevoRider]

I was there Friday (12/8), I had an absolute blast. I was able to get in 6 runs, if I had been there for the first shuttle I could have gone for a 7th. So much fun and less than an hour from home. Definitely going back and I will bring a few friends with me. The trail builders were riding and were interested in what trails people were enjoying and they told us what they are building. They are currently building an ebike trail that takes you up to Acorn and Granite Falls junction. They have plans to open that up during the week when the shuttles are not running. The manager is also moving the loading spot across the way. It is shaded and has some picnic tables. They are also putting in a bike repair station. I put up a video as well.

[@MTBTrailReview]

That's really exciting. It sounds like the people running the park really want to make it something special.

[@chrismiller1718]

I went there on opening weekend and the place was a little bit of a mess. I went back a few months ago and it was clearly obvious they are doing a lot of work to make the place better. I'm glad to see them hard at work.Building more trails and making the place truly worth the sixty dollars. The chair lift is not a rumor. Steven Ford said He really Wants to put in a chair lift if the place becomes economically viable. He did a podcast with mark from the segment that breaks down the future plans

[@MTBTrailReview]

That's awesome! A lift would be a game changer. I'll have to check out the podcast.

[@fidelinzunza]

I’ve been watching your videos and been making it out to some of the trails you’ve reviewed! I appreciate your break downs and enjoyed you’re videos! I’ll eventually make it out to this one once I’m more experienced. Keep riding!

[@MTBTrailReview]

Thanks! It's great to hear that the break downs are helpful. Definitely ride it when you feel comfortable. It's amazing!

[@tonyochoa16]

I am a local from Temecula. Ive been to to this place 3 times and can’t recommend it less. First time waited hours for my first run because someone got “seriously hurt” and they couldn’t find them; guy was at the bottom connecting trail and it was a sprained ankle, Only had 2 runs that day. And they closed the park because the single fire road is the only way up or down. Second time I went i had to walk all the way back down because i popped my tire on exposed chicken wire from a rock garden. Third and the last time I hit a jump that i just plowed through the lip as it collapsed and went over the bars and broke my collarbone. This place feels rushed, half assed, just a quick money grab while MTB is exploding in the area. Never coming back much better and cheaper places to ride in the area. Nowhere near as good as vail.

[@MTBTrailReview]

That's rough, man. I would likely be feeling the same way if my experiences had been the same as yours. Also, Vail is rad!

[@matthewrobertson7398]

Thank you Chris ! As usual your videos breaking down the new local stuff is super helpful

[@MTBTrailReview]

My pleasure!

[@kyledavis635]

Hey there Chris. Thanks for the review of Coyote Chase and Rabbit's Leap.... nicely done! Having ridden Luiseno a couple weeks ago for the first time, a few comments: - I was a bit disappointed that you didn't ride the Granite Falls rock wall this time... 😂Having watched many of your videos, I thought I had a feel for your level of risk tolerance, and you surprised me a bit when you easily rode the wall in your initial review of Luiseno. Kudos to you for that! You mentioned in this video that you're comfortable with steep rollers and you proved it. When seeing the rock wall in person, I figured it was going to look gnarlier than it does on video, and that was certainly the case. What makes it especially so in my estimation is that there's a cleft approx. a third of the way down - which makes it steeper and not as smooth. It is likely out of my comfort zone/risk tolerance. I would certainly need a guinea pig to pull me in... 🙂 - Not sure when you went, but the cost has been $49 plus tax for a while now, and you had mentioned that it was $60..?? It appears that based on demand they lowered the price from the original $59 plus tax. - Per one of the commenters below who noted that bikes were getting damaged on the shuttle ride up... you kind of downplayed it, but it is a real issue, imo... On the day I rode there (a Friday), they were running two shuttles - one was a small truck that carried 8 riders max, which had a bench seat across one side of it for riders to sit. The other was a long bed truck that could accommodate approx. 30 bikes and you stand next to your bike on the ride up. On the small shuttle, because of the lack of room between the bikes, and because the ride on this small truck was so bumpy, you couldn't stand with your bike like you do on the large shuttle. As such, the bikes did in fact bounce around on each other, and I could see where people could have brake and dropper post levers, brake and shift cables, etc. get broken and/or damaged. It didn't help that the driver of the small truck went way too fast on the uproute. It wasn't good... The larger shuttle is much more stable and they drive it slower. A few minutes of extra time on the uproute is no big deal at all... We were told they usually operate the two large trucks that they have, but I've heard several stories of the operating one large and one small as was the case when we were there.... - The potential lift system is a pipe dream at this point, imo. It would cost millions of dollars and would have to be fronted by the Indian reservation, loans taken out, EIRs, legal hurdles, etc. even if it is on Indian land. Any comparison to Big Bear and Snow Summit is not relevant, as both of those areas operate lifts to accommodate thousands of skiers on winter days. They would not be in existence if it weren't for their skiing business, i.e mountain biking alone would not generate sufficient revenue to fund it... Note that Luiseno is close to opening the uproute for ebikes (or glutton for punishment analog bikers). This will be a big plus, and the rate will be lower for them than for shuttle riders (they mentioned somewhere in the neighborhood of $20?). There is plenty of room on the many miles of trails they have to accommodate a lot more riders. They are also intending to offer an annual pass soon as far as I understand - another plus. I am with you re being a fan of Luiseno. My friend and I who rode there gave it a B+/A- grade, while recognizing the potential to get even better. The trails are well designed, and don't give up their elevation too easily, i.e. you can ride assertively without being on the brakes too much. The setting there is really cool - very rural/detached. You feel like you're way off the beaten path. Look forward to further reviews from you and news of continued progress out there....

[@MTBTrailReview]

Hey Kyle! The rock wall on Granite Falls is for real. I really enjoy that feature, but the rest of the trail is pretty gnarly tech, which is not my preferred style of riding. I'll ride it again if all of my friends want to do it, but I prefer the other trails for the fun factor. The two times I bought tickets online, it came out to $60 after taxes and fees, so that's where that number came from. As for the bikes, that definitely sounds a lot worse than what I had imagined and experienced. They had two large trucks running when I was there, and the bikes seemed pretty secure. I also have a pretty relaxed approach when it comes to cosmetic damage for my bikes, because I know it's going to happen. I agree that a broken brake or dropper lever is a real issue, and anything that hinders one's ability to actually ride the bike is a problem. I hope that's not happening, and if it did, hopefully it doesn't happen in the future. I'm not holding my breath for a lift, but I'm going to remain cautiously optimistic! It's good to hear you guys enjoyed the park, and I will definitely have more videos out in the future. Thanks for your honest feedback. I really enjoy hearing other people's thoughts and opinions!

[@nite760]

Cant wait to try this place out coming from Oceanside!! Thanks for the review.

[@MTBTrailReview]

Of course! I hope you have as much fun as I did.

[@jacksondaniels8169]

My son and I went on week 2 of their opening layout. I'm looking to get back sometime soon. Hopefully, they've made some changes from the opening day. The lift rumor is not a rumor. The park manager spoke of future plans to add a lift and lighting for night runs.

[@MTBTrailReview]

That would be absolutely amazing. I wasn't there for the first two weeks, but I talked to some people that were. It sounds like they've learned a lot and made some changes. I know they added a shuttle, which helps a lot.

[@jacksondaniels8169]

@@MTBTrailReview They had 2 shuttles then but the 2nd truck was down due to a broken frame member under the flatbed of the truck. Put the word out for your next ride, maybe generate some additional bikers for your trip. Looking to do a group ride w/o overzealous people who make the ride a can and cannot. They do still need to work on their web page as they have had a DH race there that I heard nothing about until I saw a KZbin video of it.

[@MTBTrailReview]

They do a lot of their information sharing on Instagram. Give them a follow if ou haven't already.

[@bullseye0112]

I love that they want to build a bike park closer to San Diego. And that place can only get better over time. 60 bucks is still too steep regardless. I understand the shuttle cost a good amount of money to drive that truck up the hill. They'd be smarter if they charged around 30 bucks max, they would probably get more people. It looks like any other trail in our system and I'm sure it will be worth 60 bucks someday but right now it's not my opinion.

[@MTBTrailReview]

I understand where you're coming from. I'm really hoping there is a lift in the future, as that would completely change the experience. For now, I'm going to keep riding there. I think this specific run is one of my favorites in all of San Diego, and I'm happy to repeat it.

[@bullseye0112]

@@MTBTrailReview I know the general manager put a lot of time in working on Ted's, so I hope he can get this bike park more bike parky. Some big berms that flow into each other and some jump lines will definitely change the dynamic and also some cool fun features that no one else is doing or some wood skinnies I don't know tons of things you can do to make that place more fun and more of a bike park

[@MTBTrailReview]

I couldn't agree more. I think some flowy jumplines, maybe along the same line of Blue Steel or Neverland at Skypark, would be a huge bonus that would draw a lot of people in. I hope it happens!

[@lesterjay5393]

I'm newer to MTB. Used to race supersport motorcycles but never really rode a bike until 2 months ago. I'm now on a full suspension Polygon and can ride stuff like Black Widow, Shepherd's Ridge, and Elfin Forest. Do you think Luiseno might be too much for me? I tend to stop or go super slow on tricky features

[@MTBTrailReview]

I think you'll be fine. Just make sure you take it slow on your first couple of laps and ride within your limits.

[@MTBSHOGUN]

Is there camping? Like with a trailer?.

[@MTBTrailReview]

I know they have tent sites. I would assume they have some RV sites, too.

[@joeevil868]

The issue is when expensive bikes were getting destroyed on the shuttle ride up. Scratched forks and damaged paint on carbon bikes isn’t what people should pay 60 dollars for.

[@MTBTrailReview]

Hopefully they'll be able to get a lift. At this point, all of my bikes are covered in scratches anyways. If I get one more and the trade off is a day of awesome riding, I"m good with that.

[@trevorford2892]

Bike trailer coming soon 😉

[@MTBTrailReview]

@@trevorford2892 Awesome!

[@rickb.1656]

I'm trying to find a bike park for winter riding. I'm in Idaho. Lots of lift assist close in the summer, but skiing in the winter. I learned about this park a little while ago. Is it worth the 14 hour drive? Any decent lodging?

[@MTBTrailReview]

14 hours is a pretty long drive. If you are coming to San Diego to stay for a little while and do some other things, I would say it is. If it's a quick trip to only ride the park, you might be a little disappointed. This park is pretty far from the city, but you could probably find comfortable lodging within a 30 minute drive.

[@rickb.1656]

Thanks

[@Stripping_Bolts]

Im new to sd and mtb, you ever ride PQ? I def cant hit big jumps like in ur vid yet 😂 duck pond loop was more my speed

[@MTBTrailReview]

Welcome! I don't ride PQ very often. Sometimes I'll ride the west end in the summer, but that's about it. It's a decent drive from my house, and I pass a lot of other good trail systems to get there.

[@auomauom]

Add a lift and they will come

[@MTBTrailReview]

Absolutely!

[@ericharris197]

Learn how to pronounce the name & hit those jumps you are avoiding.

[@MTBTrailReview]

I asked the guys in the shop how to pronounce it, and that's what they told me. I'm 40 years old and a very average rider. I'm cool with going around some things.

[@ericharris197]

10-4 I just turned 60