Latest Trail Addition
Rancho Canada Del Oro
Rancho Canada Del Oro Open Space Preserve is in the eastern foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains west of Morgan Hill California. The park which opened in 2004 consists of a 3,882 acre preserve covering two successive ridges separated by a small watershed with a creek that runs most of the year. The trails consist of groomed single track which has been carved out of side of a ravine in the lower half o f the park and primarily fire roads in the upper reaches of the park. Much of the ride has steep sections which will translate into a great aerobic workout. You'll share the trail system with hikers and horseback riders but they will generally be few and far between at this preserve.
| Location: | Morgan Hill, CA |
| Distance: | 11 miles |
| Elevation Gain: | 3023 feet |
| Average Ride Time: | 3:00 |
| Trail Type: | Mixed groomed singletrack, fireroad |
| Land Type: | Open Space Preserve |
Mark's Blog
Biking with your toddler.
January 24, 2012 - 01:37 AM
I know what you're thinking. An enjoyable Mountain Bike ride with a toddler? Ok, it's true you're not likely going to be hitting the trails at Whistler or Downieville with your 2 year old but with a lot of preparation and patience the both of you can enjoy a good day out on the local trails. Here's how I do it.
First, leverage your toddler's natural body rhythm, active in the morning and napping during the ride. I'll spend the morning gathering all the gear together and prepping my bike in the garage so they're busy and involved with the outing, then back inside where I prepare a basic lunch box with a variety of snacks and juices. Kraft Lunchables are one of my favorite foods to take along during the rides as there's some variety for the kids to choose from and they don't take a lot of time to prepare. After the child is safely buckled into their car seat I load everything from the garage into the car along with the bike and we're off to the trail. I usually choose a local paved trail that has a number of interesting diversions for the kids and a break for mom or dad. For example, one of our favorite trails has a number of playgrounds and a model RC airplane club along the route. When our first child was born I looked at all the typical child carriers, the rear seat, the front seat, the middle seat, and the trailer. I primarily wanted light weight, a low center of gravity, and good crash protection just in case something unforeseen happened and we went down. I settled on the Trek GoBug series of trailers. Trek sold both a single child and two child versions. The deluxe models came with a rain cover and converted into jogging strollers as well. Unfortunately these trailers are no longer sold by Trek, however there are a number of other similar products out there by Burley and Schwinn. The Trek GoBug trailers are very light, collapsible, have 5 point harnesses and a roll bar for crash protection. The trailer connects to your bike with a clever universal joint and tracks flawlessly behind the bike while in motion. I can easily maintain a 12-13mph pace towing the trailer on a flat trail. My rides typically are in the 15 mile range with occasional rides up to 30 miles while towing the child in the trailer. Both of my kids will typically fall asleep within the first 10 minutes of the start of the ride and sleep until I stop. While this solution isn't likely to find you out on your favorite singletrack trail, it can keep you in the game and provide a great workout. As an added bonus, it can provide a strong bonding vehicle with your child as well.
