"Ride Something Else"

"Ride Something Else" is an adventure group ride and campoutthat takes participants from the beach to the mountains, exploring the many beautiful riding areas Orange County has to offer. There is no timing, no podium, and no awards. Just a lot offun with new friends, memories for life and the satisfaction of completing this 3-day ride!

Last May, 7 brave participants embarked with me on the first edition of this adventure, leaving from Dana Point and riding to the Santa Ana Mountains and back. To make this ride more accessible, we had a support vehicle to carry our camping gear to the campgrounds, as well as meals provided and some aid stations along the course. Now, all we had to do was to enjoy the ride!

Day 1: Dana Point to O'Neill Campground - 32mi / 3,800ft

Starting from the beach in Dana Point, day one took us through South Orange County. From the fancy coast to the laid-back foothills, we went up and down all day, rolling through fields of flowers and enjoying the many different riding areas nestled in every neighborhood, all the way to O’Neill Regional Park where we set up camp for our first night. 

Day 2: O'Neill Campground to Blue Jay Campground - 22mi / 5,100ft

After a delicious breakfast, we headed to the mountains. Soon, the fire road turned into a beautiful singletrack with many creek crossings, switchbacks and… uh-oh… poison oak! Long sleeves and pants were the right move, as well as regular stops in the creek to rinse off the oily poison. As we climbed, the fog got thicker, intensifying the adventure factor, and adding a dramatic touch to our pictures. This was quite the day, and we were happy to get to our campsite at Blue Jay with a fire to dry our socks and shoes, and a big pasta meal to refuel for our final day.

Day 3: Blue Jay Campground to Dana Point - 44mi / 4,400ft

On the final day we woke up on a wet campsite as it had rained most of the night. But embracing the adventure spirit of the ride, this didn’t affect the mood of our joyful group for a bit. We geared up and started our climb back up the mountain, then down again and over a few more hills before finally seeing it: the ocean! We rolled back to the beach we had left 2 days ago with a happy – and slightly tired – smile on our faces. Everyone could be proud of the many miles ridden as we celebrated our crazy ride together.

Total ride: 98mi / 13,300ft

The first edition of Ride Something Else was an epic adventure, complete with a couple of mechanicals, some minor scars and misty weather. But most importantly, it was an adventure full of friendship, accomplishments, beautiful nature, and great storiesto tell!

If you are brave enough to join the ride, mark your calendars for the second edition of Ride Something Else: Friday May 2nd to Sunday May 4th, 2025

More info and sign up: bit.ly/ridesomethingelse

See you on the trails!