Welp it sure seems like forever since I posted something about actually riding! Between traveling, work and getting sick (and/or a combination of all three) it seems like I’ve been running and gunning for quite awhile. Of course eventually everyone gets some down time and thankfully this weekend was it for me. I’m pretty sure that nothing pains a rider quite as much as ‘looking at their bike’ and not actually getting a chance to ride it.

So tonight I want to throw a big thank you shot out to long time TwistingAsphalt reader Ford, who suggested I try a loop through Temecula wine country. Quite awhile ago Ford left a comment offering some ‘local’ tips and passing along the Sandia Creek & De Luz Road loop. While I wish the roads were paved a bit better, this is without a doubt the closest I’ve felt to being back in the Santa Monica Mountains since departing LA. The roads offer rapid elevation changes and rolling corners with short sequences which feel eerily like roads I’ve ridden before. Just a marvelous area to explore and I have no doubt that I’ll be back soon to investigate them further. The area is quite remarkable. Lots of farm land where you’d least expect it and a far amount of rolling vistas. Different than Santa Monica for sure, but certainly within the realm of enjoyable. Riding the roads left the impression that this is going to be a wonderful region to get to know intimately. There’s something scarry and yet seductive about riding in the unknown…

Next time I ride I certainly will stop and take more picts - this time however I felt so consumed by the road that I neglected documenting the roads, so I apologize for the lackluster photos…

The Temecula Valley early in the morning