Snow Summit Downhill Mountain Bike Ride in Big Bear California

My Son invited me to go with him and some friends to Snow Summit Ski Resort in The mountains of Southern California to do some mountain biking. For $20.00 you can buy an all day lift ticket to bring you, and your bike up to the top, then you pick your trail and make your way down. We got in 6 runs for the day, including one flat tire repair (mine), and we rode to Carl’s Jr. and had lunch. Snow Summit has some arrangement with the U.S. forest service to allow mountain biking in the area, but no riding on any of their ski runs. They do have some rules however.

Any one of the following four factors will disqualify a bike from being transported on the chair:

1. Bikes must be less than 35 pounds.
2. Designated tire size must be less than 2.5.
3. Front shock must have less than 6 inches of travel.
4. Bikes must have three chain rings unless they are single speed.

We rode a variety of bikes, from an Intense 29r, to a KHS hard tail.

Since this was my first time there I didn’t know what to expect, I have ridden a motorcycle in the area on several occasions and enjoyed the single track trails, water crossings and the mountain terrain, but on a mountain bike, this was a first time for me. Don’t get me wrong, I am no stranger to 2 wheeled riding, I am 50 years old, raced BMX with my boys, when i was 35 until I was 40, I got to number 5 in the ABA in our area in my class. I raced District 37 Gran Prix series on my Honda CR 500 When i was 41 to 44, got 1st place in the Beginner senior open class my first year, I bought The GT RTS3 when it first came out, sweet full suspension bike, had to have it, but they have come along way since then. Blah blah blah.  Read more