Pedal Through Paradise: Exploring the Victor Valley’s Cycling Scene
The Victor Valley’s year-round sunshine and diverse terrain make it the perfect place to grab a bike and explore the beautiful region — and yet, it’s a relatively undiscovered place.
“We don’t see a lot of out-of-towners coming here for the riding,” says Kevin Kraatz, owner of Victorville Cycles, a full-service bike shop and family business that’s been in town for 50 years. “With desert trails just about everywhere for the mountain bikers and plenty of residential roads to make your own route for the road bikes, it really is a great place to ride whatever kind of bike you have.”
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Victor Valley: A Cyclist’s Paradise
The Victor Valley lies northeast of the San Gabriel Mountains, about 100 miles from Los Angeles and Pacific Ocean beaches. At around 3,000 feet above sea level, the valley’s communities of Adelanto, Apple Valley, Hesperia and Victorville enjoy a relatively mild High Desert climate with low humidity. On average, rainfall is less than 4 inches annually, while light snow occasionally blankets the area during the winter. In short, it’s a terrific environment for biking.
“Spring and fall are the best times to ride during the heat of the day,” Kraatz says. “During the summer months, try to finish your ride before 10 a.m. The wind and heat pick up after that.”
Trails for Every Skill Level: From Beginner to Advanced
Trails throughout the area offer distinct experiences and require different skills and equipment. Mojave Riverwalk is one of the easiest, most accessible paths. Located near downtown Victorville, the paved trail runs almost 4 miles from the east side of Victor Valley College to Mojave Narrows Regional Park. It features desert scenery and passes by a couple of lakes. Mojave Riverwalk is a Class I bike path and pedestrian trail, so no motorized modes of travel are allowed. It connects to Class II bike lanes, many of which travel with traffic through downtown.
“We could use more trails like the Mojave Riverwalk, especially if they were all able to link up to make a network of trails,” Kraatz says.
“It really is a great place to ride whatever kind of bike you have.”
Kevin Kraatz, Victorville Cycles
Mountain Biking Adventures: Pack Memorial and Beyond
Plenty of options are available nearby for those who consider mountain biking to be more their speed. Apple Valley boasts the highly-rated Pack Memorial MTB Trail just off Deep Creek Road on federal Bureau of Land Management acreage. The 12.6-mile trail has nonstop inclines and descents with impressive views of the valley and nearby mountains.
Numerous alpine biking routes run through San Bernardino National Forest and the San Gabriel Mountains, both of which are a short distance from the Victor Valley. And if you’ve jumped on the e-bike craze, San Bernardino National Forest allows you to use them on roads and trails that are open to all vehicles.
Honda Valley MTB Trail: A Free-Spirited Ride
As for another mountain biking trail, you’ll want to try Honda Valley MTB Trail, which offers more of a free-spirited ride. Also referred to as Summit Valley, the area lies between Summit Valley Road, Arrowhead Lake Road and Highway 173 in Hesperia. While Honda Valley might not be for everyone, it’s considered a bike haven for some riders, as countless trails of every skill level crisscross one another.
Victor Valley Bicycle Tour: A Community Celebration of Cycling
Another thing to remember: Every year, Victor Valley Bicycle Tour hosts a community ride to raise safety awareness and promote cycling’s health benefits. It offers a 10-mile family ride and 30- and 62-mile rides.
As the owner of Victorville Cycles, Kraatz has watched the region and its cycling community evolve over time — not to mention he’s offered the necessary equipment for each trail, from BMX and road bikes to mountain and e-bikes.
“Over the years, we’ve sold bikes to generations of families,” he says. “Having a parent with a child come in to get a bike and tell me they remember their parents buying their first bike from me always puts a smile on my face.”
Happy grins continue outside Kraatz’s shop, as well, as bikers of all ages explore the Victor Valley’s many routes and trails.
Get to Know Victor Valley
Want to learn more about living and working in Victor Valley, CA? Check out the latest edition of Victor Valley Economic Development.