In the never-ending quest to keep the west hills interesting I’m always racking my brain for the best combination of roads to keep things fun and to get the most bang-for-buck out of a ride, especially when time is limited. My current favorite time-crunch ride is a three hour loop that is a great combination of aerobic and climbing with decent warm-up and cool down.
Warm up heading out Hwy 30 from the shop, turn left at Newberry for little leg opening climb to Skyline. Head right and cool off/cruise down Old Cornelius to the Rock Creek Tavern and turn right at Phillips. Then go right on Helvetia and cruise around past the cemetery and take a right on Logie Trail. This is a gorgeous climb back up to Skyline, mostly steady, but with a few punchy steep sections. At some point the road turns into Johnson, so when you emerge at the top at Skyline you’ll be on Johnson. Head right on Skyline and take your favorite way home. I prefer to drop down Newberry and spin back home as it’s a nice cool down and the most efficient time-wise. But of course if you have more time, or hate Hwy 30, cruise back on Skyline and drop back down into town wherever you prefer. The up Newberry/down Newberry version is the official three hour version that allows for groups in which people climb at different speeds. Have fun, and if you’re super lucky, you might get to meet Sherman the corgie who lives on Newberry Rd. He’s worth the climb!