By Tayla Adams

The New Year has finally come and as usual I’m in the mood to set some goals for myself. When I thought about things I wanted to do in regards to my riding it took me a moment to think of a solid plan. I feel like in the past I’ve said I wanted to go on more rides, and some years it’s happened and others it hasn’t. So, I’ve decided to be more specific with my riding intentions this year. In 2018, my goal is to explore and discover new routes and places in the Topanga Canyon area.

You might be wondering why I’m choosing this location. Well, believe it or not, I haven’t really ridden in this area since I first started riding motorcycles in 2012 where my first big ride was ‘The Snake.” I found this ride both fun and intimidating. There I was on one of Southern California’s most famous routes, surrounded by bike culture, and I was a ball of nerves. I just didn’t feel like I necessarily belonged because I was driving a Ninja 250, and I was nowhere close to dragging knee.

To this day, I still think of the canyons as the place where the real riders go. Even though I’ve long since upgraded my bike, I’m still feeling apprehensive about going up to the canyons and riding with everyone else. I mean there is often gravel on the ground, tight turns, and multiple other unknown factors. I realize this is probably more of a mental thing than anything else.

However, in the New Year I’m determined to get out of my way and enjoy some of the amazing roads the canyons have to offer. I’m a huge fan of the outdoors, hiking, scenery, and twisty roads. This one area in SoCal offers all of these things and I’ve been missing out by not exploring them.

My plan of attack is simple; I plan on trying out a new route once a month. Not only will I get more rides in, but also I’ll gain more confidence and discover new hot spots near me. Another bonus of focusing on one location is I’ll get more comfortable in the area and feel more at ease on the curvy roads. I’m also quite sure I’ll meet more riders as I usually do when I’m in the mountains or canyons.

I encourage everyone to make some personal riding goals of his or her own for 2018. At the very least it’ll give you an excuse to get out there and ride for fun.

Stay safe in these streets