FOR BREATHTAKING CLIMB TACKLE CALABASAS PEAK.

Byline: MARK LANGTON Cycling

I ran into an old friend the other day while out riding. Well, actually, I ran over an old friend. No injuries occurred. In fact, I almost had to laugh.

The old friend, you see, was a trail I hadn't ridden in at least eight years, maybe longer. Having once lived in Calabasas Highlands, and having once possessed a much greater tolerance for pain, Red Rock Canyon and Calabasas Peak Motorway were my local training grounds.

On a recent visit, I was reminded why only those with lungs and legs of steel need bother attempting the enormously trying pitches and the nearly 1,200-foot increase in elevation that this 7.2-mile loop route encompassing the two landmarks presents. Ardor will be rewarded, however.

``It's pretty steep in both directions - to and from the summit,'' said Jim Hasenauer of Woodland Hills, a professor of Communication Studies at Cal State Northridge and a board member for the International Mountain Bicycling Association. ``But it's well worth it for the views you get.

``Even though the trail is a little loose from fire-road grading, a ride up Red Rock is always spectacular. Especially now since there are still wildflowers blooming.''

You'll know why it is called Red Rock Canyon as soon as you see the ruddy sandstone that forms the distinctively un-Southern Californian landscape that was home to a Boy Scout camp until the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy purchased the property in the early 1980s. There are several short hiking trails and a variety of interesting rock formations to explore.

The canyon holds additional significance for mountain bikers. It was the site of a groundbreaking Conservancy meeting in 1987 that would lead to the creation of the Concerned Off-Road Bicyclists Association (CORBA). Policy toward biking in the Santa Monicas changed considerably following the meeting, with the mountains' management agencies recognizing the majority of the mountain bike community as responsible and concerned users of the public backcountry.

The loop has several access points. Yet to really appreciate the ride, you should start at Old Topanga Canyon and Red Rock roads (elevation: 980 feet). This way, you're only a short distance from the spectacular rock formations that parallel a fire road early in the ride. Likewise, if the route proves too strenuous, you have a reasonable ways to return.

The ride in to Red Rock Canyon and its like-named park is like a step back in time. Older homes that are barely winning the war against the elements line the narrow canyon and tall oak canopy which hides a community of reclusive artists and aging hippies. The pavement turns to dirt after only about a half-mile, and riders are quickly funneled into an even narrower canyon with steep sandstone walls and the distinctive red rock that gives the canyon its name. Just a few yards ahead is the park, with water but no restroom facilities.

Once past the caretaker's house and ``barn,'' visitors will begin climbing a steep, loose fire road. Take it easy; there's plenty more where this comes from. At about two miles in, the fire road intersects with Calabasas Peak Motorway (1,520 feet), another fire road. Turn right and begin climbing - and climbing - to 2,163-foot Calabasas Peak.

It's but a mile to the peak, but a couple of the pitches are seemingly straight up. After only about a quarter-mile cyclists will spy the angular striations of out-croppings known as Fossil Rocks. Hawks, crows and turkey vultures lazily circle the rocks that house caves many of the raptors call home.

Once Calabasas Peak is crested at the 3-mile mark, it offers one of the most impressive views in the Santa Monicas. Stretching to the east is Topanga Canyon. To the southeast, the Santa Monica Bay and Palos Verdes Peninsula. And to the west, a majestic panorama of mountains with Mulholland Highway splitting the rolling hills.

Continue the loop by pedaling north along the motorway. There is a series of short ups and downs before making the final descent to Old Topanga Canyon Road (1,500 feet) at 4.9 miles into the ride.

Here the fun really begins. The twists and turns of Old Topanga might be tricky for autos, but for a bike it's like a free ride on ``Colossus.'' The 2.3 miles and a more than 500-foot drop back to the intersection of Old Topanga Canyon and Red Rock roads is over all too soon.

``When you know how to use your gears and you think a fun downhill is the just reward for a tough climb, this loop has a lot to offer,'' Hasenauer said.

And even though you've gone just more than seven miles when the end approaches, your legs, heart and lungs will tell you it seemed like a whole lot more.

Pedal on: Solo riders in the 16th consecutive Ensure Race Across America will blast off from the Irvine Holiday Inn Select on July 23.

Approximately eight days and 2,900 miles later, the male and female winners will pull in to Savannah, Ga., and will be awarded with $10,000 each for their efforts.

Relay teams leave July 26 and include Team 70+, which counts among its members 75-year-old Joe Walker of Encino, competing in his third RAAM and going for his second consecutive successful transcontinental crossing. For more race information, call [phone].

If You're Going . . .

What to consider when tackling the Red Rock Canyon-Calabasas Peak mountain-biking loop:

Length: 7.2 miles.

Elevation gain: About 1,180 feet.

Riding time: 2 hours at a moderate pace; slower cyclists should allow longer.

Terrain: About 4.4 miles of fire road, 2.8 miles of pavement.

Best map: Tom Harrison Cartography's ``Trail Map of the Santa Monica Mountains Central.''

How to get there: Drive south on Topanga Canyon Boulevard (Highway 27) to the town of Topanga. Turn right on Old Topanga Canyon Road. Park near the intersection of Red Rock Road, where space is limited. Proceed by bike on Red Rock Road.

Those who tote their bicycles on four-wheel drive vehicles may consider parking at Red Rock Canyon Park at the terminus of its namesake road. However, the road remains in major disrepair following winter storms.

- Mark Langton

CAPTION(S):

Photo, Box

PHOTO (Color) A cyclist climbs north on Calabasas Peak Motorway past the out-croppings that form Fossil Rocks.

Mark Langton/Special to the Daily News

BOX: If You're Going . . . (see text)