Short and Steep
03-26-19, 06:34 PM
#1
Seat Sniffer
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: SoCal
Posts: 5,630
Bikes: Serotta Legend Ti; 2006 Schwinn Fastback Pro and 1996 Colnago Decor Super C96; 2003 Univega Alpina 700; 2000 Schwinn Super Sport
Mentioned: 18 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 945 Post(s)
Liked 1,984 Times
in
568 Posts
Short and Steep
So a bunch of us did the Solvang Double Century last weekend. It was a memorial ride for our friend, John Clare, who passed away suddenly in a mountaineering accident.
The ride started innocently enough, but somewhere between Santa Maria and San Luis Obispo, it started to rain. And rain. And rain. A lot of folks forgot rain jackets, but I was reasonably warm and comfortable (Showers Pass jackets rock). We finished it in daylight with some nice tailwinds from Guadalupe (famous for Mexican food ... yum).
The next day, we decided to take a short little ride UP Painted Cave and over to the Cold Springs Tavern. Painted Cave is a steep climb ... maybe 1300 feet in 2.5 miles. There are some flatter sections to give you a break, but it IS a grunt. The reward was a great descent down Cielo and sharing a tri tip sammy at the Cold Springs Tavern. An 1800s era stage stop. Check out the pix.
This gives an idea of the steepness of the climb. Steep at the start, and just keeps on going. A true elevator ride.
Grunt.
Cyclist in the distance.
The Painted Cave itself.
Cold Springs Tavern. This place is really cool.
Awesome tri-tip. I had it with a Negra Modelo. Yum.
The ride started innocently enough, but somewhere between Santa Maria and San Luis Obispo, it started to rain. And rain. And rain. A lot of folks forgot rain jackets, but I was reasonably warm and comfortable (Showers Pass jackets rock). We finished it in daylight with some nice tailwinds from Guadalupe (famous for Mexican food ... yum).
The next day, we decided to take a short little ride UP Painted Cave and over to the Cold Springs Tavern. Painted Cave is a steep climb ... maybe 1300 feet in 2.5 miles. There are some flatter sections to give you a break, but it IS a grunt. The reward was a great descent down Cielo and sharing a tri tip sammy at the Cold Springs Tavern. An 1800s era stage stop. Check out the pix.
This gives an idea of the steepness of the climb. Steep at the start, and just keeps on going. A true elevator ride.
Grunt.
Cyclist in the distance.
The Painted Cave itself.
Cold Springs Tavern. This place is really cool.
Awesome tri-tip. I had it with a Negra Modelo. Yum.
__________________
Proud parent of a happy inner child ...
Proud parent of a happy inner child ...
03-26-19, 08:27 PM
#3
Let's do a Century
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 8,316
Bikes: Cervelo R3 Disc, Pinarello Prince/Campy SR; Cervelo R3/Sram Red; Trek 5900/Duraace, Lynskey GR260 Ultegra
Mentioned: 59 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 651 Post(s)
Liked 879 Times
in
408 Posts
Makes my hip hurt!
__________________
Ride your Ride!!
Ride your Ride!!
03-27-19, 12:38 AM
#5
velo-dilettante
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: insane diego, california
Posts: 8,316
Bikes: 85 pinarello treviso steel, 88 nishiki olympic steel. 95 look kg 131 carbon, 11 trek madone 5.2 carbon
Mentioned: 26 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1628 Post(s)
Liked 3,114 Times
in
1,683 Posts
painted cave climb is a painfest. attached el camino cielo east at the top, is one of the top two bang for the buck mtn roads in socal (connects to the famed gibraltar climb). i arguably think only gmr/grr tops it. and yah, cst is a must-do when in the san marcos pass area. but you likely know all this...
Last edited by diphthong; 03-27-19 at 12:46 AM.
03-27-19, 08:15 AM
#7
Sophomore Member
Join Date: Jan 2019
Posts: 2,531
Mentioned: 12 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1628 Post(s)
Liked 1,057 Times
in
631 Posts
Everyone seems to have odd names for these SLO area climbs, seems like no one ever mentions the actual names of the roads. "Painted Cave"? "Gibraltar"? "Wildflower"? "Cypress Mountain"? "Halter Ranch Vineyards"? I can never find any of these places on maps. 
03-27-19, 10:38 AM
#8
Seat Sniffer
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: SoCal
Posts: 5,630
Bikes: Serotta Legend Ti; 2006 Schwinn Fastback Pro and 1996 Colnago Decor Super C96; 2003 Univega Alpina 700; 2000 Schwinn Super Sport
Mentioned: 18 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 945 Post(s)
Liked 1,984 Times
in
568 Posts
Gibraltar Road:
Painted Cave:
__________________
Proud parent of a happy inner child ...
Proud parent of a happy inner child ...
