CAT7RDR

Friday workout in the Whittier Hills w/o destroying myself for Sunday. 35 miles and 4400 feet of climb. Perfect SoCal spring day.
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/35725825

CAT7RDR

GMR-GRR brings a different challenge with pacing and cadence. I will probably ride GMR-GRR to Icehouse on Sunday from Encanto Park. I have home obligations that truncate my days and it is hard to justify driving to a location when I could be riding instead. I need to get in longer climbs like Hwy 39 Crystal Lake/Dawson Saddle to prep for Tour de Big Bear and get up in the altitude.

CAT7RDR

^^^^^ If the body is willing, I would like to ride into BB from Bryant/Hwy 38 to get a feel for Onyx. Never been out that way.

Lots of hills to climb in CA and my time is ticking away. Mt Palomar is another I have not done but have researched it and see there are a few ways to attack it.

CAT7RDR

^^^^^Thanks for the intel. I carry four bottles when out on long rides/climbs. I take my time but sometimes push my limits. Bonked hard going up to Crystal Lake a while back. That's another thing about longer climbs is taking in enough calories, fluids and electrolytes. Different animal rather than climb 1-2 miles then recover on the descents.

2seven0

The CLIMB up Onyx isn't that difficult. It's the ALTITUDE. Peaks at @ 8500'. It hasn't bothered me but last Big Bear Tour my wife started to get a headache @ 2/3 up so we turned back.
Glad you're doing the Tour de Big Bear think you'll dig it. We're doing the 70 mile route. We go up Thurs. afternoon to help acclimate, register on Fri. at noon & do the Poker Ride Fri. afternoon.
West

Eric F 

The "Montrose Ride" has been a Saturday morning group ride for probably 30 years, and can sometimes attract 200+ riders. This is not a casual and friendly ride with a relaxed pace. It attracts racers and high-level rec riders, and the pace tends to be fast and relentless. It's been since 2004 since I've done this ride. Back then, there was one starting group, with a long/short split in the middle. These days, there is a group that starts 15 minutes earlier, that tends to attract older/used-to-be guys like me. The early group tends to get caught by the later group somewhere in the last 10-ish miles. On Saturday, I joined the early group (about 40 riders) for the long version of the ride, along with a few friends that I've been riding with recently It was perfect for my current level of fitness, and stretched me a bit when things got spicy in the hills on the last half of the ride. I felt pretty good and put in a couple of hard efforts just to see what I had in me.



I might give the late/short version a go in the near future.

diphthong

30-spot around the usual environs of metro san diego plus a little fiesta island and presidio park visit.


upper 70's with a decent breeze and the humidity hasn't come on yet so super pleasant.


warm enough for a few light lagers to be really enjoyable at a local brewery at mile 29.

CAT7RDR

The highest I have been on a bike is 10K+ on Rock Creek Rd Mosquito Flats. I had to learn how to do the pursed lip breathing with full exhales when SOB set in and I started getting side stitches.

Tycho Brahe 

I did that climb this past weekend. When you live in SoCal, you sometimes forget how cold it can get once the sun goes away. I was sweating on the initial ascent, but by the time I got to the top, it was cloudy and windy. My fingers and upper body were cold on the descent, feet/legs were fine. Probably tired from the lack of oxygen. Also had a handlebar bag since I was afraid of running out of water (did not use my two bottles), which added a few pounds.

Highest elevation I have cycled to was 9090 feet, but the ride started at 3K so I did not feel the elevation. One straight 6k feet climb with no descents. I also was sleeping that week at 2k elevation.

diphthong

mosquito flats at the top of rock creek is the highest paved public road in california. just above 10,200 feet. wowza.


highest i've cycled is the top of tioga pass on the eastern boundary of yosemite np at 9,941 feet and definitely started feeling the altitude around 8k.
had spent two full days and nights in mammoth (7,000 ft+) before the climb.
have to wonder about some of these ridiculously long climbs such as the 39>2>dawson (24 miles) or 38 from yucaipa to onyx (33 miles). did mount lemmon in tucson
last week and got up to 8,950 but the last 3 miles (of a 28.5 mile climb) are mostly above 8% so it's not easy to tell if it's the altitude, fitness or (likely) both.
suspect it's the same for the long rides to dawson and onyx. climbing for 20+ miles ain't the easiest. did dawson from the valyermo area (to wrightwood, then
dawson) to dawson last year and, although it was a beast, it was easier than the 39. less el gain and shorter and wasn't going fast by any means but didn't have
the urge/need to stop like you do when the altitude hits hard...the length and difficulty of the climb before actually getting to 7,000+ feet has to factor in.

fortunately, in socal, we've got quite a few big and long climb combos to sample and they all have both their good and bad. lack of support and traffic
on the weekends/commute time weekdays are the top two bad ones. scenery and road quality are probably the top two good ones.

BlunderMifflin

This is my last week working from home. I ate while on the clock and took my lunch break to go for a bike ride! I rode Palos Verdes Drive East on the Palos Verdes Peninsula. It was warm, winds were not too crazy, and the roads were empty. Wove up the switch backs and was rewarded with a beautiful view of Catalina Island at the top of the climb!!! Made it home in time to shower and make my 1:15 meeting. It was a pretty good Monday!

CAT7RDR

^^^^^^ So I looked up Thunder Mountain and it gains 2100+Feet over 7 miles O/B. So that is after riding up to Baldy Village, up to the Ski Lifts and up to the notch. That is beyond brutal!

TGT1

When I was in my 30's I made a project out of hiking every named peak in Robinsons guide book I could see from my house. Thunder and Verdugo are the only two I didn't do. Put them off because they looked relatively easy compared to the rest. Now in my 70's and both look to be accessible by bike.

I'll start from Manker flats though.

cj3209

Awesome! I want to do a similar ride as I live nearby.

Thx for the suggestion!

CJ

CAT7RDR

Aren't you afraid of running into Bigfoot, the Mothman, Jackalopes, Chupacabras or Vampires?
I'm still traumatized by cottontails launching at my wheels.

2seven0

Early morning start over Santiago Cyn road today. Only saw 1 cyclist. Beautiful morning felt like summertime!
Ch ch ch Oo! Ch ch ch Oo!
In the summertime when the weather is hot...
Were always happy, life's for living yeah that's our philosophy!
(sorry got caught up!)
West

skidder

I rode the SART from the beach to the Stadium area (Katella Ave) and back on Friday morning. IT was a clear morning, none of the usual morning overcast skies, so I got up before dawn and got on the SART just as the first glow was coming up in the eastern sky. Very few folks on the SART at that time of the morning so it was nice and quiet the whole way up, just a few other bicycle riders, a few joggers, and a few walkers (with leashed dogs!). . Coming back there were two OC Sheriff's deputies rousting a homeless person sleeping under the 1st street bridge. Overall a nice way to start a long weekend. I wish it was always that boring.

CAT7RDR

Nice cool cloudy morning so I wanted to stretch myself a bit and rode over Turnbull Cyn to catch the SGRT to Sierra Madre then the south side of GMR in an O/B. Not much traffic and the road was damp but not wet from some recent drizzle. I never get tired of the GMR descent. Did not have to deal with any passing vehicles down the mountain.

Stopped at Chalan Rest Area for a coconut water and Coke. Pedaled into an onshore coastal breeze for 10 miles heading south that made me consider an inland loop through San Dimas and Covina would be better next time even with the added hills.

87 miles and 6.2K of climb.
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/35906553

2seven0

I've made it a habit to monitor windfinder & windy forecasts to plan my routes with as much tailwind towards the end as possible. Worked good for me yesterday!
West

Tycho Brahe 

Not sure how I have avoided it (probably because it is gated), but I finally went up to Mt. Disappointment (near Mt Wilson) on Sunday.

Was expecting a rough paved climb similar to Camp 9 or Mt Gleason, but it was way tougher. At one point, the road flattened out, but my Garmin showed a hairpin turn coming up ahead and I noticed the road was very high, right on top of me. How? 12-17% incline is how. Great photo op at the op, much better than Mt Wilson, but it was a cloudy day. We could barely make out the antennas stickup out on Mt Wilson.

Eric F 

Yesterday was my first time on my bike in a bit over a week due to a minor surgery. 39 miles with the Sunday group ride I do pretty frequently. A buddy and I sat at the front for a large part of the flat first half of the ride and set a nice tempo (18-22mph). Felt pretty good for the spicy hilly parts in the second half, and came close to matching a couple of PRs. It was a good day.

cj3209

Yes, that was one of the few good things about the pandemic: fewer vehicles on the roads. Now, the roads are more crowded than ever...I guess people didn't learn from 2020...just my opinion...

cj3209

I guess I was hoping that more people would realize that, hey, maybe I can just walk or bike to that place instead of driving there. Thankfully, I live in an area that is trying to add more bike-friendly roads and areas. But I just read that truck pickup sales are now booming; the large SUVs are hard to ride with as they take up a lot of space on the roads and they come uncomfortably close to me while riding. But I digress and I am venting. I apologize.

cj3209

If government, instead of giving away money for doing nothing, gave out incentives for getting fit via walking or biking or something similar, you would see MASSIVE decreases in healthcare costs. But the fattening food industry as well as the pharm companies wouldn't like it because it's in their best interests for Americans to be sickly and dependent on fast food and drugs.

Think about it. How about a $500 federal subsidy for a bike purchase or gym membership (with proof of attendance)? Or federal subsidies for fresh fruit? This is money worth spending.

But I digress. If it makes too much sense, government won't do it...and I work in local government...lol...

cj3209

What great companies you and your wife worked for! My city actually pays me $10 a month to ride my bike to work. I hope the money is still there after Covid because I'm doing it and I only live 8 miles from my office.