Southern California - anyone ride Grimes Canyon rd?

looks pretty steep, as in there's a 20% section in there.

Grimes is cake. There is nothing close to 20%. Perhaps your mapping/topo software overestimated.

You have to go to the next canyon west (Balcom) to get 20%ers

Anybody ever climb Grimes on a hot day when Egg City was there? Yuck! Its not hard at all going north, but a little harder southbound. Nothing around 20%, though.

I've been up both canyons and Balcolm is definitely steeper (and harder, and more whine producing...) I nearly fell off my bike climbing up it. I prefer grimes if I have to choose.

Grimes is cake. There is nothing close to 20%. Perhaps your mapping/topo software overestimated.

You have to go to the next canyon west (Balcom) to get 20%ers

toporoute isn't very accurate, is it?

I must admit, I'm not just into the pitch. I was looking at the curves. so how steep is grimes? balcom looks pretty straight, making it not as fun for downhill inline, which is why I was interested in grimes.

any other steep, curvey roads in the area? we're getting bored with latigo

Not a clue about the grades of those roads (never heard of many of them), but...

Have I mentioned that I think you're nuts? :p

balcom looks pretty straight, making it not as fun for downhill inline, which is why I was interested in grimes.

Balcom staight? Not if I recall - there is a turn or two...why not go climb it to just try it? Better yet, start with Grimes and then hit Balcom. ;)

Some other climbs (although you may have already done them) is Stunt, Mulhullond up to rock Store and Sycramore Canyon.

Some other climbs (although you may have already done them) is Stunt, Mulhullond up to rock Store and Sycramore Canyon.

you apparently haven't checked out my ******-fest of a website.

http://homepage.mac.com/timothyhuber/downhill/iMovieTheater20.html

Stunt was our old playground. used to skate that wearing shorts. 48mph wearing inlines. Then we found piuma, and thought it would be unskateable because of the hairpins. that was fun for three months until we discovered it was possible to do all but two turns without braking.

Then we found latigo. great road. I've bombed it over 150 times. now its boring.

Mulholland above the rock store was paved last year, and wow, that's a road. Fast, smooth, but dangerous. The toughest turns are rights, and that can put you into oncoming traffic. The left just before the overhanging rock is perhaps the coolest turn I've ever hit. Next is the left, right, left right hairpin sequence. Its a blast to slow down for those turns just by sliding the turns. Its like skiing, just on asphalt. Mulholland is awesome, but its limited by the traffic. Too many sportbikes, too many subaru wrx, too many over-their head ferrari drivers.

I met a cyclist on mulholland who had seen us do a run, and he mentioned there was a road just north of the 118 that we should hit. I assumed this was grimes, but sounds like it may be balcom.

here's what we want to get to. Check out the french downhillers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5FCusCw8eo&mode=related&search=

hope this was entertaining. now back to climbing. I love climbing, and hit the same roads often, just not on sundays.

T

you apparently haven't checked out my ******-fest of a website.
I can't help it...when people use asterisks in lieu of the word, I always try to figure out what curse word it is. But in this case, I can't - what do your asterisks stand for? (and a hint will suffice).:p


hope this was entertaining. now back to climbing. I love climbing, and hit the same roads often, just not on sundays.


Very entertaining actually - but are you a skater or a cyclist? Or both? I saw clips with the skating (and your BF moniker definitely fits you!). Have you skated down GMR? If so, I think I may have met you before.
;)

Very entertaining actually - but are you a skater or a cyclist? Or both? I saw clips with the skating (and your BF moniker definitely fits you!). Have you skated down GMR? If so, I think I may have met you before.
;)


Yes, we hit GMR, GRR and Baldy. I wear a red/black kevlar suit and the aero helmet. You may have met me. GMR used to be our favorite road. Now its mullholland.

I was surprised I got ****'d on that post. w-anker-fest. didn't know w-anker was forbidden.

forgot to add...

cyclist since '85, skater since '92, downhill skater since '02.

I had a period of mostly skating, but I've backed off on the speedskating recently

forgot to add...

cyclist since '85, skater since '92, downhill skater since '02.

I had a period of mostly skating, but I've backed off on the speedskating recently

Dangerman, have you tried Rose Valley? (33 north of Ojai) It is a favorite cycling road of mine, perhaps you would like skating it.

Yes, we hit GMR, GRR and Baldy. I wear a red/black kevlar suit and the aero helmet. You may have met me. GMR used to be our favorite road. Now its mullholland.

I was surprised I got ****'d on that post. w-anker-fest. didn't know w-anker was forbidden.
I think I did meet you once briefly on my climb up with two other riders. (You were stopped for some reason) Unless, there is another skater that wears those colors? I met another guy up there too in a silver/black suit. If this rings a bell, I was the one grinning like a goon at you and commenting on how "I can't believe you do that!" :D

I think I did meet you once briefly on my climb up with two other riders. (You were stopped for some reason) Unless, there is another skater that wears those colors? I met another guy up there too in a silver/black suit. If this rings a bell, I was the one grinning like a goon at you and commenting on how "I can't believe you do that!" :D

there are 5 downhillers in Socal, 8 in norcal, and less than 100 worldwide. I'm certain that if you saw an inliner on GMR, it was one of us.

Silver/Black suit. could have been a visiting norcal guy, or it could have been George in his blue/black suit.

I love the looks we get as we whizz by. its fun being the second or third one in a pack, as the first usually gets people's attention, and the following skaters get to see the wide-eyed expression.

I forgot to mention. We hit Little Tejunga also. The backside has got some good pitch, and the turns are tight enough to be a challenge.

Dangerman, have you tried Rose Valley? (33 north of Ojai) It is a favorite cycling road of mine, perhaps you would like skating it.

I will check that out. How's the traffic?

I will check that out. How's the traffic?

North of Wheeler Springs has very little car traffic. Motorcycle traffic picks up as the day goes.

looks pretty steep, as in there's a 20% section in there.

Back to the original question, now that I realize you are downhill skating and not uphill cycling,

The north downhill down Grimes is pretty good. But since there are gravel pits along the wat there are two issues that will affect you

1. There are a gazillion gravel trucks during the week. They do not run weekends though.

2. Because of the gravel trucks, there can be a lot of gravel/sand debris. No real problem for cyclists but I imagine that a rock on a skate would not be a fun experience.

The downhill from Lake Piru is pretty good except the road isn't in perfect condition.

Ummm, where is this Grimes thingy?

Ummm, where is this Grimes thingy?
Between Simi and Thousand Oaks. At least, I think so... I've only ever been on it with the Colavita guys and they start their rides in Simi and usually head northwest. I've always just followed (chased) them. I've never been on Grimes in a car.

Ummm, where is this Grimes thingy?

Between Moorpark and Fillmore.

(sorry m.e.)

It isn't that big a deal, about 2 miles each way and not very steep.

Referring back to Rock Store...that's a great ride, both up and down. Probably going to hit it tomorrow morning as I'm short of time and it's close to my house. Luckily in the early morning, you can hear the cars and cycles coming most of the time and get out of the way.

Speaking of skating related, when we were in college, we used to skateboard down Las Flores Canyon to PCH. It's about 7 miles. Originally, we did that on composition wheels (old time tech) and you could guarantee that they would last one run, becoming so small that they would shatter by the bottom. When the poly wheels came out, it was like heaven.

Used to run my Flexy Flyer ( a sled on wheels) down Benedict Canyon too. Got clocked at nearly 30 mph by a follow car, laying on that thing with my nose about 18 inches above the ground. Shoot...couldn't stop as working the brakes required lifting your elbows and I was too scared I'd get out of control so I'd use my shoes. My buddy said that smoke was coming out of them and I wore the toes straight through!

Sheldon

In high school, we used to take those plastic trikes (Big Wheels) and run them down Stunt Road. You were lucky if you made it down without the thing disintegrating.

Between Moorpark and Fillmore.

(sorry m.e.)

It isn't that big a deal, about 2 miles each way and not very steep.

Oh ok, thanx! I'm not familiar with those parts.:)

In high school, we used to take those plastic trikes (Big Wheels) and run them down Stunt Road. You were lucky if you made it down without the thing disintegrating.

Oh gawd, that would be like doing it on a fixie! Watch out for your legs.

Sheldon

Oh gawd, that would be like doing it on a fixie! Watch out for your legs.

Sheldon

If you were lucky, the front wheel would split in half. Then you would just do an ashpalt slide. If unlucky and one of the back wheels came off, you normally would fly a bit, then slide on the asphalt.

If it isn't obvious, we weren't all that bright in high school.

Between Moorpark and Fillmore.

(sorry m.e.)

No apologies, necessary! I don't know that area all that well and just follow the pack. :p

If you were lucky, the front wheel would split in half. Then you would just do an ashpalt slide. If unlucky and one of the back wheels came off, you normally would fly a bit, then slide on the asphalt.

If it isn't obvious, we weren't all that bright in high school.

I picked up the dangerman name when I was 8, and my older brother built a huge ramp that launched me over a cliff. We went through three big wheels that way. I wasn't that bright when I was 8, and apparently, that hasn't changed much as I've reached 40. ;-)

I picked up the dangerman name when I was 8, and my older brother built a huge ramp that launched me over a cliff. We went through three big wheels that way. I wasn't that bright when I was 8, and apparently, that hasn't changed much as I've reached 40. ;-)

That's hysterical!!