Northern California - Climbs in the Sacramento area

Sadly, Scott, that wasn't us, either. Although it sounds like I'm missing some fun group rides. :(

My schedule was jam-packed this weekend, and my captain is traveling for business, so I took my rides early, short & fast. I hope to ride with the group (any group!) next weekend.

The season's early, so take your time & heal -- and come to next Monday's club meeting. The more, the merrier! :beer:

The season's early, so take your time & heal -- and come to next Monday's club meeting. The more, the merrier! :beer:
I think I might actually make it to a meeting this time. As for healing, It takes whatever time it takes.

I was in the Costco/REI parking lot (right by the mile 4 marker, I believe) this weekend, and I saw a lot of bikes going by up on the levee. I haven't actually been on the trail since the fire, but it didn't look like people were being turned back, so I guess it's still open, in a way.

Considering what an important stretch of railway the fire has cut off, I don't expect it'll take long to rebuild. :)

Here's some additional information of the state of the bike trail ...

http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/141421.html

This Wykoff sounds intriguing. Were is it?

Sadly, Scott, that wasn't us, either. Although it sounds like I'm missing some fun group rides. :(

My schedule was jam-packed this weekend, and my captain is traveling for business, so I took my rides early, short & fast. I hope to ride with the group (any group!) next weekend.

The season's early, so take your time & heal -- and come to next Monday's club meeting. The more, the merrier! :beer:

I've not been on a group ride in years..... back in t' days of the olde Lancashire Road Club (when I were a lad and livin' back in England....) I bring "the twins" with me on the training rides - Pain and Suffering. :D

Like dauphin said, look towards Auburn. I grew up and used to race in the area. The American River canyon in out of Auburn has some good climbs. A loop I used to love went from Auburn through the canyon towards Pilot Hill, then Rattlesnake (I think) around to Folsom Lake and then back up Auburn Folsom Rd.

This Wykoff sounds intriguing. Were is it?
Northwest Vacaville. From Pleasants Valley Road heading south, go past Vaca Valley Road. First left is Foothill. Wind east, first right goes up Wykoff. Goes over the hill and comes out on Buck just west of Alamo Drive. Short but very steep. Not something you'd want to ride a fixie on.

I've not been on a group ride in years..... back in t' days of the olde Lancashire Road Club (when I were a lad and livin' back in England....) I bring "the twins" with me on the training rides - Pain and Suffering. :D

LOL on the twins.

We rode half of our 30 miler today against a wicked headwind. The twins were there, to be sure. We told each other how much stronger it was making us. Still, bleah.

Northwest Vacaville. From Pleasants Valley Road heading south, go past Vaca Valley Road. First left is Foothill. Wind east, first right goes up Wykoff. Goes over the hill and comes out on Buck just west of Alamo Drive. Short but very steep. Not something you'd want to ride a fixie on.

You can access Wykoff from Buck Ave. or Foothill. Either way you'll be breathing hard at the top. Enjoy!

LOL on the twins.


They kept me good company yesterday.... Went up Mix twice - not all the way up, just to the "two houses" at the 3.5 mile marker. I think trans-continental coaching loses something in the mix somewhere as he said "I need to develop more 'force'" and my legs just scream "no fecking way' - I've just basically been doing aerobic training on the bike the past 12 months - So 39x23 it was, with the "wimp gear" (as he calls it) of 39x25 for that last 1/2 mile section.

I think he forgets that I'm no longer 145lbs and not able to get under the hour for a 25 right now. LOL

Sore does not accurately describe the way I feel today - especially after working on the car for 2 hours afterwards too... but I think it's sore in a good way.

That tail wind up Cantelow from Pleasants Valley was nice - just call me Robert Millar or Luis Herrera. :)

If it wasn't for that last mile of Mix Canyon, after the Two Houses and that rather spectacular view from the hairpin bend 1/2 mile further up, I'd take my granny ring off (I have a TA Alize chainset that can be either a double or triple) and just leave it at 54/39. One of these days I'll upgrade the "retro rings" and get a big ring with the 9/10 speed "pins" on it - as the shifting from the 39 to 53 with a 10 speed chain is beyond bad.

They kept me good company yesterday.... Went up Mix twice - not all the way up, just to the "two houses" at the 3.5 mile marker. I think trans-continental coaching loses something in the mix somewhere as he said "I need to develop more 'force'" and my legs just scream "no fecking way' - I've just basically been doing aerobic training on the bike the past 12 months - So 39x23 it was, with the "wimp gear" (as he calls it) of 39x25 for that last 1/2 mile section.

Show up at the clocktower in Vacaville on Saturday at 9AM for the Monticello group ride, and look for a guy on a yellow Felt named Dave. He loves to climb as much as you do. Dave will take on any climb.

I'll take on any climb... but unfortunately for now at least, the climb itself has the last laugh.......

Thanks for letting me know where Wykoff is, but it sounds rough. I think I'll tackle Mix canyon first.

Thanks for letting me know where Wykoff is, but it sounds rough. I think I'll tackle Mix canyon first.

Wykoff is actually easier than Mix -- shorter, at least, and less steep than the top of Mix.

Have fun!

Wykoff is actually easier than Mix -- shorter, at least, and less steep than the top of Mix.

Have fun!
Wykoff is shorter than Cantelow (maybe half the elevation gain?), but probably steeper, except for the corner near the top on the west side. Mix is definitely more difficult.

Wykoff is actually easier than Mix -- shorter, at least, and less steep than the top of Mix.
Really! But it is a bit out of the way for me. How urban is it? It seems really close to Vacaville, unlike Cantelow and Mix that are more rural rides.

Really! But it is a bit out of the way for me. How urban is it? It seems really close to Vacaville, unlike Cantelow and Mix that are more rural rides.

It's in northwestern Vacaville. When you drop down onto Foothill & turn left you'll end up on Pleasant's Valley Rd. It's pretty close to rural VV.

I rode Cantelow from the East to West today and saw nothing but animals & hills from Steiger to P.V. I love having that road to myself. Just gorgeous.

It's in northwestern Vacaville. When you drop down onto Foothill & turn left you'll end up on Pleasant's Valley Rd. It's pretty close to rural VV.

I rode Cantelow from the East to West today and saw nothing but animals & hills from Steiger to P.V. I love having that road to myself. Just gorgeous.
One time going east on Cantelow on the PV side, I had to stop because of a flock of wild turkeys. Hate those damn birds...

And Wykoff is in Vacaville city limits, on the western edge of town. Bunch of larger estates as you go up the hill.

Just checked Google maps, and there's a lot more houses than on Cantelow.
Man, that is short, looks like just over a mile. Which side is steeper the Foothill side or the Buck side?

Just checked Google maps, and there's a lot more houses than on Cantelow.
Man, that is short, looks like just over a mile. Which side is steeper the Foothill side or the Buck side?
Not really sure. Why not try both ways and let us know? :)

Sounds like a plan. But probably won't ride it till next week or the week after.

Campyguy,

If you're coming from Davis, come down Pleasants Valley Rd towards Vacaville, hang a right and go up Mix - but keep an eye on those mile markers.... upto the 2.7 mile point it aint too bad *cough* but it gets worse. Once you hit 3.1 miles then you're on the real deal for the following ~2 miles. I know there are parts that are steeper than 20% up there - but it feels like a constant grade. The top of the climb is open, so mornings are best unless you like making like a BBQ'd hotdog on wheels....

Apparently, going past the gate at the top is a no-no. The dusty trail to the right takes you to the otherside of the ridge. Go along it for about 1/2 mile and you'll be treated to spectacular views across Napa towards the Bay... Everytime I've been up there it's been to foggy in the distance to see the Golden Gate bridge towers though.... One day maybe.

Careful on the descent.... if you puncture, give the rims 5 minutes to cool off otherwise you'll burn your fingers. LOL

Cantelow from Pleasants Valley will be a piece of cake after Mix... Never been up Wykoff though.

I know there are parts that are steeper than 20%
Ooh! Sounds fun.:D
The only thing that gets me up a hill is knowing that eventually I'll get to go downhill. What do you mean by going past the gate? From google maps it looks like the road continues for miles and hits Blue Ridge rd.

Apparently, going past the gate at the top is a no-no.

Past the gate is private property, and very close to a private gun range. I've been up there with the Sheriff's Dept, and the owners have had problems with trespassers. You will not be welcome and will be prosecuted by the property owners up there. Just ride up, have a look, and head down. If you make it to the top you have my respect.

Anyone wanting companionship attempt Mix, here's something posted on the Davis Bike Club listserv:

From: Sangho Byun <sanghobyun at yahoo dot com>

For those of you not riding in the Chico Wildflower, I will be leading an
unofficial assault on Mix Canyon on Sunday morning, April 22. The meeting place
is at Steady Eddy's in Winters, 8:30am. From Winters we'll ride at a leisurely
P3 along Pleasant Valley Rd, arriving at the bottom of Mix Canyon ~9:30. Then
everyone can ride at their own pace to the top of Mix (the 4.7 mile climb will
probably take 45-70 minutes, and the descent takes about 20 minutes). We should
be back to Steady Eddy's by noon.

I'll send out a reminder in a couple of weeks, but I thought some of you might
want some advance notice :) This will be my second time riding Mix, and another
rider's first time, so this is a great opportunity for you to attempt this
famous local ride.

Cheers,
Sang

Ooh! Sounds fun.:D
The only thing that gets me up a hill is knowing that eventually I'll get to go downhill. What do you mean by going past the gate? From google maps it looks like the road continues for miles and hits Blue Ridge rd.

When you make it too the top there's a fork in the road. The left fork has "the gate", the right continues over hard pack dirt road along the top of the ridge for a while.

Check out these photos and videos courtesy of Campyonly:

http://www.campyonly.com/mypages/misc_rides_2003.html

Sadly about 1/2 of Mix is too steep, narrow and twisty for even a lunatic descender to try at anything more than 40mph. The first two miles are "forearm challenging" and some spots further down are blind corners wide enough just for you and an original 1960's Mini. It's as challenging to go down fast as a downhill mountain bike run on a bike without shocks.....

.... also note that cellphone coverage is kinda spotty up there - so if you "bite it" on the descent then either you're picked up by a good samaritan or you're left for the mountain lions and snakes. Oh.. watch out for the snakes crossing the road too - slippery buggers I tell ya. Hahaha

Thanks for the link, those pictures really helped. Now at least I have a visual idea of the climb. I think I'm going to try it this weekend, then maybe again with the group on the 22nd.

So how was it Campyguy.... you make it up Mix? Have you recovered yet? LOL

Thanks for the link, those pictures really helped. Now at least I have a visual idea of the climb. I think I'm going to try it this weekend, then maybe again with the group on the 22nd.

Who's climbing it the 22nd?

Anyone wanting companionship attempt Mix, here's something posted on the Davis Bike Club listserv:

From: Sangho Byun <sanghobyun at yahoo dot com>

For those of you not riding in the Chico Wildflower, I will be leading an
unofficial assault on Mix Canyon on Sunday morning, April 22. The meeting place
is at Steady Eddy's in Winters, 8:30am. From Winters we'll ride at a leisurely
P3 along Pleasant Valley Rd, arriving at the bottom of Mix Canyon ~9:30. Then
everyone can ride at their own pace to the top of Mix (the 4.7 mile climb will
probably take 45-70 minutes, and the descent takes about 20 minutes). We should
be back to Steady Eddy's by noon.

I'll send out a reminder in a couple of weeks, but I thought some of you might
want some advance notice :) This will be my second time riding Mix, and another
rider's first time, so this is a great opportunity for you to attempt this
famous local ride.

Cheers,
Sang

Actually I was planning to do Mix tommorow. I did Cantelow on Saturday and was expecting something easier. So Mix is going to be hell, but I told myself I was going to do it tuesday so I'm doing it no matter what.

Which side of Cantelow? The Pleasants Valley side is much harder...

... a climb is only as hard as you make it. If you have a suitable bottom gear and some patience, you can get up pretty much anything. Pacing on Mix is the key but when you hit the 3 mile point and head out into the grassy part and lose the shade then it's fun time. Resist the temptation of pulling a Marco Pantani on the middle section....

Just out of interest, what is your bottom gear and how fit are you?

I went down the Pleasant valley side (and man was it fun!). I thought for my first time I'd do the easier way first. For Cantelow my bottom gear was a 30 up front and a 25 in the rear, but I only used it for a little bit. I just change my cassette, so now my bottom gear is 30x28. That's probably fine for Mix, right?
Well, 5 months ago I was in terrific shape, but I've been pretty lazy. Only recently I started going on longer rides.

I climb the Pleasannt Valley side occasionally. The best part is the long downhills after you get over the top. I climb the other way as well, and I hate the sharp switchback that turns uphill bigtime. It gets in my head. One of these days I'll try Mix, but without witnesses or reporting my speed. Ijust wanna see how far I can get up before I blow. Rumor has it Dave Zabriske has the best time up Mix.

I'm thinking later this week I'll do the pleasant valley side of cantelow. As for mix, it's not that bad if you know what's coming and how far it is to the top. Today when I did it, after every switchback I kept wondering "Am I there yet". You just have to keep pedaling, because if you stop it's really hard to get going again on those steep parts.
Just out of curiosity, do you know what his time was?

I will ask the guy I heard it from. He just got back from a riding vacation/training camp in Majorca. Lucky duck. :)

I went down the Pleasant valley side (and man was it fun!). I thought for my first time I'd do the easier way first. For Cantelow my bottom gear was a 30 up front and a 25 in the rear, but I only used it for a little bit. I just change my cassette, so now my bottom gear is 30x28. That's probably fine for Mix, right?
Well, 5 months ago I was in terrific shape, but I've been pretty lazy. Only recently I started going on longer rides.


Yes, that descent is pretty fun. This past weekend I did a loop around Lake Folsom. See here: http://www.routeslip.com/routes/30659

The descent from Cool to the confluence was just as fun as the PV side of Cantelow - only longer.... http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=850651

Try it the next time you're in the Auburn area, and take a right on Old Forrest Hill Rd for a good climb afterwards.

My grandparents live in Pilot Hill, so next time I visit them I'm definitely bringing my bike. But I know there's really good mountain biking there...makes me wish I had a mountain bike.:(

I went down the Pleasant valley side (and man was it fun!). I thought for my first time I'd do the easier way first. For Cantelow my bottom gear was a 30 up front and a 25 in the rear, but I only used it for a little bit. I just change my cassette, so now my bottom gear is 30x28. That's probably fine for Mix, right?
Well, 5 months ago I was in terrific shape, but I've been pretty lazy. Only recently I started going on longer rides.

I think you may be having a little too much fun on Mix... but it all depends on how persistant you are I guess. For that side of Cantelow I'm normally in 39x21 with 23 on the section about 100 yards before the right hand hairpin. On the Pleasants Valley side of Cantelow its 39x21 and 23 with a 25 on the steep part of 'that' right hand corner about 1/4mile from the top if there's a headwind, which invariably there is.

On Mix I keep it in the 39 ring (12-25 cassette) until the start of the major climbing at the 3.1 mile point where you leave the shelter of the trees and head up that long straightish section which then bends left to the "two houses" at about 3.5 miles . I have the leg strength but not the upper body endurance for climbing - so the 26 ring it is from there.

Just like any other climb that you don't have to race up, it's a case of pacing yourself. When you get to the 3.5 point - enjoy the views, stop a while if needs be. The next respite is at 4.0 miles for the hairpin bend and an even better view out towards Sac across the plains.... from there it's another continuation of a wall of asphalt.

A 39! Wow! I was pushing the 30x28 for most of the last 2 miles. I guess I need to practice my climbing. That last bit of Mix was unreal, I was crawling along thinking that it must be impossible for cars to go up, then I got passed by a UPS truck.

I made it all the way up Mix my second try, 103 that day.

http://www.actc.org/billygoats/bgoats.htm

shows some of the climbs around and

http://www.actc.org/profiles/index.php

compares one climb to another, but is South bay centric

Another description of Mix Canyon. I'll be climbing it in the next few days, gotta blow off some stress.

Davis wiki Mix Canyon (http://www.daviswiki.org/Bicycle_Rides#head-fd7391b6720b809c7c41ed50cf63fdc87dac6b9d)

Outta blow off a lotta steam here.

Scotty

Well, have fun. And just remember, keep pedaling, and bring lots of water.

I went out for a ride in the rain, and hit Mix Canyon on the way back. I got up to milemarker 2.7 on Mix and the water was sheeting across the road, and I was losing traction, so I turned back. I'm learning, crashing hurts. Good stress burner. I didn't get to the section that makes this climb Hors Categorie, maybe next time I'l make the complete climb.

My grandparents live in Pilot Hill, so next time I visit them I'm definitely bringing my bike. But I know there's really good mountain biking there...makes me wish I had a mountain bike.:(


Yeah, there is, but there is good road biking too.

I'm thinking later this week I'll do the pleasant valley side of cantelow. As for mix, it's not that bad if you know what's coming and how far it is to the top. Today when I did it, after every switchback I kept wondering "Am I there yet". You just have to keep pedaling, because if you stop it's really hard to get going again on those steep parts.
Just out of curiosity, do you know what his time was?


It wasn't Dave Zabriske, it was Chris Horner. His time from Foothill Road to the top of Mix Canyon was 41 minutes in a mass start event.

So he went faster then I did, while going twice the distance. Geez.

Guess the weather's might be bad, but I'll be camping at Fort Ross with the Boy Scouts anyway...If you're planning on doing this ride, I'd suggest contacting Sang.

Date: Fri, 20 Apr 2007 08:52:04 -0700 (PDT)
From: Sangho Byun <sanghobyun at yahoo dot com>
Subject: [DBC] Mix Canyon Ride - Sunday Morning
To: Davis Bike Club <dbc@dbclist.org>
Message-ID: <133616.79142.qm@web36809.mail.mud.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ascii

Hi everyone,

The weather forecast is calling for showers Saturday night and rain on Sunday...

At 7am on Sunday, I'll post another message saying whether or not the ride is
on. Basically, if there is no active precipitation and the roads in Davis are
dry (or in the process of drying out), then I'll still plan on being at Steady
Eddy's at 8:30am.

Cheers,
Sang