Southern California - July 1: Ride 'til you drop. Or the sun sets.

UPDATE: People's projected climb times:

jschen: Roll at 5:15, meet Chucklehead and GrumpyPig to go back up from the fork at 8, roll for next full climb at 9:45.
Chucklehead, Grumpy Pig: Roll at 7, meet jschen at the fork at 8.

ORIGINAL POST: Ever wished for SAG stops every 13 miles? Ever wanted to get heat acclimated for the big rides you have planned for later this summer? Ever wanted to go on a ride where you are never more than a mile's pedaling (on essentially flat ground at that) away from your car if you wish to bail? And most importantly, ever wondered when your climbing legs give out?

Anyone up for repeats on Palomar South Grade? I intend to start at civil twilight and go at it until my body tells me to stop. Or if I'm having a great day, until I can't safely count on returning to the car before the sun gets too low, making it hard for drivers to see me as I return to the car. I'm hoping for three climbs and dreaming of four climbs.

Anyone care to join me for any or all of the day? It's not really a group ride in the sense that I don't intend to be holding up anyone or waiting on anyone. But if we're all on the same 13 mile stretch of road all day long, we should be able to give each other a bit of moral support as we pass by each other every once in a while.

Riders who have lost their mind
jschen
Chucklehead
Grumpy Pig
Indolent58 (?)
efficiency (?)
jsigone (?)

I'm game, but won't be able to start til about 7-8am.

Are you going to do from the taco shop up or from fork up and down? I'd prolly be just climbing from the fork up since most of the dry santa ana winds will be blocked if there are any. I'll stash some gallons of water at the south grade fork if needed.

I was planning on starting from the Harrah's, but that doesn't have to stop you from just climbing from the fork.

The new avatar must go.

It won't stay long... some people in Foo requested it, so I figured I'd amuse them for a little while. Cabbage will return soon.

I was planning on starting from the Harrah's, but that doesn't have to stop you from just climbing from the fork.

Yah I'll start from Harrah's as well, but my repeats will begin at the fork, rather then the taco shop.

Yah I'll start from Harrah's as well, but my repeats will begin at the fork, rather then the taco shop.

Are you planning on stashing tacos at the fork too?

Are you in for this ride? :D

Possibly. I don't know that it qualifies as a "ride" though. More like lost souls in solitary torment, randomly interspersed with fleeting encounters with their fellow afflicted.







Actually that could be a good name for a ride. A little long maybe.

Cabbage will return soon.



please....PLEASE...no more cabbage.

the cabbage rocks

Just a reminder that Lost Souls in Solitary Torment, Randomly Interspersed with Fleeting Encounters with Their Fellow Afflicted will be playing this Sunday.

I can only ride on Saturday, Sunday is no good for me anymore.....

After the GT Highland Double, an epic sufferfest sounds less appealing than it did earlier. Actually it didn't sound all that appealing in the first place. We will see.

Suffering? What suffering? A SAG stop every 13 miles. Bailout points at all points of the ride. No group to try to keep up with.

I might ride up once, but only once.

Cool. Out of curiosity, if you do ride up once, any clue what time you think you're starting?

I'm hoping to roll for the first climb at around 5:15 AM, get to the top around 7:30-7:40 AM (nice relaxed endurance pace), roll back to the start by around 8:00-8:15 AM (no point sitting around at the top since the store won't be open yet) and be ready to roll for the second climb a few minutes earlier. If I'm in shape for a third climb, I expect that to start around noon, but it gets pretty hard to project times since I'll have climbed almost 8500 vertical feet by then. As for a fourth climb--assuming I still can climb--all bets are off in terms of when that would start.

I'd see you at at least two points in time (once in each direction as I pass by the other way) no matter what, but if you aim for one of those times we may be able to do a climb together.

i'll go. probably not for repeats, but i'll go up and over with an observatory run or something.

I'll most likely go as well, but definitely no repeats. Need to conquer the falling down part. :p :D

Can't...and NOT because I just don't want to partake in this labor of Sysiphusian proportions...but I'll be hosting a Bday partay.

You kids have fun. I'll drink 5, nosh on pesto shrimp and honey garlic spareribs, and eat a slice of cake for y'all.

Oops, I have to bail out. Need to finish off some things at work. :p

Oh, come on... you won't be stuck at work ALL of Sunday, will you? Just join us for a few hours. :)

i don't know if a PM is a good indication, but i think GP is in, too.

What the heck... let's sign him up.

Everyone should feel free to start when they feel like it, but if you want to be riding with someone, try to coordinate a start time with someone else or aim for showing up a bit after 8 AM and you can roll out with me on my second climb.

dangit, jason. frank and i just agreed on a 7am start. you better turn around and join us on your descent!

Roll at 7? Hmm... how about we meet at the fork? You guys should get there around 8, and I should be getting there around 8 on the way down.

sounds like a plan, stan.

looks like I'm 50/50 on this now. I won't know til the morning. I was planning on going fishing but the boat owner isn't feeling well. He'll call me if it's a go. If not I'll see some of you on the grade:D

Cool.

see you fools sometime tomorrow.

Yup.

So, I was fully intending to ride up South Grade once, but I got lost again. This time I ended up in Ramona (mixed up the 78 and the 76). I'm buying a map for my car.

So, I was fully intending to ride up South Grade once, but I got lost again. This time I ended up in Ramona (mixed up the 78 and the 76). I'm buying a map for my car.

:roflmao: :roflmao: :roflmao:

Well, that road up the 78 to Ramona isn't exactly easy...but it's no South Grade.

Started at civil twilight from Harrah's. Had a nice first climb, maintaining a steady ~2300 vertical feet per hour, what for me is a reasonable tempo pace. But as the climb progressed, it became clear it would be a really hot day. Descended about 70-80% of the way down the mountain and met up with Chucklehead and Grumpy Pig and turned around to join them for another climb. Heat and fatigue got to me, and it was a painful climb, but the company along the way made it much more bearable. Almost fun. Almost.

As we contemplated decisions at the top of Palomar, the other two were going to head to Lake Henshaw, but when they decide instead to turn back to the casino for lunch, I took up the chance to have lunch with great company rather than slog my way through a tough third climb with temperatures in the 90's. Fun day, not as much climbing as I hoped, but ~7500 vertical feet isn't too bad. And lunch was great fun.

pics? :D

No pics. What is there to see? Just salt encrusted faces and the typical Palomar scenery.

Oh, and I'd note that trying to do a long ride on Palomar on a hot summer day is stupid. It was 20-25 degrees warmer out there than the temps at the coast when I got back. The early morning climb was tolerable, but temperatures climbed really quickly after that.