Bikeforums.net is a forum about nothing but bikes. Our community can help you find information about hard-to-find and localized information like bicycle tours, specialties like where in your area to have your recumbent bike serviced, or what are the best bicycle tires and seats for the activities you use your bike for.Tunnelrat81
09-14-08, 11:00 PM
Met with the usual crew at 7 am. this morning (a small group who often decides on longer/steeper rides than most of the folks who meet at Stell Coffee Shop in Redlands each Sunday morning). The decision was made to check out a route that was new to most of us and head up the 18 to Crestline, Running Springs and up to Keller Peak. "Sounds fun," I thought, and off we went. The group started out as 5, with one rider who had been recommended to join another (he's newish) and dropped away as soon as the climbing started. We waited a bit after the first climb and he never showed up, so we continued without him =(.
The route took us up old waterman road, a steep and pretty shortcut that skips the first section of Hwy 18. The road was quiet with no cars and the gradient hit us hard, which prepared us nicely for the remainder of the climb. By the time we got to the top of Old Waterman, Hwy 18 was like a recovery gradient, allowing us to spin back up and cruise on up to Crestline. One thing I'll note about this leg is that if you're nervous about heights, some of the effective "bridge" sections going up 18 will scare the poo out of you, but traffic wasn't bad yet and we got through without incident.
After a stop for water we continued along the next section of 18, now with busy traffic and a narrow sandy shoulder across the scenic ridge before dropping down into Running Springs. At Running springs we arrived to realize that one of our men had fallen back. We called him and found out that a couple miles back he'd flatted and his only "spare" was a patch kit, so after a short wait he arrived and we were able to push on down the hill toward the turnoff to Keller Peak.
Here's where it got fun. With plenty of climbing behind us and appropriately tired legs we turned up the unknown climb to the peak. Along the way it had been explained to us that this last of the climbs was going to be the most challenging of the ride, being effectively as tough a climb as Oak Glen is (about 5+ miles at a respectable grade), but starting and ending around 2500 ft. higher. Uhg. The road was empty and occasionally covered in sand, but it wound up the hill in a somewhat carefree manner, among plenty of twists and turns, and offering only short recovery sections between the steep pushes. By the time I neared the top I was pleading with my legs to keep going, and silently cursing "whoever it was" who suggested this exhausting climb. I love to climb, but my limit was being reached. Thankfully the top of the climb completely circles the look out tower, spreading the last vertical feet over a bit more distance.
This has to be one of the most satisfying peaks in the area to climb, as reaching the top gives you an incredible 360 degree including the view to the South into the San Bernardino valley from which you've just climbed. It's an impressive sight (even with the smog), and one that did somehow ease the pain in my legs from the recent effort. We all reached the top, two in the group were severely cramping, all of us were about passing out from hunger, and we all sat down to enjoy the cool 70 degree breeze before the 30 mi. descent back down the 330 to our starting point.
Conclusion: Total mileage was 74, was just about right for my level of fitness right now. This is a brutal ride, and one that you definitely don't want to do solo thanks to the sketchy road conditions and busy traffic. I would also suggest that there are better times in the year to enjoy the scenery and view. It is definitely a ride worth hitting up though if you enjoy a challenging hill climb and are looking for new roads to cover. I often get stuck in the same usual routes, and it's refreshing to discover new options.
Hope you all had equally as enjoyable Sunday rides, because mine really hit the spot.
-Jeremy
The route took us up old waterman road, a steep and pretty shortcut that skips the first section of Hwy 18. The road was quiet with no cars and the gradient hit us hard, which prepared us nicely for the remainder of the climb. By the time we got to the top of Old Waterman, Hwy 18 was like a recovery gradient, allowing us to spin back up and cruise on up to Crestline. One thing I'll note about this leg is that if you're nervous about heights, some of the effective "bridge" sections going up 18 will scare the poo out of you, but traffic wasn't bad yet and we got through without incident.
After a stop for water we continued along the next section of 18, now with busy traffic and a narrow sandy shoulder across the scenic ridge before dropping down into Running Springs. At Running springs we arrived to realize that one of our men had fallen back. We called him and found out that a couple miles back he'd flatted and his only "spare" was a patch kit, so after a short wait he arrived and we were able to push on down the hill toward the turnoff to Keller Peak.
Here's where it got fun. With plenty of climbing behind us and appropriately tired legs we turned up the unknown climb to the peak. Along the way it had been explained to us that this last of the climbs was going to be the most challenging of the ride, being effectively as tough a climb as Oak Glen is (about 5+ miles at a respectable grade), but starting and ending around 2500 ft. higher. Uhg. The road was empty and occasionally covered in sand, but it wound up the hill in a somewhat carefree manner, among plenty of twists and turns, and offering only short recovery sections between the steep pushes. By the time I neared the top I was pleading with my legs to keep going, and silently cursing "whoever it was" who suggested this exhausting climb. I love to climb, but my limit was being reached. Thankfully the top of the climb completely circles the look out tower, spreading the last vertical feet over a bit more distance.
This has to be one of the most satisfying peaks in the area to climb, as reaching the top gives you an incredible 360 degree including the view to the South into the San Bernardino valley from which you've just climbed. It's an impressive sight (even with the smog), and one that did somehow ease the pain in my legs from the recent effort. We all reached the top, two in the group were severely cramping, all of us were about passing out from hunger, and we all sat down to enjoy the cool 70 degree breeze before the 30 mi. descent back down the 330 to our starting point.
Conclusion: Total mileage was 74, was just about right for my level of fitness right now. This is a brutal ride, and one that you definitely don't want to do solo thanks to the sketchy road conditions and busy traffic. I would also suggest that there are better times in the year to enjoy the scenery and view. It is definitely a ride worth hitting up though if you enjoy a challenging hill climb and are looking for new roads to cover. I often get stuck in the same usual routes, and it's refreshing to discover new options.
Hope you all had equally as enjoyable Sunday rides, because mine really hit the spot.
-Jeremy