Southern California - What are your experiences climbing Topanga Canyon?

Three nights a week I ride from Van Nuys, over the Sepulveda Pass to Wilshire, and the back over the pass, back to Van Nuys again. It's about a 25-27 mile round trip depending on whether or not I also stop by the Sepulveda Basin park to meet up with a friend first. I consider the climb a good training ride. Sometimes I repeat the Valley side of the climb too, just for good measure.

In May I started doing a weekly ride over Topanga Canyon from the Valley to the PCH and back. After awhile, I lost interest in it because I could never seem to get up the steep grade on the return trip in lower Topanga without stopping at a turn-out halfway up the steepest part of the grade. If you ride Topanga occasionally, you probably know where I mean. Think of a couple miles from the PCH, narrow windy segment, guard rail on one side, and steep.

So now it's five months later; I've been riding 90 to 150 miles a week every week since May (except a couple weeks of vacation, where I still got 70 miles in). As I said, I've been training in the Sepulveda Pass three nights a week, plus I go for a "longer" ride (50 - 80 miles) once a week. The longer ride usually takes me over the pass too, and then along the coastline and back.

Today, I took a ride from home in Van Nuys, over the Sepulveda Pass, north on the PCH to Topanga, up and over Topanga to the Valley again, east to the Sepulveda Basin park, one lap around the park, and then back to home; 50.5 miles. With all the riding I've been doing, and all the hills, I expected the ascent in lower Topanga to be no problem. But once again, it kicked my butt, and I had to stop to let my legs regenerate for a few minutes on one of the turn-outs in the steepest part of the ascent. ...maybe fewer stops (only one from PCH to the top), but still, it seems it shouldn't still be necessary.

So I ask: What gearing are people pulling up that grade? It seems ridiculous to consider 30/27. In routine training rides the only place I ever drop to 30/25 is climbing the last quarter mile to Skirball Center (Sepulveda again). So if I had 30/27, I can think of only one place I would ever use it; a mile long portion of the Topanga ascent.

First, what gearing are people using to climb that grade?

Second, what can I do to further HTFU so that I can make it up without stopping like a baby? ;) Just keep riding?

I can certainly empathize: Topanga has kicked my butt more than a few times (usually at the end of 50+ miles of hard pace and other hills). I run a 53/39 in front with 12-25 in back. I think there are a couple things you can try:

1) Sorry 'bout this one, but essentially, HTFU. Keep trying it time & again. Each time, go a little farther. Before you know it, you'll be all the way up. It is less steep at the top, but it's not easier because the steep section has already taken something out of you. Hills. B*st*rds.
2) Find something steeper and try that. When you go back to Topanga, you'll find it's not so bad anymore.
3) Get more climbing in, especially trying to climb fast. This is easiest to do when you try and follow somebody's wheel.
4) Train for speed on the flats. You'll find that the increase in your strength on flatland will help you in the hills a little as well.

Both my bikes have compacts. I like them and don't see a need to depart from using them.

Thanks for the comments. I was just trying to gauge where I'm at, and now I know. ;)

Like I said, I've been working at hills, but usually the Sepulveda pass. The worst part of Sepulveda is climbing up to Skirball on the return climb toward the valley. Topanga's steep grade below the little town is steeper and longer than the Skirball climb. I guess I was just frustrated that even though I've gotten so that I can get over Sepulveda in much faster times than I used to, and pulling several gears higher than I used to, the "below the town" grade in Topanga still bit me. I simply expected that by now I would be able to own it.

I started the grade today on about mile 23 of my ride. The miles shouldn't have been an issue; I'm used to it.

Anyway, I guess I'll just report back in another six months. ;) It's encouraging to know people are doing it on a double and a compact. My NR headlamp isn't going to withstand the amount of time needed for the 50 mile round trip from my place, over Topanga, and back at night. So I'll have to continue training on Sepulveda. I guess I'll start doing full Sepulveda repeats instead of one or one and a halfs.

Hey I'm in Van Nuys also. I rode down Topanga Canyon for the first time last month, but like I say it was down to PCH, not up the other way. If I go out that way I like to ride up Sunset and then Sepulveda pass on the way back into the Valley. I started out with a 39/53 11/23 combo and had to stop several times on some of the steeper hills around here. Now I'm running an 11-28 in the back and loving it. It's made climbing so much easier.

I'm with mkadam- you just really need to climb more. Sounds like most of your riding is in the flats, and you've developed a good base, but to get good at climbing, you just have to climb. Long, extended climbs is what works best, IMO. I also don't think the kind of climbing you do on Sepulveda is that comparable to what you get on Topanga.

According to bikely, Sepulveda Blvd. from Ventura to Wilshire is a total of 9 miles, with 800ft climbing. Compare that to Topanga from Ventura to PCH, a total of 12 miles but 1800ft of climbing. A third longer, but more than TWICE as much climbing. It's a noticeable difference.

Best (and quickest) way to get good at climbing is to do lots of it. I'd recommend you consider going east of Sepulveda and practice climbing into the Encino and Hollywood hills, up towards Mulholland, then up and down there. I've ridden some there, but from the other side. While it's not an area I'm real familiar with, others can recommend some climbs to work on, I'm sure.

FWIW, I climb everything around here with a 34-50 compact and 12-27 cassette. Not quickly, sometimes, but it works. Your gearing should be fine.

I've climbed Topanga for more than 20 years and it still isn't easy, but then, I'm not a great climber at 208 pounds. I think Topanga sucks because of the traffic, so I try to avoid it, but sometimes that's where the group is going. I much prefer Latigo, Encinal, Mulholland, Yerba Buena, or even Sepulveda.
From Van Nuys you could make your way to Wells Drive and eventually to Mulholland Hwy and as far as you'd like before turning around. Just a thought.

Topanga is a beast. I have done it with 39/25 and 39/27. I have a riding partner who lives at the top (where the trailer park used to be) and the ends of our rides generally include that climb. I find it best to just grind it out. Stopping on climbs has always done more bad than good for me so I'd HTFU and see what happens.

Additionally, while Sepulveda pass is an ok climb, it may not be the best traingin hill. You could try doing repeats over the pass or start doing it in several gears harder than you currrently use. I ride La Tuna a lot and I usually try to do it without going to my 27. Seems to have helped me a bit.

Good luck

Rob

i run a 53/39 with a 12/23. i climb sepulveda all the time on my way to work. i typically use the 39/19 on the valley side of sepulveda. for topanga from the beach, the really tough section is the part your taking about, which is about 1 1/2 miles long. i use a 39/21 or 23 in that section. i know i work really hard on that section and that once it's done the rest isn't too bad. i also try to not push too hard before i get to the steep section. i think you just have to get used to it and pace yourself. knowing where the end is helps a lot in pacing yourself.

find some short steep hills and ride up them hard to build power. if they are too long you won't be able to power through them, so keep them short

Hey I'm in Van Nuys also. I rode down Topanga Canyon for the first time last month, but like I say it was down to PCH, not up the other way. If I go out that way I like to ride up Sunset and then Sepulveda pass on the way back into the Valley. I started out with a 39/53 11/23 combo and had to stop several times on some of the steeper hills around here. Now I'm running an 11-28 in the back and loving it. It's made climbing so much easier.

My experience is that you're never better off taking Sunset anywhere. Sunset gets you into areas where the traffic is heavy and the lanes are narrow. I've been honked at more on Sunset than anywhere else I've ridden combined, and that only took one ride on Sunset to accomplish. ;) A better route from the PCH near Santa Monica and Pacific Palisades is probably via Wilshire. Going in either direction, I've never felt uncomfortable on Wilshire. There are a lot of stops, but it's a pleasant ride. Turn up any of the short but steep jaunts from PCH to Ocean, then get to Wilshire from there. It's a decent ride.

Going up Topanga (or Sepulveda) from the Valley to the coast is a much different experience than going from the coast to the valley. In the case of Sepulveda, you have some ups and downs, but the hardest part is facing the climb immediately preceding Skirball. In the case of Topanga, the worst part of the trek from the PCH to the valley is a climb that starts about two miles in, and lasts for a mile or so. To me, it's still very difficult. As they've said; just keep at it. ;) Going the other direction (Valley to Coast) you face more steady climbs, but they're shorter, and they don't have any single killer grade like lower Topanga, or the Skirball climb.

As for difficulty, Sepulveda is most definitely easier.... as well as safer. I ride Sepulveda in the dark three times a week, and feel safer on it than I do riding around the valley at night.

Topanga is a beast. I have done it with 39/25 and 39/27. I have a riding partner who lives at the top (where the trailer park used to be) and the ends of our rides generally include that climb. I find it best to just grind it out. Stopping on climbs has always done more bad than good for me so I'd HTFU and see what happens.

Additionally, while Sepulveda pass is an ok climb, it may not be the best traingin hill. You could try doing repeats over the pass or start doing it in several gears harder than you currrently use. I ride La Tuna a lot and I usually try to do it without going to my 27. Seems to have helped me a bit.


I've committed to keep at Topanga weekly until it stops beating me. ;)

Someone mentioned that the Sepulveda climb is only 800 feet, but I think that might be only one way. Over and back has to be more than 800. Also, from the valley to Wilshire is going to be one figure, while from Wilshire to the valley is another; they're not both the same starting elevations.

Ok, now back to your response: I would love to tackle other training hills, but I ride at night three times a week, and by daylight only once or twice a week. The night rides are constrained by the 2h25m burn-time of my NR headlamp. I can get from home to Ventura Blvd, to Wilshire, back to Ventura, back to Wilshire, and back to Ventura, then home (in other words, two hill repeats) before I've consumed my battery pack. :) If I start exploring La Tuna, I'll probably run out of juice on some unknown (to me) road. ;)

I live here and know this road well, and yeah, that's not a fun section of TCB. It's only been a year since I began to climb hills instead of just flat distance rides. At first it was a miserable disaster because my legs, heart and lungs just weren't used to the intensity. I had to start very slowly and mostly took on short but steep hills, like the 1/5 mile of 20% near my home. My goal was to be able to go up that hill without stopping. And once I reached the top I'd have to recover by doing circles or figure eights before going up one last incline to reach back home.

Eventually (months) I built up enough strength to begin doing the last 4 miles of TCB up to where it overlooks Woodland Hills. At first that was horrible too - legs in pain, lungs burning, heart pounding. Once that became doable, the next step was to do a 17 mile loop route that includes 1500 feet of some tough climbing. At first it was my weekend ride, and by springtime it became my daily ride, at least 4 times a week, which I continue to do to this day. On the weekends I'll usually do one day of more extensive climbing somewhere in the Santa Monicas.

So that's a year of effort to finally be able to comfortably handle most of the hills and mountains So Cal has to offer. Not saying I'm fast at it, but I no longer feel as though my heart's going to explode when the road turns up. My low gearing for half of this time was 30-27, but since June it's been 34-30, both of which are similar in ratio to each other. The 30 is used on the worst sections, or when I know for a fact I can do no more than spin because I'm hurting. Most of the time, however, I prefer using the 34-23 combo on the moderately tough climbs. Sometimes I like to stand and fly up those steep ramps on Topanga Canyon, but then sometimes I can only spin up.

As has been mentioned, if that stretch of Topanga is your goal, you have to train on a similarly steep grade, or increase the intensity on your regular route.

Thanks again for your suggestions.


I'm convinced I can train myself to do it without a 27t in the rear. ;) I'll keep at it.

Try riding a different training route, something that is between your regular one and Topanga in steepness. If you always do the same route you won't improve as quickly and you won't learn to handle the steep stuff. Try to find something that's got steep sections that you can just get up. That'll give you the practice of making it up steep ramps rather than practicing failure.

When you want to conquer the steep part of Topanga, go easy on the initial part of the climb to save up energy for the steep section. Then go as easy as you can on the hard part, don't charge it at the bottom.

Finally, there's nothing wrong with getting lower gearing. Getting up the climb (or getting up the climb faster) is what it's about, not the gearing you have on your bike.

Thanks again for your suggestions.


I'm convinced I can train myself to do it without a 27t in the rear. ;) I'll keep at it.

Ah c'mon. Mind over matter. Refuse to quit. Revel in the suffering. To paraphrase Yogi Berra: 95% of it is half mental.

Topanga hurts. When I first started riding my partner took me from van nuys over sepulveda to sunset to pch to topanga. I would never have made it had I not been able to stick to his wheel for the first couple miles of the climb. I was using 11/28 while he had a ?/25. He is a very strong rider and it wasnt easy for him. I tried again a couple years later when I was a much better rider and had to stop twice. I think having someone strong, even if your not on his/her wheel can really motivate. Sepulveda is very different. Not only is sepulveda pretty easy, your not starting it after you have 25 miles under your belt. If you like the sepulveda ride its pretty easy to add some extra climbing on your way up. The 2nd to last street before the tunnel make a right and it will loop you up and gives you a short but difficult climb. Mountaingate is also a great addition to that ride. You also might want to skip sepulveda on the way up and go up hayvenhurst, which is alot harder than sepulveda. good luck! Chris ( van nuys )

Topanga hurts.

But in a good way.

both sides of Topanga when I was in good form I'd do it in 42-19 or 42-21

The valleyside isnt steep at all.

The other side Id do it in 42-23 for the steep part to the village and the rest like 42-15