Southern California - Bored with the flats

After at least a year of steady, regular climbing rides, I've officially become addicted to climbing. Yesterday was the first really warm (hot) summer day we've had throughout LA. It was near 100 up in Topanga, and since my riding was planned for the afternoon, riding anywhere around me wasn't looking all that good because of the heat. So I opted for a ride along the SM beach path. It's a route I know well since I use it alot when the weather turns hot in the summer. It was my first beach ride in over a month. I can't tell you how bored I was just tooling along at 0% grade! I ended up heading inland and going up some of the short but steep grades in Santa Monica. Anything to get my heart pounding and legs burning.

So here's what this climbing addict has in store tomorrow to get in a really good fix -- My Temecula friends invited me to go with them to the SD fair and I've accepted, but we're not going until I get back from my morning ride up Palomar. Awesome! Gonna head up at sunrise or shortly thereafter. Pics to follow.

Hey Kidd...come and do Baldy with us on friday!

Hey Kidd...come and do Baldy with us on friday!

Baldy on Friday? Where and what time? I don't get to bed till 3 am on worknights. I might try if it's not too early. I'm not sure if I'd make it up the hill with you guys on 3 hours sleep!:(

Baldy on Friday? Where and what time? I don't get to bed till 3 am on worknights. I might try if it's not too early. I'm not sure if I'd make it up the hill with you guys on 3 hours sleep!:(

Oh pulease.....you could ride there faster than me even if you hadn't slept in 2 months!!
Since I am going, you can do a relaxed pace...but there will be some faster riders!!

We are rolling at 7:30 from Encanto...its going to be warm, so earlier is better...
BTW..we are going up 39 to east fork!

...but there will be some faster riders!!

M'eh! I had plenty of faster riders kick my arse on The Bear. It doesn't hurt!:D

Yeah, if I can get out of bed, my MO would be to ride your wheel up the hill!:thumb:

M'eh! I had plenty of faster riders kick my arse on The Bear. It doesn't hurt!:D

Yeah, if I can get out of bed, my MO would be to ride your wheel up the hill!:thumb:

You can ride my wheel....if you can stay upright since I will be going so slow...:o
I will let you know if this gets pushed to 8...I heard a rumor....

Bah! Forget it, I'm out. I'm thinking I won't want to get up that early after a late night of work. I think I'll sleep in then take Gina on a tandem tour of the "Boring Flats"!:D

After at least a year of steady, regular climbing rides, I've officially become addicted to climbing. Yesterday was the first really warm (hot) summer day we've had throughout LA. It was near 100 up in Topanga, and since my riding was planned for the afternoon, riding anywhere around me wasn't looking all that good because of the heat. So I opted for a ride along the SM beach path. It's a route I know well since I use it alot when the weather turns hot in the summer. It was my first beach ride in over a month. I can't tell you how bored I was just tooling along at 0% grade! I ended up heading inland and going up some of the short but steep grades in Santa Monica. Anything to get my heart pounding and legs burning.

So here's what this climbing addict has in store tomorrow to get in a really good fix -- My Temecula friends invited me to go with them to the SD fair and I've accepted, but we're not going until I get back from my morning ride up Palomar. Awesome! Gonna head up at sunrise or shortly thereafter. Pics to follow.

I know how you feel. I get bored with flat surfaces and need an iphone to keep me awake. At least avoiding flats is easy to do here on the Eastside (Silverlake). Lucky guy. Palomar is one of the climbs, next to Figueroa, that I want to ride this year. A friend said try Col grade too afterward. I heard it's pretty steep. Definitely take lots of pics.

Bah! Forget it, I'm out. I'm thinking I won't want to get up that early after a late night of work. I think I'll sleep in then take Gina on a tandem tour of the "Boring Flats"!:D

Ok....only because of Gina will we let you slide!!

I know how you feel. I get bored with flat surfaces and need an iphone to keep me awake. At least avoiding flats is easy to do here on the Eastside (Silverlake). Lucky guy. Palomar is one of the climbs, next to Figueroa, that I want to ride this year. A friend said try Col grade too afterward. I heard it's pretty steep. Definitely take lots of pics.


And why arent you coming little missy??

I know how you feel. I get bored with flat surfaces and need an iphone to keep me awake. At least avoiding flats is easy to do here on the Eastside (Silverlake). Lucky guy. Palomar is one of the climbs, next to Figueroa, that I want to ride this year. A friend said try Col grade too afterward. I heard it's pretty steep. Definitely take lots of pics.

Well, the Palomar ride happened, but not according to plan. Details and pics to follow.

p.s. Story does not include an accident.

Hey Kidd...come and do Baldy with us on friday!

That's awfully nice to invite me, but I can't do it because of work. BLA!

And why arent you coming little missy??

I have Mom duty. She's coming down Thursday then I was suppose to drive her back to SB Co. I wish I was going, but you guys need to leave by 6:30 am. Suppose to be 92+ Friday.:p

I have Mom duty. She's coming down Thursday then I was suppose to drive her back to SB Co. I wish I was going, but you guys need to leave by 6:30 am. Suppose to be 92+ Friday.:p

Say Hi to Mom!!

92 down here....only 81 at Baldy village....
There was some grumbing about 7:30....
Hopefully it wil be a great day.....will miss you....

But looks like your los olivos ride should be ok....it gets hot out here as well!

I really want to to that ride....

That's awfully nice to invite me, but I can't do it because of work. BLA!

Any time....wish you could make it...you would love it!!
There will be other rides up there...

Here we go with that report...

The plan was the begin as early as possible on Tuesday morning. 3 hours is what I gave myself for the total ride time, with 2 hours for the climb and less than 30 minutes for the descent. I did the same ride last October, beginning from Harrah's casino. So, up at sunrise, drive to Harrah's from my friend's home in Temecula, scoot up Palomar, fly down Paloma, and be back in Temecula by 10 so we could spend the rest of the day at the San Diego fair in Del Mar. That was the plan.

What ended up happening is that I got a late start to Temecula from LA, arriving in Temecula around 10:30pm Monday night. Then I sat up drinking some beer with my friend, then hitting the bed at 1am. Instead of sleeping soundly until 6am, I kept getting up to pee thanks to that delicious beer. Because I needed some sleep to make it through the whole day, I pushed the schedule back an hour and made the executive decision to begin the climb at South Grade Rd instead of Harrah's, shortening the ride by 14 total miles and beginning at 2700 feet instead of 900.

On the way to the ride with the windows open, I kept smelling the hint of gasoline, which I tried to ignore, hoping it was either my imagination, or just one of the oily cleaning rags I had in the trunk of my car. By the time I arrived at the intersection of South Grade and the 76, the smell was very strong. Alright, let's see what's under the hood. Maybe it's just a loosened fitting. Well, it was much worse -- one of the plastic fuel lines had cracked and was spraying a tiny jet of fuel. For you car buffs, it was the control pressure line which helps maintain a constant pressure within the fuel system at all times to avoid vapor lock when restarting a warm engine.

It was something I couldn't ignore, and I couldn't deal with later for fear of it getting worse. I had to try and fix it right then and there with stuff from my trunk, or return to Temecula. My trunk includes a tool box, plus a tray of spare car parts, washers, bolts, bulbs and wires. What I needed was a small piece of rubber hose that I could cut along it's length, slip that over the ruptured fuel line, then clamp it down with a small hose clamp. That's what I needed, and that's what I found in the trunk. Problem solved (temporarily, that is), which meant I could continue the ride.

The conditions couldn't have been better, with temps in the 70's and a slight cloud cover at times to break the direct sun. What's nice about climbing Palomar is that part of the way is beneath a canopy of trees, providing a natural sun block. Last time up I was in a cloud bank until 4k feet in elevation. This time I was able to see around me. Palomar is a great climb with a constant change of scenery. I rode strong for the first 30 minutes, then as the grade kicked up a degree after the 4000ft mark, down went the power output as well as the gearing. A 7 mile climb, I reached the top in exactly 1 hour. Sadly, because it was 9am on a Tuesday, the restaurant up top was closed, so I had no celebratory drink. The flight down was fun. No regrets and I hope to do it again soon!


Trunk junk saved the day!

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f140/michsis/carfix.jpg

Up, please.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f140/michsis/pview4.jpg

Near the 4000ft mark.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f140/michsis/pview3.jpg

Close to the top.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f140/michsis/paloview2.jpg

The proof.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f140/michsis/5kfeet2.jpg

I was there.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f140/michsis/palomarmap.jpg

No one in sight.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f140/michsis/palotop.jpg

Ice. Nice.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f140/michsis/paloicy.jpg

Down, please.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f140/michsis/palograde.jpg

It was a relief to see my car sitting there, unmolested, and untowed.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f140/michsis/southgrade.jpg

Great pics and report as usual, Kidd.:thumb: Do you come down the same way you go up? And is it 7% the entire 7 miles up?

Looks like a fun ride. One of these days I have to do that one too.

Great pics and report as usual, Kidd.:thumb: Do you come down the same way you go up? And is it 7% the entire 7 miles up?

Looks like a fun ride. One of these days I have to do that one too.

I did go down the way I went up. There's a longer version where it goes down East Grade and around lake Henshaw, then back to the starting point on 76.

It is fairly constant as far as gradient goes. The beginning at Harrah's casino is around 900 feet, and where it turns onto South Grade (some 8 miles) where I began is 2700 feet. The last 1000 feet does kick up a pinch. So if the first 8 miles is 6.5%, the next 4 miles is 7% and the last 3 miles is maybe 7.5%. No real shocks as far as your legs are concerned.

Do go with a companion or two because it's quite remote out that way.

Have you ridden to the observatory? Very pretty. I think it's another 5 miles and 1000 vertical. You start by going downhill from the store which of course you have to climb back up. There're nice bathrooms there.

Have you ridden to the observatory? Very pretty. I think it's another 5 miles and 1000 vertical. You start by going downhill from the store which of course you have to climb back up. There're nice bathrooms there.

OK, I'll be sure to go next time. The nice bathrooms sold me. I have been wanting to see the O. Are there public hours with displays and stuff?

OK, I'll be sure to go next time. The nice bathrooms sold me. I have been wanting to see the O. Are there public hours with displays and stuff?
I don't know, I've never gone that far inside.

In the winter,you can pose next to the signs that say Watch for Falling Ice. I guess it forms on the dome.

Howdy, what's the gearing you are running? I know, I know, each rider is different but I've been holding off on any dedicated mountian climbs till I get a 39t compact crank on the front to go with my 12-26 9 speed rear. I have 42-52 front right now and on 6% (?) grades I'm losing any spin and am into the hard pedaling.

I'm adding a lot more hills in my weekly schedule.

Howdy, what's the gearing you are running? I know, I know, each rider is different but I've been holding off on any dedicated mountian climbs till I get a 39t compact crank on the front to go with my 12-26 9 speed rear. I have 42-52 front right now and on 6% (?) grades I'm losing any spin and am into the hard pedaling.

I'm adding a lot more hills in my weekly schedule.

I don't fool around. I have 50/34 and 11-28, and I used that 28 gear this time. 42 is definitely undergeared for Palomar, IMO. Maybe not for Flandis, Ghincapie, Fshleck and company, but for the rest of us, yes.

I don't know, I've never gone that far inside.

Unable to walk in roadie shoes, I understand.