Long Distance Competition/Ultracycling, Randonneuring and Endurance Cycling - Ventura to Lompoc First Century

I am attempting my first century. I have chosen Ventura, CA to Lompoc. I'm not a strong climber and the elevation looks pretty good until I get to Gaviota. Has anybody done this route and can share some tips? Are the headwinds really that bad along the 101? Is the Gaviota tunnel really that scary? Is the climb out of Gaviota for about 5 miles really a 8% grade and difficult? I plan on going in August sometime. Does anyone know of a good route that they have taken? I have done some research and the routes are not real clear. Thanks, Chris

The headwinds are pretty tough, there is virtually no let up, then on top of that wind you have to deal with the 7% (not 8%) grade. Once your on hwy 1 the wind is just a tad better.

Why not ride in reverse direction? I assume your riding up there and then somehow getting back to Ventura other then on a bike?

The Tunnel is indeed a bit intimidating to ride through with traffic (including semi trucks!) zipping past you doing anywhere between 65 and 80 with no shoulder to ride on. I recommend that you carry a very bright flasher. There is a rest stop just before the tunnel, you might be able to persuade a person with a car to follow you with their flashers on, but you will be cranking hard when you approach a grade about 1/2 way through the tunnel. There is a walkway but it's too narrow to walk a bike through and would be a real challenge to ride a bike through.

There is no other way around the tunnel that I know of. BUT there is another option...howbeit longer by only about 5 miles though. Once you get into Santa Barbara you could get on hwy 154 to Santa Ynez then take hwy 246 to Lompoc. Either way your cranking up and down mountains.

I lived in that area for about 15 years but never rode through the tunnel. I checked the tunnel out by car to see if it was safe for a bicycle but decided against trying and took the other route I gave you instead.

I've ridden that route, including that tunnel -- it's like riding into the barrel of a hairdrier. The shoulder is not really quite big enough - you'll want to check traffic behind you and try to sprint through the tunnel when there are no trucks coming.

The route is fairly genlte until you get to Santa Barbara, and then after the tunnel there are several long medium grade climbs - from long ago memory, maybe several miles each maybe 6% grade. It's quite hot in the afternoon there too. Those climbs are quite noticable - I wouldn't call them "bad" but I would definitely call them "long"

Do try to go the other way, it will be much nice for a lot of reasons
- no tunnel
- hills at the beginning instead of the end
- wind
- more services at the end of the day when you might need to stop for a snack.
- coast is cooler in the afternoon

AdventureCycling.org's Pacific Coast Route has a good route, you could look at their site, and download their GPS file if you like that sort of thing. Or I bet you could find someone's map on mapmyride.

have a great century!

Thank you for the replies. I agree with both of you, from what I have read the Southern route would be easier. My reasoning is I am leaving from home in Simi Valley and in order to get a century in on the coast, I have to go past Santa Barbara which leaves me with Lompoc or Buellton. My wife and daughter can spend the day at the beach in Santa Barbara and chase (rescue me) on the way to Lompoc. We can spend the night and maybe go to Solvang on the way home (bike securely in the car for the ride home). I was trying to avoid any bigger climbs, like the 154, that might be too big for me. Thanks, Chris

I was trying to avoid any bigger climbs, like the 154, that might be too big for me. Thanks, Chris

I don't think the 154 climbs are that big, I rode on that highway many times...but then again I was use to riding in the mountains. I also lived in Simi Valley for about a year and rode into the mountains from that area, do you do the same thing? If so then the climbs of the 154 would be about the same.

I use to ride south over the Topanga Canyon mountains into LA area. Also north is a great adventure via a bunch of surface streets that run out of Simi Valley close to the freeway section of the 23 to MoorPark then the 23 to hwy 126 at Fillmoor to hwy 150 to Ojai back down the 33 to Ventura Ave just before 33 turns into the freeway, to Main St in Ventura to Foothill Blvd to Los Angeles ave which turned into the 118 or Los Angeles Ave is 118 can't remember (not the freeway section) to some road in MoorPark that I can't remember to another road I can't remember that took me to Rejada? Rd and into Simi Valley. I can't remember the exact route but that's close, the cycling stores in Simi Valley can lead you on the correct route that's where I learned it, or you could map it yourself. That route was frequented by other cyclists from Simi and Thousand Oaks area and was a favorite ride of mine. That route was about 110 miles if I remember correctly and also a very enjoyable ride especially in the cooler spring, fall and winter time, summer would get pretty darn hot in those mountains.

Solvang is a girly tourist trap thing, but you have a wife and daughter like myself who enjoyed that kind of thing...I just pretended to enjoy going there! I really just enjoyed being with them and watching them have fun. I also use to live in Santa Ynez so Solvang was no big deal to me.

By the way that ride your thinking of is very enjoyable; don't make it work, just enjoy the surroundings.

Also by the way, two by the ways! Anyways, do you know how to prepare for a ride in remote areas? I trust you do?

I've ridden that route, including that tunnel -- it's like riding into the barrel of a hairdrier. The shoulder is not really quite big enough - you'll want to check traffic behind you and try to sprint through the tunnel when there are no trucks coming.



Dang girl or grl; where were you when I lived there?! I know, too young! Back in my day there weren't a lot of women riding bikes like that, just beach cruisers! But man riding through that tunnel took some daring. I looked at the tunnel via by car and thought it was too risky for a bike, though I had heard of a few guys that did ride it, and all but one said they would never ride through it again! The other guy was just being macho! The biggest concern is the semi's, if they don't see you in time and can't get over due to traffic their going to pass within about a foot of you and those trucks produce a wave of wind and then a suction that can be quite a handfull. Also back in my day the rear blinking lights available were extremily dim even compared to the dimmest of todays, so most drivers wouldn't even see the thing blinking.

you could try to meet with a group out of www.SoCalBikeForums.com

i happened to meet a group in Ventura, we rode up behind Carpenteria, SB, Goleta, and back to Ventura.