Southern California - Chino-Diamond Bar-Walnut-Pomona Ride

It was 38 miles total. Give or take a mile. Based on start and finish time I averaged a lousy 12.7 MPH?!?!?! I dont think I am that slow. I know I couldnt even win a local race let alone finish in the top 10 but 12.8 MPH?!?! When I lived in a rural area, I had a route that was roughly 25 miles and I would average over 16 MPH on my bike computer ALL the time. That route involved three short hills each less than quarter of a mile long and it was mostly flat although somewhat undulating.

Todays ride went through grand avenue from chino and anyone that knows that road will say its not an easy climb (or maybe it is to some of you but for me, it almost killed me). I know I had to stop a bunch of times because of intersections. I was going to head over to brea via the Diamond bar avenue route but the road is under construction and I had to improvise on my ride to go over to Mt. SAC and Cal Poly POMONA instead. And came back via Pomona mission blvd, and then went back up chino hills to come back home to chino for an extended ride (a few more miles). I was going for atleast 40 miles but the mapmyride.com says its only 38 miles.

I started at 2 o'clock exactly (give or take a minute or two) and ended the ride a few minutes before five o'clock. Im not asking for anyone to tell me Im not slow when I know this is pretty slow. But I never thought of myself to be THIS slow. Someone tell me this is normal? Otherwise, my ego is totally destroyed. And it will take a while to repair my fragile ego.

12.7mph?!?!? Is that slow for urban routes that involve a lot of stop and go? There was 1,400 feet of climbing for the entire ride. And I know thats not a lot but most of that came in the 3 miles I was climbing through Chino Hills and Diamond Bar.

I forgot that I stopped to drink some gatorade with roughly 6 or 7 more miles to go while I was in Chino Hills on my way back. I didnt stop longer than 5 minutes though.

We used to do that route, to Diamond Bar blvd, Brea Carbon Canyon, back to Peyton, Grand Ave again, to Holt Ave (10 fwy), Covina hills parkway, then Via verde up to Bonelli park then back on white to Pomona, then Towne to Riverside Drive. A figure 8 type course, 55 miles.:D

I'd average 14-15 mph. But I was 10 years younger. The hills and stops make a difference. I ride Upland to Devore and back. Usually average about 14 on a 40 miler. On the flat trail (SART), no stops, no hills, I can average 18-19 on a 40 miler.

Another one of my staple rides when I was a teenager. :) I need to make the drive up there and ride some of those; maybe we can meet up with Beanz one of these days to do that ride?

OP: Look up from the numbers! You're missing out on the scenery, the pretty girls, the feeling of exertion, the purity of focus. If they're that important to you, (and you have a Garmin GPS), you can always change the settings to recognize only your rolling time so that the time you spent waiting at stoplights doesn't drag down your average speed.

I haven't ridden that loop in 8 or 9 years. IMO, it's totally ruined. There were 3 or 4 stops on Grand, tops. No houses on Lambert going thru Carbon Canyon. No businesses at Valley (Holt) and Grand Ave. Now it's totally built up and scary!:eek:

I avoid it now!:(

An old cycling parter lives on Town and Olive (near Riverside Drive, near the old Wonderbread factory). We used to ride from his house, Peyton thru Carbon Canyon, to Kraemer down to the SART. TO Huntington Beach and back. Is 78 miles. That was a good ride but return thru Carbon Canyon gets hot in the summer.:D Too bad they ruined with with to many new homes (fire fuel).

Average speed means nothing. There are too many variables. It matters for a time trial. If you feel that bad I will go out there and ride with you. I will talk enough trash to keep you at 19 mph.

Now it's totally built up and scary!:eek: I avoid it now!:(

Nuts. Story of my life. As soon as I start to like a band or singer, they break up or OD. As soon as I find a salad dressing I like--"Sorry, we've discontinued it due to poor sales." As soon as I meet a nice girl--"Sorry, I'm:

married to the sea
no longer interested in men
after meeting you, I'm suddenly determined to undertake a regimen of painful and irreversible procedures to alter my gender
becoming a nun
all of the above."


What about hitting it early on a Saturday or Sunday morning, for old time's sake? If not, I'd also like to come up there and ride laps around the Puddingstone Reservoir/Bonelli Park, and cruise GMR and the steep section on Baldy right before the ski resort. (Don't tell me they've buried that under housing developments too.)

I've never done Baldy to the lifts. Not a climber but really doesn't intersest me to go up there. Heck, I have a hard time coming down in my truck. Bonelli? Not as nice as it used since they built the industrial center, but it's not that bad.

If I climb, I'd rather go up GMR to the village. That's more than enough for me and my IN-N-Out t-shirt!:D

You should organize a GMR forum ride.