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Coming to Malibu or San Dimas in March to train. Which is best?

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Coming to Malibu or San Dimas in March to train. Which is best?

Old 12-11-09, 03:29 PM
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Coming to Malibu or San Dimas in March to train. Which is best?

Hi folks,

My team is coming to the Malibu area in March to train for a week. But right now we are considering racing the San Dimas Stage Race, which may mean we'd have to spend the whole week in San Dimas to train due to logistics.

The question I ask you - which location is better for riding - Malibu or San Dimas? What is the traffic like in both areas? What are the routes like?

So far we are leaning towards Malibu because it also has a "vacation" feel to it. We'd probably end up with a pretty swanky vacation rental home. But if staying in San Dimas is just as nice and offers the same amount of climbing and training, we might as well do that and finish the week off with the stage race. But I expect that San Dimas is just a big, crowded suburb of LA.

Ten guys are awaiting your thoughts!

Thanks,


Rob
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Old 12-11-09, 03:52 PM
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Tough choice Rob! I guess all things considered, I would go for Malibu, but not for the "vacation" feel. In Malibu you can ride up PCH for flat miles, and should you get the urge to climb there are many climbs (of various inclines and intensities) to pick from. Or, hey, you've got a week, you could probably do them all.

Don't miss Deer Creek, Decker and Latigo!

How 'bout you spend three or four days in Malibu and then head for San Dimas? Is that an option?

Lots of great climbs in the San Dimas area, plus you could do GMR/GRR (Glendora Mountain Road to Glendora Ridge Road) and Angeles Crest (CA Hwy 2) depending on weather conditions and snow levels. Of course, snow would not be a problem in the Santa Monica Mtns. (in Malibu).

If I were coming from MN this time of year, lets face it, either one would be excellent!

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Old 12-11-09, 04:30 PM
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Malibu for sure. There are great rides near San Dimas, but Malibu has some of the country's most spectacular beachside scenery and legendary climbs (described above).

You'll be convinced when you look out onto to vast Pacific and the gorgeous Malibu beachside scene (rural, actually) from 1400+ feet up en route. It's really spectacular.
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Old 12-11-09, 05:06 PM
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Hi Rob,
I live in san Dimas and race for the team that hosts the San Dimas Stage Race. Part of why I live where I do is because of all of the great riding available. From my door, I can ride to hour long climbs in 20 minutes. I can ride to the coast in less than 2 hours. I can head east and ride miles of flats if I want. I have done very limited riding in the Malibu area (a couple of training rides and a couple of races), so I can't comment to the riding in that area. If you are looking for a vacation feel, San Dimas may not give you what you want. There are a couple of nice hotels, but I wouldn't suggest it as a vacation destination.
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Old 12-11-09, 05:23 PM
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From a pure training camp/ vacation perspective you'll probably enjoy Malibu more. It's got more of a 'California vibe' that you're probably expecting. On the other hand SDSR is a large, well run race and the nearby training is very good. The variety and views are better in Malibu but the climbing is just as good if not better near San Dimas.
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Old 12-11-09, 05:40 PM
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Not taken in San Dimas.
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Old 12-11-09, 05:53 PM
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Not sure about Malibu, but I would assume traffic is worse there. Here in San Dimas it's only bad around rush hour. If you're worried about money, I bet Malibu is more expensive then San Dimas.

I would say San Dimas is a much better place, then again I am biased.
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Old 12-11-09, 06:09 PM
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Malibu means you'd be riding in the Santa Monica mountains, in March. Perfect conditions and no expected problems with the roads.
San Dimas in in the foothills of the San Gabriel mountains which just suffered a huge fire last fall. Some of the roads are still closed because of it.

Depending on how wet our winter and spring is (Feb. is our rainiest month) there may be sizable mudslides in the burn area that could cause a lot of new road closures above San Dimas.
In any case, Malibu and San Dimas are only an hour drive apart.
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Old 12-11-09, 06:41 PM
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Originally Posted by Cassave
Malibu means you'd be riding in the Santa Monica mountains, in March. Perfect conditions and no expected problems with the roads.
San Dimas in in the foothills of the San Gabriel mountains which just suffered a huge fire last fall. Some of the roads are still closed because of it.

Depending on how wet our winter and spring is (Feb. is our rainiest month) there may be sizable mudslides in the burn area that could cause a lot of new road closures above San Dimas.
In any case, Malibu and San Dimas are only an hour drive apart.
Yeah - actually, your best bet may bet to live in cheaper San Dimas and bike in Malibu from time to time if you're budget constrained. The hour drive isn't bad on the weekend or off-hours.

Or you could do the reverse (what I'd do!) - live in Malibu, ride the PCH & climbs, and if you want to mix it up, drive out to San Dimas and beyond (Mt Baldy!) for more.
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Old 12-12-09, 11:22 AM
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Thanks for all the input.

So many choices!

Seems like Malibu might be the way to go, as there will be no road closures/snow/mud slides/etc. And it's Malibu.
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Old 12-12-09, 11:23 AM
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Originally Posted by curiouskid55
Not taken in San Dimas.
Well that settles it.
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Old 12-12-09, 11:58 AM
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It's hard to compete with Malibu but here's another option for you...Murrieta, CA.

If you're coming a week early your team can race in the 3 day Tour de Murrieta as a warm up for the SDSR. You can then train for a week in & around Murrieta before heading off to San Dimas. The Murrieta/Temecula/Fallbrook area has some of the best riding in So Cal with very little traffic. There are many beautiful routes that range from pancake flat to Mt. Palomar. (There is also a few casinos & and some excellent wineries).

Just a thought.
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Old 12-12-09, 02:18 PM
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If climbing is a big focus, then go to San Dimas. GMR. Mt Baldy, Hwy 39, Crystal Lake, it's all there
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Old 12-12-09, 03:04 PM
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Originally Posted by bigtempo
If climbing is a big focus, then go to malibu. topanga, fernwood, stunt, piuma, mulholland, latigo, encinal, decker, deer creek, los flores, tuna, malibu cyn, yerba buena, it's all there
fixed.

Last edited by zzzwillzzz; 12-12-09 at 03:05 PM. Reason: can't type
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Old 12-12-09, 03:36 PM
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Originally Posted by zzzwillzzz
fixed.
The San Gabriel Mountains are bigger and offer longer mountain rides at higher elevations. they are probably both equal in steepness. However, you can't ride above 3000 feet in the Santa Monicas.
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Old 12-12-09, 04:50 PM
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There really isn't much to see in Malibu and during March it might not be all that sunny and beach type weather. Its not like you can jump right in the ocean and have fun. The nightlife is further down the coast. But you will be training. Even the good restaurants aren't in Malibu.

Pepperdine University is in Malibu and its a real nice campus. It actually has lodging accommodations because of their Graduate Business School. You might call them to see if your team can stay in their facilities.

https://www.villagraziadio.com/accommodations/
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Old 12-12-09, 06:08 PM
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This is awesome... not even the locals can agree!

Garfield - thanks for the housing rec! We are looking to save money... I'll give them a call.
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Old 12-12-09, 09:53 PM
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Originally Posted by Robobo1
Thanks for all the input.

So many choices!

Seems like Malibu might be the way to go, as there will be no road closures/snow/mud slides/etc. And it's Malibu.
Well, if you chose Malibu you may have some pro teams such as Saxco Bank and Rock Racing to play with
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Old 12-12-09, 11:20 PM
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Originally Posted by bigtempo
However, you can't ride above 2000 feet in the Santa Monicas.
Fixed
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Old 12-14-09, 04:39 PM
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San Dimas is close to the Glendora Mountain road. You can get directions from Mapmyride.com but you could get there via Foothill Blvd. There is a lot of traffic so I dont know if the intersections would hinder your training. Im not a racer so I only ride for enjoyment and there are plenty of routes in San Dimas to ride. Its a beautiful area in my opinion and very relaxed. The only confrontations I have had on the road were in La Verne or Pomona. Those are the bad parts where impatient "gangster" types want to tell you THEIR rules on the road. And its usually telling cyclists to get OFF the road. And if you ride to Upland you can ride up the Mount Baldy Road (or whatever its called) and thats a steep climb. There are some sections over 15% grade and guys like me would be crawling up at 5 mph while maxing my heartrate. I would think Malibu would have less interruptions and the scenery might be more enjoyable. For casual riders San Dimas is great.
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Old 12-15-09, 04:53 PM
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well, I didn't see Carlos Sastre, The Schlecks, or Jens Voigt in San Dimas, but I did ride with them in Malibu last Feb when their teams had their training camps here....
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Old 12-15-09, 05:06 PM
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Malibu. duh.
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Old 12-16-09, 05:11 PM
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Thanks all. This helps alot!
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Old 12-19-09, 02:04 PM
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Just to follow-up from Malibu. Here's a crappy cell-phone pic I took yesterday of the ocean from mid-way up Encinal Cyn. Rd.. This is just one of many climbs inthe area, a 5 mile effort with an average of 5-6% grade.

Encinal Cyn Road.jpg
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Old 12-19-09, 06:06 PM
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...and it was ~75 degrees.
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