TrojanHorse

Have somebody wait at the top with bags of ice for you.

Garfield Cat

Well, did you do the Tram Way Road? Hope it was early in the morning.

Quasipun

I was up there too (doing the century)! Great ride, really enjoyed the route and the scenery. If I'd had my computer with me and known people were there I would have tried to meet up with people, alas.

jmX

I posted that this morning. I'm headed out to Palm Springs for a quick trip this Friday and figured I'd bring a bike to try the tram climb. It is a coincidence that it happens to be extremely hot on the day I'm out there. I'd like to try it in mid-day heat for the authentic ToC experience.

marquhar

Did PCH+SART+Ball+Lampson+SGRT for 41 miles on Saturday.

Entered SART at Garden Grove Blvd and encountered a surveillance team for the 2nd Saturday in a row.
As I approached the entrance/drive at GG Blvd, a jogger (wearing a wire) ran across my path, signalled to someone, causing me to have to stop (no problem for me). Then
2 riders came out from the tunnel and rode in front of me, blocking the trail.

No matter, I still did a personal best at 19.1 MPH - best since my Fx Hip surgery.

Lesper4

surveillance for what?

Garfield Cat

I did the hike first and then the next day did the tram way, partially. The hiking up there is good and very cool, maybe 30 degrees cooler than at N. Palm Canyon. That in itself is worth the trip. But try to get there early when the tram service opens. We hiked to Wellmans Divide and it was a spectacular view. Two more miles and we would have reached to peak, Mt San Jacinto at 10,000 feet. We ran out of time and just hiked back. We wanted to go to Indio, to Shields for some really good Date Shakes. Place closes at 5 pm.

Next day I dragged myself out early and got to Tram Way like 7:30 am when its still 70 degrees but windy. It looks like new asphalt, but not brand new. I was the only rider going up. There's a MUP going parallel to the road. Lots of walkers/day hikers going up, some with their dogs.

I rode just short of 3 miles of the 3.85 miles. I got to the 2,000 mile mark and stopped. Legs were still ok, but aerobics not as good. Going down is fast, too fast for me. The wind caught me as I got closer to the bottom, tossed me around. By that time, oncoming traffic was starting to get going. Yeah, early morning is ok, after that, too much traffic with just two lanes. T of C is different; they closed down the road.

I'll be in better form a month from now.

jmX

Yeah, what he said. What surveillance? Like, dudes in suits and sunglasses talking into their sleeve? Were the 2 people on bikes the president and first lady? Details man...

Thanks for the summary. I'd planned on riding up the MUP, then down on the road. Does that not seem reasonable? I can't imagine there will be many people on the MUP if it's 100 degrees out, and besides, I'll practically be going walking speed anyway.

Can you cross back and forth between the mup and road, or is the curb between them continuous? I've not been out there since it was added, and it was hard to tell on TV.

JusRelax

I'd like to try to experience it vicariously through you for the authentic ToC experience!

Please tell me you'll at least have sag support with you just in case.

marquhar

Something about Edna Park and the Riverview Bridge. Might be a team of GG and SA police in plain clothes.

TrojanHorse

I don't understand the "blocking the trail" comment. Did they physically divert you?

Lesper4

Yes there is a tall white curb separating the road from the walk path. It does not show up on google earth street view but you can see it from the satellite image. I think it goes most of the way.

Garfield Cat

There is a concrete curb that separates the private road with the MUP. There are a few intervals where that MUP curb isn't there; but very few.

The people who use that MUP sometimes are in a group and I cannot see how you can catch their attention that well. Dogs on leash with their owners too. When I was riding down, I did see several riders going up on the MUP. So its possible. But like I said, I started my ascent at 7:30 AM.

If you start later, going up and going down, you might have more traffic than I did. Locals get this season Tram pass for $50 and can use that Tram station anytime. The waitress at The Cork Tree Restaurant told me that's what she does when she wants to get out of the summer heat. I guess many of them do that. When I was hiking there the previous day, I met the locals there. That might account for more local traffic up and down the Tram Way Road.

On the way up, I thought there was a bike lane because of the sold white stripe on the right. It wasn't a bike lane. Its an asphalt curb but not a raised curb. It gently slopes so if you try to ride it, you got like a one foot wide space that slants. However, as you go up, that slant goes away and it "could" act as a bike lane.

marquhar

two 30-something males, riding side by side at 15 MPH(too slow for me), and taking up 80% of the trail. I passed them, saying nothing.

There were as many as 15 members of the team based on how many riders/others were loitering around the park. I have to go on faith that these are cops (based on race/fitness/age/attitudes) and not thugs looking to cause me to crash or take my bike. Either way, my quiet Saturday morning ride is rudely interrupted when they suddenly swarmed my postition.

Beachgrad05

Yes the scenery was beautiful. That Cat 2 climb on Old Creek Road was extremely tough and I walked portions. I also had a spoke break on my rear wheel and was riding with out of true wheel and we didn't realize brake was rubbing until on that climb and at that point the brakes were "opened" up.

This is what the wheel looks like...

TrojanHorse

I reckon any sort of increased police presence in the santa ana area is welcome.

TJClay

15 members of the "team"? come on dude, they weren't there to protect the innocent cyclists on the SART. Was agent 86 there talking on his shoe phone too? Maybe James Bond about to rip off his Lycra kit to expose his tuxedo. Or maybe Seal Team 6 training to take down some more terrorists......

Quasipun

Oh man that sucks! Certainly not what you need on a climb like that! Old Creek Road was rough, but I did okay up it. The last bit of Peachy Canyon and then the last bump on Peachy Canyon did me in though. I was riding with a guy I'd caught up to on the 46 and keeping up with on Peachy Canyon until that last bit... Just pooped out there

jmX

It turned out to be a fine climb. Temps were very warm and I noticed the difference no so much in suffering, but in my HR. I think officially the temperature was probably something like 105F at the bottom, but the garmin was reading 116. I stopped about 80% of the way up because I hit 185bpm, I'd never gone that high before, and I didn't want to risk fainting or something silly (altho I felt perfectly fine, legs A-ok, breathing wasnt labored, etc). Figured I'd get it back into the 160's before I continued upwards. I'll have to try it sometime when it's not so hot to get a better strava time.

During the 3.7mi climb I consumed about 35oz of water, and drank another 20oz at the top. The descent was a bit sketchy with crosswinds, but the fresh pavement made it fun none the less.

https://app.strava.com/activities/57402264



At the top

JusRelax

Wow, awesome stuff! I'll eventually have to try this climb, but not in insane heat. I think I still need to train some more on some really steep climbs before I try this out though.

Thanks for the ride report; was there anything different that you did from normal (other than making sure to keep yourself hydrated) in order to keep yourself cool?

jmX

Just made sure I had my thinnest jersey on, my breeziest helmet, and thinnest socks. I also poured a little water on my head once I saw my HR going higher than usual. The climb really is short enough where it'd be hard for much to go wrong.