GP

Sunday, October 20, 9 am. Meet at Harrah's Rincon behind the 7-11.

Route:
Left on Rincon Rd.
Right on Highway 76.
Left at South Grade Rd.

Turn around at store and reverse route except we stop at the taco shop for lunch.

Elvo

How many miles and how much elevation gain? And does anyone want to carpool from OC? =)

hamster

Harrah's to the top and back is 27 miles and 4300' of elevation gain.

BTW, I'm in. If my Chinese wheels blow up, at least there will be someone around to call 911.

calamarichris

Ooh, I'm in. Can't wait to see Ham's wheels in action.


Can't believe you called Palomar a "sucky" descent. It's one of the spectacularest pieces of asphalt in the world.

jabantik00

probably in for this.

hey, chris, the 80s called. they're looking for you.

[SUB]oh yeah? well the jerk store called...[/SUB]

calamarichris

I hope you can make it.
Really? The 80's called you? That call must have been coming from my basement then. (Get out of the house!!!)

It rubs the lotion on its skin or else it gets the hose again. (Yes it does Pwecious, it gets the hosey.)

JimmyNH

In (weather permitting of course). I might throw in the East Grade if I feel spunky enough.
Hey GP, why not start from the casino? I always park there and I've never had any problems. We can have lunch there too. I'm sure the casino management will like to have us as customers. Just imagine a casino commercial featuring real fit, good-looking people. By the way, if I'm thinking of the same Taco shop you are, then I'd rather starve.

calamarichris

I'm with you, Comrade. Rwandan refugees won't touch that place. I'm eating up at Mother's Kitchen, so I'll have extra ballast to pull me back down the mountain faster.
Hope to see you there!

[P.S. I thought about you last night when I saw the awful movie, "Pet Sematary." )

GP

We are starting at the casino. They built a 7-11 in the old lot that we used to park in.


you don't like the taco shop? Don't want to risk the screaming ****s on the freeway shoulder on your way home?

JimmyNH

I will be there boet. Too bad I can't drink beer and bike anymore. That's why I suggested lunch at Harrah's.

And how the **** you associated me with that creep?

I didn't know they built a 7-11 there. And no, I don't like the taco shop. If you don't trust me, trust Signor Calamari - he knows that stuff.

diphthong

in. can't wait to be humiliated in front of witnesses.

Dalai

Agree it is a nice climb and descent, but wouldn't go that far...

calamarichris

Perhaps because you haven't seen as many of America's most spectacular roads as I have. I've motorcycled all over Colorado, Northern California, Big Sur many times, over every pass across the Sierra Nevadas at least twice, the Blue Ridge Parkway (and the Tail of the Dragon), and Palomar is a special place. In the top 3 roads in the US IMO.






Name one you consider better than Palomar's South Grade.

Dalai

Don't expect to have ridden as many as you have since I'm not local. But in my three weeks in the States last month I rode the following.

CA - San Francisco

Old La Honda + Pescadero creek road +Tunitas Creek road + Kings Mountain road
Sierra rd + Mt Hamilton
Mt Diablo via North Gate am + Mt Tamalpais loop from Fairfax pm.

Eastern Sierra CA -

Mosquito Flat from Bishop.
Bristlecone from Big Pine.
Horseshoe Meadows + Whitney Portal.
Onion Valley

CO -

Grand Mesa (both sides).
Independence pass (both sides).
Copper Triangle.
Trail ridge rd (both sides).
Mt Evans.
Pikes Peak

AZ -

Mt Graham.
Mt Lemmon

CA -

Palomar Mountain South Grade and East Grade.
Glendora Mountain road /Glendora Ridge road + Mt Baldy

Other climbs I've done OS in Europe

Italy 2012

Passo dello Stelvio (both sides)
Mortirolo + Passo dello Gavia

France 2011

Alpe D'Huez
Col du Glandon (south) + Col de la Croix de Fer (south) + Col du Telegraphe + Col du Galibier (north)
Col de Sarenne + les Balcons d’Auris to Auris d’Oisans
La Berarde
Col du Sabot + Alpe D'Huez via Villard Reculas
Alpe D'Huez + Col d'Ornon
Col de l’Iseran (both sides)
Col de la Madeleine (north)
Col du Petit St Bernard (west) + Colle San Carlo (west) + Col du Petit St Bernard (east)
Cormet de Roselend (south) + Col de la Forclaz (south) + Col de l'Arpettaz + Col des Saises (north) + Cormet de Roselend (north)
La Plagne
Col de Romme + Col de la Colombiere (east) + Col des Aravis (north)
Col Agnel + Col d’Izoard (south)
Col d’Izoard (north) + Col de Montgenevre (west)
Col de la Bonette (north) + Col de la Lombarde (west) + Colle della Maddalena (south)
Col de la Cayolle (north) + Col des Champs (east) + Col d’Allos (south)
Mont Ventoux (via Bedoin)
Vercors loop via Michelin 3 starred roads - Gorges de la Bourne + Combe Laval over Col de l’Echarasson + the Grand Goulets + Col de Carri + Col de Lachau +
Vercors loop - Presles + Gorges du Nan over Col du Mont Noir.

Don't get me wrong, from those on my USA trip I thought Palomar Mountain was a great climb. And if I lived locally would be riding repeats most weekends! But for a climb to be spectacular for me it isn't just the roads twists and turns, but vistas of the road and surrounds. I loved the upper half after the turn off; great surface + terrain + minimal traffic. But being at a lower elevation and in the trees I missed the open vistas and sighting the summit from the distance plus not finishing on a true summit. As a descent it was one of the best and would love to hit it again after a few more rides once I knew the corners and lines. The surface was very good unlike the other alpine roads with their expansion cracks.

From the climbs I rode in the States, my pick for #1 would have to be Pikes Peak. Interesting terrain + sweeping roads + sights of the summit from various points + physiological effects of altitude on performance + summit finish. Road surface was also quite good compared to Mt Evans and the Eastern Sierra climbs... Can't rate Trail Ridge road as the weather was shocking so couldn't see anything.





#2 Independence pass (west)

JimmyNH

Hey Dalai, good to hear from you! It looks like you completed your US cycling trip. That much climbing in 3 weeks would've killed me for sure. So, what do you think of Palomar South Grade compared to Alpe d'Huez?
By the way, Chris has been humble in his evaluation of Palomar, so let me get it straight - Palomar IS THE MOST SPECTACULAR PIECE of asphalt in the world!
Jokes aside, I wouldn't even try to rank the climbs I've done in terms of "spectacularness". I like Palomar and GMR simply because they are such a popular cycling destinations, that it is always fun to ride there. I've heard Mt Ventoux in France is a very popular cycling route despite being one of the meanest (in terms of weather conditions), ugliest climbs in the world.

Dalai

Trip was great! A little ambitious with the driving covering over 5,600km driving solo in the three weeks but I got all the planned rides in...

Alpe d'Huez and South Grade Palomar South Grade are quite different. Both have numerous harpins, but Palomar is longer but less steep and a far more consistent gradient. Where as Alpe d'Huez hits you hard for the first couple of km with double digits gradient and fluctuates in gradient far more making it hard to hold a consistent tempo.

Mont Ventoux is a great climb and like many in Europe teeming with cyclists! A climb of three parts from Bedoin - first easier section. Steep middle third through the forest (St Esteve to Chalet Reynard 8.8km @9.8%)



and final extremely exposed moonscape to the tower.



Since returning I haven't got around to writing up the last three days of my trip including Palomar Mountain. Really need to find the time...

calamarichris

Oh snap! Stuart O'Grady is visiting our forum incognito. Jet-setter!
I agree with many of your Colorado rides, but I wasn't taking scenery & greenery into account when I said, "the spectacularest piece of asphalt..." It's admittedly in rough shape above 5000ft now, because it's been a decade or so since the last resurfacing. But strictly hairpin- & fun-wise, Palomar remains my favorite, even after visiting Colorado the month before last. Independence is indeed sweet, but I've only ridden it once when it wasn't snowing or raining, and while its scenery beats Palomar like a rented mule, it's not as much fun to descend IMO.
You've definitely got me beat, Euro-wise. I lived in Limburg, way up near Maatricht when I lived there, and my Alp & Pyrenees visits were all done in my car. Stelvio is definitely on my bucketlist! Are all those your pics? All the pics I posted are my own.

calamarichris

Nyet, tavareetch. I don't tell you how to talk yer commie language...

You mean "spectacularity"?

calamarichris

And Pikes Peak is indeed worthy, especially road-quality wise (much of it is brand-new), but it generally has more auto-traffic, it costs 12 bucks per bike, the weather is also much dodgier, and it doesn't have nearly as many hairpins as Palomar.
My goal when I went there in August was to break 60, but I forgot to turn my Garmin back on before descending (I was eager to catch these Canadian pros who took off a few minutes before I did). Don't know if I broke 60 that day, but I passed 4 motorcycles (kill-ratio now at 9 and counting) that day and it was indeed fun!

Dalai

Yes all my own pictures...

Passo dello Stelvio would have to be the most spectacular based on my criteria. My photos from last year...

Still 7km to the summit and many of the 48 hairpins on the Prato Allo Stelvio side!





Bormio side

Biker395 

Palomar on Sunday? Hmmmm. So very tempting ...

calamarichris

After Dalai's Stelvio pics, it's looking more like a sow's ear. But you should come; forecasted highs in the high 70's down at the base, and in the low 70's up on the mountain.

Biker395 

I think I will! Is this the (in)famous taco stand? It looked pretty good to me.

https://goo.gl/maps/J3H0D

calamarichris

That place is a dump. I bought water and corn chips in there and asked where their restroom was. The smirking waitress said, "The restaurant is out there to the left."
The door was locked, so I went into the dingy little market and the guy said, "It's for customers only."
"But I just bought something from the restaurant..."
Guy just ignored me, so I went back behind the building. As I was returning to the front, he stormed past me apparently to make sure I wasn't peeing behind his building, but he was too late.
The new 7-11 is a much nicer market, and they're not so stingy with their restrooms.

Biker395 

In that case, easy choice. 7-11 it is!