rccardr 

There are three significant climbs: Killer Canyon, Cypress Mountain, and Santa Rita:
Killer is step, narrow and rutted. This is where tires with a little tread pattern will help keep your momentum and minimize slippage.
Cypress is steep and seemingly endless. This is where you need all the gear you can find. Or walk.
Santa Rita is 2000 feet of elevation over 6 miles. The surface is gravel with some ruts, but not too bad as there are many homes in the area and it's kept up reasonable well. But it's still a slog in the hottest part of the day.


For gearing, in 2016 I had a 48/34 crank and 13/28 freewheel. I walked up the very last part of both Killer Canyon and Cypress, made it all the way up Santa Rita. Last year I had a 50/34/24 triple and a 12/34 cassette. We were re-routed around Killer Canyon due to heavy rain, but made it up both Cypress and Santa Rita without walking. This year I've lost about 25 pounds and will have a 46/36/24 triple with a 12/34 cassette on a lighter bike. My assumption is I won't need the extreme gears I had last year, but nice to have 'em around just in case.