Phew. I climbed Angeles Crest Highway today on my loaded touring bike: 60+ lbs. WTF am I thinking??? I was dying going up the mountain, averaging 4 mph and getting down to 3.5 mph as I closed in on the Ranger Station where Angeles Crest Highway and Angeles Forest Highway meet. I wanted to go to Mt. Wilson, but there's no way I would have made it there before sunset. I was thinking of getting a very nice road bike with 34/27 as the low gear, but I'm not sure if I could make it up. I was in my touring granny the whole way up. Maybe shedding 40+ lbs by using a road bike would make a difference?

I broke my max speed today: 46.2 mph / 74.4 kph! The steepest part of ACH is the beginning and it's long, straight, and wide. There was only 1 SUV in front of me in the right lane, so I just jammed down to the bottom in the left lane. Hell, I'm doing the speed limit so might as well take the fast lane. I bet if I was on a racing bike and it wasn't smoggy, I could get over 50 mph / 80 kph.

I only got buzzed a couple of times by a car and SUV, but it's the ricer-rockets that upset me. Being a motorcyclist myself, I'd think our fellow 2-wheelers would show some brotherhood, but nope. The Harley and touring guys were okay, though.

The weather was nice out, but it was smoggy! (got pics of hazy downtown L.A.). Oh my lungs & chest hurt! That's the one thing that took the fun out of this ride - I can't breathe when it's like this. I feel like there are tons of needles in my lungs and when I take a breathe they are all stabbing my insides.

21 Pictures:

Map


Elevation


Start Sign


Start


Residential Curve


Residential Curve 2


Residential View


Residential View 2