OVERVIEW OF RIDES
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OVERVIEW OF RIDES
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OUR NORMAL RIDESCurrent two-month regular ride schedule
Grand Tour training rides (spring)
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CHALLENGING EVENTSThe Grand Tour! (late June)(200, 300 or 400 miles or the Century Challenge!)
Five Counties Century Ride (Early Fall)
Fargo Street Hill Climb (March) Grand Tour Lite (September)
Janus Sequential Centuries (January)
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. . . and THE CORNER'S CHALLENGE- The FIRST Sunday is the time for a longer, faster ride. This is NOT for beginners, and you should be able to keep up a fairly good pace over hilly terrain before attempting it. Please ride with the Corner Caper group first, to find your comfortable pace, before you attempt the Challenge. INFO: Burl Simon, 323-651-2315, or b.b.simon@att.net
USUALLY SATURDAYS, 9:00 a.m., SAN FERNANDO VALLEY. Richard and Nancy Wedeen usually do a "show and go" ride on Saturday mornings, leaving the corner of Glenoaks and Sonora (Sesame Donuts) at 9:00 am , usually riding 20-40 miles total to breakfast/brunch. Info: Nancy Wedeen , (818) 985-8415
They might seem hard, but they work! In addition, there often develops a great camaraderie among the riders that makes getting out there each Saturday just that much more fun.
The GT training rides are included in the regular 2-month schedule, but for a quick summary of the entire current series, click here.
A brief description of each ride and driving directions to the start are found in the current two-month ride schedule.
Incredible Course: Ride through portions of Kern, Los Angeles, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura counties, all within a 101-mile route. This is not an easy century. It includes about 8000 ft. of elevation gain, including a long climb late in the ride. But you can always opt for the mini-century and skip 1 county, 14 miles, and about 1000 ft. of elevation gain.
But it's worth the effort. You are rewarded with spectacular scenery, including a view of the central valley floor from over 6000 ft., some great downhills, and almost an entire century on low traffic roads. There are only half-a-dozen turns in the entire course, so you aren't likely to get lost either. To further help you, there are two snack/water stops, a lunch stop, and sag support.
LOCATION: Near the intersection of Frazier Mountain Rd. and Lockwood Valley Rd., Lake of the Woods, north of Gorman off I-5.
For a report on the 2004 ride and list of finishers,
Click here
The LOS ANGELES WHEELMEN shortened their famous Grand Tour Double
Century, by cutting the distance in half, but leaving the best scenery
in a VERY challenging 100+15 miles, Highland Century Plus route (now
also offered as part of the Grand Tour itself). Climbing Latigo Cyn.,
look back at that view, the ribbon of pavement behind you disappearing
into the backdrop of the Pacific Ocean. Then make a fast and furious
descent into Westlake-stay alert!-to enjoy the shoreline of picturesque
Lake Sherwood. Cruise past mansions with their own stables and
pastures, then go down Potrero. It's Moorpark for lunch, Oxnard, Port
Hueneme (more food), and Pacific Coast Hwy. back to Malibu. OTHER
OPTIONS: The Lowland Century, up PCH along the shoreline to Port
Hueneme, lunch, Ventura, and return along PCH. The Metric Century, PCH
to a lunch and turn around in Port Hueneme, PCH to return.
START/FINISH: MALIBU.
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Not just rides but also a swap meet, special events, cookouts,
commercial vendor booths, family activities and entertainment.
Enjoy three days of riding the coast on our traditional escape from the
big city. Start: Malibu Civic Center. SATURDAY: ride to Ventura via direct
coastal or longer inland options. A Sag volunteer will drive your bags from
Malibu to the selected motel in Ventura. SUNDAY: join with the Channel Islands
Bike Club on rides to Santa Barbara (various options) or Carpinteria. MONDAY:
return to Malibu. If you can't make it all three days, drive to Ventura and
join us for dinner Saturday and then ride with us on Sunday. (Or just eat and
don't ride.) More details later...
Join riders from the Los Angeles Wheelmen, Foothill Cycle Club, and San
Fernando Valley Bicycle Club in Santa Barbara County and Solvang, its
famous, picturesque Danish village. Our Presidents' Day tour starts
from Carpinteria and heads north to explore the countryside all the way
up to Lompoc. Ride from Carpinteria-or drive to Solvang, to enjoy three
days exploring the area without the long-distance touring. SATURDAY:
Carpinteria to Solvang (55). SUNDAY: Short (40), Medium (65) or Long (80)
tours around Solvang, Lompoc, Los Alamos, and Foxen Canyon. MONDAY: return
to Carpinteria.
Weather is questionable in February-so if it rains, you have to kill
time in the pastry and smorgasbord capital of California, where you'll
be surrounded by Danish bakeries, restaurants, wineries, missions,
miniature horse farms (tiny horses, not tiny farms), Scandinavian craft
shops, an ostrich farm!, and did I mention Danish bakeries?
This is a three day 200+mile tour through Orange, San Diego and Riverside Counties. Starting on
Friday, we ride from Tustin to Carlsbad (65 miles). On Saturday, we ride from Carlsbad to Temecula
(45 or 69 miles). Finally, on Sunday, we ride from Temecula back to Tustin (68 miles). The entire tour
is one large loop riding through areas we seldom (if ever) ride.
It's hilly: Norwegian Grade, Grimes Cyn., Dennison Grade, and Potrero
Rd. Here's your chance to go both up and down each of these "popular"
grades. And it's VERY scenic countryside: Lake Sherwood, Hidden
Valley, San Antonio Creek, Upper Ojai Valley, Sisar Creek, and South
Mountain Road. Obviously, Sequential Centuries are less physically
demanding than a Double Century. However, the demands upon the
bicyclist psyche are much greater. Particularly on the second morning
when the body would much rather stay in bed.
Recommended for experienced century riders in good condition. No
support: we provide route slip, starting time, and place; you provide
the rest. OPTIONAL: If you can't ride both days, then join us
on either day. The Sunday ride is slightly easier.
START: Historic Crowley House, Thousand Oaks. From Ventura (101) Fwy.
north, off and R-Hampshire Rd. ¼ mile, L-Thousand Oaks Blvd. (at the T) ½
mile, L-Oakview ½ block, L-Pleasant Way. INFO: Rod Doty, (310)
838-0843.
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GRAND TOUR LITE (September)
Highland, Full, Metric and double Metric Centuries
MULTI-DAY TOURS AND EVENTS
For additional multi-day ride info email
Bobbi Fisher
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FARGO STREET HILL CLIMB (March)
This is one of the club's older traditions. Fargo Street is only two blocks long but
is the steepest street in Los Angeles (32% grade).
Each year we assemble to watch a passel of riders try to make it to the top.
Many fail, but some are successful several times in one day. Those who succeed receive a patch.
Start location: the intersection of Fargo St and Allesandro (LA 90039), near the south end of
the Glendale Freeway.
For photos and list of finishers of the last event, Click here
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JANUS SEQUENTIAL CENTURIES
Back-to-back centuries Saturday and Sunday on a January weekend.
January, festival month of Janus, ancient Roman
god of beginnings and endings, gates and doors, who looks both forward
and backward, inspiring these routes. Ride a century on Saturday, turn
around and ride the SAME century in the OPPOSITE direction on Sunday.