# Ride Report: Solo century, 6000-ft of climbing. Oh my.



## DrRoebuck (May 10, 2004)

<table width="700" border="0"><tr><td>Got a late start on Saturday, after doing some maintenance on my bike. Decided to head up PCH to Latigo, do the 9-mile climb, then descend Mulholland Highway to the north end of PCH. Once there, depending on how I was feeling, I would either head north on PCH to Point Magu or head back home.

The climbing lately has been brutally hot: 95+ every weekend. I thought the temps were supposed to be cooler this weekend.

Latigo was 93-degrees most the way, then peaked at 99 near the top.

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"You ain't one of them terr'ists, is ya?"










A look down at Latigo.










Parting shot of the Pacific Ocean. See ya in a few hours!










Remnant of past fires.










Neverending climb.










You can't really see it, but the temperature on the Suunto reads 95-F.










OMG, a self-portrait. And what's with the sock sliding down into
my shoe? Is this a new "thing" I get to deal with?










More of the road just travelled.










I believe this is at the summit.










This is someone's house. I would have gotten a better shot but … I didn't.










Rock formations in the Santa Monica Mountains.










After 10 miles of descending Mulholland, I come around a corner and see the ocean again. Hallelujah.
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## DrRoebuck (May 10, 2004)

<table width="700" border="0"><tr><td>Going from the top of Mulholland back down to the coast was like jumping in a pool. 20-degree difference. It was a great descent.

I was at mile 42 when I got back down to PCH. And I was feeling pretty good, so I decided to head north to Point Magu. This would give me 90+ miles for the day, my longest ride in a long time.

I figured Neptune's Net wasn't too far up PCH from where I was, and that would be a good place to get some lunch and refill my bottles.

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Eating and refilling at Neptune's Net.










I think one of the smartest decisions I ever made was getting the braze-ons for a third bottle cage.










The assault on the headwind, heading northwest on PCH. Then you round a corner and see the rock and all is good.










I've found that wearing a hat/visor helps keep me cool on the hot days. HTH.










Farmland near Oxnard.










View southeast from the Las Posas overpass.










That's probably military stuff at the top of the mountain.










Heading back toward the rock.










Ditto.










It's much bigger in person. (That's what they all say.)




















Taking my second break.








































Starting the ride home … 35-40 miles away. 35-40 miles of a kick-ass tailwind, that is. Once I got going I was flying.










Since I don't see a cliff on that side, does this mean that, in his spare time, Aquaman hurls rocks at cars from the ocean?

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After getting back into Santa Monica, I was at mile 88, with 4 miles to go till I got home. So I decided to meander up and down the bike path to get some extra miles and round out the 100.

All told, I got 101 solo miles, with ~6000-ft of climbing. Hands-down the most challenging ride I've ever done, and I felt pretty damn good the whole time (except when the temps rose above 95-F).

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Taking sunset shots with a P & S, while riding … not that easy.










The man setting up a sobriety checkpoint. Awesome.










The bike looks ready for more. Me? Not so much.</td></tr></table>


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## bigrider (Jun 27, 2002)

First.

Congratulations on a great century with a lot of climbing. The pics were great. I really the picture of the man. You take great people pictures LOL. I was in Oxnard a year or so ago. I am heading to Sovang this winter for a business trip.


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## DrRoebuck (May 10, 2004)

bigrider said:


> I am heading to Sovang this winter for a business trip.


Are you bringing a bike?


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## bigrider (Jun 27, 2002)

DrRoebuck said:


> Are you bringing a bike?


Only if someone asks me to bring one or has a 59 c-c I can borrow.


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

DrRoebuck said:


> .....I think one of the smartest decisions I ever made was getting the braze-ons for a third bottle cage....


:thumbsup: 

Well, that PLUS posting here!


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## JohnnyTooBad (Apr 5, 2004)

Fantabulous, DocR! That looks like some nice climbing. Not too steep, but a good workout and can keep a reasonable pace.

Um, about that 3rd bottle/cage. It looks like you have to stop to get the bottle in and out of that, which seems fine for a 3rd bottle, but doesn't it get a bit nasty from being pelted by crap coming off the front tire? Or do you clean it off good before you move that bottle up into one of the other cages and put an empty underneath?


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## DrRoebuck (May 10, 2004)

bigrider said:


> Only if someone asks me to bring one or has a 59 c-c I can borrow.


Bring your bike ... I've never been to Solvang. I'm sure I could wrangle a few L.A. RBRers for a road trip.




MB1 said:


> Well, that PLUS posting here!


Goes without saying.




JohnnyTooBad said:


> Fantabulous, DocR! That looks like some nice climbing. Not too steep, but a good workout and can keep a reasonable pace.
> 
> Um, about that 3rd bottle/cage. It looks like you have to stop to get the bottle in and out of that, which seems fine for a 3rd bottle, but doesn't it get a bit nasty from being pelted by crap coming off the front tire? Or do you clean it off good before you move that bottle up into one of the other cages and put an empty underneath?


Thanks, JTB. The climb averages 5.5% over 9 miles, so it's not a killer. It feels endless, though, and has some steep pitches. This is actually the second week in a row I did it.

As for the third bottle, I haven't noticed any road-crap on it. Maybe I've just gotten lucky.


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## thinkcooper (Jan 5, 2005)

Awesome ride. If you keep this up, you're gonna be leading the charge up Eureka Canyon next year.


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## il sogno (Jul 15, 2002)

Awesome ride and pics! I haven't been to Neptune's Net in a while. Is the service as grumpy as ever?


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## DrRoebuck (May 10, 2004)

thinkcooper said:


> Awesome ride. If you keep this up, you're gonna be leading the charge up Eureka Canyon next year.


Not bloody likely.




il sogno said:


> Awesome ride and pics! I haven't been to Neptune's Net in a while. Is the service as grumpy as ever?


Oh, indeed. "Please bring your number when you pick up your food! No number, no food!"


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## mohair_chair (Oct 3, 2002)

Did you have permits to take those pictures?


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## DrRoebuck (May 10, 2004)

mohair_chair said:


> Did you have permits to take those pictures?


Are you shoulder-tapping me?

Let's see, where did I put that manifesto of photographers' rights?


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## brujenn (Nov 26, 2007)

Great report - entertaining, as they should be. What the hezz you drinkin there son?


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## Mapei (Feb 3, 2004)

You've gone from effete fixie hipster to macho epic roadie. Awesome. I wish I had your energy. Next you'll be posting your solo rides across Baffin Island. BTW, have you been to the brass.cap? "B" level food. "A" level attitude.


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## DrRoebuck (May 10, 2004)

brujenn said:


> Great report - entertaining, as they should be. What the hezz you drinkin there son?


Thanks a lot. If that's a serious question (can't quite tell), the drink is called Revenge Sport from Champion Nutrition. I'm eventually going to start a post about it because it's hands down the BEST DRINK ON THE MARKET. I've always suffered from cramps but, with all these rides I've been doing, I haven't cramped once. Blows Cytomax and Accelerade and GU and Hammer all out of the water (so to speak).

<img src="https://www.champion-nutrition.com/champion/images/products/product_rs.jpg" border="1">




Mapei said:


> You've gone from effete fixie hipster to macho epic roadie. Awesome. I wish I had your energy. Next you'll be posting your solo rides across Baffin Island. BTW, have you been to the brass.cap? "B" level food. "A" level attitude.


Never been there but it sounds utlra-familiar. Where is it?

I've always had ups and downs with doing the hard rides, but this is the most consistent "up" swing I've had in years. Feels good. It's also the first "up" swing since I got the IF last November. All I can say is that baby has paid off, and it's no coincidence that I'm doing these rides week after week.


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## Ridgetop (Mar 1, 2005)

Very nice. I would have loved every moment except the temps. I've got to get my tail down there now that my brother lives in Huntington Beach.


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## SilasCL (Jun 14, 2004)

Nice work Josh. That's a long hard ride in any conditions, but in 95 degree heat!

What did you get at Neptunes? And what's the basic gist of the climbing, just a few long climbs?


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## undies (Oct 13, 2005)

Nice ride!

That farmland near Oxnard is probably strawberries, which they fertilize with chicken manure. I spent four year stationed at NAS Point Mugu and worked many hours out on the flight lines totally engulfed by the smell of decomposing chicken poo. 

Worst. Smell. Evar. 

You never get used to it. Not ever.


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## DrRoebuck (May 10, 2004)

Ridgetop said:


> Very nice. I would have loved every moment except the temps. I've got to get my tail down there now that my brother lives in Huntington Beach.


C'mon down. I'd be more than happy to start a ride with you and then meet you again when I finish (and you've been done for hours).




SilasCL said:


> Nice work Josh. That's a long hard ride in any conditions, but in 95 degree heat!
> 
> What did you get at Neptunes? And what's the basic gist of the climbing, just a few long climbs?


Thanks, Silas. To be fair, it was only 90+ for climb and descent (about 20 miles' worth).

The one climb, Latigo, is about 9.5 miles at 5.5% avg grade, with a couple false summits and some steeper pitches. After that, it was about 40 miles of rolling terrain along PCH.




undies said:


> Nice ride!
> 
> That farmland near Oxnard is probably strawberries, which they fertilize with chicken manure. I spent four year stationed at NAS Point Mugu and worked many hours out on the flight lines totally engulfed by the smell of decomposing chicken poo.
> 
> ...


I've smelled some pretty raunchy stuff out there, but nothing offensive on Saturday (unless you count me).


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## il sogno (Jul 15, 2002)

DrRoebuck said:


> Never been there but it sounds utlra-familiar. Where is it?


brass.cap is in your last picture.


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## DrRoebuck (May 10, 2004)

il sogno said:


> brass.cap is in your last picture.


Right ... That location has been a revolving door for restaurants (I grew up in that 'hood). I'm not even sure if I've been to brass cap or if it was something else at the time.


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## Mosovich (Feb 3, 2004)

*Bike???*

Tell us about your bike...


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## DrRoebuck (May 10, 2004)

Mosovich said:


> Tell us about your bike...


Well, since you asked ... :wink:

Independent Fabrication custom, using Reynolds 953.

I'd gotten measured from my LBS and paid for the Club Racer, then did some reading and decided to upgrade. The upgrade added considerable wait time, to the point they even offered to give me carbon seatstays. I said thanks but no thanks and asked for pictures of the build in return.

I had Dura Ace 10-speed from my Orbea and transferred the gruppo. I got a new bar (Deda), stem (Deda), headset (King), saddle (Brooks Swallow), seatpost (Thomson) and brakes (Zero Gravity).

Here are pics of the original build.

Here are pics after changing out the bottle cages and bar tape.

The bike reached a level of infamy in April at an RBR group ride in Santa Cruz. After the folks oohed and aahed over the bike, my rear brakes (and leg muscles) suffered an epic fail. I had to descend the mountain with no rear brakes. Turned out all they needed was a few drops of lube (the brakes, no the legs). Nevertheless, I still run the brakes because I think they're the hawtness.


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## cwg_at_opc (Oct 20, 2005)

DocR - my hero! Great Ride report!

I rode from Bluffs Park(just below Pepperdine at PCH) to the
Los Posas overcrossing and back yesterday with a friend - we
only did 52 miles and my legs _still_ hurt today ;-)
We did have better weather than you, temps never got above 72-73
for the whole morning(8am start, 52.4 miles, 2:58:38, 17.5mph-avg)
That tailwind heading South is a godsend for a duffer like me, despite
getting buried by my friend again(he's way stronger than me, no doubt.)

Even though my sig suggests otherwise, hills are my nemesis,
so _you_ are now in my book of local heros.

Ah, well. More to look forward to, more training, hill repeats, intervals,
etc. Someday soon a solo century for me too...


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## DrRoebuck (May 10, 2004)

cwg_at_opc said:


> DocR - my hero! Great Ride report!
> 
> I rode from Bluffs Park(just below Pepperdine at PCH) to the
> Los Posas overcrossing and back yesterday with a friend - we
> ...


Thanks a lot, cwg. I'm sure if you saw how slowly I climbed you'd rescind the hero comment. 

PCH was pretty mellow temperature-wise. I think it never went above the low 80s.

I really have to start leaving earlier.

Btw, that's pretty smart to start where you did. You get to avoid a lot of the chaos on PCH.


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## Brick Tamland (Mar 31, 2006)

Man, great report. 

Jealous. Very jealous. 

Does the PCH get a lot of traffic? How many miles did you spend on there?

\\Late to the party, I know.


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## DrRoebuck (May 10, 2004)

Brick Tamland said:


> Man, great report.
> 
> Jealous. Very jealous.
> 
> ...


Late is good, gives me a much-appreciated bump.

I probably spent 60-70 miles on PCH. It can get pretty sketchy as you get closer to santa monica and the palisades, especially on the southbound side, where you've got miles of parked cars and occasionally narrow shoulders.

But from PCH to Las Posas it's relatively quiet, huge shoulders and beautiful.


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## wayneanneli (Jul 8, 2004)

Hey DR,
Sorry I'm late too. Great ride report. And nice photography as usual.


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## ispoke (Feb 28, 2005)

Nice route. Looks like you're ready for the LA Wheelmen century. Latigo is a nice climb. Try some of the canyon roads leading up to Saddle Peak (Stunt Rd) for some real steepness (and heat in the summer).

Neptune's too greasy for us. Closer to Pepperdine on PCH is Malibu Seafood, a great roadside spot with shaded picnic tables, fish tacos and lemonade...


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## DrRoebuck (May 10, 2004)

wayneanneli said:


> Hey DR,
> Sorry I'm late too. Great ride report. And nice photography as usual.


Better late than never. Thanks, Wayne!




ispoke said:


> Nice route. Looks like you're ready for the LA Wheelmen century. Latigo is a nice climb. Try some of the canyon roads leading up to Saddle Peak (Stunt Rd) for some real steepness (and heat in the summer).
> 
> Neptune's too greasy for us. Closer to Pepperdine on PCH is Malibu Seafood, a great roadside spot with shaded picnic tables, fish tacos and lemonade...


I've gone up Piuma and Las Flores. Never gone up Stunt. I'll probably do Piuma pretty soon, but in no rush to do Las Flores again. Ever. I just drove Decker from PCH up for the first time. Looks awesome. Maybe when I get a compact crank.

Yeah, I played it way conservative at Neptune's. Turkey sandwich. Water. Most the stuff on the menu didn't look anything I'd want to injest on a ride.


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## ispoke (Feb 28, 2005)

DrRoebuck said:


> ...I've gone up Piuma and Las Flores. Never gone up Stunt. I'll probably do Piuma pretty soon, but in no rush to do Las Flores again. Ever. I just drove Decker from PCH up for the first time. Looks awesome. Maybe when I get a compact crank...


Try parking at Saddle Peak at the turnoff near the top of Stunt Road. Leave a large iced thermos of sports drink covered in your vehicle. From there you can descend, and then reclimb, five or six canyon roads, yo-yo style. From Saddle Peak you basically drop down to the four corners (Mulholland, Las Virgenes, Topanga and PCH) and then back up from each. Bag over 10,000' of climbing in less than 75 miles. I can't recall which road is one-way down (Tuna?) but there's not much traffic so the return climb isn't too hairy. It's a lot of fun if you arrive early on a day with a good marine layer to start off cool and damp.

Compact crank recommended. My better half, Double-A, nearly busted the seams on her lycra shorts trying to grind a 39-27 up Tuna and Las Flores...


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## SCBianchista (May 27, 2008)

Great pics, and sounds like a great ride! The heat is a hard one to manage---those shots of the very blue ocean are so very inviting--strong work, Doc and kudos to you for the 3rd bottle....also, I have not yet managed to master takng photos while riding--I guess practice makes perfect?


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## DrRoebuck (May 10, 2004)

SCBianchista said:


> Great pics, and sounds like a great ride! The heat is a hard one to manage---those shots of the very blue ocean are so very inviting--strong work, Doc and kudos to you for the 3rd bottle....also, I have not yet managed to master takng photos while riding--I guess practice makes perfect?


Wait till you get like Ridgetop, who takes pix of his computer while he's going 40+.


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