# Mulholland Challenge - road conditions



## rbarrosa (Jun 25, 2006)

I will be riding the Mulholland Challenge this April 11th and wanted to get an idea on road surface conditions for the climbs and descents on the ride. Anyone know the road surface to recommend if carbon wheels would be safe/a good idea for the ride?

I've got a set of carbon wheels I was thinking of using as they are lighter than the Alu wheels I have. Thanks in advance for any info.

Rick


----------



## 1stmh (Apr 7, 2007)

I heard that one of the descents in particular is very bumpy. 

I'll be there. Might be dying slowly


----------



## cannibal (Dec 3, 2004)

rbarrosa said:


> I will be riding the Mulholland Challenge this April 11th and wanted to get an idea on road surface conditions for the climbs and descents on the ride. Anyone know the road surface to recommend if carbon wheels would be safe/a good idea for the ride?
> 
> I've got a set of carbon wheels I was thinking of using as they are lighter than the Alu wheels I have. Thanks in advance for any info.
> 
> Rick


There are some bad patches you will encounter when you enter the yerba buena/deer creek area and the stunt hill area, the final climb, especially the adrenalin induced descents. If your carbon wheels are super high end, I'd choose the aluminum pair for peace of mind. However, If you're competent descender and cautious, the carbon wheels should be fine. I'll be on an E. Merckx steel frame equipped with Zipp 404 Clydesdales.


----------



## ericm979 (Jun 26, 2005)

I am probably not bringing my carbon wheels because of the descent on Deer Creek. It's pretty steep but doable on carbon wheels... unless there is a slow car in front of you. Then you have to ride your brakes the whole way down. That happened to me last year. I am not confident that my carbon wheels can handle that much heat.

The web site says that there is construction on one of the roads and there will be a detour, and who knows what that will be like.

There is a short dirt/gravel stretch into the Peter Couts rest/sticker stop. I'd ride that on carbon wheels, but others may or may not.


----------



## 1stmh (Apr 7, 2007)

So that was fun, huh?

11653 ft of climbing. Dekker was a killer, and the one descent onto PCH was very bumpy (but stunning views). 

All in all fun.

Anyone doing Breathless. I am


----------



## rbarrosa (Jun 25, 2006)

*So I decided to use the carbon wheels....*

Decided to go with the carbon wheels (reynolds DV46 clinchers) and 28M into the ride....POP!.....goes a spoke on the rear wheel. It was on a small rise after the first checkpoint. I opened up the brake caliper and loosen the barrel adjust and keep going. The wheel rubbed the brake pad slightly but I didnt feel it too bad. I thought no way I can make it all the way like this.

Well, taking it easy on the descents, especially the bumpy one after the Cotharin climb heading back to PCH, and suffering up Decker (man thats a tough climb after 80 miles) the wheel made it just fine.

Great ride, Great wather, and great people that put it together. I plan on doing it every year. 

I will doing Breathless Agony in May, this time probably on my Alu wheels ;-)

Rick


----------



## 1stmh (Apr 7, 2007)

You should be fine doing breathless on carbon wheels. The only road that is really bumpy there is the first one (Jack rabbit). The descent is small though, so it is the climb (not a bad one) where you will feel it a bit. But the rest of the way is fine. 

I live up in San Bernardino mts (crestline), and ride with the Redlands crowd, so we do many of the hills from breathless, although never the entire route in one go (until Breathless that is).


----------



## ericm979 (Jun 26, 2005)

Jackrabbit has bad pavement and gradually turns to mostly gravel. It's not hard on wheels, its hard on tires. There's always riders patching tires when I come through.

If you can get by yourself and pick a good line it's not bad.


----------

