# Mulholland Challenge



## -CM- (Jan 6, 2006)

Anybody else do this ride? I thought it was pretty good. I've ridden every bit of it many times before, but never in that particular combination. Quite challenging to say the least, and I'm very glad the temperature stayed cool all day. 

My Ciclosport HAC4 measured 110 miles with 11,560' of climbing. I also use an Avocet Vertec II altimeter, and it measured 12,035'. Either figure is my highest climbing total to date for a single ride. 

Planet Ultra did a great job with the support. There were plenty of rest stops, and they even provided porta-potties and marked the route. (They used to be quite minimalist in these respects.) My only minor gripe is that they should have provided lunch at the top of Decker Cyn, That would have refueld me nicely, and allowed me to do the last climb much better.

Here's the profile as recorded by the HAC4:


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## amygdala (Dec 28, 2005)

*How do you do that with the Hac4?*

Good job on the ride, by the way.

But how do you put captions onto the graphic? Is it just a "marker" caption set to vertical with the angular displacement, or do you have some other trick?


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## sbrsport (Dec 26, 2005)

I did the ride (or at least the part until I wiped out), and I agree that planet ultra puts on great events. The first one I did with them was Angeles Crest last year, and the support is fantastic for what they charge.

I did that ride and boy was it tough (at least the part I completed). I actually crashed coming down off the top of Mullholand about two miles after the rest stop at mile 50. That road was pretty bad, with lots of gravel in the road and I hit some and went down hard. Luckily bike was fine, but I hit my head and side of my face pretty hard and wound up needing 5 stiches in my chin and ruining some Assos shorts by getting blood all over them. Since there was no cell reception I had to ride down to the stop at mile 65 to get a ride back (luckily it was mostly downhill). 

I believe that 4 riders crashed between mile 50 and 65. One guy broke his bike frame, and another guy I saw being taken to the hospital by ambulance and was told he had broken his wrist as well as maybe some other bones. So, I guess I got away lucky.

Decker looks like a bear. Was it as hard as it looks on that map? If so, I am glad my friend talked some sense into me and I didn't try and complete the ride. I now have more respect for those pro riders who just get back on the bike and continue. Anyway, I will just have to do it again next year.

And, by the way, my Garmin measured 6,300 feet of climbing to get to the stop at mile 65.


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## -CM- (Jan 6, 2006)

I saw the guy who got hauled away in the ambulance. I stopped and gave him my space blanket to keep warm. I took it very easy on that whole descent. I've done it a few times, and know how treacherous it can be.

Sorry to hear about your wreck, sbrsport, but you must have gone down on Yerba Buena, not Mulholland. The route should be revamped to include that whole stretch of Yerba Buena/Cotharin/Pacific View and Deer Creek as a climb. I would send people down Mulholland and up that stretch instead. I'm sure a lot of people would complain about having to climb Deer Creek, but Yerba Buena is too rough to descend, IMO. Plus, it's got some kooky angles to it. There are a few turns that are rather difficult to negotiate. You get into them and all of a sudden, it seems like you're going way too fast. Strange. Plus, the views out there are incredible - going up at a slow climbing pace allows you to have a look around. Going down Mulholland would give the ride a very nice, long, easy to negotiate descent that people could enjoy. 

The climb up Decker is very difficult at first, but eases up slightly after awhile. It's arguable as to whether Decker, Deer Creek or Los Flores Canyon is the hardest climb out there. (Tuna Canyon doesn't count, because it's a one-way street, going down.) But Decker wasn't so bad yesterday because the temperature dropped dramatically as we went up. I've ridden it when it's hot, and it's truly brutal.

amygdala, I exported the ride info from CicloTour to HTML, then edited the jpg image to include the text. I'm pretty sure there is a way to put markers in the data as you ride, then add labels with the computer, but I've never used that functionality.


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## sbrsport (Dec 26, 2005)

CM, I think you are right. I don't know the area well, just know it was after the mile 50 stop. The idea of riding in reverse is a very good one. I don't think that it would be tougher going up yerba buena and then down mullholland, and I know that Mullholland is a lot cleaner and more sweeping. What you described is exactly what happened. I had to much speed, saw the turn, pulled the brakes lightly but was on some gravel, and knew I was going down. Hope the guy in the ambulance is OK.


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