# Favorite Coastal Climb into Santa Monica Mountains?



## madvax

What's your favorite coastal climb, starting at PCH and climbing into the Santa Monica Mountains? 

I would say my favorite is Yerba Buena with Latigo Canyon a close second. Both are very challenging climbs with rewarding views.


----------



## I am The Edge

which one is yerba buena? (oops)


----------



## madvax

I am The Edge said:


> which one is yerba linda?


Yerba Buena Road is about 1.7 miles North of Mulholland on PCH. It is next to Neptune's Net.


----------



## I am The Edge

madvax said:


> Yerba Buena Road is about 1.7 miles North of Mulholland on PCH. It is next to Neptune's Net.



ahh yeah, i've been up that road....it is a good one too.


----------



## Richard

Yerba Buena is harder, but damn, I love Latigo.


----------



## -CM-

I voted other because Deer Creek/Yerba Buena wasn't on the list. That combination is best to me because of the challenge and the scenery. My second favorite, and the one I have done countless times is Mulholland Highway. I never get tired of that climb.

Here's the first hairpin turn on Deer Creek, just up the road a bit from PCH. It continues at this grade for a loooong time.


----------



## magicant

I went with Mulholland. I've only ridden up Topanga and Mulholland from the PCH side. I start from the other side and then come back to the Valley via Sepulveda most of the time.

As far as Topanga goes, once was enough.

Maybe I need to reverse my route a few times..


----------



## dcaren

Up Latigo and then a nice 40MPH+ descent down Kanan-Dume.


----------



## cheddarlove

Maaan!! Mulholland is an incredible downhill! Carving the turns is so much fun! I love to go up Latigo or Encinal and work my way over to Mulholland down. Yerba Buena is beautiful too and it would be #1 if it had some fresh pavement on it. Up Topanga to Old Topanga and then up Stunt is wonderful too. Saaay! I guess this means that almost all of the climbs are great in the Santa Monica's! :thumbsup:


----------



## Speedy

From PCH, my favs are Latigo and Mullholland.


----------



## Wolfman

*This makes me want to get in my car...*

... and drive North.

I had to vote other because the only one I've really done is Sepulveda! I don't even think that counts, and it's definitely not as cool as some of the other ones.

I only live in Santa Monica so I've got to do Latigo really soon. Besides, I just put a compact crank on.

Yours in uphill pain (but in a good way),

J.


----------



## DrRoebuck

Voted Latigo. I like the length and the moderate grade.


----------



## il sogno

The only ones I've done are Yerba and Mulholland. Yerba is tougher but the views are better. I am intensely curious about Latigo. Anyone got a favorite staging area to ride Latigo?


----------



## -CM-

il sogno said:


> The only ones I've done are Yerba and Mulholland. Yerba is tougher but the views are better. I am intensely curious about Latigo. Anyone got a favorite staging area to ride Latigo?


I like to park at Juan Bautista de Anza park at Los Vrigeness & Lost Hills and do an out and back to PCH via Latigo. From the park, ride down Los Virgeness to Mulholland Highway, turn right and ride all the way to Kanan. This will take you past the Rock Store and include the Cornell Grade, a favorite climb. Turn left on Kanan, then left on Latigo (downshift before you turn, because you're going to need the low gears.) Ride Latigo to PCH, then return. It's right at 45 miles, with about 5,000' of climbing. Tough ride, but the scenery is well worth the effort.


----------



## stevesbike

if you want a great loop, you can start around civic center area in Malibu, head up PCH to Latigo. Up Latigo to Kanan, over to Mulhollond, right on Mulhollond over to Piuma. Piuma is my favorite climb in the Santa Monica Mts, has the feel of a Alp climb with lots of switchbacks and spetacular views. Over the top you can connect up to Los Flores and back up to civic center.


----------



## I am The Edge

i've passed all of you on my motorcycle on those roads.  

but, i was/am unbelievably courteous, wave or thumbs up :thumbsup: (because i appreciated what you were doing) and gave a wide berth so as not to spook anyone.

now that i have a bicycle i'm ready to tackle those roads with my 1 hp engine instead of my 180+ hp engine.


----------



## Mersault

dcaren said:


> Up Latigo and then a nice 40MPH+ descent down Kanan-Dume.



Yes, but I wonder about going down kanan-dume without that "windtunnel" effect. I wonder how fast can be achieved. Should be mid 50's , but I've never gone down it without that huge headwind.


----------



## Richard

stevesbike said:


> if you want a great loop, you can start around civic center area in Malibu, head up PCH to Latigo. Up Latigo to Kanan, over to Mulhollond, right on Mulhollond over to Piuma. Piuma is my favorite climb in the Santa Monica Mts, has the feel of a Alp climb with lots of switchbacks and spetacular views. Over the top you can connect up to Los Flores and back up to civic center.


I second this. A spectacular loop. Both Latigo and Piuma have a lot of "variety" with switchbacks and changes in direction and grade. Unlike my nearest "slog" - straight up Newport Coast. Boring!!


----------



## bandoulu

Deer creek is a real mother....latigo is a great climb too.. they are all great,you cant really go wrong in the santa monica mountains.


----------



## Shuteye

*Miss those roads*

15 years ago when my father-in-law was still alive and living just below the Los Robles trail in TO, my wife and I would visit from Fresno. I would ride Portrero Rd. to Decker Cyn, up Decker (one steeep mother section on that climb - only about 100 yd long), then onto Mulholland to PCH (awesome descent). I would then climb up Yerba Buena which if memory serves me right intersected Deer Creek back down to Mulholland. Then it was back home via Mulholland, Decker and Portrero.

Joe (my father-in-law) would have the jacuzzi heated up overlooking the valley. I would nap in the hot water and have a beer. He was a great old dude who rode around TO on a touring bike tricked out in his own fashion. Had to have his left leg amputated below the knee after getting hit by an unlicensed driver while he was on his bike near the Oaks Mall. He died 10 years ago and we haven't been back to TO since (my mother-in-law is 88 and now lives with us). Seeing those pictures of Deer Creek brought a tear to my eye . God those were great rides! I didn't know any riders down there so always rode alone, but loved every freakin painful minute.

You guys who ride those roads, don't ever take them for granted. The coast air, views, and lack of traffic are hard to beat.


----------



## madvax

*Top of Yerba*

Picture was taken at the top of Yerba Buena looking towards Hidden Valley.


----------



## DrRoebuck

Shuteye said:


> 15 years ago when my father-in-law was still alive and living just below the Los Robles trail in TO, my wife and I would visit from Fresno. I would ride Portrero Rd. to Decker Cyn, up Decker (one steeep mother section on that climb - only about 100 yd long), then onto Mulholland to PCH (awesome descent). I would then climb up Yerba Buena which if memory serves me right intersected Deer Creek back down to Mulholland. Then it was back home via Mulholland, Decker and Portrero.
> 
> Joe (my father-in-law) would have the jacuzzi heated up overlooking the valley. I would nap in the hot water and have a beer. He was a great old dude who rode around TO on a touring bike tricked out in his own fashion. Had to have his left leg amputated below the knee after getting hit by an unlicensed driver while he was on his bike near the Oaks Mall. He died 10 years ago and we haven't been back to TO since (my mother-in-law is 88 and now lives with us). Seeing those pictures of Deer Creek brought a tear to my eye . God those were great rides! I didn't know any riders down there so always rode alone, but loved every freakin painful minute.
> 
> You guys who ride those roads, don't ever take them for granted. The coast air, views, and lack of traffic are hard to beat.


great post.


----------



## Shuteye

Awesome picture! I'm beggin for more.


----------



## madvax

Shuteye said:


> Awesome picture! I'm beggin for more.


Shuteye, There are more pictures in my Christmas Ride in SoCal thread at:
http://forums.roadbikereview.com/showthread.php?t=81924

Enjoy.


----------



## Shuteye

Madvax you are a gentleman! I drank in the memories each of those photos brought back. I recognized the climb from TO into Hidden Valley and relived that cool quick little descent into the valley with the left at the bottom that you could take at full speed marred only by the fact that you had to watch for the occasional car at the junction at the bottom. Then the flat time trial section through the valley prior to the Decker climb. Looked like you had a pic of that steeeeep section of Decker Canyon Rd. I remember on the way home that section made you want to stay off your front brake it was so steep.

Climbing Deer Creek and Yerba Buena on a warm day, it could be so quiet you could hear the sound of your tires on the pavement at each pedal stroke. 

My wife and I also rode Hidden Valley often on our tandem. I kid you not, your pictures got us a bit choked up. They are a reminder of the 80's when Joe (her biking dad) was alive and I lived to ride (and race). Our lives are a little more complicated now but I will hopefully, like Joe, ride forever, and those memories will linger. Thanks again :thumbsup: !


----------



## Vancemac

I'm still a relative newbie to the SM mt rides... and although New Topanga and Old Topanga (over to Malibu and back, respectively) were my first loves, I have to say that Latigo is amazing -- the views, the challenge, the nature of the climb, everything gets top marks. 

Encinal is also very nice.


----------



## Ride-Fly

*From PCH: Mullholland to Little Sycamore...*

and a descent via Yerba Buena. I like the climb back up Cotherin?/Pacific View for the descent on Deer Creek but I find that descent is a bit too steep. I don't like it whenthe brake bads get too hot. Yeah, I know, if I had any hair on my balls, I wouldn't touch the brakes!!! Seriously, the Yerba Buena descent is nice and fast enough. My overall favorite route in the Santa Monicas starts on Kanan to Cornell to Mullholland to Malibu Canyon to Piuma to Saddle Peak to Schueren to Saddle Peak which turns into Fernwood and drops you onto Topanga. Every time I ride this route (especially near Topanga), I feel like I've been transported to somewhere in the Tuscan hills. Ride ON!!!


----------



## endo verendo

*Latigo!*

I voted for what I've had as my avatar since I've been here. Still my favorite climb and descent...love those twists and turns!  I also like that I get to cross the Backbone Trail at the top which is another kind of suffering I do on my other bike.


----------

