MDRCC Event and Ride List – August 2010 through January 2010
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All Sunday rides, unless otherwise listed, leave from Helen’s Marina Del Rey Bike Shop, 2472 Lincoln Boulevard, between Washington and Venice Boulevards. Departure time is 8:00am January through late May, moving to 7:30am on May 30, except as noted on out-of-town rides. Please be ready to roll at the specified departure time! It is recommended that you come equipped to fix a flat (i.e., spare tubes, tire levers, patches, inflators, etc.), and bring filled water bottles, snacks, and lunch money. Helmets are required and no headsets or earbuds on the rides, please!

August 1, 2010 - 7:30am -- Long Beach/Belmont Shores

Ride south through the beach cities to Redondo Beach. Cross PCH at Torrance Blvd. and head southeast through Lomita, Harbor City, and Wilmington. Leave PCH for bike path along Los Angeles River Bank. Cycle south to Long Beach and follow coastline to Belmont Shores for a hearty lunch before returning one of several routes through South Bay cities. A flat ride, 70 miles.

August 8, 2010 - 7:30am -- 3 Canyons/Raymond Fouquet Brentwood Grand Prix

This compact little 35-mile ride gets maximum results in minimum time! Roll from Helen’s north on Ocean and drop down into Santa Monica Canyon and up Amalfi north of Sunset to the top of San Onofre Drive. Check out the view, grab a sip and fly down Amalfi to Sunset and head east to zip up Mandeville where you can view the wildlife with advanced degrees and no sense of restraint. Descend to Sunset and head east to Bundy and North up to Mt. St. Mary’s College. See the Getty from a different perspective. Fly down Bundy and wend your way to San Vicente to watch the bike races, movie stars -- chatted up Ben Affleck last year - and grab a snack, or if you are fast enough, a Cliff bar from a Cat I.

August 15, 2010 - 7:30am -- Encinal Canyon

Voyagez up PCH to Trancas. The short ride turns around here (or back at Malibu). The long ride proceeds a few miles more to Encinal Canyon. A scenic climb up Encinal brings us to a choice of Mulholland or Upper Encinal, and then over to Kanan Dume for a long fast descent down to the coast and brunch before returning on PCH. The short ride is about 45 miles; the long ride is about 68 miles with a fair amount of climbing Encinal is 5 miles long with 1,420 feet of elevation gain with a average grade of 5.4%, Max of 9%.

August 21, 2010 (Saturday) -- Cool Breeze, Ventura

August 22, 2010 - 7:30am -- Topanga to Sepulveda Loop

Ride up PCH to Topanga Canyon. Climb to the intersection of Topanga and Old Topanga and stop for a breath at the post office. The short ride returns to the Westside for brunch. The long ride continues up Old Topanga and returns through the Valley via Dumetz and Wells, stopping on Ventura Blvd. in Encino at the Corner Bakery. The short route consists of 27 hilly miles. The long route is 49 hilly miles.

August 29, 2010 - 7:30am -- San Pedro

Roll south through beach cities to Palos Verdes. The short ride turns around at Malaga Cove and returns, perhaps stopping at Catalina Coffee in Redondo Beach. Our long ride proceeds around the peninsula on PV Drives West and South to San Pedro. We stop for brunch in San Pedro or continue on via Gaffey and PV Drive North and stop at Catalina Coffee. The short route is 36 and fairly flat miles. The long route is 59 mildly hilly miles.

September 5, 2010 - 8:30 am-- Casitas to Santa Barbara

This is a long weekend so it might be a good time to do the ever popular Lake Casitas -- Santa Barbara ride. Drive Highway 101 north to Ventura and exit on California. Turn right on California to the top of the hill. Turn right then left into driveway and park behind city hall. Allow about 1:15 driving time from Santa Monica. Meet at 8:15am for an 8:30 am start. Ride through Ventura before climbing up to Lake Casitas. Ride around spectacular north end of lake before climbing up and over toward coast. Also, we add the usual side route over Gobernador Canyon Road, just because we like the name. Continue north through Carpinteria and on to Santa Barbara for lunch. Zip back to Ventura via coast. 68 miles with a few big climbs. Anyone who can’t make this ride but wants a local ride can meet at Helen’s and pick their own.

September 6, 2010 -- Labor Day

September 11, 2010 -- Orange County Wheelmen Amtrak Century

September 12, 2010 - 8:00am return to Autumn time -- Stradella to New Topanga

Up Sepulveda to Moraga and then wind our way through scenic Bel Air, up Stradella to Mulholland Drive. The short ride returns to the Westside via Sepulveda. The long ride continues on Mulholland over the San Diego Fwy to Encino Hills Drive for a steep descent into the Valley. From Hayvenhurst, continue to wind our way over Carl’s secret commuter route to Valley Vista, Wells, and Dumetz to Topanga Canyon. Take New Topanga up and over and down to PCH. The short route is 30 hilly miles. The long route is 50 plus hilly miles with about 4000 feet of climbing, maximum grade about 15%.

September 19, 2010 - 8:00am Latigo Canyon

Everyone’s favorite PCH climb! Hammer hrough Santa Monica and up PCH to Malibu. The short route bails and returns to Santa Monica for brunch. 30 flat fast miles. The long ride proceeds up Latigo Canyon Road for an incredibly scenic but long climb. At Kanan Dume Road we take the speedy descent back to the coast, where we stop for brunch before returning on PCH. 60 miles, with one fun climb of about 9.2 miles, 2,288 feet of elevation gain, 4.7% average grade with a maximum pitch of 12%.

September 26, 2010 - 8:00am -- The Westside Three (or Two or Four) Canyons Ride

A tour of the Westside canyons above Sunset. Palisades Highlands, Amalfi, and Mandeville. We used to do Tigertail as well, but for years, everyone has wimped out after Mandeville for a total of 46 hilly miles. Bring a low gear for Palisades Highlands (4.1 miles, 6.7 average gradient, 11 % max) which gets very steep for the top mile and one half. Bring tough tires for the rough stretch of Sullivan Fire Road above Amalfi, if it is open. And bring your good behavior for manic motorists on Mandeville: 5.1 miles, 3.7 average gradient, 11% max.

October 3, 2010 - 8:00am -- Sepulveda to West Hollywood or Jump into the LA Triathlon Course

*(Option 1 brought to us by Heather Baroff with cribbing from Jay Slater.) *It includes part of a ride we do regularly and part that we have done only once before. The big payoff is that after working hard in the saddle all morning we will be heading to West Hollywood/Beverly Center for a BBQ lunch that is just amazing. We will depart Peet's in Brentwood at 8 am and head up Sepulveda to Mulholland and across to Cahuenga and over Barham to Forest Lawn Drive and Griffith Park. We will ride through the park and exit at Los Feliz Blvd and then head across Los Feliz onto Riverside Drive. We will ride down Riverside to Stadium Way and into the Dodger Stadium area and out to Chinatown. We will do a really cool ride through downtown passing the LA Cathedral, Music Center, Disney Hall and Staples Center/LA Live. From there we will head out of downtown on Venice Blvd. to San Vicente and back into West Hollywood and lunch at California Smokin' Joint. Alan Eskovitz found this place and swears it is the best BBQ around. Some of us have eaten there and would find it hard to disagree. Overall the ride is around 50 miles with a fair amount of climbing.

*(Option 2 following the LA Triathlon course.)* Starting from Helen’s Marina del Rey, The Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles triathlon course takes you through the heart of the city from the beach to Staples Center. The entire bike course is closed to traffic and makes this ride a once in a lifetime opportunity. If you are not up for completing a whole triathlon (yet!), you can take part by doing just the bike course. We’ve done this before and if we don’t act like d!cks -- which someone did once before and got us thrown off the course for a few blocks -- we can do a tour of the downtown and return to West Hollywood for California Smokin’ Joint.

October 10, 2010 - 8:00am -- PV, The Summit Crest Route

Push south through Playa Del Rey, Manhattan, Hermosa and Redondo Beaches to Palos Verdes. Climb to the “Crest” of the peninsula via Via Del Monte, Montemalaga, Silver Spur, and Crenshaw. Back down Hawthorne and around PV Drive West, with a scenic detour via Via Coronel through the PV foothills in search of peacocks. Lunch at Catalina Coffee in Redondo Beach on the way back. A relatively hilly 49 miles with an annoyingly steep section on Silver Spur.

October 17, 2010 - 8:00am -- Yerba Buena/Trancas Market

PCH through Malibu to the Ventura County Line. A long scenic climb up Yerba Buena (8.3 miles with a 5.5% average gradient) to the top of the coast range. Return via Sycamore and Mulholland to Kanen Dune, or if you are strong enough, continue on to Old Topanga. Bring plenty of food and water. About 80 miles.

October 24, 2010 - 8:00am -- Stunt via Sepulveda

Take Sepulveda to the Valley, then Ventura to Topanga. The short ride returns on Topanga. The long ride takes Topanga to Mulholland to Stunt Road and up to Saddle Peak. Return from here either on Saddle Peak to Topanga, or by taking Schueren to the Rambla Pacifico - Piuma junction and pick a direction -- up or down. Up follows Piuma to its summit and down to Las Virgenes. Down goes down an extremely steep winding road to PCH. Mileage depends on route selected, but expect 50 to 60 miles.

October 31, 2010 - 8:00am -- Chatsworth Reservoir

Climb over Sepulveda to Burbank Blvd., Woodley, Victory, and up DeSoto to Devonshire. Around the Reservoir and stop for brunch at Label’s Table in Calabasas. Return over Old Topanga Canyon (6% average gradient) to PCH. Moderately hilly 61 miles with about 2850 feet of climbing.

November 7, 2010 -- Daylight Saving Time Ends -- 8:00am -- Choice of Out-of-Towners depending on the weather, fire season, and road repairs -- Mt. Wilson or Bouquet Canyon

Mt. Wilson -- Out of-Towner Option 1

- Meet at the Rose Bowl Parking lot "I" at 8:30 am for an 8:45am start. Cycle up through La Crescenta and La Canada to Foothill Blvd. Long climb up Angeles Crest Highway and spectacular vistas. Turn off at Red Box for the final few miles to the top of Mt. Wilson. Bring something to revitalize yourself at the top before beginning a spectacular descent with broad sweeping turns on the way back down Angeles Crest Hwy. Ride is forty-nine miles with one very long but not unreasonably steep grade of about 17 miles and average grade of 5.2%. Eat lunch at the bottom of Angeles Crest Highway on the return. (Alternate option: Continue past Red Box to Newcomb’s Ranch for brunch. Round trip is 63 miles.)

Bouquet Canyon -- Out of-Towner Option 2

- Allow an hour to get to Saugus, the start. Take the 405 north to interstate 5 north to Valencia Boulevard off ramp. Turn right on Valencia, then left on Bouquet Canyon Rd., then left again on Seco Canyon Rd. Park at the small school on the left. Ride will begin promptly at 8:45 am. Route quickly leaves Saugus on its way up scenic San Francisquitos Canyon and through the Los Padres Forest. Stop for lunch on our way over to Bouquet Canyon where we can enjoy a long, fast descent through a spectacular wooded camping area. 51 miles.

November 14, 2010 - 8:00am -- Up Fernwood Down Piuma

Climb Topanga to Fernwood. Then follow a winding, wooded ascent through a bucolic Topanga neighborhood up to the Saddle Peak, Stunt, Schueren junction. Go down Schueren to Piuma, turn right and climb up to its summit and then descend down to Las Virgenes. Back to PCH for a snack, and then on home. About 50 challenging miles with max altitude of around 2400 feet, max grade of 14% and 5.2% average. The short ride can turn back at the Fernwood turnoff.

November 21, 2010 -- 8:00am - Westlake Village

Ride West on PCH to Malibu Canyon where the short riders can turn back at Cross Creek Mall. The long riders climb up Las Virgenes to Mulholland, then turns west and goes over the top to the top of Cornell Road, then north to Kanen Road and Agoura Road, turn west to Westlake Village for lunch. Return via Westlake Blvd. and climb up Decker Canyon over Mulholland to Encinal Canyon and a long descent to PCH. A hilly 74 miles.

November 28, 2010 -- 8:00am -- Benedict Canyon

Since it's turkey weekend, Cruise through Beverly Hills to Benedict Canyon, and climb up to Mulholland. Turn back to Sepulveda for 30 slightly hilly miles, or head east on Mulholland to Griffith Park, for 57 slightly hillier miles. Stop at Priscilla’s in Toluca Lake for the long ride, or a coffee break on the Westside for the short ride.

December 6, 2010 -- 8:30am -- Potrero Canyon (Out-of-Towner)

This ride goes though very pretty areas around Lake Sherwood/Hidden Hills and by horse farms. Take 101 north to Westlake Blvd. Go south a few blocks to the Westlake Shopping Center on the northeast corner of Westlake and Agoura Roads. Rendezvous in the north end of the lot near restaurant. Ride south on Westlake Blvd. then turn right on Potrero Rd. Ride out towards Las Posas Rd. then turn north and loop back through Camarillo and Thousand Oaks. About 50 -- 60 miles.

December 13, 2010 - 8:00am -- Stradella to New or Old Topanga

Up Sepulveda to Moraga and then wind our way through scenic Bel Air, up Stradella to Mulholland Drive. The short ride returns to the Westside via Sepulveda. The long ride continues on Mulholland over the San Diego Fwy to Encino Hills Drive for a steep descent into the Valley. From Hayvenhurst, continue to wind our way over Carl’s secret commuter route to Valley Vista, Wells, and Dumetz to Topanga Canyon. Take New Topanga, or continue on Mulholland to Old Topanga, if holiday shopper traffic is too annoying, up and over and down to PCH. The short route is 30 hilly miles. The long route is 50 plus hilly miles with about 4000 feet of climbing, maximum grade about 15%.

December 20, 2010 - 8:00am -- Malibu to Piuma

Kinda the Fernwood ride backwards and harder. Up PCH to Malibu at which point the weenies go back. Up Malibu to Piuma and then up this tough little 5 mile climb. Drop down to Schueren, turn left, and then up to the junction with Saddle Peak and Stunt. Take Saddle Peak back through Fernwood and down to Topanga. Back on Topanga to PCH and back home. 50 miles that you will feel.

December 27, 2010 -- 8:00am -- PV Loop, Clockwise

South through Playa Del Rey, Manhattan, Hermosa, and Redondo Beaches to the Palos Verdes. Short ride turns back at Malaga Cove. Long ride continues clockwise around PV on Palos Verdes Drives North to the Palos Verdes Drive East climb. First up, then down then up a little more then down a lot. Continue the loop back on Palos Verdes Drives South and West. Stop for refreshments at Catalina Coffee in Redondo Beach. 56 miles with one gradual climb.

January 2, 2011 - 8:00am -- Sierra Madre - How’s your hang over?

Roar down Venice Blvd. to Downtown LA. Roll up Figueroa and through Chinatown and on to the manors of South Pasadena. Storm through Huntington Park and San Marino before stopping for brunch in Sierra Madre. Pass along the Rose Bowl Parade route and check out the floats. Return through the San Fernando Valley to pick up Riverside Drive and the rest of the Canyon routes back to Sepulveda. An approximately flat 74 miles.

January 9, 2011 - 8:00am -- PCH to Trancas

Zip up PCH to Malibu. The short ride returns to the Westside. The long ride continues to zip up the coast past Zuma Beach to Trancas and the How’s Market or Starbucks for a cup of joe, then returns to the Westside for some more substantial grub. Short route is 30 flat miles. The long route is 51 flat miles.

January 16, 2011 - 8:00am -- Beverly Glen

Go through West LA to Olympic Blvd. Turn north at Beverly Glen and take a winding, varied, and scenic tour all the way up to the top at Mulholland. Short ride turns left and returns via Mulholland and Sepulveda. Long ride turns right and takes Mulholland to Cahuenga, then over on Barham Blvd to Forest Lawn and Griffith Park before turning back through Toluca Lake for a brunch stop at Priscilla’s. Return via Moorpark and Sepulveda. 55 miles. Moderate climbing.