Guys – We had 13 Descenders on our ride today. The day started out on the chilly side with overcast skies. We climbed through Santa Luz in a large group and the pace got a bit more animated as we went towards Rancho Santa Fe. Some riders had to turn around, but nine of us still made it to Double Peak – the sun was out by then and we enjoyed sitting around for half hour before heading back to Elfin Forest. It was a bit strange riding familiar roads in the "wrong" direction. Rotating paceline worked well. Matt, Voris and Keith have pushed the pace towards Lake Hodges and I reluctantly joined them on their "hammerfest". We rode easy down Pomerado, with only Voris keeping me company past Ted Williams. Past casa de Voris I still had about 20 miles of solo riding left, I was beginning to bonk and it was windy, so it was survival pace to get home before things turned ugly. For me it was 87 miles and 6,000 ft of climbing. Photos are attached. (also at http://goo.gl/uJbWE).
Hi Guys,
The beautiful weather we have had this week will not completely go away tomorrow but it will be cooler for our group ride. We will still see the sunshine by the time we hit Double Peak!
What: REVERSE Elfin Forest Ride Where: 56 bike path and Black Mountain Road
When: Feb 25, 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Description: REVERSE Elfin Forest Loop with Double Peak: Meet at 56 bike path & Black Mountain Road for 50+ miles through SantaLuz, Rancho Santa Fe, to San Marcos, Double Peak, and back through Elfin Forest.
March 10: We will ride to Lake Wohlford and to Lilac through Couser Canyon (option: Rice Canyon), return down Old 395. Meet at North County Mall at 8AM Map: Lake Wohlford to Lilac, Couser Canyon
March 17: Meet at corner of Poway Rd. and Garden Rd. at 8AM. Alpine Loop, including a ride on El Monte Road to the reservoir and back. Map: Alpine Loop, El Capitan
March 31: Dudley’s Dream Ride / Santa Ysabel Palomar Climbing trip: Meet at the Julian Pie Company back parking lot (Santa Ysabel) at 8:00am for a climbing trip ranging between 56 and 80 miles on Palomar Mountain and Mesa Grande Map: Dudley’s Dream Ride
Hi Guys,
We had a good turnout of more than 10 guys for our Descenders group ride on Sat. We had a couple of guys back after other activities have kept them away from our team rides–Bryan Jones and Matt Davis–both were back and in good riding form. Guido, Bryan and I met on the bike path and headed over to Voris' house. It was cold and cloudy. We met up with John and picked up Voris and Hodges for the ride over to RB and Pomerado. The weather worsened with misty fog growing more dense as we headed north on Pomerado. The group photo shows the foggy start. I am going to have to get a restraining order for Hodges to stay at least 10 feet away from my bike when it is leaning up against a tree or pole. He knocked it over again; 2nd time on as many rides!
We rode towards HVR with the hope that we could climb out of the fog. The sun tried to break through and as we hit the first climb, the mist was behind us. We had a great ride up HVR and regrouped by the school. I tried to take an action photo on the turn near the bird sanctuary but failed to hold onto the camera and brake at the same time. I missed the cool action shot and had to pick up the pieces of my daughters camera off the rode–no more photos for the ride. Matt waited for me and he pulled me back to the group by the time we hit 67. Bob R had to peel off but the rest of us headed along Dye Road and then up towards Old Julian Road. The pace was again too much for me so I swept up the back but eventually made it to the top. We all descended rapidly and reversed our route back to 67 before taking a water break at the country store. Voris had to motor out quickly so guys split off trying to catch him and regroup. Many of us were back together at the top of the Poway Grade. We screamed down the fast descent to Espola. Bernie and Jeff kept straight while Guido, Hodges, Farkas, Bryan and I went back via Twin Peaks. Hodges left us near Oggi's Pizza and the rest of us returned back to Black Mountain. Farkas continued on the bike path to the coast and got in more than 100 miles. I got home with just over 70 miles and about 4,800 feet of climbing; another great day on the bike.
Ride on–
Rob
We have a ride scheduled for tomorrow–Old Julian Road Loop with the HVR climb to Dye Road. Please see the route and plans below. I will ride over from PQ (7;15 am at corner on bike path) to Spring Meadow before going to RB and Pomerado. See you all in the am.
What: Old Julian Where:Rancho Bernardo Road and Pomerado Road
I was remiss in not sending out any comments or photos from our reverse Oceanside Loop last weekend. Things started out a bit grim with cloud cover building and rain starting to come down as we pedaled over to Santaluz. Bob P met us before we entered the south gate. We had some of the usual suspects, along with Hodges’ Pfizer buddy, Jeff, who rode with us on the Soledad repeats and a new rider, Lynn. They both are strong riders and I hope they can keep riding. As we entered Santaluz we saw a large coyote crossing the road. You can see Voris pointing out the coyote along the brush line in a picture below. Our plan was to ride the reverse Santaluz climb. Ernst sped out, hogwash style, at the base of the climb and nabbed the KOM. We all descended rapidly on the slick roads and headed down San Dieguito Road where we had our first flat. During the tire change Eric R came down the hill. He was out to prove he did not melt in the rain. We quickly lost Eric as he headed for the coast while we rode up through RSF, Stud Loop and down Camino Del Notre towards PCH. We lost guys along the way as some only had time for a short ride but the majority of the group continued up PCH to the Oceanside Harbor. The sun started to break through and it was a nice day for a ride along the coast. I managed to sneak past a turning truck and try a breakaway to the harbor turnaround. My new, faster bike helped me extend my distance but Guido roped me in at the final turn to take the win. The ride back south was fast and fun. We finished with about 70 miles and a smile on our faces. See some photos below. Rob. (Oleg’s edit: here’s Rob’s ride on Strava: http://app.strava.com/rides/4080998)
We met at the corner of Black Mountain and the 56 bike path at 8 am. The ride was a disappointment from the standpoint of attendees; only Sheehan, Len, John and I showed for the ride. Hodges was tired from the Soledad climbs and saving himself for the ride to and in Palm Springs on Fri/Sat. The ride was supposed to be an easy coastal spin and we expected to see more guys out that wanted an easy day in the saddle.
The ride itself was excellent. Len and John were tired from their tough ride yesterday out in Pine Valley area. I was still hurting from the Soledad repeats. Sheehan was supposed to be tired from his ’round the world globe trotting over the past two weeks. He, of course, went Hogwash and beat us up on the ride. We decided to ride to RSF and do the Del Dios Highway loop. The pace set by Sheehan was relentless and the rest of us struggled to hold his wheel. We chased a group from Adams Ave Cycle Shop along Stud Loop and then cruised on Del Dios. The pace finally eased a bit on the climb around Lake Hodges and then along Lake Road. We picked it up again until we rode on the bike path and over the pedestrian bridge. Thankfully Sheehan headed towards Pomerado while Len, John and I took an easy pace back through 4S and home. The 35 miles was not too long but sufficiently wore we out.My daughter took her camera so I had nothing to take pictures with today. No photos-did the ride really happen?Good luck to the Palm Springs guys.Rob
Posted inLocal Ride Reports|Comments Off on Descender Group Ride-5 Feb–Easy coastal Spin Ride Report
Description: Meet at 8 AM at 56 bike path and Black Mountain Rd., to ride to the coast, Torrey Pines (outside) to La Jolla Shores to climb 4 different ways up to Mt. Soledad, totaling 55 miles and 3700 ft, including Hillside, Country Club, Nautilus and Pacifica. We will regroup at the Cross at the top after each climbing segment. Map: http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/64914488
The ride today was a blast. Oleg planned the Mount Soledad climbing repeats. He had four different ascents to the top. Oleg positioned his car with coffee, bananas, pastries and water for the rest stop after each climb. It was a beautiful day with views over 50 miles. We had Jo from CCSD join us for three of the climbs and then Rob from CCSD joined us for the last climb. Oleg has posted his photos in the Strava web site. I will attach a couple below and then upload the rest to our Shutterfly account. After four climbs to the top of Soledad, I was spent. Hodges had to ride towards downtown while most of the rest of us headed back towards Torrey Pines and the return home. Guys split along the way and the last four-Matt, Guido, Geoff and me-headed east along the bike path. Matt and Guido hammered their way back and blew Geoff and I off the back. We limped to regroup just before I peeled off for my house–59 miles and over 5,300 feet of climbing.
We had a fun ride up Old 395 and Couser Canyon yesterday. It was bright and cool at the start but the day warmed up nicely, even if the winds were a bit blustery. We started with nine riders: Guido, Rick, Oleg, Dan, Ernst, Matt, Eric, Mike and Rob. We lost Dan early as he had to get back for work. We spent 30 minutes fixing a tough flat on Ernst’s bike as we were close to Jesmond Dene Road. After the flat was finally fixed, the group headed up the climb. It must have been a Strava segment because Rick, Oleg and Eric took off for the top with the rest of us trying to catch them. Ernst did some big pulls up Old 395 and he had to turn back before we got to Route 76. The beauty of the area and the Couser Canyon climb lay in front of us. The pace quickened and I watched the guys fly up the switch backs. The climb is much longer than it seems and took plenty out of my legs. We regrouped at the top and flew down the other side, making our way down Circle R and a water break. I managed to sneak away while the guys took a longer break and began the trudge back up Old 395. My new Cervelo allowed me to stay ahead of the guys as I knew they would try to catch me. I made it to the corner a minute or so before Rick flew up toward the light; my one small victory for the day.We regrouped again and flew down into Escondido and back towards the mall. It was about a 55 mile loop with just over 4,000 of climbing. A fun day on the bike. Look for the February rides on the web site. Here are a couple of photos from yesterday.Ride on-Rob (with some additional photos from Oleg, http://goo.gl/Od4Zt).
Posted inLocal Ride Reports|Comments Off on Descender Group Ride Jan 28, 2012 Ride Report
Hi Guys,The wet weather kept most of you off your bike today. We are rescheduling the ride from today and moving it to tomorrow. Same time, same place–Sunday ride.
What: Club Ride Where: Poway, CA
When: Jan 22, 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Description: January 22, 2012: Meet at corner of Rancho Bernardo Road and Pomerado Road at 8:00 am for the Old Julian Road Loop, up Highland Valley Road. Map: Highland Valley Road Climb, Old Julian Road Loop
A few hardy souls still braved the rain, cold, wind and overall ugly conditions today. I was not feeling well so I opted to drive over to the meting spot. I sent Voris a heads up message and received back one of many messages noting no riding today due to rain. I loaded up my new bike and was about to leave my house when the rain started to fall hard. I made the strategic decision to swap bikes and use my old Trek. I drove over to Voris’ house to learn that only mike Hodges and Geoff Barrall were riding to Pomerado. I drove over and passed them by the hospital, waving that I would meet them at the start. The three of us pedaled away from the corner and the rains came down. Our feet were soaked quickly and the rooster tails got everything wet and dirty. We climbed HVR and tried to get warm. Geoff pushed the pace as he was the coldest. The rains and wind did not stop as we got to Hwy 67. We cruised along Dye Road and stopped at a coffee shop in downtown Ramona to get warm. Mike befriended some locals while we sipped coffee and wrung out our socks, gloves and arm warmers. Mike and Geoff found some old newspapers to line their jersey for added warmth. Unfortunately we could not stay in the coffee shop all day so we again braved the elements and reversed our course back down HVR to Pomerado.
The ride today reminded me of the wet December 2010 ride Mike and I did with Pete Wood up to Lake Wohlford and Lilac. It was also reminiscent of the Oceanside Loop Mike and I did when we met Dave Seeba over three years ago. I do not often ride in the pouring rain, it takes too long to clean my bike! Mike Hodges relishes the rain, seems like home.See you for the ride tomorrow or for the pizza and beer fest tonight. The weather is cooperating so we will have a nice fire in the backyard.See you soon- Rob
Posted inLocal Ride Reports|Comments Off on Descenders Group Ride for Sun, 22 Jan and ride report for Sat, 21 Jan ride
Hi Oleg,Thanks for the good recap. Here are a couple of photos from the ride. I will draft a ride report from my perspective on Team D and what I remember from the ride experience. If others want to contribute to the report, please send me your comments via e-mail. I will consolidate into one ride report.thanks, Rob
Posted inLocal Ride Reports|Comments Off on Stagecoach 100mi TTT Jan 14, 2012
the Stagecoach 100-mile TTT/century ride is now behind us!
Descenders came out in huge numbers, as always, fielding 4 teams for TTT, as well as several individual riders. It was a great day – a bit cold at times and some mild winds, but overall conditions were fantastic, as evidenced by shattered records.
Every Descenders team and I suspect almost every rider set their personal and team best time. Teams A and B both broke the previous course record (unfortunately Broadcom Team A spoiled the party, so we had to settle for 2nd and 3rd overall).
Team A (Rick Bienias, Bob Raibert, Oleg Shpyrko and David Voris) 4:41:15
Team B (Brian Bailey, Bernie Bogard, David Guidotti and Keith James) 4:46:44
Team C (Geoff Barrall, Mike Hodges, Bob Proulx and Claus Schulze) 5:17:12
Team D (a trio of Dave Ernst, Dave Sheehan and Rob Verfurth) 5:29:20
Len Nathe 5:46:29
I couldn’t find John Moran in results but he rode, finished and was smiling.
Drew Peterson, who rides with us on occasion. finished 1st in solo division in amazing 4:47:31.
We also had several spouses riding – Joyce (Keith’s wife) and Denise (Rick’s wife) rode 50 and 60 miles, respectively.
Andrea Raibert and kids provided some moral support on the course as well.
Excellent event with a HUGE Descenders presence! Can’t wait for next year.
Video Highlights of Team A ride are uploaded to youtube:
You should have come,
Oleg.
Posted inLocal Ride Reports|Comments Off on stagecoach 100mi TTT (Jan 14, 2012)
A fantastic ride today with 11 Descenders, unless I miscounted. Strava has claimed its new victims – Guido, Sheehan and possibly Keith. In fact, I think 9 of 11 riders who rode today are on strava.
Generally easy pace, as planned, with plenty of rotating pacelines and only a few “animated” moments.
Oleg. PS: Good luck to everyone at Stagecoach next weekend!
Descenders,
First official ride of 2011 (since we were all riding in smaller groups on Jan 1st) is posted on the website and listed below. Keep in mind that this is supposed to be an easy “taper” ride in view of Stagecoach next week. Some of us will be leaving from Casa de Voris a bit around 7:40AM.
January 7, 2012: Meet at 7-11 at Garden Road and Poway Road at 8:00am for the Mussey Grade, Pamo Road Loop. Easy pace, taper for Stagecoach race next week. Map:Mussey Grade, Pamo Road Loops, up Scripps Poway Parkway Oleg
Wow! Another year has passed by in a flash. As the pace of the peloton ebbs and flows over their race route, the Descenders’ year has been similar in nature with many emotional highs and a most unfortunate low…. the tragic loss of Nick Venuto. While this was a an terrible event, our group’s response, compassion and support extended to the Venuto family illustrates what it means to be a Descender. Dave Voris deserves recognition for his role in organizing Descender support activities and for initiating the Nick Venuto Memorial. The memorial was a heartfelt occasion that exceeded all expectations, with over 500 participants in the ride/walk. The event was an appropriate way for family, friends, colleagues, and bicycling community to come together to commemorate and celebrate Nick’s life. Also, a special thanks to all Descenders and family members who attended funeral services, provided support to the family, and volunteered for Memorial activities. We truly lost Nick too early and he will be greatly missed… we will continue to ride on in his memory.
We have certainly come a long way from the initial small group of individuals that formed the club. This year, we welcomed 14 new registered riders, bringing us to 36 active members. Amazing growth….any predictions as to when we will hit 50 active members???
The Route Committee (Rob, Oleg and Dave V.) deserves special acknowledgement this year for their efforts. Improvements include enhancing our weekly ride calendar though inclusion of interactive “MapMyRide” links and adding new routes that not only exhibit San Diego country’s picturesque beauty, but also keep our rides interesting and challenging. New routes include the Alpine/El Capitan loop, the Borrego/Montezuma route, and the addition of the dreaded Double Peaks climb to the Elfin Forest circuit. Tracking our weekly Saturday rides, as in individual rider, you would have logged 2,760 miles and climbed 144,000 feet. After combining club trips (Tour of California and Monster Climbs) and other organized events, the figures jump to a very impressive 3,310 miles and 190,000 feet. What is even more remarkable is these figures do not include any of your individual “stealth” training miles ridden during the week.
Descenders continue to receive great recognition through results achieved in organized rides or sanctioned competitions. We kicked off the year by fielding a record 5 teams in the annual Stage Coach Team Time Trial. This was followed by multiple members completing in the Palomar Mountain Challenge and Fiesta Island Time Trial, along with other USA Cycling sanctioned events such as California Criterium series, and stage races such as Callville in Las Vegas, Sea Otter in Monterey, Mt. Hood in Oregon, and the Everest Challenge. Descenders posted top finishes or achieved personal best results in all events. We also continue participating in many of our favorite organized rides including Tour of Palm Springs, Alpine Challenge, Scripps Old Pros Classic and Tour de Poway. Internationally, the Descender kits have been seen in Japan, Spain, Italy, Australia, UK, Denmark and France, home of the world renowned Etape du Tour.
Another area that’s captured the interest of many Descenders is STRAVA. I’m sure everyone will agree, since the introduction of this new cycling technology, our weekend rides have definitely been more lively. Not sure exactly what STRAVA stands for, but guessing it may be something like…. Segment Timed Racing And Very Addictive, with emphasis on the last part (although their website says that the name originates from the Swedish word “sträva” which means “to strive.”)Many Descenders either are consistently classified within the top 10, or outright own, KOM segments in the greater San Diego area. Rick Bienias just won the“San Diego’s Ultimate Climbing Competition”, a competition that consists of 17 different climbs that must be completed between September and December! Other notable competitors include Oleg and Bob Raibert, who finished in 4th and 6th place. Climbing Competition Resultsare available on STRAVA.Congratulations to all on your personal achievements!
The annual Tour of California and Monster Climbs trips continue to be hugely successful events. This year’s ToC delivered us to the Angeles National Forest where we pre-rode the race route along Glendora Ridge Road, Cattle Canyon and Mt. Baldy. The riding was amazing and just as exhilarating as the racing action. What an awe-inspiring experience watching Chris Horner and Levi Leipheimer decimate the field in the final 4k climb to the top of Mt. Baldy. Witnessing them crest the climb together and simultaneously cross the finish line with hands raised together in victory was thrilling. 2011’s Monsters Climbs trip included another 3 days of incredible climbs and extremely invigorating descents. Climbs included Mt. Baldy, Horseshoe Meadows, Whitney Portal and Kennedy Meadows, for a total elevation gain of over 19,500 feet. In 2012, another adventurous MC trip will take us to new and exciting territory. Additional information will be distributed shortly.
As we all know, Oleg, Rob and Dave V. do a wonderful job capturing the Descenders in action on our weekly club rides, annual trips and special events through their many photos, video streams and ride reports. A photo from the 2010 Monsters climb and footage from of this year’s Alpine Challenge was even featured in Gary Hawkins’ Ride FitTM website and Indoor Cycle Training Video Series. Take a look at Ride Fit.
This year Oleg/Dave/Rob have teamed up to produce two magnificent pieces – The Monster Climbs VideoRecap and the Descenders “Year in Review”. After having previewed the video and read this year’s review, I’m sure you will all agree that they have brilliantly documented this year’s activities… these pieces truly capture the spirit and personality of the Descenders Club, which is what makes our cycling club so unique in the region! The Monster Climbs Video Recap can be viewed at the following link: MC Video. The Descenders Year in Review will be released within the next couple of weeks.
Thanks again to Rick for coordinating kit purchases and keeping us riding in style. The socks and light weight vest were great additions.
As we are all aware, the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition (SDCBC) is an organization supported by our Club. The coalition performs an important role within our community as their activities are aimed at promoting bicycling as a form of transportation and recreation, and for seeking safer conditions for cycling countywide. Thank you to Bernie Bogard for representing the Descenders and giving us a voice within the Coalition in pursuit of these most important causes.
As we begin 2012, we are kicking off our 2012 registration process. To register, download and complete the 2012 registration Form. The form is also attached to this email. New members joining since Nov. 1 2011, will have their registration fee applied to 2012 season. If renewing, all you need to do is enter your First and Last Name, check the Renewal box, indicate the Registration Date, and sign/date the Release Form. No additional information is required, unless you wish to update your address, email accounts or emergency contacts. Registrations Fee/Trust Donation mailing and payment instructions are included on the form.
Finally, in support of the Nicholas Venuto trust, we have included an option when registering to provide a voluntary donation, if you desire. Note, donations are currently considered non-tax deductible, but this is expected to change in 2012, as the trust is being converted to a non-profit account.
Please remember, to reserve a spot for the Monsters Climb you must be a registered 2012 Descenders member.
Hi Guys,Happy New Year! Let’s ride tomorrow. We need to do a fairly flat route to get in TTT riding shape so the route is now heading to the coast. New meeting spot–meet at the corner of Black Mountain and the 56 bike path at 8 am. We will ride to PCH and along the coast until we get tired of the pace line. If you are not working, come out for a ride. This past weekend it looked like all the Descenders were riding somewhere. Based on the Strava reports we had guys playing in the dirt on MTB rides, there were guys earning KOM points on climb near Julian and guys riding with SDBC, along with a Descenders ride. We headed up the coast towards Carlsbad, turned around near the smokestack and rode back to La Costa and through RSF. We saw lots of groups of SDBC riders and found one guys on the side of the road with a broken bike, it was Bernie. He hit a hole hard on Camino Del Norte and bent his tire. He was riding with his son-in-law, Brian. Guido spotted Brian in the lead SDBC group when we came off PCH, over 5 miles away from where we found Bernie. We finished with a loop through Santaluz and got home with about 55 miles, one flat and a lost water bottle when i hit a hole in Carlsbad. Another fun day on the bike.I hope you can come ride again tomorrow. See all that can ride at 8 am.Ride on-Rob
Posted inLocal Ride Reports|Comments Off on Descenders Ride-Monday, 2 Jan and the ride weekend summary
With this long weekend perhaps you’ll have time to take the attached test I found in Velo (pgs 56 & 57). It’s a personality test format I’m sure most or all of you have taken at work.
There’s just 12 questions; after each 3 you add up the score to come up with a letter. After the 12 questions you’ll have 4 letters.
My result : W T V R (aka The Sharpshooter)
While somewhat painful to admit, I found my result pretty accurate and therefore completely hilarious! I busted up laughing after reading my description.
Have fun. Pass along your results if you want. Happy New Year
There was also a small group ride today for those of us that played hooky. Guido and I pedaled over to Voris’ house and he did not ride. Bob Proulx showed up and we rode to Garden road to meet Claus. It seemed like it was only going to be 4 of us so we headed up SPP. Guido’s legs were hurting from the TT training on Fiesta Island for Team B from yesterday. My legs were hurting from a few good runs and from being old. Unfortunately Bob and Claus seemed in good form so the pace hurt. We sped along towards Mussey Grade and descended at a sane pace. We met up with bob Raibert who was climbing up Mussey, out getting more clandestine training in to get his Strava points even higher. We regrouped and headed for the end of Mussey. I had to fix a flat but we eventually got climbing. Bob R and Bob P flew away from Guido, Claus and me on the climb up Mussey. We regrouped at the fire station on Dye Road for a water break and then went down HVR. I took at small tumble near the school on the slight incline when I went for my water bottle at the same time Guido slowed. We bumped tires and I fell. No damage, no foul so we continued on the ride. Guido and I lost the other three guys in our desperate attempt to catch them; never did. They were kind enough to turn back around at the bottom of HVR and we rode as a group to Pomerado. Claus wanted more pain so he took off towards Lake Hodges while the rest of us went down Pomerado. Guido seemed refreshed and he and Bob P pulled away. Bob R was kind enough to come back for me and he pulled me back to them. Bob P split off to ride back to his car while we turned on Ted Williams. Bob R had to get home so he took off while Guido and I pootled our way back home–56 miles and 3,300 feet of climbing. Does not sound like much but we were still tired.
Here are a few photos. See everyone in the am.Rob
Posted inLocal Ride Reports|Comments Off on Holiday Ride 30 Dec and Descenders group ride Sat, 31 Dec
Santa Barbara is claimed by many as the cyclist’s Nirvana, alongside with San Diego.
I had to travel to Santa Barbara on business and brought my bike, naturally. One day I rode up Gibraltar and then down Old San Marcos/Painted Cave. The next day I did the same loop in reverse – climbed OSM/Painted Cave and descended Gibraltar. Both times it was about a 40-miler with 6,000+ ft of elevation gain (Link to GPS/Strava routes of Day 1 and Day 2).
The views are fantastic, for San Diego riders – imagine a Palomar (along with a long mountaintop ridge) moved to La Jolla, where Mount Soledad currently is. Basically, you are almost always have a view of the ocean, and the other, eastern side of the ride has fantastic views of the mountains as well. The Gibraltar climb is longer and provides for more steady (=less difficult) climbing, but the roads are rough at places – good enough for climbing but a bit too sketchy for my taste for descending at full speed. Old San Marcos, and especially the Painted Cave section provide for some nice double-digit gradients (it is the steepest 5-mile section in SoCal, and top 5 in California – steeper than infamous 5-mile super-steep section of Mt. Baldy).
Below are some photos and a video:
Posted inRoad Trip Ride Report|Comments Off on Santa Barbara Ride Report: Gibraltar, Old San Marcos, Painted Cave (report by Oleg Shpyrko)
Hi Guys,We had another large group (14 riders) turnout for the Descenders ride on Sat. Rick came with his new, faster, bike; just what he needs! It was very cold–mid-30’s at the mall for the start. It was warming up rapidly as we headed up Bear Valley. Hodges had only a small window to ride so he took off at a spirited pace up Mary Lane with Farkas in tow. The rest of the group rode at a controlled pace to the climb up Wohlford. There were Strava points at stake so the pace blew the group apart as I played sweeper most of the way up to Lake Wohlford. We regrouped and sped off towards Woods Valley while Hodges had to retreat back down to head home. The pace along Woods Valley was incredible with 30+ mph pace flying along in a paceline. Ernst flew to the front and the pace quickened even more. As we got to Valley Center the final sprint to the finish had Guido, Matt and others surging to the front. We cruised up Lilac until Bernie gave us a respite with a couple of tube flats. We hit Couser Canyon and climbed to the top and then the group flew over to hit the curvy descents. I was behind the group so tried to close the gap while descending down to the bottom of the canyon. The guys headed up Rice Canyon while I went west toward to Old 395 for a 25 mile solo ride back to the mall. I heard the rest of the ride was fast and furious; a total of about 66 miles for the guys.My camera is on its last legs but I was able to get a few shots.See you next weekend-Rob
Descenders – We had another great ride today. We rode out to Elfin Forest, did Double Peak and explored some hidden, supersteep (20+% at least!) roads behind Double Peak Park – some of us had to jump over the fence, while others had to walk their bikes down a supersteep stretch (see photos below). Then we went back through Rancho Santa Fe, Santa Luz/56 bike path, for a total of 56 miles, with 4200 ft climbed.
We have another great ride planned for tomorrow–Elfin Forest and Double Peak. Rumor has it that Oleg has one other small climb he wants to add to the ride as well. I will be riding over from PQ and be at the corner of Black Mountain and the 56 bike path at 7:15 am to roll over to Voris house. If you are coming to the corner, please let me know. I also plan to get your attention regarding the Shadowtour TTT event sent for January. I will be drafting the early team ideas based on who is riding. If you are going to register for the TTT event, please let me know. Below are some of the early ideas for teams based on what I know today.
What: Club Ride Where: Corner of Rancho Bernardo Road and Pomerado Road
When: Dec 3, 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Description: Elfin Forrest Loop with Double Peak: Meet at the corner of Rancho Bernardo Road and Pomerado Road for 50+ miles through Elfin Forest, up the mighty Double Peak Road in San Marcos, and Santa Luz loop. Map: http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/50128410
See you in the am,
Rob
Hi Guys,A number of messages have already gone out covering the ride overview. We had a great group ride in crisp and sunny weather yesterday. There were about a dozen guys riding; we even picked up Matt Davis for a few miles with him out on his MTB for a training ride. Mike Farkas brought along a young racer, Kyle, who helped keep the group moving quickly. The pace never seemed to slow as we headed along Pomerado and over the I-15 bridge of Lake Hodges and then towards Harmony Grove. The paceline was not super smooth in Elfin Forest but the pace was pretty quick. I blew up heading towards San Elijo and was the last to get to the little town center. After a quick regroup we all climbed to Double Peak which offered some terrific views. Oleg then took us on a tour of the ridge trails in San Elijo Hills; super steep sections and fun descents. Matt Babb and I climbed over a fence to get back into the neighborhood while a few of the other guys had to hike down a section of path. We regrouped back in town and sped off for Rancho Sante Fe with the usual brisk pace up to Lago Lindo and back towards Santaluz. I again played sweeper up San Dieguito Road and then the group split a bit. Guido and I went through Santaluz and back to the 56 bike path. I finished with about 56 miles and 4,600 feet of climbing; another great team ride and a fun day to be on a bike. Here are a few photos.Ride on-Rob
Hi Guys,Wow–what a great day and a huge turnout of Descenders for the ride yesterday! The weather was beautiful, very sunny and it warmed up nicely throughout the morning.At the start we had about 20 riders. It was tough trying to control so many riders down the bike path towards the coast. We picked up Oleg as we headed to PCH. Matt and Roman joined us again as well as new Rick, who rode well the previous day. Sam Hodges was even out in his Descenders kit with proud father, Mike. The group pace to PCH was comfortable for all. Things started to pick up north of Cardiff with some monster pulls by the guys. Bob P and Bryan Jones had to pull off at La costa while the main pack headed for Oceanside. Just south of Carlsbad the pace quickened again, fortunately for me Bob R hung back to allow me to barely grasp onto his wheel. We passed lots of riders and had a large group flowing fast into the harbor turn around.After a short break, we headed back south with more speed. We cruised through Carlsbad Village and surged past the power plant. The slight incline at this point is always painful. There was a light or two that helped keep us together as we all powered to the La Costa turn. Strava noted a number of records from the La Costa sprint, average pace of over 29 mph, super fast! The group stayed together until El Camino Del Notre where I was blown off the back and we were strung out heading to Lago Lindo. Rick waited at the top to help sweep up us stragglers as we rolled into RSF. I tried to sneak away on Stud Loop backwards and put in a failed effort as Matt, Voris and Oleg flew by me in the last half mile with others closing fast. I again saw a handful of top 15 times in Strava from this segment of the ride, guys averaging 22-23 mph.The group pulled to the bottom of San Dieguito Road and Oleg sped off to the west. The rest of the guys climbed to Santaluz. We regrouped by the side road entrance with Ernst, Farkas and Sheehan heading off north while the last 10 guys cruised through Santaluz and back to the 56 bike path. We saw Mike and Sam near Westview HS on our way back. I peeled off with about 67 miles of riding and 3,200 feet of climbing.Great day to ride and be a Descender. We are posting the ride for December in the next day or so. I have attached a few photos from the ride yesterday and will upload a bunch more to the Shutterfly account.Have a great week and see you next Sat.Ride on-Rob
San Diego Descenders Cycling Club 
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