Late night topanga climb
Thread started by
robin swabin at 07.28.08 - 10:32 pm
I was thinking about starting something on either a wed or thursday night, starting at like 11 where we basically just climb Topanga at our own pace and come back down via sepulveda. I wanted to see what kind of interest there is for something like that, because i know we are already a little lacking on the Santa Monica side of things.
So yeah, if there is any interest suggest some dates and routes. Remember its not a race to the top, but more like a gradual thing that will happen every week. Hopefully we can build up to getting up that road pretty quickly
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sounds cool, i'd be down, but those mountain roads can be pretty dicey at night
upstate07.28.08 - 10:37 pm
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yeah pretty much it is a relatively dangerous ride, but i feel alot safer going with a group than trying it by myself
robin swabin07.28.08 - 10:43 pm
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actually, i've always thought it would be cool if somebody started a hill climb club
upstate07.28.08 - 10:43 pm
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im not limiting it to topanga, but any sort of hill on the west side. It can be like our on little bicycle touge club. Part of the motivation is my apprehension of getting anywhere near the PCH by myself
robin swabin07.28.08 - 10:47 pm
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i'd be interested in doing some late night climbs...but i only have a double so i'd be a little on the slow side.
nancine07.28.08 - 11:53 pm
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I'm down for some nighttime climbing, even though I live further east. Just not on a Wednesday, because I'm, like, married to the K-Town Forge'n'Gorge. Is the Topanga to Sepulveda leg of this route doable on skinny-tired road bikes?
nathansnider07.29.08 - 1:31 am
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Im not sure... I am trying to decide if we should just go up topanga and come back tuna canyon road, or if we should take mulholland over to sepulveda.
If we go by way of sepulveda from santa monica, were looking at close to 40 miles so... yeah,
Im scouting it out tomorrow, i will come up with something official. Also ill see if i can arrange extra fancy pants foil spoke cards for everyone man enough (or woman enough) to do the climb
And like I said before its going to be slow, at least on the way up. i will be sucking air hard so yeah, you dont need to worry about me
robin swabin07.29.08 - 1:55 am
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Muhlholland to Sepulveda, from Topanga, is all dirt and rocks.
ChaosRR07.29.08 - 10:14 am
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topanga and sepulveda? isn't that one of those "you can't get there from here" routes? now, latigo and topanga at night would be interesting. personally, riding on the freeway sounds a lot safer. count me in.
indigis07.29.08 - 3:26 pm
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YES!
I live in Topnaga / on Topnaga and I'm totally up for some ridazz on that road. 11pm is way too late... that narrow road is full of screeching drunk drivers. I don't want to see anyone turned to pizza sauce.
By 7:30 most of the commuters are gone and there is still a little twilight to see by.
I'm in the flats by Froggy's Restaurant and can host a halfway-up rest stop. Beer/bbq/fun
NefariousT07.29.08 - 4:43 pm
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there is no latigo and topanga (no disrespect).
for a bbq/fun/etc half way up i'd drove over from the valley :p
anything WEST of topanga, via all the way over or fernwood, is big climbing, and/or a wicked descent like las flores (alternatives are big miles via valley or pepperdine).
The alternatives are
over Topanga from PCH, east down Ventura, and then back over Sepulveda.
Over Topanga from PCH, west on Muhlholland Hwy to Malibu Cyn (south) and then a big chunk of PCH (from Pepperdine) south back to temescal or wherever.
the other alternatives involve fernwood, las flores, piuma, and some other epic santa monica mnts climbs and these are 'expert only' for the average ridaaaa
ChaosRR07.29.08 - 7:10 pm
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Anyone have experience with the roads further east? I rode up Beverly Glen at 5:30 in the morning after the last Crank Mob, and it looks like it could be relatively safe. It has wide shoulders and it's pretty straight the whole way up. Traffic was non-existent when I was riding it, so maybe my perceptions could be skewed, but the shoulders are wide enough that even speeding cars would be comfortably out of reach. There are a also few other routes up the hill that aren't main thoroughfares (Benedict Canyon, etc.), so we could also try one of those.
Beverly Glen is almost
too easy. The slope is so gradual that when I reached the top and saw the sign for Mulholland, I thought "that can't be right."
nathansnider07.29.08 - 7:54 pm
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chaos, meant going up latigo, crossing on mulholland to topanga and then down. nice climb ride.
nathan, the safest climb i've found is up franklin canyon (from beverly drive) to mulholland. i do this ride a couple times a week and i think crank mob did it once at night and had a good experience. it's closed at night though, which means going around a gate.
but thinking about riding topanga at night with the insane drivers gives me the heeby jeebies.
indigis07.30.08 - 7:07 am
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This is a great idea! I have been looking for Westsidazz to do something like this. Topanga starting on the PCH side is a great little climb. Bombing back down it at night sounds crazy. We gotsta do it!
WEDNESDAYS are best for me... I teach night classes on Tue & Thur so I never get to go on the other challenging rides. Keep me posted on this idea!
Rogue Rida07.30.08 - 11:50 am
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up and down topanga is the best idea i've heard ..
Latigo is a pretty slick climb ... and muholland to old topanga from latigo (assuming you hit kanan first) is no walk in the park ... *(watch out for motorcycles from Kanan down to the rock store!)
LOL
up and down topanga with a bbq stop ... hells yea
ChaosRR07.30.08 - 6:50 pm
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Haha can someone please post links of the rides you are talking about? I am so freaking new to the area i dont know alot of things.
I do know tuna canyon is one way and pretty safe! really curvy and interesting. How does 20 miles sound for our inaugeral ride?
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=34.01802,-118.499737&daddr=Wilshire+Blvd+%4034.018304,+-118.499331+to:Ocean+Ave+%4034.018170,+-118.502860+to:Pacific+Coast+Hwy+%4034.038121,+-118.540303+to:Pacific+Coast+Hwy+%4034.040120,+-118.579280+to:S+Topanga+Canyon+Blvd+%4034.083830,+-118.599208+to:Tuna+Canyon+Rd+%4034.068148,+-118.611535+to:Tuna+Canyon+Rd+%4034.039682,+-118.589347+to:34.015388,-118.496475&hl=en&geocode=4454266624481389968,34.018020,-118.499737%3B2196405386349166464,34.018304,-118.499331%3B4846602338852760730,34.018170,-118.502860%3B4407295855628104487,34.038121,-118.540303%3B16018410831193313240,34.040120,-118.579280%3B16660155102184727170,34.083830,-118.599208%3B15132274920056046303,34.068148,-118.611535%3B4840877079364590818,34.039682,-118.589347&mra=mi&mrcr=7&mrsp=8&sz=13&sll=34.029331,-118.546944&sspn=0.075542,0.153809&ie=UTF8&z=13
so thats the link to the ride i was thinking, can you guys post google map routes of what you were thinking about? with the starting and ending point being the promenade.
Also im going to say either 9 on wed or 9 on sunday, what do you think?
robin swabin07.31.08 - 12:05 am
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20 miles? Lets make the inaugural ride around 40. We still have to ride out to Topanga, ten ascend, then descend, then if we are feeling good, take Sunset home...
Just an idea...
I was also thinging Culver City to Highland, up highland to Barham, Barham to Coldwater Canyon into Beverly Hills, then home...
On Wed nights, my buddies and I average 35-50miles... You should try it out.
Rogue Rida07.31.08 - 2:09 pm
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The ride sounds like a death wish. Topanga is sketchy enough on a weekend during daylight hours before the proportion of speeders and drunk drivers spikes in the evening.
0gravity07.31.08 - 3:26 pm
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Hopefully the cars will be flying up the canyon. We would be able to hear them better coming from behind. That way we could all just toss our bodies out of the way before the jackass creams us!
Rogue Rida08.1.08 - 9:06 am
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I'm willing to host a halfway-up-the-hill ride. A cold Tecate and some shrimp tacos would be incentive enough for me. Yes, I'll feed you too vegan people
Next week? Let me get some feedback...
enosinorbit##yahoo.com
NefariousT08.3.08 - 4:04 pm
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ive only ridden from the valley side over to the malibu side, but never vice versa, I'd be in
hartwick, youre a pussy08.3.08 - 4:09 pm
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Bumpity Bump!
I'm off to scout routes, a ride will hopefully follow
NefariousT08.8.08 - 6:31 pm
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I just ran my route backwards. It was colossal and terrifying.
When the moon is full, we ride!
NefariousT08.8.08 - 9:25 pm
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the full moon is on the same night as crank mob... I nominate the 13th, which is still pretty bright!
robin swabin08.8.08 - 9:48 pm
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actually shoot me an email thewylie@gmail.com and we can talk about it
robin swabin08.8.08 - 9:49 pm
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@nefariousT, oh that's what your text meant. i was confused when all it said was "epic and colossal" =) looking forward to this, now i just got to get a big-ass f-ing light!
nancine08.9.08 - 5:02 pm
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Nearly a full moon on the 16th; lets go for a ride---->
NefariousT09.11.08 - 8:07 pm
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Anyone else planning to do this on a fixie? I know there are a lot of slow inclines, but I remember there being a lot steepness too. Thoughts?
Also, I was on the passion of the bike ride, and Moonshadows wouldn't let us in even though we had called ahead. Screw those guys.
EN09.15.08 - 12:58 pm
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@EN
Thanks for the tip on Moonshadows, fusck those those bourgeois assholes. We'll just have to make our own cocktails on the beach.
re riding fixie: if you have racer-leggs, Topanga Canyon will be no problem. Going up Fernwood is a different story, that shit is a steep switch-back. I'd gear down for the occasion, but I'm a crusty old man. A bmx with slicks would probably be the best bike for this ride but I'm going to mash my old cross-country triple up the hill.
NefariousT09.15.08 - 6:29 pm
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Sucks that I'm working, b/c climbing cyclists are way HAWT! Be safe tomorrow, and I'll come out the next climb.
nancine09.15.08 - 7:37 pm
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im down to get hawt and sweaty. Ok mebbe just sweaty...see ya there.
mellowyellow09.16.08 - 2:36 pm
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I'd be down for a nighttime topanga climb. If you want something in the AM, I do topanga every Friday around 6am from Santa Monica. Was also thinking of posting that as a weekly MR ride. Anyone interested?
shauners09.17.08 - 7:53 am
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TOPANGA AIR QUALITY: PRETTY GOOD
was out doing a full moon hike last night, air is pretty good. working all day in the valley means i'll keep the pace really moderate.
cough cough, get me out of here!
Cranktankerous10.14.08 - 10:06 am
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