Cycling uphill. For fun.
Archive for August, 2010
Vacaville – The Diabolical Duo – Mix Canyon & Gates Canyon (Super Steep) Hill Climbing
Aug 23rd
Mix Canyon and Gates Canyon. Two truly insane climbs. The two toughest medium-length climbs I have ever ridden (and I have ridden a lot of steep climbs!). You would have to be slightly demented to attempt them.
Mix Canyon
Stats from John Summerson’s Climbing (By Bike) In California book for Mix Canyon:
Needless to say, Mix Canyon, by the stats, is an epic climb. Gates Canyon is no easier.
Anyway, I started out at Alamo Creek Park Park in Vacaville. From here, I headed north on Alamo Dr, quickly turned left on Foothill Dr, then turned right right on Pleasants Valley Rd. Pleasants Valley is a pleasant, scenic road:
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| From 2010-08-18 – Vacaville Cycling – Mix Canyon & Gates Canyon Climbing |
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| From 2010-08-18 – Vacaville Cycling – Mix Canyon & Gates Canyon Climbing |
After about 4 miles of rolling terrain along Pleasants Valley Rd, I hit the infamous Mix Canyon:
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| From 2010-08-18 – Vacaville Cycling – Mix Canyon & Gates Canyon Climbing |
Initially, Mix is an easy, scenic ride through pleasant farms:
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| From 2010-08-18 – Vacaville Cycling – Mix Canyon & Gates Canyon Climbing |
San Bernardino Mountains – Valley of the Falls – CA-38 (State Route 38) to Forest Falls Hill Climb
Aug 6th
If you start in Mentone, those are the stats. That is definitely a solid climb. You can also cut off a few miles of somewhat boring climbing and start at the intersection of 38 (Mill Creek Rd) and Bryant. If you do this, you will miss almost 900 feet of shallow climbing. With that said, the climbing you will miss is nothing special. So, if you are going for overall climbing, start in Mentone. If you are going for scenic climbing, start at 38/Bryant. Additionally, if you start at 38/Bryant, your average grade will be 6.3% for over 10 miles. Not bad. The rest of this post assumes a starting point at 38/Bryant.
The initial section of 38 (above Bryant) has a minimal shoulder:
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| From 2010-07-11 – San Bernardino Mountains Cycling – 38 to Forest Falls |
Given the relatively steady traffic, this is the only somewhat unpleasant section. Luckily, the shoulders open up pretty quickly for the rest of the ride:
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| From 2010-07-11 – San Bernardino Mountains Cycling – 38 to Forest Falls |
The rest of the ride along 38 is a very scenic ride up a valley with few curves:
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| From 2010-07-11 – San Bernardino Mountains Cycling – 38 to Forest Falls |
The traffic, while not heavy, is relatively constant and somewhat fast. The wide shoulder for most of 38, however, makes this section surprisingly pleasant.
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| From 2010-07-11 – San Bernardino Mountains Cycling – 38 to Forest Falls |
The grade is, for the most part, extremely steady and relatively shallow. While I love steep climbs, it is also nice to be able to shift up a few gears and power on at more than 6 mph at times! And, of course, some pleasant scenery doesn’t hurt.
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| From 2010-07-11 – San Bernardino Mountains Cycling – 38 to Forest Falls |
Awesome valley to be riding up!
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| From 2010-07-11 – San Bernardino Mountains Cycling – 38 to Forest Falls |
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| From 2010-07-11 – San Bernardino Mountains Cycling – 38 to Forest Falls |
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