80 Miles on Old Hwy 80

We rode the entire 80 For Haiti route on January 29, 2010 to finalize the details of the route sheet, checkpoint locations, and more for the February 13 event. The 81-mile route has 6090' of total elevation gain. There are only three stop signs and no lights and traffic is minimal to non-existent. I took a lot of photos of the spectacular, one-of-a-kind route along the way.

Elizabeth rode her 2007 Ritchey BreakAway and wore Ibex wool knickers, Ibex wool Skimmer cap, Ibex Kilometer Gloves, Injinji wool socks, and Earth Wind and Rider wool jersey. Chris rode his 1985 custom Ron Stout and wore Ibex wool bib knickers, Ibex wool glove liners, Injinji wool socks, and a 1994 Castelli wool jersey (for Bridgestone). It was very cold in Pine Valley, but warmed up nicely once we had climbed up out of the town / valley.

For a less than six-minute video slideshow (with music) of the entire ride from start to finish, click here.

For a traditional slideshow of the same images, click here.

Below are some selected shots of our ride (but you should really check out the full video slideshow to "get the whole picture"!):

Above: soutbound on La Posta Road.Above: A curious gap in the border fence near Jacumba.Above: Desert View Tower!Above: One Hwy 80 resident has many one-of-a-kind statues spread around his property. They remind me of the Korean War Memorial in Washington, DC.Above: A front yard in Live Oak Springs

Above: the descent back into Pine Valley, our start/finish

Above: A great ride deserves a great bike. It was custom built for me at the beginning of 1985 by Salt Lake City builder Ron Stout: my second sponsored bike and my first one that was custom. I used it when breaking the San Francisco to Los Angeles record in April 1985, when qualifying for the 1985 Race Across America at the 712 mile John Marino Open in May 1985, and it was also my main bike in the 1987 Race Across America, among many other adventures.

We hope you will join us for 80 FOR HAITI on February 13! Click here for all the information and to register!

PLEASE RIDE 80 FOR HAITI: FEB 13

Fellow Rough Riders, please join us for this important cause on February 13. It's an awesome route, and, more importantly, represents our collective effort to do something on behalf of the 150,000 dead and 600,000 homeless in Haiti.
L'Union Fait la Force = Strength Through Unity

(National Motto of Haiti)

LA JOLLA, CA - AdventureCORPS, Inc., an athlete-run firm producing some of the world's toughest sports events - including the Badwater Ultramarathon and Furnace Creek 508 races in Death Valley - will host "80 FOR HAITI," a cycling benefit ride for Haiti relief supporting Mercy Corps on Saturday, February 13, 2010. The event will feature an 80-mile ride along Old Hwy 80 in southeastern San Diego County. There will be an $80 entry fee and 100% of the entry fees will go directly to Mercy Corps, one of the most respected relief organizations worldwide. AdventureCORPS will absorb all costs, but food, drink, and support sponsors are being sought.

The "80 FOR HAITI" cycling event start / finish line is just 44 miles east of San Diego, in Pine Valley, CA. The route is spectacular, on absolutely quiet roads through rolling terrain.

As international relief efforts continue in Haiti, a Mercy Corps earthquake response team is in Port-au-Prince responding to urgent needs.

Registering for this ride - or donating to the cause, if you can't do the actual ride - will help families in Haiti recover from the most powerful quake to hit the country in more than 200 years. Mercy Corps relief workers with experience in disaster responses ranging from Hurricane Katrina to the Myanmar cyclone are converging on Haiti from Africa, Asia, and North America. They're focusing first on the immediate needs -- for water, food, temporary shelter supplies and much more -- and expanding their work to three areas: clean water, post-trauma support for children, and job creation.

The needs in Haiti are immense. Its capital lies in ruins, as many as 200,000 may be dead, and survivors are increasingly desperate for food, clean water and shelter. Please ride "80 For Haiti" and/or give what you can to help families recover.

Cycling participants in 80 FOR HAITI must pre-register for the event, so that we can plan accordingly. PLEASE register prior to February 6 for the ride. Donations will be accepted through February 13, and beyond.

You Want to RIDE on February 13? Great! Please join us, and tell your friends! Use this link to register:

You Can't Ride on February 13, but you want to donate to the cause? GREAT! Use this link to our fundraising page:

Above: along Old Hwy 80

80 FOR HAITI HIGHLIGHTS:
• February 13, 2010
• Held along Eastern San Diego County's Old Hwy 80: Minimal traffic, no traffic lights, and just a few stop signs.
• Three well-stocked checkpoints, plus roving SAG support vehicles on the course.
• The entry fee is a minimum $80 donation: 100% of ALL entry fees will go to Mercy Corps.

ABOUT THE HAITI EARTHQUAKE
The 2010 Haiti earthquake was a catastrophic magnitude 7.0 Mw earthquake with the epicenter near Léogane, approximately 25 kilometres (16 mi) west of Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti, striking at 16:53:10 local time (21:53:10 UTC) on Tuesday, 12 January 2010. The earthquake occurred at a depth of 13 kilometres (8.1 mi). The United States Geological Survey recorded a series of at least 33 aftershocks, fourteen of them between magnitudes 5.0 and 5.9. The International Red Cross estimated that about three million people were affected by the quake, and the Haitian Interior Minister believes that up to 200,000 have died as a result of the disaster, exceeding earlier Red Cross estimates of 45,000–50,000. Several prominent public figures are among the dead. The Haitian Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive recently announced that over 70,000 bodies have been buried in mass graves. Source (and more details): Wikipedia.com

OFFICIAL CHARITY
The Official Charity of 80 FOR HAITI is Mercy Corps. Mercy Corps is a team of 3700 professionals helping turn crisis into opportunity for millions around the world. By trade, they are engineers, financial analysts, drivers, community organizers, project managers, public health experts, administrators, social entrepreneurs and logisticians. In spirit, they are activists, optimists, innovators and proud partners of the people they serve. According to their website:

"Mercy Corps has long been recognized as an excellent steward of the resources entrusted to it. Over the past five years, more than 89 percent of our resources have been allocated to programs that help people in need. Ensuring that resources are wisely spent is the cornerstone of our values, vision, and strategy for growth in the future. We are proud of the awards, endorsements, memberships, and honors that substantiate our track record of accountability."
More info about Mercy Corps' Efforts in Haiti.

MEDIA COVERAGE
Lots of media coverage of the event is being published, including:

Los Angeles Times Blog | Bike San Diego | Xtremesport4u | EcoVelo |

Velo Cult | Biking Bis | Bike Radar | Active.com

ROSTER OF RIDERS, DONORS, MEDIA, AND SUPPORTERS
Click here (and let's get YOUR name on this list!)

Route Description

The 80 For Haiti event will start and finish at Pine Valley County Park at 28810 Old Highway 80 in Pine Valley, CA 91962. It's an extremely easy location to reach. All participants should park within the Park, NOT along the highway or in front of local businesses.

Click here for Google Map of the start/finish location. Click here for more about Pine Valley, CA.

We'll use the same start lline as our April 17 Mount Laguna Bicycle Classic: Pine Valley County Park. From the park, we'll ride a four-mile loop around Pine Valley to warm up, then we'll head east on Old Hwy 80 to La Posta Rid. Next, we'll head right / south (mostly downhill) on La Posta to a left / east on 94. CP1 will be located here, at the intersection of La Posta and 94, at mile 30.4. Heading east, 94 will rejoin the 80 as we enter the town of Boulevard. We'll continue east on 80 through Jacumba to the end of Old 80 at the Desert View Tower, which sits above Inkopah Pass with a commanding view of the Anza-Borrego Desert. CP2 will be located here, at mile 44.6, the turn-around. We'll then beeline straight back to Pine Valley on Old Hwy 80, with a third and final checkpoint located in or near Boulevard at approximately mile 60. We hope to be able to serve a finish line meal at Pine Valley Park. There will also be roving SAG vehicles on the course to support the riders.

EMAIL OF THE WEEK

Thanks for doing this, it is the right thing to do! Karen & I will ride the 80 for Haiti, below is what I sent to our riding group.

Hello fellow riders sorry for the interruption in our riding schedule hopefully weather permitting we can start our weekend rides again this next weekend. Originally Karen and I were going to ride in the Tour de Palm Springs, however we have decided to do the 80 for Haiti ride on February 13, 2010 instead. It is an 80 mile out and back ride in East County. 100% of the proceeds will go to Haiti relief. We have all done this ride or portions of it. Realizing that 80 miles is a long way and I have never rode that far myself, Karen and I plan on riding out as far as we can then turning back when we feel it is time. So my thoughts are let’s try to get as many of our fellow riders that we know to participate in this worthy cause. If you want to do a portion of the ride and turn around early then maybe you can if willing, provide a roving SAG support to your fellow Alpine Riders, i.e. You can haul my fat ass back to the car if I give out.

While I did not deploy to Haiti I have been involved daily in the USA Urban Search & Rescue response. The US&R task forces that did deploy were from the east coast (they were closest) with the exception of the LA County task force. Many of my friends are still in Haiti as of today 1/23/2010; the stories they have shared with me about the people of Haiti are of their strength and bravery and of their sadness at losing whole families, dozens of friends etc.

- Gerry Brewster

ABOUT ADVENTURECORPS (the home of the Rough Riders)
La Jolla, CA-based AdventureCORPS, Inc. is an athlete-run firm producing and promoting ultra-endurance and extreme sports events, lifestyle, and media. Adventure is our way of life. AdventureCORPS’ world-class events for athlete-adventurers include epic races such as the Badwater Ultramarathon and Furnace Creek 508, muiti-day cycling lifestyle adventures known as CORPScamps, the annual Rough Riders Rally in Marin County, plus several 100- and 200-mile cycling events in Death Valley, and on and around San Diego County's Mt. Laguna. We also host and develop our adventure-related websites and blogs and provide a variety of adventure-related services. Founded in 1984 by Chris Kostman, this group effort is dedicated to exploring the inner and outer universes, seeking adventure, energy, and insight both in daily life and "out there." AdventureCORPS is a member of 1% For The Planet and the Conservation Alliance, and supports three Official Charities: Challenged Athletes Foundation, Death Valley Natural History Association, and Major Taylor Association.

Below: More photos of the 80 FOR HAITI route,

including Desert View Tower

Rough Riders Rally Roster, including Special Guest Charlie Kelly

Above: Charlie Kelly, co-creator of the sport of mountain biking and a Special Guest of the Rough Riders Rally, as seen racing Repack in 1976.

With registration just announced for the July 23-25, 2010 Rough Riders Rally, we've already gotten some great registrants. We'll post an ongoing roster on our website here. This includes name, age, city, state, gender, plus bike details, blog/website link, and "internet nickname," as applicable. We're very excited to share this special experience with such a great group of riders!

Of special note: Charlie Kelley, co-creator of the sport of mountain biking, will be attending! Charlie was partners with Gary Fisher in the the first "Mountain Bikes" company (with the frames made by Tom Ritchey). Charlie was also first mountain bike race promoter (creator of the infamous Repack Downhill). He was also the first mountain bike magazine publisher (Fat Tyre Flyer). Charlie and Chris Kostman first met at the Iditabike in Alaska in 1988.

Admission to the Rough Riders Rally is $169. There is a 100 rider limit and it will SELL OUT! Sign up NOW! Please note, once the event is sold out, it is SOLD OUT. Photo ID is required to check-in for the event. Entry includes: Friday evening Pizza Party, Saturday evening Awards Dinner, route maps, the opportunity to enter the bike ridden that weekend in the Bike Show, the opportunity to enter photos in the Photography Competition, Rough Riders Rally Magazine, Rough Riders water bottle, Rough Riders patch, Rough Riders decal, Rough Riders pin, Rough Riders cycling cap, AdventureCORPS tote bag, Hammer Nutrition samples, plus discounted services from

Rough Riders Rally: Registration Now Open!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: PLEASE DISTRIBUTE ASAP

Rough Riders Rally is AdventureCORPS' new multi-surface cycling festival based in Marin County which celebrates the "Any Bike, Anywhere" ethos. The first event of its kind, the Rally includes three days of world-class cycling on trails, fire roads, and pavement, a display of participants’ bikes, photography competition, dinners, and a live webcast.

MILL VALLEY, CA - AdventureCORPS, Inc. an athlete-run firm producing and promoting ultra-endurance and extreme sports events, lifestyle, and media, is pleased to announce the inaugural Rough Riders Rally, a multi-surface cycling festival based in Marin County on July 23-25, 2010 which celebrates the "Any Bike, Anywhere" ethos.

Rough Riding is not defined by the type of bicycle or type of riding surface. Rough Riding is a state of mind, a riding style with limitless freedom and an all-pervasive sense of adventure. The Rough Riders slogan is "Any Bike, Anywhere" and the general idea is to use as little technology as possible while traversing a variety of riding surfaces and terrains. Hence, one of the Rough Riders' mantras is "technique beats technology." For some Rough Riders, that means riding a "road bike" with 25mm tyres on "mountain bike trails." For others, it means tackling any and all surfaces while riding a cyclocross bike, an old-school mountain bike, a 70s or 80s era road bike retrofitted with 650B wheels, a classic touring bike, or a world tour-ready 29er rig. The current bicycle industry, from major manufacturers to boutique frame builders, is also beginning to address this niche market, creating bicycles, or even lines of bicycles, under such monikers as "All Road Bikes," "All-Rounders," and "Adventure Bikes."

Regardless of bicycle choice, the goal of Rough Riding is to tackle any and all possible combinations of trails, fire roads, gravel roads, paved roads, singletrack, and any other possible riding surface - all within one ride, on just one bike. Perhaps the greatest beauty of Rough Riding is that any possible ride route can be created and enjoyed: Rough Riders do not choose between "road biking" and "mountain biking" and subsequently let the bicycle determine the route and terrain of any given ride. Instead, creative, "first ascent-style" rides can be strung together in one epic route which involves all manner of riding surfaces, sights, sounds, and scenes. The Rough Riding goal, perhaps? To see it all and do it all, to truly have an adventure.

The Rough Riders Rally will include a Friday afternoon ride, followed by a pizza party catered by Stefano's Solar-Powered Pizza and hosted at Tam Bikes in Mill Valley. Saturday will be the big day: a six hour ride in spectacular terrain, with each rider and their bike being photographed with a scenic backdrop along the route. Later that afternoon the bikes will be assembled for a bike show. (To enter a bike in the show, it must have been ridden on the full route, including the photograph. No "for looking only; not for riding" bikes may be shown.) There will also be a Rough Riding Photography Competition for which Rally participants may submit images in advance; the images will be shown during the Rally weekend. At the Saturday night Rough Riders Annual Shindig, all the bikes will be on display, awards will be given for various bike AND photo categories, and a tasty dinner will be catered by Punjabi Burrito. It will be a fantastic, fun evening of story-swapping and camaraderie. Sunday morning, Rally participants will ride Railroad Grade to the summit of Mt. Tam, then return to Mill Valley for a social hour or two at The Depot Café, before departing town.

The Rough Riders Rally will be based in Mill Valley, CA in Marin County, the birthplace of mountain biking. Marin County offers truly superb cycling, with fantastic views of the San Francisco Bay, Alcatraz, the Marin Headlands, Mt. Tamalpais ("Mt. Tam"), Tiburon, Mill Valley, the Bay Bridge, the Golden Gate Bridge, and dramatic, rugged Northern California coastline. Marin County is cycling paradise, a region unparalleled for its beauty, diversity of scenery and riding surfaces, and its cycling-friendly trail signage and local population! It promises to be a very fun weekend in an absolutely spectacular cycling paradise.

The host hotel for the Rough Riders Rally is Acqua Hotel of Mill Valley. The official bicycle shop, and venue for the pizza party, is Tam Bikes of Mill Valley. The official nutrition sponsor is Hammer Nutrition of White Fish, Montana. The Rough Riders Annual Shindig will take place at Tam Valley Community Center. Additional sponsors are being sought, including a Marin-based brewery.

A “live” webcast of the Rough Riders Rally will be produced by AdventureCORPS throughout July 23-25. Additionally, all participants, and all participants' bikes, will be photographed for the webcast and permanently archived online. Details about the Rough Riding Photography Competition will be forthcoming,

Mark your calendar to join us in Mill Valley, CA for the Rough Riders Rally on July 23-25, 2010! Registration is limited to 100 and we anticipate it selling out quickly.

Click here for all the Rough Riders Rally information.

Followers of this blog receive a head-start on registration! Here is the secret link to the registration page: REGISTER NOW! Rally registrants are asked to list the specifics of the bicycle they will be riding, their bicycle club affiliation, as well as their blog or website. This information will be included in the online roster.

Please note that bona fide builders of frames / bikes may register for the Rally immediately, then transfer their entry to their designated rider / representative.

Click here for a preview slideshow of most of Saturday's route and the general setting of the Rough Riders Rally.

Click here for additional posts about the Rough Riders Rally here on this blog.

RALLY PARTICIPANT ROSTER:
Want to know who is attending? Click here for the Rough Riders Rally roster.

SPECIAL GUEST:
Charlie Kelley, co-creator of the sport of mountain biking, will be attending! Charlie was partners with Gary Fisher in the the first "Mountain Bikes" company (with the frames made by Tom Ritchey). Charlie was also first mountain bike race promoter (creator of the infamous Repack Downhill). He was also the first mountain bike magazine publisher (Fat Tyre Flyer). Charlie and Chris Kostman first met at the Iditabike in Alaska in 1988. Check out Charlie's Mountain Bike History "Hubsite" - Click here!

ROUGH RIDERS RALLY HIGHLIGHTS:
• July 23-25, 2010
• Held in Marin County, the birthplace of mountain biking AND one of the world's greatest road cycling meccas.
• Three Days of Cycling the BEST trails and roads of the Marin Headlands!
• Friday evening pizza party.
• Saturday evening Bike Show, Dinner, and Awards at the Rough Riders Annual Shindig.
• Rider-Submitted Photography Competition.
• All bikes & riders photographed for live webcast!
• 100 rider limit and it will SELL OUT!

ORIGINS OF ROUGH RIDING:
Since shortly after publishing the controversial - and still oft-discussed - article "Mountain Bikes: Who Needs Them?" in the February, 1993 issue of Bicycle Guide - when the "love letters" starting pouring in - AdventureCORPS' Chris Kostman has dreamed of hosting a rally to celebrate the "Any Bike, Anywhere" ethos and lifestyle. Chris believes in riding any distance, in any conditions, over any terrain, at any time of day or night. That sounds really hard-core, perhaps, but mainly he and his fellow Rough Riders enjoy getting "out there" by riding roads, dirt roads, trails, and paths on whatever bike they happen to be on or have handy. Rough Riding is nothing new, however: Before "mountain bikes," cyclists routinely rode all manner of bicycles on all manner of riding surfaces. The oldest known mixed-surface cycling club is the Rough Stuff Fellowship, formed in the United Kingdom in 1955. Chris, AdventureCORPS, and the Rough Riders hope that representatives of the Rough Stuff Fellowship will attend the Rough Riders Rally.

ABOUT ADVENTURECORPS:
AdventureCORPS, Inc. is an athlete-run firm producing and promoting ultra-endurance and extreme sports events, lifestyle, and media. Adventure is our way of life. AdventureCORPS’ world-class events for athlete-adventurers include epic races such as the Badwater Ultramarathon and Furnace Creek 508, muiti-day cycling lifestyle adventures known as CORPScamps, plus several 100- and 200-mile cycling events in Death Valley, on and around San Diego County's Mt. Laguna, and beyond. We also host and develop our adventure-related websites and blogs and provide a variety of adventure-related services. Founded in 1984 by Chris Kostman, this group effort is dedicated to exploring the inner and outer universes, seeking adventure, energy, and insight both in daily life and "out there."

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Chris Kostman
Chief Adventure Officer and Race Director
AdventureCORPS, Inc.
638 Lindero Canyon Rd #311
Oak Park, CA 91377 USA
http://www.adventurecorps.com
http://www.badwater.com
http://www.the508.com
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Carpooling and Ride-Sharing to and from the Rough Riders Rally; Hotel Room Sharing, too!

We encourage carpooling to and from all our events. With Rough Rders coming to Marin County for the July 23-25 Rough Riders Rally from across California and beyond, there must be somebody who lives near you, or along the route you'll be driving, or perhaps someone who just needs a ride to and from the airport in San Francisco or Oakland if they are flying to the event. Share the ride! Save gas! Save money! Save the earth!

Please use this section of the blog to connect with other riders - you can save money, save gas, help to protect the environment, and - hopefully - meet some cool people, too!

(Note: We are provide a service here, allowing people to meet and share rides. We can't and don't guarantee anything about the people you'll meet, so be careful and use your best judgement. Review the Personal Safety Tips that Craigslist uses on their Rideshare page here.)

Click the "Comments" button below and leave your request for a ride, or offer to share your trip!

Rough Riding the Santa Monica Mountains: A Semi-Epic (nearly EPIC) on November 21, 2009

On November 21, 2009 ten Rough Riders embarked upon a semi-epic (borderline EPIC) excursion in the Santa Monica Mountains. The ride leader was Chris Kostman. Six riders completed the full distance. It took eight hours to complete this route with a total distance of app. 45.7mi with 6110’ total elevation gain.

We spent about one hour stopped for flat tyres (25mm road tyres, especially old, worn out ones, are not suitable for rides like this), and another hour was spent regrouping to make sure that riders did not get lost. About 30 minutes was also spent bush-wacking and way-finding on the Budwood Motorway. "Motorway" is more than a euphemism; this "fire road" quickly disintegrates into a barely rideable single-track and requires a lot of way-finding. This was the only part of the whole route which was new to the ride leader. Amazingly, he plans to ride this "Motorway" again (now that he knows what to expect and how to find the way. Special thanks to Calvin Mulder for leading us through this section.) This ride was the Full Version of the abbreviated version of this ride which we rode back on May 21.

Below are some photos, but better yet:

Click here for an awesome video slideshow of the ride, with music.

Click here to see the same video on our YouTube channel.

Click here for a traditional slideshow of the ride (same images as the video), along with this same ride report and route sheet.

Here's a roster of riders and bikes:

Ken Kistinger (Rivendell Rambouillet with fenders and road tyres), Errin Vasquez with Salsa Fargo, Simon Kann with Specialized Epic ATB, Jim Swarzman with K2 ZedM ATB, Stephen Bryne with Specialized Expedition with road tyres, Victor Cooper with Univega ATB, Ty Callahan with Sam Hillborne, Bruce Malm with Bleriot 650B with fenders and h'bar bag, Calvin Mulder with Felt cyclocross bike, and yours truly on my 1984 Holdsworth road bike with 32mm Ritchey cylclocross tyres.

Above: Errin Vasquez with Salsa Fargo

Above: At "The Hub"

Above and below: after The Hub, we headed towards Trippett Ranch.

Above: On the Summit to Summit Motorway. with "The Valley" behind.

Above: Chris Kostman on Summit to Summit Motorway

Above: the not-to-be-missed rocky promontory on Calabasas Peak Motorway with view of Stunt Road and Saddle Peak in the background of this shot.

Above: almost the same location as the previous shot, but with "The Valley" behind.

Above: Heading down, so we can climb up Stunt Road to Saddle Peak in the distance.

Above: atop Saddle Peak, after climbing Stunt Road.

Above: our Budwood Motorway will turn into a bush-wack quickly!

Above: Budwood starts off great, but deteriorates as it descends towards the coast. Note how high above the cost we are! Amazingly, we will be there in about three miles.

Above: Mission accomplished! Chris Kostman self-portrait with the other five Rough Riders - Jim Swarzman, Stephen Bryne, Simon Kann, Ken Kistinger, and Calvin Mulder - who completed the whole enchilada!

Route Sheet:

NOTE: All of these trails and roads can be found in the Thomas Bros. Guide for Los Angeles on pages 591, 590, 589, and 629 (in that order). Also note: this route sheet is not entirely accurate, it requires navigation, and no guarantees are made about the legality or safety of the route! RIDE AT YOUR OWN RISK!

• Start: 26th and San Vicente, Brentwood Santa Monica, CA 90049. Go north on 26th AKA Allenford Ave.

• Take streets - Sunset Blvd (R), Mandeville Canyon (L at 1.1mi), Chalon (L), Queensferry (R at 3.6mi) to enter the bottom of Sullivan Canyon.

• Ascend Sullivan Canyon (AKA Farmers Fire Road on maps) to Sullivan Ridge.

• Right to ascend Sullivan Ridge to Dirt Mulholland (AKA Mulholland Drive on maps)

• Left/West on Dirt Mulholland: go 2.7mi.

• Left on Temescal Fire Road south to "The Hub".

• At The Hub (13.4mi / 2450’ elevation gain): Hard Right on Topanga Fire Road towards Trippett Ranch.

• Right down into Trippet Ranch (16.3): state park parking lot area with water and restroom.

• Take Entranda Rd. (paved) down to Topanga Canyon Blvd.

• Go south briefly on Topanga Canyon Blvd (17.7mi).

• Right on Topanga School Rd (17.8mi) to end and through the cul-de-sac / front of the school.

- On weekends, there is gate which needs to be surmounted (18.0mi).

• Enter the south end of Henry Ridge Motorway (18.05mi: at very small, yellow State Park sign: uphill, very steep, overgrown dirt “road” to right of water tank).

• Continue / left on Henry Ridge Motorway proper (18.4mi: paved road, uphill).

- Just stay on this, northbound, along the ridge. You’ll pass through some gates, mostly open.

• Left / West on Summit to Summit Motorway (20.5 / 3690’ elevation gain).

- This is paved for just 50 feet, then turns to dirt at chain across road. Not well signed.

• Cross the summit of Old Topanga (paved) Road (22.1 mi / 3790’ elevation gain).

- Go straight across, go along left driveway, and follow "Trail" signs onto steep singletrack.

• Continue left / south on Calabasas Peak Motorway (22.3mi: a dirt fire road).

• At 24.1mi, veer left off fire road, park bike, and scramble up onto rocky promontory to see view of Stunt Rd. (4510’ elevation gain) and Saddle Peak. Then continue as you were.

• Continue straight / right at 25.1mi or follow Option Two as below.

• Drop onto Stunt Road, go left to climb Stunt to Saddle Peak (25.7mi / 4550’ elevation gain).

• At 28.2: Mile Marker 3.61 / Address 335: Water Fountain on Right at Driveway (5500’ elevation gain)!!!

• Left at the top of Stunt on Saddle Peak Rd (28.7mi / 5650’ elevation gain).

• Right on Tuna Canyon (31.9mi / 5770’ elevation gain).

Note: All sane people will stay on Tuna Canyon Road all the way down to PCH, rather than following the next five directions:

• At 33.0mi, go Right onto gated fire road as paved road swings left after a short fast downhill.

• At 33.1mi, go Right on Big Rock Motorway (fire road).

• At 33.35mi, Left (very soon) on Budwood Motorway (fire road). Stay on this all the way to coast, but this will require a lot of bush-wacking and way-finding. However it is epic! Some bike pushing/hauling required.

• At 36.7 (app), gate at the end of the trail / fire road. Civilization!

• Left on Big Rock Drive (paved road) (36.9mi).

• Left at the bottom onto PCH (37.3mi).

• Enter southbound beach bike path at Temscal Canyon Rd.

• Go under PCH at 42.8mi via stairs and pedestrian tunnel. This is equivalent to going left on West Channel from PCH into Pacific Palisades.

• As you exist the pedestrian tunnel, go straight up Ocean Avenue (head inland).

• Immediate Right on Short Drive (42.9mi), then immediate left on Entrada Drive.

• Immediate right on Ocean Way (43.0mi), then follow that left onto Mayberry.

• Right on Ocean Avenue (43.4mi).

• Left on San Vicente (44.7mi).

• Arrive back at 26^th Avenue start/finish (app. 45.7mi with 6110’ total elevation gain).

Congrats!!!

Option 2

• Go left at the fork onto Red Rock Road, instead of continuing down to Stunt Rd.

• Turn right on Old Topanga Canyon Road

• Turn Right on Topanga Canyon Blvd

• Turn left on PCH back to Brentwood via West Channel, etc as above.

Colorado Rough Riders; Misc. Updates

We are pleased to announce the first new chapter of the Rough Riders, based in Colorado. Here are some excerpts from their website:

The Alpine Bicycle Club, home of the Colorado Rough Riders, is dedicated to mixed terrain touring. Touring through the alpine environment here in the Rocky Mountain West requires efficient travel on any surface from paved road to single track. All on the same route, with the same bike.

The Alpine Bicycle Club & The Colorado Rough Riders were started by a group of old mountaineers and skiers in Golden Colorado who also love cycling. Mixed terrain travel is simply a way of life for us. Many of us commute daily over mixed terrain. All of us love the alpine environment. And all of us would rather bike than drive a car.

Club membership is free. All skill levels, from novice to professional racer, are welcome. The only requirement is that you love mixed terrain travel in mountain environments. We even accept mountain bikers. But we will probably give you a hard time until you change out the big fat knobbies.

This Club was partly inspired by Chris Kostman of AdventureCorps and Rough Rider fame, who urged us to go public. We appreciate his support and "Any Bike, Anywhere" approach to travel.

Their website includes features such as "In Search of the All-Rounder" and "Ultralight Touring," plus descriptions of some impressive mixed terrain, mixed surface rides around Colorado. Here's their site:

http://alpinebicycle.org

We send greetings and kudos to our Rough Riding colleagues in Colorado and look forward to joining them for some of their epic adventures in the near future!

If you are interested in forming a Rough Riders Chapter somewhere else around the globe, please contact us!

Other News / Rough Riders Rally: We will very soon post all the details about our July 23-25, 2010 Rough Riders Rally, plus open registration. Updates: The Saturday route has been finalized. as per RRR Recon #2, published here previously. A Friday route, mostly pavement with a few trails, has been finalized. The catering for both evening's dinners has been finalized. And, most importantly, the venue for the Saturday evening Bike Show / Dinner / Special Speaker / Awards Presentations has been finalized - it will take place at the Tam Valley Community Center.

Rough Riders Rally Reconnaissance #2

On Monday, November 9, 2009 I spent five hours riding the main route for the July 23-25, 2010 Rough Riders Rally with my good friend Ed Levinson. Here are some photos from that adventure today.

Above: That's Mt. Diablo in distance, east across the Bay. I rode there yesterday.Above: Ascending Green Gulch Trail, with Mt. Tam in the background.

Above: Descending Miwok Trail to Rodeo Beach, Ed met a friendly coyote.
Above: Ed above Rodeo Beach and its WWII era buildings. Bike: 1993 Bridgestone MB-1.
Above: Yours Truly above Rodeo Beach, en route to Battery Townsley. Bike: 1984 Holdsworth (my 1984 SF-LA record bike) with 32mm Ritchey 'cross tyres and 38/28 not-very-low gear.
Above two pix: Dropping down to Rodeo Beach from Battery Townsley.
Parting shot: Ed and Chris, friends since 1987.

The Rough Riders Rally is our new annual mixed-surface (road / trail/ etc) cycling festival based in Marin County which celebrates the "Any Bike, Anywhere" ethos. There will be a Friday afternoon ride, followed by a BBQ with a noted speaker hosted at Tam Bikes in Mill Valley. Saturday will be the big day: a five to six hour ride in spectacular terrain, with each rider and their bike being photographed with a scenic backdrop along the route. Later that afternoon the bikes will be assembled for a bike show. (To enter a bike in the show, it must have been ridden on the full route, including the photograph. No "for looking only; not for riding" bikes may be shown.) A very notable Rough Riding personality will speak, awards will be given for various categories, and dinner will be included. It will be a fantastic evening. Sunday morning we'll ride Railroad Grade to the summit of Mt. Tam, then return to Mill Valley for a social hour or two at The Depot, before we depart town. It promises to be a very fun weekend in an absolutely spectacular cycling paradise. Mark your calendar! (Mountain bikes are welcome, too!)

Click here for a preview slideshow (from the first Rough Riders Rally route recon) and a very rough route sheet of the Saturday route for the 2010 Rough Riders Rally. The route is approximately 45 miles with approximately 5000' of elevation gain and features single track, double track, fire road, gravel road, abandoned paved road, and newly paved road. Some consider this "mountain bike territory," but this route is 99% rideable by an accomplished Rough Rider on a road bike with 32mm cyclocross tyres (or on a cyclocross bike), and perhaps 90-95% rideable on a road bike with 28mm road tyres.

Special thanks to my long-time friend and local guide, Ed Levinson, a Furnace Creek 508 veteran who owned and operated a bike shop in Mill Valley for over ten years. (Our host shop for the Rally will be Mt. Tam Bikes at 357 Miller Avenue, as pictured in the slideshow.

This region offers truly superb cycling, with fantastic views of the San Francisco Bay, Alcatraz, the Marin Headlands, Mt. Tamalpais ("Mt. Tam"), Tiburon, Mill Valley, the Bay Bridge, a bit of the Golden Gate Bridge, and dramatic, rugged Northern California coastline. Honestly, this is cycling paradise, a region unparalleled for its beauty, diversity of scenery and riding surfaces, and its cycling-friendly trail signage and local population!

Rough Rider Semi-Epic in the Santa Monica Mountains Planned for November 21: YOU are invited!

Both shots above: That's the view across to Stunt Road and Saddle Peak, the final major climb of this ride. We didn't make it that far back in May, but this time we will!

All are invited to this no-host semi-epic dirt/road ride starting at 26th and San Vicente (the border between Santa Monica and Brentwood. Zip Code 90049). Meet at 8am; Ride Start time 815am, to allow time for cross-towners to ride to the start.

PLEASE HELP US SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT THIS RIDE! Tell your friends, post to your blogs, forward to your email groups, and such. Thanks!

Route will head up Mandeville Canyon, Dirt Mulholland, The Hub, Trippet Ranch, Topanga Canyon, two unnamed, semi-secret fire roads, eventually cross the top of Old Topanga, drop onto Stunt Rd., ascend Stunt (the first paved road of the whole ride), down little known trails to the coast, then back on PCH to San Vicente for a pavement finish. Figure about 5 hours and 50 miles, but I can't say for sure. A few bail-out options exist for those in over their head. Pace will be medium-to-high, but stops will be made for scenic overlooks and photos.

We rode this route back on May 17, 2009, but we didn't do the absolute, entire route because it was so hot and we were low on water. That abbreviated route was 40 miles with 4850' of elevation gain, though 4500' of the elevation gain was in the first 25 miles. This time we plan to do the whole thing, which will be about 50-55 miles with perhaps 5500' of elevation gain.

Here's the write-up from May 17 and here are the photos from May 17 (a few samples are here on this page). But that was then and this is now. Come be part of history!

Most Rough Riders would probably want to ride a "mountain bike" on this route, or at least tyres in the 40mm or wider range. (There's a decent amount or loose, rocky stuff.) Definitely bring three bottles, two tubes, patch kit, etc. There is essentially nowhere to buy anything along the route. Be prepared. (I rode a road bike with 32mm tyres on May 17 and may do so again, but most riders would find that inadequate or uncomfortable.)

Trust me, this is a fantastic route in a wondrous area. I LOVE riding these mountains!

Feel free to RSVP by posting a Comment below this page on the blog, but it's not necessary.

Note: This ride is unhosted, unsupported, and everyone who shows up is on their own. Neither we, nor anybody else, is responsible for anyone who rides. If you ride, YOU are responsible for YOU and YOUR bike. This is not an "event" - it is just a ride on dirt roads for like-minded people.

(Remember, we Rough Riders enjoy getting "out there" by riding roads, dirt roads, trails, and paths on whatever bike we happen to be on or have handy. Sometimes the pavement's long gone and we're still on our "road bikes" or some bike that would be commonly considered inadequate for the job - and that's just fine by us! Rough Riding is not defined by the type of bicycle or type of riding surface. Rough Riding is a state of mind, a riding style with limitless freedom and an all-pervasive sense of adventure.)

See you out there!

Here's the ride report and slideshow, posted after the ride.

Rough Riding on 21bikes.com

Check out the latest addition to 21Bikes.com!

That's yours truly with my 1984 Holdsworth, as featured many times on this blog in various Rough Riding reports.

The concept of the site is simple. You upload a photo of you and your bicycle. If they like it, they will post it to the site within one of their 21 bike-specific categories. Then, once the picture goes live, it gets voted on and shared by our users.

You can submit a photo no matter what type of bike you ride, how old you are, where you live in the world, or what you look like. The only requirement is that the photo you submit include both YOU and YOUR BICYCLE. That means no pictures of random people cycling past you. The photo you submit has to be of you and your trusty steed. The better the picture, the better your chances of it being posted to the site.

Check it out (click the "Thanks" with a number link in the top right if you like it )- and post your Rough Riding bikes (with you!). Maybe they will add a 22nd category for Rough Riding bikes!