Monthly (more or less) Semi-Epic Rides: YOU Are Invited!

Greetings, Fellow Rough Riders!

We tackle Semi-Epic Rides semi-regularly and sometimes we announce them in advance and invite YOU along This will be the main page with an archive of the "group" rides we've done, plus a preview of what's coming up in the future. Please join us!

Upcoming Semi-Epic Rides:

February 5, 2011: Mount Laguna Back Country from Alpine, CA. (Same route as July 5, 2009). Join us!

Semi-Epic Ride Reports Archive:

May 1, 2010: Rough Riding Descanso - Boulder Creek - Lake Cuyamaca
On May 1 I joined a group organized by fellow Rough Rider Dustin Sharp for a 42-mile adventure in eastern San Diego County (near Mount Laguna, of course) with 5600 feet of elevation gain. Officially, it was a ride of the "Southern California Rivendell Appreciation Society." We spent six hours out there, four of them actually riding (with a route this unusual and in the back-country, you have to regroup often so that some riders don't end up as vulture dinner.) The route was a version of the ride we did out there on July 5, 2009, except this version had even more dirt: about 80% of the May 1 ride was off-pavement, some of it on true "mountain bike trails" with rock gardens, mud, single-track, portages, and more.

November 21, 2009: Rough Riding the Santa Monica Mountains ALL THE WAY
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.

July 5, 2009: Rough Riding the Mount Laguna Back Country
Eleven riders enjoyed a fantastic day of cycling in the first real hot weather of 2009: It hit about 100 at some points. The route featured "the greatest hits" of the Mt. Laguna back country: Viejas Grade, Boulder Creek, Lake Cuyamaca, Descanso, and Wildwood Glen Ln (AKA "Mad Max Road") with a start/finish in Alpine, CA. Total distance: 58 miles with about 5000' of elevation gain.

June 14, 2009: Rough Riding Mt. Palomar via Nate Harrison Grade
After first riding this route on November 6, 2009, we invited others to join us for a Rough Riders Semi-Epic Ride up Palomar Mountain via the unpaved Nate Harrison Grade on June 14, 2009. Twelve riders showed up for a fantastic day of cycling in uncertain weather.

May 17: 2009: Rough Riding the Santa Monica Mountains
Five illustrious Rough Riders turned out for a 40-mile excursion in the Santa Monica Mountains on May 17, 2009, including Matt "Desert Locust" Ruscigno on a Bianchi 'cross bike, Ken Kistinger on a suspension-less Cannondale Killer V, Gary on a Bianchi single-speed 'cross bike, Chris Kostman on a 1984 Holdsworth road bike with 32mm 'cross tyres, and Jennifer Klausner on a suspended mountain bike. The route was 40 miles with 4850' of elevation gain, though 4500' of the elevation gain was in the first 25 miles.