Lowland Version 2001

This ride has three versions all beginning in Malibu. The lowland century version is along the coast on Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) to Port Hueneme, a loop through parts of Ventura and Oxnard and back down PCH to Malibu for approximately 100 miles. The highland version goes over Latigo Canyon to Moorpark, to Port Hueneme and down PCH to Malibu for a distance of about 115 miles. There is also a metric century (100 km or 63 miles) version from Malibu to Port Hueneme and back.

On Labor Day I did a test run up Latigo Canyon. It is quite a climb, and when I got to the top I had very little water left in my single water bottle. This was the first adventure on the newly acquired Cannondale R-1000, and the bike had not been fitted for two water bottles yet. Rather than continuing over the top I returned to PCH, purchased some drinking water and I continued up PCH to Point Mugu before returning to Malibu where I had started.

The ride up Latigo is interesting. The marine layer was socked in and near the top of the climb I began climbing out of the marine layer. On the return the marine layer was dissipating and the view of the ocean below was impressive. I almost felt as if I could reach out and touch the small boats in the bay. Based on the climb up Latigo I decided to do the lowland version.

The date of the 2001 ride was September 16th just after the destruction of the World Trade Center in New York. The rides started from the city hall area of Malibu. The start of the ride is the hill up to Pepperdine University followed by several rolling hills almost until Point Mugu. In the early morning the ride up PCH to the first rest stop at a park in Port Hueneme is rather cool, but climbing the hills generates body heat. As I pulled up to a red light in Port Hueneme and put my foot on the ground I realized that it was my first stop since leaving the start ... nearly 34 miles. At the first rest stop my average speed was just over 17 mph.

The first few of us to arrive at the first rest stop in Port Hueneme helped set up of the table and put out the food. Marge was by herself as her helper did not show. Perhaps it was the impact of the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center, but folks were not talking very much even while riding. It was quite different than the other rides I had been on earlier in the summer.

After a loop in to the southern reaches of Ventura and back through Oxnard we returned to the same rest stop. I missed getting into the left hand turn lane at one intersection and it took an eternity to get back to the correct street. Riding through Ventura and Oxnard was quite a bit slower due to all the long signal lights. Then it was back to Malibu along the same PCH route.

Toward the end of the ride I felt strong and took the hills with standing climbs. The "spinning class" paid off! My time was 6 hours even and it was the best century time of my first three centuries. In 2002 I will seriously consider doing the highland version.

Highland Version September 28, 2002

Photo essay of the September 21, 2003 edition

The highland version differs from the lowland version by turning off Pacific Coast Highway about four miles north of the Malibu City Hall to climb Latigo Canyon. It also is a little longer at approximately 115 miles. The climb up Latigo is about ten miles with two peaks with a nice dip between the peaks. The marine layer was off the coast, so the view was excellent. However, when hammering up the climb non-stop there was not much opportunity to look over one's shoulder to enjoy the view. Some riders were surprised to see me taking the climb with only a double front crank. Maybe it is time to begin thinking of upgrading to a triple crank.

At 14.2 miles into the ride a jog onto Kanan Dume Road and Mullholland Drive gets to an exciting decent down Westlake Blvd. and Potrero Road toward Sherwood Lake. It had rained the night before and I nearly lost it on one steep "S turn" when my rear wheel began bouncing and sliding on the wet pavement. I went up on the somewhat sloped asphalt curb for a few feet, regained balance on the narrow curb and returned to the road to avoid going into a ravine. Fortunately no major damage to the tires. The first rest stop was just down the road where I inspected the tires and rims.

After a swing past Sherwood Lake the route returns to Potrero Road and climbs slowly prior to a steep downhill and a scenic view of the farm area southwest of Carmarillo. Having learned my lesson on Potrero this steep, curving decent was taken with caution.

The route then continues through Carmarillo taking Pleasant Valley and Santa Rosa Road inland climbing toward Moorpark Road and the community of Moorpark. From Moorpark Highway 118 is taken east to the Somis Road junction and Somis Road to Carmarillo for the second rest stop.

The third rest stop was in Port Hueneme near the ocean at a VFW Post. From there it was down PCH to return to the Malibu City Hall.

Between Moorpark and Port Hueneme my rear tire deflated and I really was working going into a head wind off the ocean. It took a while to realize what was happening. Pumping up the rear tire outside Port Hueneme proved adequate to get me back to Malibu. The ride on the curb may have caused a small pinch puncture in the tube. By the next evening the tire was flat again and the inner tube was replaced.

Riding on the flat tire depleted my legs, but some spinning down PCH soon gave new life. The run down PCH was enjoyable with excellent visibility all the way to Santa Monica Bay from several of the higher locations. My groin muscles were feeling the climb up Latigo, however.

One rider at the conclusion commented that his elevation climbed as indicated by his bicycle computer was over 5,000 feet. Comments by workers at the second rest stop indicated about 4800 to 4900 feet of climbing by that point in the ride. It was probably the most climbing I had done in a century. I am not sure I will do the highland version in the double century of the next Grand Tour in 2003.