Note: You must register in advance for this ride. Registration closes at noon on Friday before the ride- there is no late or day-of-event registration. For all our events you must be a member of RUSA and PCH Randos.
Come enjoy a cool summer 200km brevet along Orange County coastline! We start at Centennial Regional Park alongside the Santa Ana River Trail and head south on the coastal route, turning around at Carlsbad Outlets Mall. Along the route enjoy communities of Newport Beach, Laguna Beach, Dana Point, San Clemente, Oceanside and Carlsbad. An out-and-back coastal route with many small rollers and ocean views. Total elevation gain is about 5,400 feet.
On the return, you’re routed around south Laguna Beach traffic; known for its heavy summer traffic and no shoulder. And you always have the option to use the coastal bike trails instead of PCH, if that's your preference.
Note: You must register in advance. Registration ends at noon on Thursday before the ride. There is no day-of-event registration. You must be a RUSA member and a member of PCH Randonneurs to register.
The Lazy Acres 100K Populaire is a scenic out and back coastal route from the west end of Ventura to Lazy Acres Market in Santa Barbara. The first 13 and last 13 miles of the route is on Old PCH on the shoreline. In Carpinteria, there is a rolly jaunt along the foothills then on to Summerland, Montecito and up Cabrillo Blvd in Santa Barbara. If you missed anything on the way up, you can see most of it again on the return. The course, barring coastal fog, has views of the Channel Islands off the coast of Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. The coast is usually very mild, with lows in the 50’s, and highs in the 70’s.
This populaire is the first ride in our Summer Rouleur Series. To earn the Rouleur Award you need to do populaires with lengths of 100k, 125k, and 150k; plus a 200k brevet and a Dart populaire (we'll have a Dart in November). If you do all these rides in the same year you can earn this spiffy patch from RUSA:
Note: You must register in advance for this ride. Registration closes at noon on Thursday before the ride.
The Channel Islands 200K has 2 main portions. The first part is a big loop around the Oxnard Plain. It is worth stopping at the control at Somis Market where a great Mexican breakfast can be had. On the return to Ventura you will pass within a block of the start, so you can visit your car to drop off or pick up clothing if you choose.
The second half of the ride is an out and back along the coast to Santa Barbara Harbor. The only obstacle may be the headwind on the way to Santa Barbara. The same headwind is a welcome tailwind on the way back to Ventura. The course, barring coastal fog, has views of the Channel Islands off the coast of Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. The coast is usually very mild, with lows in the 50’s, and highs in the 70’s.
Note: You must register in advance for this ride- registration closes at noon on Friday before the ride. There is no late registration or day-of-event registration. You must be a member of both PCH Randonneurs and RUSA in order to register.
Join us on our first PCH Randos gravel ride! This is a 105km populaire that climbs to Ojai using Sulphur Mountain Rd, a beautiful, secluded road that includes 10 miles of gravel. The unpaved section is a well-maintained, graded fire road- very rideable on a road bike as long as you have low gears and at least 30mm wide tires. After reaching the summit, riders will enjoy a screaming descent on smooth pavement down to Hwy 150. In Ojai, riders can replensish water and food. The return to Ventura is via Casitas Pass and then the usual coastal route.
The route has about 4600ft of climbing, most of which is in the first 20 miles. The time limit reflects an extra 15 minutes due to the RUSA gravel time allowance.
Note: You must register in advance for this ride, there is no day-of-event registration. Registration closes at noon on the Friday before the ride.
The route is an out-and back between Pasadena and Rancho Cucamonga that parallels, or is actually on, historic Route 66. Most of the riding is through pleasant San Gabriel Valley neighborhoods.
This populaire is part of our Rouleur Series. To earn the Rouleur Award you need to do populaires with lengths of 100k, 125k, and 150k; plus a 200k brevet and a Dart populaire (we'll have a Dart in November). If you do all these rides in the same year you can earn this spiffy patch from RUSA:
This is a 150k ride that begins in Azusa. It finishes at the Congregation Ale House for some post-ride food and beverage. The name Emerald Necklace refers to the loop of the San Gabriel and Rio Hondo River Trails through Whittier Narrows.
There is parking available on Agoura Rd.
This is a very challenging and beautiful ride. The first 50 miles are a sampler of some of the best climbing in the Santa Monica Mountains, capped off by a descent of Deer Creek to the coast (it's like falling off the edge of the earth). Then there is a long, flat ride to Oxnard and back so you can rest your legs, put some time in the bank, and get some lunch. One more big climb up Encinal and you've finished the ride. This ride has just over 10,000 feet of climbing.Be sure to carry plenty of pocket food at the start! There is no food on course until mile 68, which will be about 6 hours of riding for most people. There are places to get water- which are marked on the cue sheet.
This is a self- supported ride. Riders are responsible for obtaining their own food and water out on the course. There is no SAG vehicle.
Note: Advance registration is required for this event. All members of the dart team must register individually. The team captain also needs to submit your team's route for approval to Kerin at least one week in advance of the event.
A Dart Populaire is a team event in which a team of 3-5 bicycles rides together for 8 hours, covering at least 120 km on a route of their own design. Even though all the teams begin in different locations and ride unique routes, they all finish in the same spot at about the same time. This year we will finish at the Jones' Home in Moorpark where we can enjoy food and drink together on their lovely patio. Hopefully, we will be celebrating the successful completion of the Rouleur Award for many riders. Team events are a lot of fun, and the Dart Populaire has the advantage of only being 8 hours long. So find some rando friends and get a team together!
The target finish time is 16:00, which means the teams will begin their journeys at 08:00 on Saturday morning.
You can read more about the Dart populaire here. I know that all the rules can be confusing, so please feel free to contact Kerin with any questions, or if you would like help with route design. Also if you are looking to form a team, or looking to join a team, I would be happy to facilitate. My goal is to have as many people as possible enjoy this event.
The Dart Populaire is part of our Rouleur Series. To earn the Rouleur Award you need to do populaires with lengths of 100k, 125k, and 150k; plus a 200k brevet and a Dart populaire (we'll have a Dart in November). If you do all these rides in the same year you can earn this spiffy patch from RUSA:
A ride from Pasadena that does a scenic tour of San Dimas- including Via Verde, Bonelli Park, and San Dimas Canyon. This ride has a bit of climbing, but overall it's not too hard.
Note: You must register in advance. Registration closes at noon on Friday before the ride - there is no day-of-event registration. You must be a member of RUSA and PCH Randonneurs to register.
Ride Description- Come join us for the 7th SoCal Winter Solstice Ride! (It's an Almost Winter Solstice ride- we're not doing the ride on the actual solstice, but having the ride on Saturday makes it easier for people with jobs.) Get out your thermal tights, decorate your bike with holiday lights, and join a group of other crazies riding through the longest night of the year. The route is a mostly flat, point-to-point ride from Pasadena to Oceanside. We start with a little loop of South Pasadena and La Canada, then head over to the San Gabriel River Trail. The River Trail takes us all the way to Seal Beach, then we'll follow the coastal route to Oceanside. The start and finish are both at train stations with parking, so it is fairly easy to handle the logistics.
Although the ride is not technically an audax-style ride, riding with others is strongly encouraged, especially on the SGRT at night. In keeping with the holiday spirit, you are invited to enjoy a midnight meal together at the Harbor House Cafe in Sunset Beach, about 67 miles into the ride. One of the best things about this ride is seeing all the Christmas lights as we ride through the towns. You are encouraged to decorate your bike too- you'll be tickled at the positive reactions this elicits from car drivers and pedestrians.
Parking- There is free overnight parking available at the Sierra Madre Villa Station and at the Oceanside Station. If you live in the LA area, you can drive to the SMV Station, or better yet take the Gold Line train there. After you finish in Oceanside on Sunday morning, you can take the train (either Amtrak or Metrolink) to Union Station, and then the Gold Line back to SMV Station. If you live in the San Diego area, you can park at the Oceanside Station and take the train to the start.