Note: You must register in advance for the ride- there is no late or day-of-event registration. Registration closes at noon on Sunday, 3/19- this is 6 days in advance due to the complicated logistics of this ride. You must be a member of PCH Randonneurs and RUSA to register.
[For those of you have have ridden in the past, this ride is very similar to our OC Borrego Springs 400k. We have just moved the finish to Westmoreland because of difficulties with getting suitable motel space in Borrego Springs. And if we're lucky, this will also save you from riding into a headwind for the last 25 miles.]
This 400k covers a huge diversity of territory from beach views along the PCH, to 50 miles of grade isolated bike paths, to views of the highest peaks in Southern California (San Jacinto and San Gorgonio), huge wind turbines, and vast desert landscapes. The 400k has only 6800 feet of climbing, mostly in a slow gradual climb toward Beaumont. It’s scheduled early in the year to avoid the possible high temperatures in Palm Springs desert area. The weather at this time of year is generally exceptionally pleasant, but you never know about the wind.
This point-to-point route makes an expansive trek from Foothill Ranch to the Coachella Valley. Along the way you will ride through Laguna Beach and the PCH, Santa Ana River Trail (SART), Corona, Norco, Upper SART, San Bernardino, Redlands, Beaumont, Banning, Palm Springs and Palm Desert, and a stretch along the Salton Sea to Westmoreland. The entry fee includes a shuttle back to Foothill Ranch on Sunday morning, plus transportation of your bike. There is also drop bag service to the finish.
The finish is at the America's Best Value Inn in Westmoreland. There will be food for finishing riders, and you will be able to access your drop bag here. The club is only going to reserve a couple of rooms for ride HQ- so there is no guarantee of bed space. Riders are encouraged to reserve their own rooms (they are very cheap here!) so you can shower and sleep before the shuttle leaves in the morning.
You must sign up at least 6 days prior, so shuttle service seating space and other logistics can be properly handled.
At the start there is plenty of street parking in Willie's neighborhood.
All participants are required to have working front and rear lights on their bicycles and meet the reflectivity guidelines as required by Article 10 of the RUSA Rules for Riders. An inspection will be conducted to ensure compliance for your safety during the ride.
The 600k has reached the rider limit and registration has been closed (the 400k is still open). Send Kerin an email if you would like to be on the waiting list. And don't worry, PCH Randos has another 600k on May 6th. Another option if you have your heart set on a desert 600k, the Phoenix Randonneurs have a 600k on 3/25.
Note: You must register in advance for the ride- there is no late or day-of-event registration. This 600k will be limited to 12 riders- if this limit is reached, registration will close and I will start a waiting list. (The reason for the limit is that we have a limited amount of space to support the 600 riders at the overnight. The main focus of this weekend is the concurrent 400k). You must be a member of PCH Randonneurs and RUSA to register.
This 600k covers a huge diversity of territory from beach views along the PCH, to 50 miles of grade isolated bike paths, to views of the highest peaks in Southern California (San Jacinto and San Gorgonio), huge wind turbines, vast desert landscapes, vista of lakes and high plains, and back to Pacific ocean. The first 400k has only 6800 feet of climbing, mostly in a slow gradual climb toward Beaumont. The last 200k adds one huge climb up Montezuma, right after the overnight, but otherwise the additional climbing is spread out and relatively short. It’s scheduled early in the year to avoid the possible high temperatures in Palm Springs desert area. The weather at this time of year is generally exceptionally pleasant, but you never know about the wind in the desert. Expect cold temperature at the top of Montezuma in the early morning hours.
The route makes a giant loop from Foothill Ranch to Laguna Beach and the PCH, Santa Ana River Trail (SART), Corona, Norco, Upper SART, San Bernardino / Redlands, Beaumont Banning, through the pass of San Jacinto and San Gorgonio, around Palm Springs and Palm Desert, a stretch along the Salton Sea, then to Borrego Springs for the overnight stop. A drop bag will be shuttled to Borrego Springs, and then returned to the finish. After your rest, the 600k continues climbing 4000 feet up the Montezuma Borrego Hwy (the glass elevator), then downhill to Lake Henshaw, past Mt Palomar, onto Valley Center, and then onto Oceanside. From there, north along the Pacific coast to San Clemente, Dana Point and then inland back to Foothill Ranch. The first day has little climbing and mostly gradual grades. The second day has the monster Montezuma climb, and a few other bumps. The total climbing for the 600k is about 15,000 ft. Overall, the route covers a vast area of Southern California with great views and minimal urban slowdowns.
The control in Borrego Springs(mile 243) will be at Standlund's Inn and Suites in Borrego Springs. This control will be staffed- there will be hot food available and you will be able to access your drop bag here. The control will be in a suite with a kitchenette and two beds, plus we have another room with two beds. So although there is no guarantee of a bed, you will probably have a place to nap. If you want your own bed, plus a little quiet and privacy, you are encouraged to reserve your own room either at Standlund's or another motel in Borrego Springs.
You must sign up at least 6 days prior so logistics can be properly handled.
Note: You must register in advance for this ride, there is no day-of-event registration. Registration closes at noon on the Thursday before the ride.
This ride is a modification of the old Triple Loop 400k. It makes extensive use of the area river trails, including the SART, the SGRT, and the Los Angeles/Rio Hondo Trails.
The ride starts at the Extended Stay America in Yorba Linda, and makes its way over to the Santa Ana River Trail and a fast morning ride down to the first control in Huntington Beach. The route proceeds through town to PCH and along the coast to the San Gabriel River Trail in Seal Beach, and then follows SGRT through the Whittier Narrows and over the Santa Fe Dam to the second control in Azusa. Along the trail there are spectacular views of the San Gabriel Mountains. The path is retraced from Azusa along SGRT to Encanto Park (where water and restrooms are available) and then to Monrovia where the route heads south, following the Rio Hondo and Los Angeles River trails to Long Beach. This part of the route mostly follows river trails and is fairly flat so it is possible to build up a good time margin. There will be a headwind on either the northbound (SGRT) or southbound (Rio Hondo/LART) leg (and likely a tailwind on the other.)
The route continues through Long Beach on the beach trail, then over to PCH and down to Laguna Beach where it follows the bike route through town. The route returns to PCH for the ride down to Dana Point and diverts to the bike path through Doheny State Beach. Note that there are many restaurants in Dana Point slightly off route. The route then proceeds down the old Coast Highway to San Clemente, where your navigation skills (or your bike computer's navigation capabilities) will be tested on the elaborate bike route through a beautiful residential neighborhood, interspersed with abrupt turns and sudden steep hills (sometimes in combination.) It then continues down the Old Pacific Coast Highway through the Trails State Beach campground (where there are numerous restroom facilities with water taps) and follows the trail through Camp Pendleton to the control at Las Pulgas Road. Returning along the same path to Dana Point and Doheny State park, the route diverts on a loop through San Juan Capistrano, Mission Viejo, Irvine, and Newport Beach before rejoining the SART for the return to Yorba Linda. Food will be provided at the end of the ride.
This is a minimally supported ride: Riders are responsible for finding their own water and food out on the course. There is no SAG vehicle.
Note: You must register in advance for this ride- registration closes at noon on Thursday before the ride. There is no late registration or day-of-event registration. You must be a member of both RUSA and PCH Randonneurs to register.
We know you are a randonneuring fan since you are reading this, but if you are a Star Trek fan as well, combine both together and ride a populaire that takes you to where Kirk fought the Gorn in Star Trek’s “The Arena” (S1 E18)! The route crosses the Santa Clarita Valley, up an easy climb through scenic Soledad Canyon, and then through Escondido Canyon to the famous Vasquez Rocks where many iconic movies and TV shows were filmed, including several Star Trek episodes. After a short section of unpaved road into the Vasquez Rocks Natural Area, there will be a staffed control at the Star Trek Historic Film Site, with volunteers ready to take your photo with the Gorn at Kirk’s Rock! Departing the control, the route descends back into the Santa Clarita Valley and finishes with an easy ride along the bike paths.
Be aware that the approximately 0.5 mile unpaved section to the control at Kirk’s rock is soft and sandy in places, and rough in others.
This is a self- supported ride. Riders are responsible for obtaining their own food and water out on the course, although water will be available at the staffed control. There is no SAG vehicle.
We will hold a fleche on the weekend of April 29th and 30th. More details to come, but there will be a common finish in San Juan Capistrano Sunday morning where riders can have breakfast together. Start thinking about your team and route.
If you want to learn more about the fleche event, you can find info here.
Registration for 2023 rides will open on 11/1/22.
Note: You must register in advance for this ride- registration closes at noon on Fridayy before the ride. There is no late registration or day-of-event registration.
For those of you not partaking of the Fleche, we have another option- one of our best 200's, Kendall's Double Bump.
This ride goes through some really beautiful areas of Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. Starting in Ventura, you will head east through the Santa Clarita River Valley on South Mountain Rd to Fillmore and the first control at a well known coffee shop. Leaving Fillmore, you will head back west to Santa Paula where you will begin the gentle climb to Ojai on Highway 150, passing over Dennison grade, the first bump of the double bump. There is another control in Ojai before you continue along Highway 150 over the second bump, Casitas Pass. You will then decend to Carpinteria and head west through the foothills of Montecito. The third control, a great place for lunch, is Pierre LaFond bakery. After eating something yummy, on you go through the foothills of Santa Barbara onto East Mountain Drive, which has fabulous views of the Santa Barbara harbor below. You will descend into downtown Santa Barbara and then follow the usual coastal route back to Ventura.
This ride is self-supported. Riders are responsible for obtaining their own food and water on the course. There is no SAG vehicle.
Note: You must register in advance for this ride- registration closes at noon on Thursday 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.
This route splices together many of the roads and destinations that PCH Randonneurs has used on previous brevets in Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties. From the start in Simi Valley you will ride through citrus groves and avocados to the first control in Saticoy. Then you do a (sort of) out and back to Fillmore through the agricultural Heritage Valley. The next "finger" is from Ventura to Ojai and back using the Ojai-Ventura Bike Trail. Now comes the long section up the coast to the turn-around in Goleta. The return to Simi Valley is on familiar roads through Santa Barbara, Ventura, Port Hueneme and Camarillo.
The total climbing for this route is modest, just about 9000 feet for the 400k. This ride is mostly self-supported on the road. There are many services on route, so with a little advance planning finding food and water is not a problem- here is a Services Guide to help you with this. There will be food provided at the finish.
Full lights and reflective gear are required. Please see Article 10 of the RUSA Rules for Riders.
The start/finish is the Best Western Posada Royale Hotel in Simi Valley. It is about 4 miles from either the Simi Valley or Moorpark Amtrak stations.
This route has been re-worked for 2023. The first 400k is still the same as the Simi Valley Four Fingers400k (which will be run concurrently). The last 200k is new, based on rider feedback from last year.
This ride will be run simultaneously with the Simi Valley Four Fingers 400k- the two rides share the same route for first 400k. From start in Simi Valley you will ride through citrus groves and avocados to the first control in Saticoy. Then you do a (sort of) out and back to Fillmore through the agricultural Heritage Valley. The next "finger" is from Ventura to Ojai and back using the Ojai-Ventura Bike Trail. Now comes the long section up the coast to the turn-around in Goleta. The return to Simi Valley is on familiar roads through Santa Barbara, Ventura, Port Hueneme and Camarillo. After completing the first 400k, 600k riders can get some food and a little sleep at the start/finish hotel, then head out for the final 200k, which returns to Ojai, but using the climb up the 150 and the beautiful approach through the Upper Ojai Valley. Riders will then head over the Casitas Pass to Carpinteria, and return to Simi Valley using the coastal route and Santa Rosa Rd. Even though the last 200k retraces some of the miles of day one, it should seem like a whole different ride since you will do those miles in the daylight on day two.
The total climbing for this route is about 15,000 feet. Day two is a bit climbier than day one, so be sure to save a little something in your legs.
Much of this ride is self-supported. There will be a staffed control at the start/finish hotel which you will visit at the 400k mark and at the finish- hot food will be available there. At all other places along the course riders are responsible for obtaining their own food and water.
The start/finish hotel is the Best Western Posada in Simi Valley. Riders should book their own rooms- the club has only one room for ride HQ. If you want to find someone to share a room with, the Google Group is useful.
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.
This is a new route using familiar roads. It is identical to the last 200km of the 600k route that is being run on the same weekend. The 200k riders can ride cheer on and ride with the 600k riders as they plug away on day 2 of their ride.
The course leaves the Best Western Hotel in Simi Valley and makes its way over "the Ridge" via Grimes Canyon to Santa Paula. From there riders will head up the scenic Hwy 150 to Ojai. The return from Ojai is over Casitas Pass to Carpinteria, down the coast through Port Hueneme, and back to Simi Valley on Santa Rosa Rd.
This is a self-supported ride- riders will need to obtain their own food and water out on the course. Since this ride is being run concurrently with the 600k, you can enjoy food and drinks at the finish. There is no SAG vehicle.
Update: Two of the roads on this route, Pine canyon Rd and Lake Hughes Rd, are currently closed due to mudslides and other storm damage. On the LA County Road Conditions site there is no estimated date for re-opening. This means there is a chance this ride may have to be changed to a different route or an alternate route. If you make any hotel reservations, make sure they are cancelable. PCH Randos will refund your entry fee if the course has to be changed to something different that you are not interested in.
This is a challenging ride that travels some beautiful, remote mountain roads. From the start in Ventura riders will make a gentle warm-up climb to Ojai, and then the real fun begins. The route travels north on Highway 33, through the Wheeler Gorge and the Sespe Wilderness Area. At Pine Mountain Summit (mile 51), riders will have already climbed over 6000 feet. Food and drinks will be provided here. After re-fueling you will make the rapid descent down to the Lockwood Valley Road, where you will begin the "Heartbreak" climb up to Lake of the Woods. (This climb gets its name because it seems like you have reached the summit at mile 66, but there are actually two more bumps to climb until you reach the final summit at mile 80). Next you will work your way to Lebec, Gorman, and Lake Hughes- a mostly downhill segment, but it may not seem like it because there are plenty of climbs along the way. After visiting the little market at Lake Hughes, you will descend Lake Hughes Road to Castaic, then follow the Heritage Valley back to Ventura.
The total climbing for this ride is about 14,000 ft. This is a great way to help build your fitness for your upcoming difficult rides in the summer.