Paging all San Diegans....

[Coffee Rider]

I'd like to also add that the riding from Carmel Valley (in my opinion) is best if you head north or east rather than south. The Ranch (Rancho Santa Fe) has some pretty quiet roads and you can just do a Ranch Ramble and get some good climbing on. You can also do a lot worse than just heading north on Coast Highway.

[KarlC]

Originally Posted by KJMUNC

Hey Ken,

Is there a preferred/better route up Soledad, especially coming from the north? I've yet to venture all the way up there (have ridden down to La Jolla from CV, but ran out of time to get all the way up Soledad).

Most direct looks like Hidden Valley/Capri, but that also looks gnarly steep. I'm Thinking Nautilus is prob my best best without having to ride all the way south to Soledad Mtn. Thoughts?

Look up the 5 Faces of Mt Soledad, that's what most people know them as ......

https://www.strava.com/clubs/338879/group_events/841699

https://www.strava.com/routes/2766378581929052370

https://pjammcycling.com/climb/301.M...d%20Mt.%20Road

https://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/58946900

.

[JedB]

Originally Posted by KarlC

https://www.eurosport.com/cycling/vu...43/video.shtml


Yep that looks like Via Capri, it makes you want to get off and walk

.

Yup
The other climb that we did one year at a UCSD race weekend was the Blacks Beach Hill Climb.

Start at the bottom near the sand, and it finished where the car barricade is at the top (being at UCSD, they let us open it up).

The only time I wanted to throw up more than that was after doing my first standing kilo on the SD Velodrome.

[woodworker]

Originally Posted by KarlC

Look up the 5 Faces of Mt Soledad, that's what most people know them as ......

https://www.strava.com/clubs/338879/group_events/841699

https://www.strava.com/routes/2766378581929052370

https://pjammcycling.com/climb/301.M...d%20Mt.%20Road

https://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/58946900

.

I've done all of those, I think, and like the Nautilus route the best, except that I take Via Estrada off of Nautilus. A little quieter. Pretty homes along the way. Via Capri is around 20%, so difficult (and pretty busy). It's not a great descent, either, as the asphalt is pretty broken up, and it has an off camber hard left near the bottom at roughly top speed. There are better, more enjoyable ways up and down.

[Ken Robb]

Originally Posted by KarlC

LOL if we are thinking of the same guy, I see him all the time, now he is like 80 and still slowly grinding up and all around Mt Soledad a few times a week.

I hope I can still ride when Im his age, much less do the climbing he does.

.

The man I'm seeing climbs at a good pace. I can't be sure about his age because he is very lean with corded muscles but his skin shows the effects of many years in the sun.

[Ken Robb]

I wouldn't climb Via Capri though many people do. I did ride down it ONCE and I should have known better. There are lots of driveways and the pavement has many rough spots so I really couldn't swoop down and enjoy the speed rush. Now La Jolla Shores Drive from the top can be a 45 mph thrill as can Prestwick Drive/Calle del Oro down to the bottom of La Jolla Shores Drive.

Nautilus is a civilized way to climb Mount Soledad.

[Ken Robb]

Originally Posted by KarlC

LOL if we are thinking of the same guy, I see him all the time, now he is like 80 and still slowly grinding up and all around Mt Soledad a few times a week.

I hope I can still ride when Im his age, much less do the climbing he does.

.

The man I'm seeing climbs at a good pace. I can't be sure about his age because he is very lean with corded muscles but his skin shows the effects of many years in the sun.

[KJMUNC]

Originally Posted by KarlC

Look up the 5 Faces of Mt Soledad, that's what most people know them as ......

https://www.strava.com/clubs/338879/group_events/841699

https://www.strava.com/routes/2766378581929052370

https://pjammcycling.com/climb/301.M...d%20Mt.%20Road

https://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/58946900

.

So I rode down there this afternoon and climbed Soledad via Nautilus, which was a nice climb. I then made the mistake of descending Capri (I hadn’t seen all these responses beforehand). Holy cow that pavement SUCKS!!

The amount of traffic in La Jolla, especially on Soledad is shocking. Def prefer riding into Rancho and up the coast rather than doing that again.

[NickJ]

I should have recommended a different pathway from CV.

Next time, come south via UCSD to Gilman and then down the Sante Fe street bike path to Rose Creek. That will pop you out right at the bottom of Soledad Mountain Road. Then you have your choice of ways up the hill.

[KarlC]

Originally Posted by KJMUNC

So I rode down there this afternoon and climbed Soledad via Nautilus, which was a nice climb. I then made the mistake of descending Capri (I hadn’t seen all these responses beforehand). Holy cow that pavement SUCKS!!

The amount of traffic in La Jolla, especially on Soledad is shocking. Def prefer riding into Rancho and up the coast rather than doing that again.

Yea, there can be LOTS of traffic going that way, there are so many better roads all around here and in La Jolla / Soledad hills. Just like in RSF, there are some roads that you will not enjoy, and others that you would love.

Originally Posted by NickJ

I should have recommended a different pathway from CV.

Next time, come south via UCSD to Gilman and then down the Sante Fe street bike path to Rose Creek. That will pop you out right at the bottom of Soledad Mountain Road. Then you have your choice of ways up the hill.

You can pretty much take bike paths from Del Mar to La Jolla these days.

.

[wasfast]

Originally Posted by Ken Robb

The man I'm seeing climbs at a good pace. I can't be sure about his age because he is very lean with corded muscles but his skin shows the effects of many years in the sun.

Any chance it's John Howard? He matches that description.

[JedB]

Originally Posted by wasfast

Any chance it's John Howard? He matches that description.

The other that came to my mind would be Dan Wulbert, from UCSD.
National caliber rider in his age group.

[woodworker]

It's not Dan Wulbert. I've ridden with him some and ran into him recently on a ride in Carlsbad.

About a year-and-a half ago (I'm guessing) he had a really difficult accident. Don't know all of the details, but I believe that he tore his tendon at the attachment point. I think it was the quad muscle tendon where it attaches below the knee, and part of the bone came with it. As a result, he was in a full leg cast for quite a while and has only slowly made his way back onto the bike in the last few months, generally cruising at a pretty easy pace.

Dan's a great guy and is a really strong rider, even in his late 70's, but the healing process takes a while. Just glad to see him back out on the bike again.

[Ken Robb]

Originally Posted by wasfast

Any chance it's John Howard? He matches that description.

Dunno-This guy had white curly hair.

[JedB]

Originally Posted by woodworker

It's not Dan Wulbert. I've ridden with him some and ran into him recently on a ride in Carlsbad.

About a year-and-a half ago (I'm guessing) he had a really difficult accident. Don't know all of the details, but I believe that he tore his tendon at the attachment point. I think it was the quad muscle tendon where it attaches below the knee, and part of the bone came with it. As a result, he was in a full leg cast for quite a while and has only slowly made his way back onto the bike in the last few months, generally cruising at a pretty easy pace.

Dan's a great guy and is a really strong rider, even in his late 70's, but the healing process takes a while. Just glad to see him back out on the bike again.

If you run into Dan again, Please tell him that Jed from Portland (formerly UCSD) says hello. He was always very nice and kind. He's a good dude.
Sorry to hear of his accident.