So, what is it like cycling up Palomar Mountain from Hwy 76 and S6 - South Grade Road?
Endless... At least that's what if feels like. The climb isn't steep (it averages only 7.5%), but it is very consistent and very long. From start to finish the slope varies more than 2% at only one 150 yds long stretch, about 5 miles into the 11.5 miles long climb. That false flat on Hwy 76 just before the South Grade Rd turn off is the only break you'll get in the entire climb. Once you make the turn onto South Grade Rd, it's 6.5-8% grade the rest of the way.
Hwy 76 has a bit of shoulder to ride up, but it is pretty narrow and collects a bit of debris. There is almost always some traffic, and it is always high speed (and tends to be trucks, SUV's or trailers). Once you turn onto South Grade Rd (S6), traffic becomes light to non-existence and there is good shoulder to ride on the rest of the way.
It takes me about 110 minutes to climb Palomar from the south side, and
only about 22 minutes to descend it (and that's because I'm a careful
rider and slow considerably down once I get back onto Hwy 76 and its car
traffic). If you haven't cycled up Palomar from the south before, you
should... but try to make it on a weekday as South Grade Rd is way too
popular a motorcycle road on weekends that it is quite unsafe.
If you are going up it during the warm months (June-Nov), take at least two big bottles of water (at least one bottle should really be water, since you'll be plagued to the edge of sanity by nasty flies whose sole ambition in life is to get at all the salt around your eyes deposited there by your sweat... And nothing like a good rinse of water would persuade the flies to leave your eyes alone for more than a few seconds).
Oak Knolls Campground at the base of South Grade Rd has a store where you can get water, cold drinks and some candy bars. There is no other water stop along the route (the artesian springs at mile 11 is all dried up). Once you top out, though, there is Mother's Kitchen to lunch at, a nice restroom with running water, and Palomar Mountain General Store with cold drinks and candies.
I’m going to try this in October 2020. Traveling out to SoCal from Maine.
ReplyDeleteIt's an awesome ride. Hope you catch a spree of no-flies cooler weather and no Santa Ana Wind (October is usually the driest month of our fire season)! :)
DeleteHow many bicycle riders have been hit by motorcycles on the southgrade road? in response to comment of motorcycles and denger to human powered bike riders? ... I dont personally know of any since I begain riding now years ago...not at all suggesting it has not happened only that I have neither seen such or heard of it even ...while I have seen direct aftermath of several motorcycle crashes! btw overwhelmingly inexperienced riders and/or people lacking recent experience. Personally I think the biggest threat from these is if they happen to coincidentally lose control near an innocent!. I mean as opposed to more accomplished riders who no doubt are on average moving more quickly ...dramatically so even. Not defending the practice but these types tend to be VERY in control with high concentration. Personally I give the pedal powered bikes a very wide berth as the last thing in the world I want is to hit the two abreast chatters or the swerving as they pedal for all their worth noobs ( I assume) ....I fully realize that being involved in a collision with life altering injuries or fatality could not only be forever devestating to ones conscience but also potentially life ruining even if not technically at fault as far as being the last one that could have prevented such an awful thing! Anywhere I can find statistics for injured bicyclist going up or down Palomar on south or east grade roads? Especially where a motorcycle is involved?
ReplyDeleteHello. Try contacting Cal Fire. They are the first responders to 911 calls. Palomar Mtn, especially Palomar South Grade Rd, sees a lot of motorcycle accidents. Most of the time they only take themselves out. A lot of times, if it isn't a serious injury crash, they don't even call for help (and so don't end up on the 911 response log).
DeleteI'm not aware of any motorcycle v bicycle crash, but then I don't live there. I will continue to warn bicyclists about motorcyclists racing the 21 tight hairpin turns of Palomar South Grade Rd on the weekends, however. If you ride the motorcycle, you are on the dishing side of things. Try riding a pedal bike up those constant 8% grade and hearing the crotch rockets barreling your way knowing they're hugging the inside line of the blind curves without knowing you're just on the other side of the curve... and can't move quickly in any direction to get out of the way. It isn't a pleasant (and definitely not a safe) experience.