So Cal Cross Gravel TROFEE #4: Backbone TROFEE, the fourth rough roads ride of the Summer 2016 season, is set to be run on August 28, 2016. The ride, starting at JRA Bikes and Brew in Agoura Hills, will venture into the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area on long sections of the recently completed Backbone Trail. The ride wraps up at Ladyface Ale Companie (in same shopping center as JRA Bikes and Brew) for post-ride eats, ale and good stories.
The Backbone TROFEE features alternating sectors of challenging pavement and dirt riding in the Santa Monica Mountains. First up is a short pavement warm-up before swinging onto dirt trails in and around the historic Paramount Ranch western movie set and old racetrack. From there, the ride continues east on Mulholland Highway before turning onto the second dirt sector along Malibu Creek and past the M.A.S.H. filming set. The next pavement sector features the famous Rock Store Climb on Mulholland Highway followed by an equally exciting a 10-mile single-track and dirt road adventure along the Backbone Trail. Any ride into the Santa Monica Mountains would not be complete without a visit to the ocean, so accordingly the Backbone TROFEE enjoys several miles of sea breezes along Pacific Coast Highway before another long dirt sector up Sycamore Canyon. After some pavement along Potero Road in Hidden Valley, the Backbone TROFEE heads into the last sector of single-track and fire roads in the Conejo Ridge Open Space. A final five miles of easy pavement riding on Agoura Road leads to the finish and lunch.
Participants can choose from three distances: the Grande TROFEE (everything) at 65 miles (6,700 feet of climbing), the Medio TROFEE (Paramount Ranch, the M. A. S. H. site, Rock Store climb, and the Backbone Trail) at 48 miles (5,200 feet of climbing), or the Petit TROFEE (Paramount Ranch, Rock Store climb, and the Backbone Trail) at 42 miles (4,600 feet of climbing). Cyclocross gravel bikes are recommend with climbing gears. Mountain bikes or road bikes with 28s and MTB pedals are also a good choice .
The So Cal Gravel TROFEE is a series of five scored events produced by SoCal Cross from April to September 2016. So Cal Gravel Trofees are medium distance adventure rides on pavement, dirt roads, fire trails, single track and interesting obstacles mixed together into challenging rough road rides into some of the best urban and wilderness landscapes in Southern California. The season finale TROFEE is scheduled for September 24, 2016.
Visit socalcross.org for further details.
