L'Etape de California

[Tokie]

Hi So Cal TE'ers - I am looking for a decent (not ritzy) motel to stay Friday before the Mt Baldy century (L Etape) this May 6th. The Doubletree in Claremont is a bit pricey and they are demanding a 2 night stay. Can you recommend a local motel that is close enough to ride to the start of the century ride? (I think this ride is going to wipe me out already with 10,000 feet of climbing, so I don't want to add too many miles to that) Thanks! tokie

[tangentgirl]

Ontario Airport is about 5-10 miles from Claremont - there should be a lot of hotel/motel options there.

[Tokie]

There do seem to be lots of motels and hotels around. But it's hard to imagine how the traffic/freeway access/or direct ride-ability is from a map. I'll keep looking. Thanks for your response - I wonder if anyone else on TE is doing this ride. It does sound hard! (and I am something of a hill slug/overall slug as of today!) http://www.letapeducalifornia.com/maps/ tokie

[tangentgirl]

Ah, I misread your post - you want to ride to/from the hotel. Your best bet is probably one of the cluster of hotels near the 10 and Indian Hill Blvd on this map: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=hotels+claremont,+ca&aq=&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=30.461748,78.662109&ie=UTF8&hq=hotels&hnear=Claremont,+Los+Angeles,+California&ll=34.106404,-117.715416&spn=0.05856,0.153637&z=13

In that area, you'll be heading south from the end of the ride. Nothing's flat around there, but usually, south=downhill (somewhat). The 10 is only a mile or two from the Claremont colleges, where it looks like you are starting.

That looks like a really fun, pretty, challenging ride. If I was ready, I'd be there for sure. Maybe next year. Good luck!

[Tokie]

Hi and thanks! that is exactly what I needed to know! Just back from the Sea Otter in Monterey (huge mt and road bike festival) and catching up with the real world (laundry,groceries,work,broken stove....) Yes, the LeTape (sp?) looks like quite a challenge. My friend assures me that there are "bail-outs" on the climb, should I decide that I'm done before the ride is! tokie

[tangentgirl]

How'd it go, Tokie?

[Tokie]

Oh, Helllloooo! Sorry, seems like cycling and work both got busy at once! The L' Etape ride was very challenging, beautiful and fun. I spent the week prior with 2 visits to the chiropractor for low back,neck and hamstring tightness on one side, so I took the ride pretty slow. I got to ride with Bill Walton! (now I know who he is too!) What a nice guy! And he did the entire ride in tennis shoes with platform pedals - yeowch! I never thought I'd finish the whole ride with my tweaked back, but I did really well. the first 20 miles were kind of mentally hard - just 20 miles of mostly climbing in a straight line uphill. I was ready to quit. then the climbing became more interesting with switchbacks and incredible views on the back side of the mountains, and along a long ridgetop. It really did look like something from the Tour de France to me in places. I did decline the final summit to Mt Baldy, and now wish I had climbed it all. (we probably got in 8,000 feet of climbing though). Friends who I consider very very strong riders/climbers had to stop - more than once - on the final climb because it was so tough. the weather was perfect - mostly a bit on the cool side. It would have been brutally tougher if it was hot. And we stayed at a nice motel across the street from the Ontario Outlet Mall. Some young men who stayed in Claremont near the freeway (HoJo's) said as soon as they got out of their car, a woman came out of the parking lot bushes and asked if they wanted "to dance":eek:. glad we were staying in a more sedate location! Only about 50 women on the ride, (Over 1,400 riders), and they ranked your time on the QOM climbs in age groups, so it was easy to feel like a rock star (sort of, if 7 out of 8 makes you feel that way ;) ) My husband had a triple on his bike, and was very happy with that! I was ok with my compact though. I highly recommend this ride! thanks for asking! tokie

[tangentgirl]

Congrats! Yes, I think 7 out of 8 on a ride like that qualifies for rock star.


Some young men who stayed in Claremont near the freeway (HoJo's) said as soon as they got out of their car, a woman came out of the parking lot bushes and asked if they wanted "to dance".

Ah yes, the 909, always teetering on the edge of sanitized suburbia and batsh!t crazy seediness.