Mulholland Double
This epic double century traverses about 16,000 of vertical gain from Agoura Hills through Malibu to Camarillo and back via world famous Mulholland Highway and much more. This route is for the adventurous road biker who loves to climb and to see a lot of diverse terrain in the process.
A ride to remember! One of the toughest double century events in California.
ON HIATUS FOR 2014 – UNLESS OFFERED QUASI-BREVET STYLE! PLEASE STAND BY FOR THE OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT
Quasi-Brevet Style – 20 hour time limit!
This is one of the toughest doubles! Before you sign up, please consider that to be successful at this event you should have completed one or more of the below events within the time frame listed (“qualifying standards” not required, but strongly suggested):
- Officially finished Mulholland Double in 2012 or 2013;
- Completed the 2012 Mulholland Challenge in under 9 hours;
- Completed the 2012 Camino Real or Solvang Double in under 14 hours;
- Completed the 2012 Heartbreak, Eastern Sierra or Solvang Autumn Double in under 15 hours;
- Completed either the 2012 Terrible Two or Devil Mountain Double with the time limit.
Click here to view the 2013 results (use the pulldown menu for “division” to select the 200-mile option)
Click here to view the 2012 official results
General Information and Ride Rules – Please Read!
Entry Fees
TBD for 2014.
Start / Finish Location
Sheraton Hotel located at 30100 Agoura Rd in Agoura Hills, 818-707-1220. We’ve negotiated a great rate of $89 per night. To get our group rate, please call and let them know you’re with Planet Ultra. You MUST make your reservation by March 13 to guarantee the group rate.
How to Get There:
From the 101 heading north, exit Reyes Adobe. Turn left. Turn left on Agoura Rd. The hotel is on the right.
From the 101 heading south, exit Reyes Adobe. Turn right. Then left on Agoura Rd. The hotel is on the right.
Parking
If you’re staying at the hotel, by all means, park there! If you’re driving in, you must park across Agoura Road in the THQ parking lot at 29903 Agoura Road. If you park at the hotel, or in any of the commercial shopping/dining parking areas, you will be towed away at your own expense.
Check In
Friday night from 6:30pm to 9pm at the Sheraton Hotel, location TBA. Saturday morning from 5:15am to 6am. PLEASE, if you plan on the early start or live within thirty minutes of the start, please make every effort to check-in on Friday night. Also, please BE QUIET in the morning, as there will be guests at the hotel who are not affiliated with the ride, and who will be very unhappy being awakened so early on a Saturday. BE COURTEOUS.
Start Time
“Mass” start at 6:15am. Riders who expect to take more than 14 hours may opt for the early start time at 5:30am*. This is not a starting window. Everyone must start at either 5:30am or 6:15am. No in-betweeners. You will be signed out at your designated start time. If you don’t check out, you will not receive credit for the ride. If you plan to start early, please remember that the checkpoint opening and closing times are generally based on the “mass start” time and are calculated using an average speed range of 11 to 20 mph.
Come Prepared
Please be in shape for this event. If you cannot complete a moderately hilly century within 7 hours, you’ll struggle finishing this ride within the time limit. An “I can do it” attitude is a wonderful plus, but only if you’re already conditioned for this type of challenge.
Proof of Completion
There will be two locations on the course, indicated on the route sheet, where riders will receive a sticker as proof of completing that section of the course, and their ability to follow the rules of the event. Stickers will be placed on the rider’s number, which must be on the rider, and visible, at all times. At the Sheraton checkpoint, riders will be asked to show their numbers to prove they finished that section of the route. There will be three locations where some other proof (TBD) will be required. Upon completion of the route, riders will turn in their number in the Sheraton front lobby where the time of day will be written on the number by the front desk clerk.
Time Limit
20 hours from start to finish. No exceptions.
Twilight
Twilight begins 6:00am; Twilight ends 19:51. Sunrise is 6:25: Sunset is 19:25.
Lights and Gear Drop
Given that the last portion of the route may be ridden brevet-style there will be no gear or lights drop for this event. Of course you may leave stuff at the Sheraton to pick up as you come through at mile 102.
If there is any chance that you’ll be out past sunset, you MUST have both a headlight and a taillight attached to your bicycle, and you MUST wear a reflective ankle band on both legs. Please do not under estimate the time you will need to complete this event. Come prepared with a very good light and backup bulbs and batteries, plus at least one non-blinking taillight and lots of reflective gear. We repeat: BRING LIGHTS. We’re serious.
It may be Dark and Foggy
You may really, really regret it if you don’t have a good jacket or vest, long fingered gloves, and awesome lights for the last long ascent and descent. We can’t over-emphasize this enough. It could be very foggy and this will increase as it gets later into the night.
Routing and Navigation
Planet Ultra route sheets include lots of useful information to help riders navigate the course. For example, we’ll let you know if a turn is at a stop sign (SS), traffic light (TL) or T-intersection (T-int). We know that riders like to have the course marked. However, many of the towns/cities/counties specifically request that no markings are placed in the road. Our permits are contingent on NOT doing this. Further, Planet Ultra events are held way far away from where we live – and we travel to the destination the day before the event to make everything happen. We can’t mark the course in advance. If we have the manpower to send someone out before the riders in the morning to mark the course, we’ll do our best to make that happen (unless it’s forbidden by our permits, otherwise illegal, somewhere that locals would be really upset about it, or the turn is at a place that’s very obvious, like a big green highway sign). Our experience is that riders get lost whether the course is marked or not – because they’re not paying attention. Fewer riders get lost when they’re mindful of where they are on the route sheet. Please understand and take responsibility for navigation. Make it part of your experience.
Personal SAG Vehicles
Typically NOT ALLOWED! However, because this event is being offered quasi-brevet style, riders who don’t expect to reach the Mulholland Challenge Decker checkpoint before 3pm (when that station closes) may have private SAG beginning at mile 150 until the end. Private SAG may provide leapfrog support only. Absolutely NO FOLLOWING. If your personal SAG is on the course before mile 150, you will be disqualified from the event without a warning. The definition of personal SAG is any vehicle (motor or otherwise), anywhere on the route, operated by someone other than Planet Ultra staff, that is providing any type of aid, assistance, or motivation to any rider, or taking photographs, or simply out cheering. Please understand that our permits simply don’t allow dozens of extra vehicles on the roads or at the checkpoint locations. Imagine the traffic from all those cars! If you’re bringing someone with you who wants to be out on the course helping, please have them contact us and join our volunteer staff. We can always use extra help out on the course.
Ride Description
NOTE: Route sheets will be available as an excel file to registered riders if so requested via email between two weeks and four days before the event. However, we cannot guarantee that the route sheet will be 100% accurate. Though not anticipated, last-minute routing changes may be required.
Be ready for a course that is as scenic as it is challenging. This course can best be described as dramatic, epic, diverse, and beautiful. Spend the day riding the best of Southern California’s roads less traveled. Ride up, over, and along mountain peaks and ridges, and through a multitude of canyons and countrysides. Basically, this route is for the rider who loves to climb and to see a lot of diverse terrain in the process. It is one of the toughest double century events in California (#3 with respect to accumulated elevation gain). Bring gears! Some of the roads have steep sustained climbs of 12-14% with pitches up to 16%. Unless you’re a super strong climber, we suggest a triple crank, or at least a 30 cog in the back.
The ride starts in Agoura Hills and heads to the coast on Las Virgenes/Malibu Canyon. Then you’ll head south on Pacific Coast Highway (PCH). After the first major climb up Topanga Canyon and Old Topanga Canyon, you’ll spend the morning ascending and descending the Santa Monica Mountains on Mulholland Hwy, Yerba Buena, and Cotharin, before hitting Ventura County and the beach at Deer Creek. After an easy, flat cruise to the base of Potrero, you’ll start climbing again, up and over to Westlake, and through the Conejo Valley out to Moorpark. You’ll enjoy a small break from the climbing as you cruise through Pleasant Valley, and a flat shot back to PCH via Las Posas (but beware of headwinds!). Then, ride south on PCH, where finally you turn up again, to ride the extremely challenging Decker Canyon Rd. At the top, you’ll hang a right on Lechusa and take Encinal Canyon until you meet up again with the majestic Mulholland Hwy, which you’ll ride all the way to Cold Canyon Rd. Then you’ll make your final climbs of the day – up Piuma and Schueren to the top of Stunt Road. After the four mile descent down Stunt it’s pretty much an easy cruise back to Agoura Hills via Mulholland and Las Virgenes. Total climbing: 16,000+ feet. Total distance: 194 miles. Click here to see the elevation profile and map and access GPS files for downloading.
Route Sheets and GPS Files
Route sheets are available in excel format to registered riders if requested via email between two weeks and five days before the event. We cannot guarantee that advance route sheets will be 100% accurate. Though not anticipated, last-minute routing changes may be required.
NEW! You may download the route either as a Garmin Map Route File; or Google Map and Training Center Files (gpx or tcx).
Please note that advance route sheets and gps files are provided as a courtesy and you use them at your own risk. Planet Ultra does not guarantee accuracy. Please further note the following very important caveats:
- The ROUTE SHEET is gospel. Whenever the route sheet and the rider’s GPS unit disagree, the route sheet is correct.
- A GPS can (and will) route a rider over a cliff. They’re good at that. There’s really no substitute for the human brain. Riders should use theirs.
- One should never depend solely on a GPS unit for navigation. Riders should have a route sheet with them, and know how to follow it.
- GPS batteries on most “bicycle” GPS units will not last for a full double century. Riders should understand that and make arrangements to supplement the GPS power, learn to read a route sheet, or have the phone number of the local cab company with them.
- Click here for a link to the 2013 route on RideWithGPS.com. You may download GPS files from this page.
Volunteers
We always need volunteers!!! We can only put these events on with the help of loyal, trustworthy, motivated individuals running the checkpoints along the way. To provide a little incentive, when you volunteer for a Planet Ultra Double Century event, you receive a free entry into any other Planet Ultra single-day event. It’s a simple formula: “work one, ride one free!” Volunteers for Century events and Gran Fondo events receive a 50% discount voucher. So please contact us to let us know when and where you’d like to help. Please note that the intent of the “work one, ride one free” offer is to encourage riders themselves to give something back to the sport they love. However, we also appreciate when riders bring along family and friends who they’ve recruited to help out, so we’re offering a one-half ride credit to the recruiter if the volunteer doesn’t want the ride credit. Ride credits must be used within a year of the date of volunteering.
Fun Event Shots!
