ON HIATUS FOR 2024
Due to road damage on CA-33 and full closure of Lockwood Valley Road,
this event cannot be held in 2024
Leap-Frog Support For Riders Able To Confidently Complete
The Event in 16 hours or Less
Private SAG allowed and encouraged!
Starting in Santa Clarita, riders traverse parts of Los Angeles, Ventura and Kern Counties, passing through Ojai, then up Pine Mountain to Lebec and back to the finish.
This event is hosted with at 1 or 2 leap-frog support (depending on rider numbers) vehicles instead of fixed aid stations, and a reduced entry fee to cover insurance, permits, and fuel/expenses for the support vehicles which will carry snacks, water and drop bags along the route. Riders may bring several lunch-size bags with their special-needs foods, which will be delivered up the course to at least 4 locations.
*This is the only Planet Ultra event where private SAG is not only allowed, but encouraged. SAG drivers must “register” with Planet Ultra in advance; so please contact us if you plan to bring a driver.
Click here for results from prior years.
General Information and Ride Rules – Please Read!
Planet Ultra reserves the right to cancel this event, or offer it 100% self-supported if less than 20 are signed up by June 1st.
2024 Entry Fees:
Until May 25th: $105 via Venmo or Zelle.
Thereafter $125.
Please read our registration and cancellation policies.
Entry includes: Event director RWGPS downloads with use of all advanced functions; leapfrog and drop bag support for 14-16 hours; California Triple Crown credit for all official finishers.
Please read our registration and cancellation policies.
* If you’re planning to bring private SAG they must register as a volunteer by clicking on the registration link below then scrolling down that page and clicking the Volunteer button and filling out all information online.
Please READ THE RULES and the cancellation policy before signing up!
Use the SignUp bottom to complete online waivers. You will not be charged. If we get enough riders on the roster by May 1st we will contact all registered riders and request payment.
Start/Finish Hotel:
NEW! Embassy Suites, 28508 Westinghouse Place, Valencia, CA 91355.
Please stand by as we work towards a group rate, if possible.
Check-In:
Friday night from TBD pm; Saturday morning from TBD am in the lobby of the Embassy Suites. Please bring two drop bags, containing food only, with your name on each bag. One bag will go in each of 2 SAG vans.
Start Time:
5:15am for riders needing more time; 6:15 for riders under 13 hours.
Come Prepared:
Please be in shape for this event. Riders will be expected to be self-sufficient, including the ability to fix a flat and/or make minor repairs on route.
Time Limit:
18 hours unless you have Private SAG to take care of you in the evening hours. Course closes at 11:15pm. Since this is leap-frog support, it’s more challenging to support everyone if the spread is too great. If you need more than 15 hours, please bring Private SAG. Otherwise, if you’re too far back, especially in the second half of the ride, you will be required to SAG forward. SAG drivers may leave course after 16 hours and you may finish on your own.
Twilight, Sunrise, and Sunset:
Twilight begins 5:12; Twilight ends 20:35. Sunrise is 5:42; Sunset is 20:05.
Lights:
If you expect to be out in hours of darkness, plan on carrying your lights all day. All riders out past sunset MUST have both a headlight and a taillight attached to their bicycle, and MUST wear a reflective ankle band on both legs. Please don’t under-estimate the time you’ll need to complete this event. Come prepared with a very good light and backup batteries, plus at least one non-blinking taillight and lots of reflective gear.
Bag Drop:
Please bring 2 disposable bags filled with your special foods. Drop the bags off at rider check-in, clearly labeled with your name. These bags will be leap-frogged up the course and NOT switch SAG vehicles. Since there’s no official post-ride activity other than you texting the time you finish, the drop bags will be discarded after the ride. So please make sure you pick up your bags, or don’t care that you won’t get them back.
Ride Description:
Classic Doubles are more than challenging alone. They are “tours” in the true sense, an opportunity for discovery and adventure in an area not often ridden.
The Tour of Two Forests has been such a classic since its first edition in 1980. It starts and ends in Santa Clarita and traverses parts of L.A., Ventura, and Kern Counties, plus the name-giving Angeles National Forest and Los Padres National Forest. It begins with an easy cruise through Piru and down South Mountain to Santa Paula and then the easy climb up into Ventura County’s sleepy hideaway of Ojai. Next you’ll ascend 30 mile Pine Mountain and enter the heart of the ride: Rugged and beautiful mountain country where a lone cyclist feels very small. Next comes Lockwood Valley (home of the “Heartbreak Hill”) to Gorman and then a rolling finish through Pine Canyon, Three Points, Elizabeth Lake, Leona Valley, and down, down, down Bouquet Canyon to the finish back in Santa Clarita.
This is a big ride in more ways than one: 191 miles with about 14,600 feet of elevation gain. It’s one of the most scenic courses in Southern California and is almost free of traffic lights.
How Leap Frog Support Will Work:
At least two vehicles will rotate between roving SAG and being parked in a set location to provide water/snacks and your drop bags; with one “leaping” ahead of the faster groups, one staying behind for the slower groups. Vehicles will move up the course and follow along making sure everyone is taken care of. There is no official lunch stop; so if you want a sandwich, please bring your own. SAG vehicles will have miscellaneous bars and water only.
Route Sheets and GPS Files:
Route sheets and GPS files are available to registered riders if requested via email between two weeks and five days before the event. We can’t guarantee that advance route sheets will be 100% accurate. Though not anticipated, last-minute routing changes may be required.
Please note that advance route sheets and gps files are provided as a courtesy and you use them at your own risk. Planet Ultra doesn’t guarantee accuracy. Please further note the following very important caveats:
- The ROUTE SHEET is gospel. Whenever the route sheet and the GPS unit disagree, the route sheet is correct.
- A GPS can (and will) route a rider over a cliff. There’s really no substitute for the human brain, so please use yours.
- Never depend solely on a GPS. Bring your route sheet, and know how to follow it.
- GPS batteries on many “bicycle” GPS units may not last for a century. Make sure you’ve arranged for additional power.
- Click here for the RideWithGPS.com map. You may download a GPS file from this page.