Michael Barry

Great Rides - Solvang, California

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Ride 1: Solvang - Figueroa

Ride 2: Solvang - Refugio – Gibralter

In 1999 I traveled to Buellton, California with my wife, Dede, to participate in the preseason Saturn Cycling Team training camp. It was our first time in the area and we were surprised to find out that this was not only an excellent wine-producing region but also a great place to ride a bike with the quiet rural roads and varied terrain. Naturally, good food and wine go well with cycling as there is nothing better than a good dinner after a long ride.

Since the production of the Hollywood hit movie Sideways in 2004, this area has become a hot tourist destination and is no longer a great kept secret. We ride by many of the vineyards that were highlighted in the film and have dined at most of the restaurants featured in the film. Before Sideways was produced, a reservation was never necessary, but now it can be difficult to get a table.

After racing for three and half years with the Saturn team, I transferred to the U. S. Postal Service team. US Postal, which become the Discovery Channel cycling team in 2005, has held their camps in the area the past five years and we stay just down the road from Buellton in the tiny Danish theme town of Solvang.

Preseason professional cycling team camps are an opportunity for the team to gather, get to know each other, spend many hours on the bikes riding endurance miles, plan out the season, discuss goals, take team photos, receive new gear and take care of media requests.

We normally log 30 hour weeks on the bike during camp, which translates into 4-7 hour rides, so I am now well acquainted with the area, and more specifically the roads and the climbs. . The region offers flat, rolling and mountainous terrain. The mountain rides are perhaps some of the most scenic and difficult in the country and are very similar to those we race over during the season in Europe. The two most significant climbs in the area, Figueroa and Gibraltar, are similar to Pyrenean passes as they climb for approximately an hour, and are open and not shrouded by trees which means the views are incredible but that the wind can howl.

In 2006, we rode the Figueroa climb about 10 times, including two ascents within a 6½ hour ride. We climb up and down it repeatedly as the climb provides the ideal workload for us as it is long, steep, and relentless.

When we climb it twice in one day we usually cruise up and over at a steady tempo the first time, turn around at the bottom, and then fly up and over from the opposite direction but at a faster speed, closer to the tempo we would ride up in a race.

At the base of one side of the climb on Figueroa Mountain Rd, Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch is one of the significant sites although the winding driveway leads to an adjacent valley so the amusement park home is hidden from the road. On the other side of the climb on Happy Canyon Rd, there are several immaculate horse ranches, notably the ranch that raised the famous race horse Secretariat.

Los Olivos, a quaint hamlet, is centered in the heart of the vineyards and boasts several of the nicest restaurants in the area. The Los Olivos Café was featured in Sideways and has a great wine list to accompany its good food.

The Café attracts tourists as well as local ranchers giving the restaurant and eclectic clientele of well dressed city slickers and tight jean wearing, yet wealthy, cowboys. Mattei’s Tavern and Patrick’s Side Street Café are two other good restaurants that have warm atmospheres and fine menus.

Ride 1:

Solvang - Figueroa

Location:

Solvang, California USA

Difficulty:

8 out of 10

Distance:

Approximately 80 km

Ride time:

Approximately 2½ - 3½ hours

Maps:

Click on a thumbnail for a large view

Area Road Map

Aerial View of Area

Description:

To get to Figueroa from Solvang, you head north Alamo Pintado Road through the town of Los Olivos. You cross over Hwy 154 and you will be on Figueroa Mountain Road. The road is fairly flat for about 10 miles (16km) and then tilts up steeply. You will climb for 10 miles (16km) or about an hour. The road narrows and gets quite rough in sections. At the top of the mountain on a clear day, you will have ocean views and tremendous views of the mountain ranges surrounding the peak.

The descent is rough, so make sure you have a couple of spare tubes in your saddle bag and be sure to ride cautiously. You will continue down the same road for about 4 miles and then take a sharp right turn onto Happy Canyon road. On Happy Canyon road, you will encounter some fairly well-packed dirt sections. This road flattens out after about 6-8 miles. Follow this road until it ends at a T-intersection. Here, you will take a sharp left and then the next right onto Armor Ranch Road. At the intersection of Highway 154, Armor Ranch Road becomes Highway 246, which takes you through Santa Ynez and back into Solvang.

Ride 2:

Solvang - Refugio – Gibralter

Location:

Solvang, California

Difficulty:

9 out of 10

Distance:

160 km

Ride time:

Approximately 5½ - 6½ hours

Description:

Another tough ride I love takes us south out of Solvang on Refugio road, which turns to dirt after about 5 miles and climbs over a 1,000 foot climb. At the top of the climb, the road turns to rough pavement and descends (passing Ronald Regan’s ranch) to where it intersects with Hwy 101.

From there, ride south on highway 101 (on the wide shoulder of the highway, the cars will be passing you at very high speeds on the highway, so be careful to stay to the right edge of the road) stay on Highway 101 for about 10 miles, before exiting on Holllister Road into Santa Barbara. Turn left on Hollister and follow that road, it rolls along and changes names a few times, to Catherine Oaks road, then Foothills Rd. and then Mountain Drive.

It may be a good idea to make a refueling stop at a café, mini-market or gas station along this road, as there is another long climb ahead with few places to get water or food. After about 15 miles the road will reach Hillcrest Road, where you should turn left and will begin climbing steeply. Hillcrest Road becomes Gibraltar Road after a kilometer or two.

On Gibraltar, you will continue to climb steeply, navigating yourself through several switchbacks, passing by beautiful mansions with ocean views most of the way up the 10 mile climb.

At the top, the road will undulate over several short hills with views to the Ocean on the left to the west. Continue straight for a few miles and then you will begin the long descent to Highway 154. When you reach Highway 154, you will turn right. This road often has heavy traffic, but there is a shoulder on the road, so stick to the right. You will follow Highway 154 for about 15 miles, passing by Lake Cachuma until you reach the intersection of Highway 246. You turn left here and pass through Santa Ynez and back into Solvang.