Yesterday I rode the L.A. Wheelman's Grand Tour Highland Double, the double, which dates back to a bet in which several cyclists dared each other to ride 200 miles in a single day.  Since then I've taken the dare a few times :) as have hundreds of others, and double centuries have become, well, routine; but this is *still* a great ride. 

The route is classic; you start in Malibu and ride PCH for 25 miles (don't think just because it's next to the ocean, it's flat, cause it's not).  Then it's up Potrero Canyon - a maniacal climb that gets steeper and steeper and yikes this is steep - then a beautiful ride through Hidden Valley (after climbing into it), and a nice charge through Westlake Village (after climbing out of it), and then descent into Moorpark, sojourn into Simi Valley, and the magnificent all-to-brief descent of Grimes Canyon, the powering through the citrus groves into Santa Paula, the long climb into the Ojai Valley (followed by a frenetic descent), lunch (!) in Ojai, onward to Lake Casitas and the climb behind it, the descent into Carpinteria, riding the 101 down to Ventura (yuk!), the endless flats to Channel Island Harbor, then the traverse through the bean fields to PCH, and finally the ride down to Malibu in the dusk, another 25 miles.  Whew!

the route, as seen by the iPhones "Places" view of the photos I took :)

PCH (with Mugu rock in the rearview mirror)

climbing Potrero (yikes!)

Malibu Lake

Westlake Village!

descending Grimes Canyon

lunch! - in Ojai

view from above Lake Casitas

the 101 - traffic to the left, ocean to the right

old PCH in the setting sunlight

Channel Islands Harbor - almost time for tacos

Overall a great ride, I felt good, posted a decent time (13:30 riding), and had a lot to think about...  onward!