My wife and I are training for our upcoming cycling trip in the French Alps, so we've sought out the most challenging local routes we can find. This led us to riding Mt. Baldy Road, which rises nearly 5,000 feet in only 13 miles, with lengthy sections above 10%, and nearly 1/2 mile of 15% at summit. Let's just say this one brutal climb!

Last weekend we rode it from the base to the summit, then rode up Glendora Ridge Road (GRR) and descended GRR and then Glendora Mountain Road (GMR) to make a loop back to the car. All in all it was just over 51 miles and 6600 feet of climbing - in 90 degree weather.

Click here to see a video of me summiting GRR and then descending a fast, curvy section.

Note the synched Garmin data showing my speed and heart rate. Click here to see my Strava.com ride data showing the details of the ride.

Having ridden Mt. Baldy Road two weekends in a row Val and I feel more confident about conquering the looming Alps.