Tour De LA Stage 3: Malibu Excursion

Jul 15, 2022

For our third ride, we decided to leave the concrete jungle of LA and explore the Hintergrund of Malibu. Most of the world associates Malibu with her amazing beaches and ocean vistas, but for the uninitiated, there are some serious mountains around there. As usual, we included some hidden gems in the route, some of those gems are so hidden that most local cyclists had only heard of them let alone actually seen or ridden them.

First things first, we fueled up with coffee and fresh pastries at the Deus Emporium. Then throwing a leg over our bikes, we took the short roll through Venice and Santa Monica before being presented with the first intimidation of the day.

The California Incline. Normally it’s unbelievably crowded with cars and definitely not the best place for a solo cyclist to be on, but for the combined fact that it was early morning and we were rolling more than a hundred deep, both of which played in our favor and allowed us to enjoy one of the best views over Santa Monica Bay as we headed out towards Malibu.

After a wonderful, albeit short ride up the world-famous Pacific Coast Highway, we reached our first gem, Big Rock Drive. Some call it a soul crusher, some say that it is one of those climbs that you have to avoid at all costs, neither of which fazed us!

The first part is fairly mellow with gradients reaching around 17% at times, where it gets really interesting though, is when you reach the gates. For cars, it is a dead end, but nothing can stop an ambitious and adventurous group of cyclists. We dismounted and clambered over the gates which wasn’t in itself too bad, unbeknownst to us then, the bad was still ahead of us.

After about a mile and a half the paved road suddenly transitioned into gravel and the pitches increased up to 24%. More than one of us made the mistake of stopping along the steepest sections to take a breath, needless to say, a walk ensued for a bit as it is virtually impossible to get going again when it’s that steep. The number one question within the group was “Who’s idea was this?”. That was a secret we kept!

With the hardest part of the climb behind us and we’d once again reached a smooth paved road, we continued the ascent until we reached the very top of the mountain, Saddle Peak, an unbelievably famous and breathtakingly beautiful rest stop in the Santa Monica Mountains. We met up with out SAG car there and it was thankfully loaded with ice cold Corsa Co hydration tonics. Funnily enough, no one was complaining about how hard the climb was, in fact, everyone was sharing their own stories of how they’d conquered the climb and how much fun it was.

After a short descent immediately followed by a short but easy climb we reached the next tasty morsel on the menu, the twisty Piuma Road descent. Piuma Road is one of the go-to roads for local car and motorcycle clubs for a reason. It is incredibly good fun. A string of downhill smooth S-bends, where you barely have to use your brakes, it feels almost like a ride you’d find at Disney Land and the breather it gave us was just what we all needed after the climbing we’d done.

A sharp right off Piuma Road took us to our next gem, a road called Cold Canyon. They call it Cold Canyon for a reason. During the winter months, it is one of the coldest places in this neck of the woods, but this was summer, so we didn’t feel that. What we did feel, riding through the Cold Canyon, was a delightful experience. The road is lined along its length with green trees, interlinked beautiful ranches, and has an impeccable road surface. That is until the moment you hit the final section that throws you onto a 15-17% gradient and headfirst into 105F heat. Thankfully it was fairly short, but after having already climbed over 3000ft, everyone definitely felt it.

The rest was easy, a short ride along the iconic Mulholland Highway after which all we had to do was climb the pretty mellow, by comparison, Old Topanga Hill and the rest was all downhill from there. Straight to “home” for what some consider was the best part of the ride.

The afterparty!

Everyone was so ready to enjoy some cold beers and food. Gigantic thanks to our friends at Firestone Walker Brewing Company who made sure that we had plenty for everyone. We all relaxed into an incredible time at the Deus Emporium, sharing stories over the top of beers and generally ruminating over what a remarkable day we’d had!

Massive thanks to everyone who came and we hope to see you all for the next one. Stay Tuned for number four!

Photos by Mia & Roman Cantelearist / Hedo LA

ENGLISH TEXT BELOW

Setiap tahun, teman-teman kita Tasix Adventure—penyelenggara petualangan ban berlumpur dan adrenalin berbahan bakar terbaik di Bali—mengadakan acara akhir pekan berkemah yang sangat dinanti-nantikan. Mereka menamakannya “ The Wild,” dan jujur saja, tidak ada kata yang lebih pas dari itu.

Ini bukan sekadar acara; ini adalah petualangan wajib bagi siapa saja yang mencintai tanah, tantangan, dan persahabatan yang hanya bisa terjalin saat tertawa melihat teman lain terjatuh.

Hal tentang The Wild adalah misterinya. Kamu tidak tahu ke mana akan pergi, bagaimana sampai di sana, atau apa yang akan kamu temui—seperti hidup, tapi dengan lebih banyak asap knalpot.

Tahun ini, The Wild yang berlangsung pada 7 Desember 2024, mengumpulkan 135 pecinta motor enduro, trail, dan cross di Desa Kopi, Tabanan. Tepat pukul 9 pagi, kami berangkat menuju Desa Gesing, Singaraja. Rute tetap dirahasiakan hingga hari acara, meningkatkan sensasi penasaran dan antusiasme. Dengan dibagi menjadi beberapa kelompok kecil, kami melengkapi diri dengan perlengkapan motocross lengkap untuk menghadapi tantangan musim hujan.

Perjalanan? Murni magis. Jalur berkelok melalui permata tersembunyi Bali, di mana setiap tikungan menawarkan pemandangan yang memukau atau hampir membuat jantung berhenti. Rute tahun ini menghadirkan medan tanah liat merah—dijuluki tanah "keramik" karena teksturnya yang licin dan keras saat basah. Untuk melintasinya, diperlukan teknik khusus yang disebut “paddling the throttle,” sebuah manuver yang mendebarkan dengan motor yang sering bergoyang liar. Dari kejauhan, mungkin terlihat lucu, tetapi saat di atas motor? Ceritanya berbeda.

Setelah menempuh 68 kilometer petualangan liar, kami tiba di perkemahan di puncak bukit yang sudah dipenuhi tenda-tenda peserta lain dan deru knalpot. Destinasi selalu mencuri perhatian, dan yang satu ini tidak terkecuali—tempat tinggi dengan pemandangan 360 derajat yang menakjubkan dari laut, gunung, hingga kota.

Saat hujan turun, tenda-tenda didirikan, dan malam itu diisi dengan berbagi cerita tentang penyelamatan heroik dan kecelakaan yang menggelikan. Dan tentu saja, ada balapan. Bayangkan sekelompok pengendara penuh semangat meluncur di perbukitan dalam kekacauan yang terkontrol. Balapan tahun ini termasuk duel 1 lawan 1 yang seru di sekitar puncak bukit, dengan peserta menyelesaikan dua putaran penuh adrenalin.

Bukan soal menang; ini tentang hadir, tertawa, dan menikmati momen. Para pemenang dan peserta tercepat yang mencapai puncak bukit dirayakan dengan hadiah, tetapi senyuman, persahabatan, dan kebersamaan membuat semua orang merasa seperti juara.

The Wild tahun ini benar-benar sesuai namanya, bahkan lebih. Petualangan, tawa, dan cukup banyak tanah di gigi untuk menyebutnya otentik—kami tidak akan menginginkannya dengan cara lain. Terima kasih yang sebesar-besarnya kepada semua peserta yang menjadikannya pengalaman tak terlupakan. Sampai jumpa di petualangan berikutnya!

Every year, our mates over at Tasix Adventure—Bali’s finest purveyors of muddy tyres and fuel-driven adrenaline—host their much-anticipated camp-out weekend. They’ve named it “Wild,” and honestly, there’s no better word for it.

It’s not just an event; it’s a pilgrimage for anyone who loves dirt, daring, and the kind of camaraderie you can only forge while laughing at someone else’s wipeout.

The thing about Wild is that it’s shrouded in mystery. You don’t know where you’re going, how you’ll get there, or what you’ll find—kind of like life, but with more exhaust fumes.

This year’s Wild, held on Saturday, December 7, 2024, brought together 135 enthusiasts of enduro, trail, and cross motorcycles at Desa Kopi, Tabanan. The route was kept a secret until the event day, heightening the thrill of the unknown. At exactly 9 am, they shared the destination, Desa Gesing, Singaraja, Divided into small groups, we geared up with full motocross kits to tackle the rainy season’s challenges.

The ride? Pure magic. Twisting trails through Bali’s hidden gems, where every turn promised either breathtaking views or breathtaking near-misses. This year’s route featured red clay terrain—nicknamed "ceramic" soil for its slick, hard texture when wet. Navigating it required a special technique called “paddling the throttle,” a nerve-wracking maneuver that had bikes swaying wildly. From a distance, it might have looked hilarious, but on the bike? It was a whole other story.

After 68 kilometres of this wild adventure, we arrived at the hilltop campsite already alive with the buzz of activity and the roar of exhausts. The destination always steals the spotlight, and this one was no exception—a high-altitude perch offering stunning 360-degree views of the sea, mountains, and city.

As the rain came down, tents went up, and the evening was all about swapping stories of heroic saves and laughable crashes. And then there were the races. Picture a pack of overexcited riders tearing up the hillside in what can only be described as controlled chaos. This year’s races included thrilling 1-on-1 duels around the hilltop, with participants pushing through two laps of sheer adrenaline.

It wasn’t just about winning; it was about showing up, laughing, and embracing the moment. The race winners and the fastest hilltop arrivals were celebrated with prizes, but the smiles, the camaraderie, and the shared triumphs made everyone feel like champions.

This year’s Wild lived up to its name and then some. Adventure, laughter, and just enough dirt in your teeth to call it authentic—we wouldn’t have it any other way. A massive thank you to all the participants who made it unforgettable. See you on the next adventure!