2022 Southern California EUC Tour
October 15th through the 22nd
The dates are set and the locations are waiting for us. I hope you can join the 4th annual Southern California EUC Tour. Last year we had over 110 riders register for the Tour and our biggest day saw ~80 EUC riders!
What is the Tour?
If you are reading this then I assume you are a fan of the various locations that I ride around in Southern California and document on my YouTube Channel. I created the first Tour as an adjunct activity to the 2019 Los Angeles EUC Games. The Tour was a great success, with over 20 riders joining me on some of my favorite rides in the region. Great riding, great camaraderie, and the making of many new friends.
The second year saw a huge jump in participation, and even more riders joined us last year. The growth in the Tour is mirroring the growth of our beloved sport; riding Electric Unicycles.
Last years Tour brought back the Mt Wilson ride and I added an epic 90-mile journey on one of America's most iconic mountain roads. In addition to the above two rides, this year I'm adding another scenic masterpiece; Castaic Lake
Who is the Tour Meant For
Are you addicted to riding the EUC? Do you have a wheel with at least 1800wh battery capacity (preferably much larger)? Can you ride 50-miles before breakfast and do another ride after lunch? If your answer is yes to every question, than this Tour will be the best time you'll have in 2022. If not, mark your calendar for 2023 and work on building your stamina, and hope that I do another Tour.
I wish I could accommodate riders of all levels but that is not the goal of the Tour. My Tour is a celebration of EUC's and the rides that I like to do. If you are not yet at the level where you feel you could participate, then consider this as something to aspire to next year. Now I certainly can't (and won't) prevent anyone from joining the Tour but I can't make accommodations for beginners (instruction, periodic waiting for you to catch up, etc.). You could always begin a ride with us and then stop when you feel you've had enough.
No apologies; the Tour is for hardcore riders and their hardcore wheels 😎
Tour Registration
Please register for the Tour by completing the following form and then join the private Telegram group (instructions provided after you register) where everyone can coordinate their Tour activities.
If you make a mistake or decide later that you'll be attending different days, just resubmit the form. I'll be updating the public display of who's coming every few days. Your e-mail will remain private to you.
If you're unsure what days that you will be able to attend, leave them blank and re-register when you know more.
Registered Attendees (October 11th)
127 Registered Riders!| Name | Wheel(s) | Days | Bonus Day | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | |||
| Daddy Huy N. | RS HT, Commander HS | ||||||||
| Anson A. | Veteranbsherman | ||||||||
| Ken T. | Sherman max | ||||||||
| Fred G. | MSP/S22 | ||||||||
| Justin W. | Kingsong S22 | ||||||||
| John Z. | Sherman Max | ||||||||
| Dan T. | Sherman and S22 | ||||||||
| Jesse G. | Veteran Abrams | ||||||||
| Flyboy E. | MSX, Sherman | ||||||||
| Andrey T. | Sherman Max, S-18 | ||||||||
| Joe H. | S22, EXNHT | ||||||||
| Devon B. | V12 HT | ||||||||
| Austin L. | Sherman Max | ||||||||
| Scot L. | Nik+ or RS-T | ||||||||
| Andrew L. | Nikola Plus | ||||||||
| Brian D. | Commander HS, RS HS | ||||||||
| Joy S. | Commander | ||||||||
| James C. | Monster Pro, Sherman, RS HT, mTen3 | ||||||||
| Pete H. | Sherman v2 | ||||||||
| Mario C. | Begode EXN HS | ||||||||
| John F. | Commander HS / Monster Pro | ||||||||
| James V. | Master | ||||||||
| RYAN W. | Monster Pro; 18XL; and hopefully Master o | ||||||||
| Lydia B. | S18 & Shermax | ||||||||
| Tim R. | RS-Speed | ||||||||
| Kato L. | Sherman | ||||||||
| Mathew R. | Veteran Sherman | ||||||||
| Sam C. | S22, RS-19, Z10, mten2 | ||||||||
| Nhat N. | Shermax, RST | ||||||||
| Kevin P. | Sherman Max! | ||||||||
| Chris B. | Sherman S22 | ||||||||
| Lisa M. | S18 | ||||||||
| Jim G. | MP | ||||||||
| Tarzan F. | MSX 2200WH AKA firewheel AKA overheat whe | ||||||||
| Marty B. | Sherman Max, Monster Pro, S22 | ||||||||
| Michael M. | Sherman, Master, S22 | ||||||||
| Kieran T. | Sherman Max RST | ||||||||
| Michael C. | Ex | ||||||||
| Chris C. | MP24, Sherman, RS-T, S22 | ||||||||
| DAVE U. | MPro / RST / S22 Phoenix | ||||||||
| Adam G. | SherMAX | ||||||||
| Ray R. | monster pro, ex20s, master, s22 | ||||||||
| Loyd D. | Nikkila 1800 | ||||||||
| Kevin.Euc.upgrade V. | Sherman | ||||||||
| Andrew H. | Inmotion v12 | ||||||||
| Modi C. | Mten | ||||||||
| Alyx M. | Sherman Max | ||||||||
| Jason N. | sherman Max, EXN HT | ||||||||
| Yoshi S. | mTen3 | ||||||||
| Wesley S. | Cyberwheel V2, Frankenwheel | ||||||||
| Henry V. | EX.N HS. RS HT | ||||||||
| Brad P. | Commander HT | ||||||||
| Ron L. | Monster, Sherman, Master | ||||||||
| Yasin A. | Master | ||||||||
| Eli H. | RsHt | ||||||||
| Dan W. | 2700wh Nikola plus | ||||||||
| Dawn C. | SherMax, RSHT | ||||||||
| Anthony B. | Monster pro | ||||||||
| Mark P. | InMotion V11 | ||||||||
| David C. | EXN | ||||||||
| Mark O. | EX20S HS | ||||||||
| Michael Sean T. | RS-HS, 18XL, Master on order | ||||||||
| Cici D. | SherMax, S18 | ||||||||
| Jeff M. | Monster if I can get it | ||||||||
| Mask A. | Sherman / S22 Phoenix | ||||||||
| Melody K. | Sherman Max, S22, Mastee | ||||||||
| John D. | S18 and sherman | ||||||||
| Daniel S. | S18 Molicell | ||||||||
| Jack B. | Commander HT | ||||||||
| Jeff K. | Sherman, Master | ||||||||
| Gabriel G. | EXN | ||||||||
| Freddie N. | Veteran Sherman | ||||||||
| Angelo S. | Inmotion V12 HT | ||||||||
| Matthew B. | Sherman Max | ||||||||
| Dave F. | v11 | ||||||||
| Keygun L. | OG Sherman | ||||||||
| Cj N. | RS HT | ||||||||
| Tom T. | RS19 HS | ||||||||
| Flores R. | Sherman max | ||||||||
| Victor Y. | Begode Hero, Sherman Max | ||||||||
| Phong D. | Sherman Max | ||||||||
| Adel A. | Sherman V1, EXN HS | ||||||||
| Sam B. | Mp24, Master, Master pro, Sherman, KS22 | ||||||||
| Seth C. | Begode EX | ||||||||
| Michael C. | Master, V11 | ||||||||
| John W. | EX, Master, MSX | ||||||||
| Ricky S. | Inmotion v12 | ||||||||
| Ali A. | Sherman, KS22 | ||||||||
| Mark L. | RST, S22 and Mpro | ||||||||
| Josh M. | Monster Pro RS | ||||||||
| Corey C. | Commander (modded) / RS-T | ||||||||
| Mark C. | Commander | ||||||||
| Eric H. | Sherman max, primarily. V12 or Master, if | ||||||||
| Laphyeal P. | EXN v10 MSP MSX | ||||||||
| Codi J. | sherman | ||||||||
| Marcus S. | Sherman Rocket | ||||||||
| Dave S. | S18 kingson | ||||||||
| Franz W. | (hopefully) Begode Master - I'll pick up | ||||||||
| Gregory M. | Veteran SherMax | ||||||||
| Brian Y. | Sherman | ||||||||
| Kevin L. | Begode ex | ||||||||
| Kevin N. | v11, Tesla v2, S18 | ||||||||
| Wes M. | Commander HS/Master HT | ||||||||
| JAMES H. | EXN,MONSTER PRO, KS-22(Goat) MSX. | ||||||||
| Frank F. | Sherman Max / S22 / Master | ||||||||
| Mark S. | Veteran Sherman | ||||||||
| Roger H. | mTen3 | ||||||||
| Donald B. | Veteran Sherman | ||||||||
| Thien P. | Kingsong S 22 | ||||||||
| Al D. | Sherman | ||||||||
| Lynn A. | Sherman, S22 | ||||||||
| Marwin V. | KIngsong S22 | ||||||||
| Tom N. | Master, 2660 WH Nikola plus | ||||||||
| ron l. | Master, MonsterPro | ||||||||
| Elmer B. | Master 4800wh | ||||||||
| Brandon C. | ACM | ||||||||
| James L. | Sherman | ||||||||
| Bill S. | Sherman | ||||||||
| Justin E. | RS High Torque | ||||||||
| Leonard H. | Begode Monster Pro | ||||||||
| Ritchie R. | EZN ht | ||||||||
| megan v. | Sherman Max | ||||||||
| Lem U. | RST, MonsterPro, S22, Master and who know | ||||||||
| Jennifer C. | Sherman | ||||||||
| Victor B. | S18 | ||||||||
| Shenheng G. | EX.N | ||||||||
| Mario R. | Sherman, monster v2 msx | ||||||||
Last year the lucky grand prize winner walked away with a brand new fully outfitted high-torque RS. Lots of other goodies were also raffled away. All the proceeds from the raffle, almost $7000, was donated to PEVRA - Personal Electric Vehicle Riders Association.
If I can find a worthy fund raising cause for this year we'll do another raffle but as of now no raffle is planned for the 2022 Tour.
The Tour
The locations and times for each day of the ride are set. However there is always the wildcard of forest fires and other unforeseen circumstances beyond my control. If one or more ride locations are affected there will be alternative rides planned for those days.
This is 2022 and you're a hardcore rider, right? This statement presupposes that you have a corresponding wheel. The perfect wheel for the Tour is the wheel of the year for 2020, 2021, and 2022 - the Sherman. Comparable wheels would be the Sherman Max, Commander, EX20S, or Monster Pro. Do you notice a trend? Wheels with big batteries.
My Tour is primarily a touring adventure and as you'll see in the descriptions below, they are generally long rides. Although there may be some charging opportunities on a few rides I'm sure you'll understand that no establishment or location could support the charging of 50+ EUC's. So if you don't have a Sherman class wheel then some of the Tour rides will be unavailable to you.
These are not fast rides. Typical cruising speeds will be between 18 and 25mph, GPS. It's best to maintain an attitude of adventure and to go with the flow of the events as they unfold during the day 😎
Tour Guidelines
For each day of the ride, be aware of the weather forecast and dress accordingly. It's highly unlikely that there will be any rain or cold weather. But you know what they say about weather. Also, bring energy food (just in case), always plenty of water, and probably sunscreen. It goes without saying (but I'm saying it anyway), be prepared for the potential of flat tires or other mechanical problems. I.e., Slime your wheels and carry tools, tire pump, etc.
Due to the size of our rides we will not be able to stop and wait for stragglers. I will be stopping at strategic spots to let everyone regroup. This would include whenever there may be a question as to which way we went.
To facilitate the best experience for everyone, it's strongly recommended that you be running Telegram on your phone so that you can view my live location as we proceed with the ride. So in the unlikely event that you lose track of 40 to 60 riders, you will be able to see where we are via GPS. It goes without saying that your phone should be able to last the day. Power Banks are cheap nowadays.
Here is a map showing the meetup location for all the rides. The location may change if conditions on the ground (forest fire, etc) require a change in the venue. Any changes along these lines will be announced in the Tour Telegram group prior to the day of the ride.
Here is a Google Map that shows the route for each day of the tour. The routes are mostly accurate but there will be some changes prior to the start of the tour. Consider this a guide.
I also highly recommend that you load all the maps in your phone. The map above that includes all 8 rides can be loaded into Google Earth and viewed on your phone. There will be little deviation from these routes.
In combination with my live location and the ride loaded into your phone, it should be impossible for you to become separated from the ride.
Finally, Telegram will be used by me to coordinate various activities, such as when we are to regroup after lunch, etc.
What to do between rides? Fear not being bored or worried about doing touristy things. Based on previous years experience, you will struggle to find time to eat and sleep.
Ride Etiquette
We are all adults here. I can't and won't police how anyone rides. I would hope that you be considerate of other riders and in particular pedestrians.
The Beach
Saturday, October 15th
Well, I can't guarantee bikinis, but water and sand I can do 😊 We begin at the Pacific Palisades and travel south through Santa Monica, Venice Beach, Marina del Ray, Dockweiler Beach, Hermosa Beach and arrive at Redondo Beach to enjoy lunch and rest our feet. Then we continue to Palos Verdes Peninsula for some trail riding and beautiful ocean vistas. Finally we rewind the journey and travel back to Pacific Palisades.
We'll stop at some of the piers and take in picture worthy scenic outlooks over the Pacific Ocean and beaches.
This day will be a nice way to ease into the long rides during the upcoming week.
Meetup Location: Google Pin Be sure to meet at the pin (this is a very long parking lot - we are meeting at the end)
Parking: Same as the meetup location. Parking on Saturday should be ~$5. You can probably find free parking in the adjacent neighborhoods and wheel to the meetup location.
Meetup Time: 8:00am. Plan to be rolling by ~9am
Ride Distance: 60 miles. This will be a long day (10-hours), returning to our cars in the dark.
Recharge Required: Due to the size of this ride there will be no opportunities to recharge. Bring the longest range wheel that you have. Of course it depends on your weight but any 2200wh or greater wheel should do fine. In previous years quite a few people scrambled during our long lunch stop to find places to get a bit of a charge. So although there will be no coordinated charging it may be possible.
Lunch: We arrive at the pier where we can park our wheels and choose from many takeout establishments in the area.
Special Considerations: Bring a flashlight for the return since it may be dark by the time we return to the parking lot.
For those of you who cannot achieve 60-miles on one charge, you have two options:
- Join us at the meetup spot but be prepared to Uber/Lift back to the parking lot towards the end of the day
- Meet us at the Venice Beach Pier (Google Pin). This eliminates 12-miles from the ride. We will be arriving at this location between 9:30 and 10:00. As with all the rides, my location will be updated live via our Telegram group, so you'll know exactly when we'll be showing up.
Castaic Lake
Sunday, October 16th
Mt Wilson
Monday, October 17th
Meetup Location: Google Pin
Parking: Meetup location and parking are one and the same - residential street parking.
Meetup Time: 8:00am. Plan to be rolling by ~9am
Ride Distance: ~35 miles. If you are battery challenged you can skip the Mt Disappointment Road section and wait for us to return. This will allow wheels such as the S18 (1100wh) to do this ride. Otherwise, depending on rider weight, any 1800 - 2200wh wheel or greater will be fine for this day.
Recharge: No
Special Considerations: Bring plenty of water as this trail can get very hot if there is no cloud cover. Also potentially dress in layers since the temperature can be 20-degrees or more cooler at the top. There is no cell phone coverage during the ride but there is Wi-Fi at the Cafe so you can connect to the world for a bit during lunch.
Fullerton Loop & Griffith Park
The Double-Ride Day
Tuesday, October 18th
Tuesday, October 18th
This day will consist of two shorter rides. We start in the morning by riding the Fullerton Loop, a well known bicyclist route that loops through and around the city of Fullerton. It's a mix of paved and dirt trails, much of which is very picturesque. You experience a little bit of everything on this ride with plenty of optional challenges along the way. Although less than 12-miles, this will be a fun 2+ hour ride.
Meetup Location: Google PinParking: Meetup locationMeetup Time: 8:00am. Plan to be rolling by ~9amRide Distance: 13 milesRecharge: NoLunch: Nothing planned. You'll have to grab some fast food in order to make it to Griffith Park for the 3:00pm rollout.Special Considerations: None
Then we regroup in the afternoon at Griffith Park for a ~25+ mile ride among the hills overlooking Los Angeles. We will visit the Griffith Observatory, Bronson Caves, and the Hollywood Sign (at Sunset). The trail riding here is spectacular and will offer you views of Los Angeles impossible to find anywhere else.
Meetup Location: Google PinParking: Meetup locationMeetup Time: 2:00pm. Plan to be riding at ~3pmRide Distance: ~35 milesRecharge: NoSpecial Considerations: Since we will be riding after Sunset, dress in layers for potentially chilly evening temperatures. Also bring some additional lighting - the ride back from the Hollywood Sign will be very dark, in the mountains. There is no cell phone coverage during much of this ride.
Angeles Crest
Wednesday, October 19th
With the advent of so many Sherman (and Monster Pro) owners I think it's time to add this ride to the mix. For those of you without the range I will have a couple of alternative routes that will allow you to join us for the first ~30-miles and you'll still have a guaranteed wonderful time in the mountains with a 30 to 60 mile ride depending on your choices.
The most epic mountain road trip available in Southern California, we ascend Hwy 39 where it meets up with Hwy 2. There we take the first long break to rest after the 30-mile journey. Then Hwy 2 is followed for 30-miles to the next long break. In between you'll enjoy amazing mountain and desert vistas on pavement to die for. Then a 10-mile ride takes us out of the mountains and back to civilization where a 20-mile suburban trek brings us back to the meetup spot.
Alternate Route: For the battery challenged there is an alternate ending to the ride where the Mt Wilson Toll Road trail (see Monday's ride) can be taken down the mountain, shaving ~10-miles from the ride and adding a couple of volts to your battery (massive regen).
The final 20-miles of the ride is through suburbia with opportunities for locating charging spots including EV stations. As a group we will not be stopping for charging but for those with no battery options you'll be able to separate from the group to charge enough to make it back to the cars.
Mission Viejo
Orange County Odyssey
Thursday, October 20th
On this ride we experience some of the best paved trails in Orange County as we travel from the Saddleback Foothills to the Pacific ocean. Here we stop for some food at Dana Point and a bit of recharge and return by a circuitous route that includes spectacular dirt trails, climbs to vistas overlooking all of Orange County and descents into beautiful ravines. An odyssey best describes this journey.
Mt Baldy
The Defining Mountain Road Trip and Trail Ride
Friday, October 21st
Ideally you will have a Sherman class wheel for this ride but we've demonstrated that a light rider on a 2400wh Master can make it to the top and get enough charge to easily make the return trip. At a riding weight of ~195-pounds I can do this entire ride on my Commander (3600wh) with ~50% battery remaining.
Bonus Day
Overheat Hill
Saturday, October 22nd
This was also the bonus day last year but we had an unfortunate rain event (the only day of the Tour to see bad weather) that cut the ride short and also broke quite a few wheels 😀
Enjoy half a day of trail riding all around the hills surrounding Overheat Hill. Yes, we will visit Overheat Hill and optionally ride up it. If ridden in stages there is actually no danger to your wheel. But beyond OHH there are many many miles of very fun riding here.
Afterwards we will enjoy some lunch in downtown Whittier.
Can't wait! Thanks for putting thos awesome event together 👏🥳❣️
ReplyDeleteWow. I have seen music festivals have less planning than this trip. It looks amazing! I do believe this will be the first year that I not only have a Sherman, but can also take time off work AND have $$$ for the trip; it's the last two that have kept me from coming in the past.
ReplyDeleteFantastic. Hope you can make it. Where are you located?
DeleteI'm thrilled there's going to be a tour again this year. Last year was one of the best weeks ever! If you are an EUC enthusiast, this is something you can't miss! 👏🥳❣️
ReplyDeleteAgreed. Sell one of your kidneys or something I don't care
DeleteLast year I made it on every ride of the tour on the Nikola AR+, except for the mountain endurance run and the last day on overheat hill. This year I've placed my order for the Sherman at ewheels. I hope it arrives soon so I can get some practice on the thing!
ReplyDeletewhat an amazing schedule of EVENTS.. . clearly layed out and some what phyiscally demanding for the masses.. (strong wheels, strongs legs, strong minds, to complete this schedule) gotta figure out how to schedule this into my plans.... Marty ! you bring so much fun for us riders... hopefully i can do this some time with you guys.. just stuck here in INDIANA... lol Be safe...
ReplyDeletethank you Marty for putting on such a great event I've been wanting to come down to this for a long long time this is my neighborhood so it's gonna be fun coming from Humboldt County down to Southern California is going to be a blast it's been smoky up here not that kind of smoke
ReplyDelete