Construction has begun on a new bridge at Ashley Road, so the detour has moved to Hot Springs Road.

Likewise Ashley Road is signed as closed, but was it passable for a bike? I optimistically headed down, not caring about the loss of elevation as I was riding an electric bike.

Friends from out of town will soon visit and I promised a spectacular ride above Montecito – I was feeling the pressure. But I also had a new lunch spot to check out: Via Vai in Upper Montecito, a small Italian place with lots of outdoor seating, perfect for my friends' food needs I suspected. So I let the suspense build as I munched on a delicious lunchtime pizza. Then I headed up San Ysidro Road as it bends towards the Ranch, which was also severely damaged last year. That's one thing anyone will notice – contractors and their pickup trucks line Mountain Drive and when you stop to listen you'll hear hammers banging and saws screeching all along this route.

Once you get to Mountain Drive you'll be forgiven for thinking that the climbing is over; a gentle, but consistent climb continues for a few more miles. The views are few and far between on this first leg of the journey, but don't doubt the reviews, have patience.

Part of any story about this route and the town it traverses must include the January 2018 debris flow, as it's called. This massive mudslide scoured more than just this one bridge as heavy rains only weeks after the huge Thomas Fire sent a torrent into Montecito below – homes were lost and 23 lives. Riding up to this point gives you a sense of the powerful forces that were at work – the creek bed looks like it was scoured out by a giant. Trucks and heavy equipment toil in the creekbed, while the bridge repairs wait for a later time.

Ashley Road is closed to cars, but I easily walked my bike across the bridge. There's more devastation to see here, but it was time to move on – this detour takes you around Lotus Land, onto Cold Spring Road, past Montecito mega-mansions then merging back onto Mountain Drive.