# Good ride in Palo Alto?



## stumpy_steve (Nov 5, 2006)

I usually come from over the bridge from Fremont and do the small University-Sand Hill-Alpine-Sandhill and back, basically the clockwise route. I was looking at google maps and wanted to try the bigger loop, from Page Mill to Skyline to Portola to Sandhill, clockwise.

Has anyone here done that ride/bigger loop? Is it the dangerous area where cyclists keep getting killed? How many miles, seeing that back to Fremont with the smaller loop it's 45 mi round trip>?

I plan on doing this Saturday late morning/afternoon. Thanks in advance.


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## Dr_John (Oct 11, 2005)

I ride that loop in that direction from Los Altos about once per week. It's fine. When the weather's nice, watch out for the idiots on motorcycles going by at 110 mph on Skyline. Not sure how well you know the area, but Page Mill is a pretty good climb.


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## stumpy_steve (Nov 5, 2006)

Dr_John said:


> I ride that loop in that direction from Los Altos about once per week. It's fine. When the weather's nice, watch out for the idiots on motorcycles going by at 110 mph on Skyline. Not sure how well you know the area, but Page Mill is a pretty good climb.


Thanks Dr John. The whole car/motorcycle thing is what freaks me out, especially with all the deaths over in that area of local riders. I'm not implying that it's a graveyard, but still uncomfortable no less. Saturday looks like part cloudy part sunny so I think I'll be ok. Thanks for the info. Anybody have an idea on the mileage from over the dumbarton?


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## CHL (Jun 24, 2005)

The only issue is Skyline. On weekends, it's quite busy. If you decide to ride Skyline, try to traverse it early enough. I've had plenty of SUVs and other autos buzz me. 

The good part about Skyline (heading north anyways) is that you can maintain a reletively high speed. There are rollers but the speed you gain going down allows you to power over the next hill very easily. 

If it's free of traffic, I dare say it's one of the more enjoyable and scenic roads.

CHL


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## Dr_John (Oct 11, 2005)

> The good part about Skyline (heading north anyways) is that you can maintain a reletively high speed. There are rollers but the speed you gain going down allows you to power over the next hill very easily.
> 
> If it's free of traffic, I dare say it's one of the more enjoyable and scenic roads.


:thumbsup: It's a nice reward after Page Mill.

And I should add, even this time of year, parts of it are very cold. I'm usually in a long-sleeved base layer and long-sleeved jersey and still get the shivers.


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## Pierre (Jan 29, 2004)

If this is going on Skyline, no thank you. I've done it once this year and won't do it again, the motorcycles are too dangerous. There are plenty of great roads with much less traffic. Just an example, Tunitas creek coming from the the ocean, you'll see less than 10 cars the whole way.


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## Dr_John (Oct 11, 2005)

> If this is going on Skyline, no thank you. I've done it once this year and won't do it again, the motorcycles are too dangerous.


I swear, if Santa Clara County posted a speed trap up there, they could pay down the county's debt in a sunny weekend.

One thing nice about the June Gloom this year is it keeps the clowns on motorcycles off Skyline. I was there Sunday, and between Page Mill and 84, I saw maybe a total of 5 vehicles the entire way. Chilly => good. In the 80's => forget it.


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## grrrah (Jul 22, 2005)

Steve, we are off by one day.. I'm gonna ride from fremont to the coast and back on friday (early) via OLH, and back on Tunitas.


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