# Winter rides?



## Gnarly 928 (Nov 19, 2005)

Hi, I am headed south from Oregon to spend a month or so riding in the So Cal area. I've done this trip before. In the past we've found some great roads and done some fun rides while traveling and I am always looking for more, going over atlases, checking with local bike shops, etc. I particularly like the challenging hills. A few I have in mind: There is one just to the east of San Jose..don't have my atlas handy, but it looks to be a quite long steep smaller road with plenty of switchbacks. Anybody know that one? I have also looked at a loop around Sutter Buttes near Yuba City(but that one looks flat, which is ok, too) I suppose the foothills near Fresno and such are probably too cold (slick?) this time of year, but I have found some good riding near Lake Isabella and Tehachipi..depending on the weather pattern as we pass through..Anybody have any suggestions for a pretty fit masters racer, passing through? Going right around Christmas..Probably down I-5, then either 99 or 5 to Barstow and down to the low desert..Steering clear of Smell-A..
Thanks,
Don Hanson


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## johnny99 (Apr 2, 2004)

Are you talking about Mount Hamilton? The climb is long (20 miles) with lots of switchbacks, but it is not very steep (5% average, unless you go up Quimby first).


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## Gnarly 928 (Nov 19, 2005)

*That must be it, thanks*



johnny99 said:


> Are you talking about Mount Hamilton? The climb is long (20 miles) with lots of switchbacks, but it is not very steep (5% average, unless you go up Quimby first).


Aha! So that is the famous Mt. Hamilton ride that I hear talked about by bay area riders. I'll swing by there and ride it, then. I suppose, like most california rides, weekdays are better. Thanks for the response,
Don Hanson


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## Boardmill (Oct 15, 2005)

I don't know too many good rides outside the Bay Area, but I could give some in my neighborhood (East Bay) with some really good climbs. I can supply you almost any distance you want from 30 to 110 miles, with long gradual climbs, short steep climbs, rolling hills, combos, etc. 

All these rides are pretty scenic and have light auto traffic. If you are interested in riding in the East Bay, just say what distance and difficulty and I'll give you some options.


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## Rushfan (Apr 20, 2003)

From your title, I thought you meant Winters, CA. Still might be a decent place for you to start from. Take 5 south to 505, 10 miles south and you're at the Winters exit. There's rollers, flat rides, climbing rides. You can go over the hills to Napa and ride in the vineyards...

In any case, take a look at these links-might prove helpful. Richard's North Bay Valleys and Valley Fever rides are in the area I'm suggesting for visuals/routes, just change the starting point to Winters.

http://home.att.net/~rfzipf/BikeRides.htm

Here's a site with a huge list of rides/routes, with a SF Bay Area focus, but you might want to follow up on some

http://bikemaster.home.att.net/routes/index.htm

California Century/Double Route Sheets

http://felixwong.com/news/2002/02/ca-route-sheets/

If I can be of any help, post again.


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## Gnarly 928 (Nov 19, 2005)

*Thanks,*



Rushfan said:


> From your title, I thought you meant Winters, CA. Still might be a decent place for you to start from. Take 5 south to 505, 10 miles south and you're at the Winters exit. There's rollers, flat rides, climbing rides. You can go over the hills to Napa and ride in the vineyards...
> 
> In any case, take a look at these links-might prove helpful. Richard's North Bay Valleys and Valley Fever rides are in the area I'm suggesting for visuals/routes, just change the starting point to Winters.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the links, I'll wade through those in the next few days. I have ridden around Winters some. Last year on our way south, we cut west at Willows...I race a 928 Porsche, so I had business at Thunderhill raceway. We found some good rides along the highway running north /south between Willows and Winters, parallel to I-5, but to the west in the foothills. It was raining hard, so we didn't stick around too long there..that is for another time. This trip, I have to cut through the city for a stop at my mechanics in Redwood City, then I plan on doing at least that Mt Hamilton ride..On the way north again, I'll be looking again..
The Mt Hamiltion ride, someone suggested a way to make it steeper? Can anyone tell me where to park while I do that ride? What is a good time for that climb? 20 miles or so and 4k of climbing? Thanks all, it sounds like a fun ride for me, when passing through..
Don Hanson aka Gnarly 928 (my racecar's name)


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## Gnarly 928 (Nov 19, 2005)

*Wow, nice!*



In any case said:


> http://bikemaster.home.att.net/routes/index.htm[/url]
> 
> This link is great. Tells me what I need to know for this trip anyhow. Thank you very much.
> Don Hanson


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## robwh9 (Sep 2, 2004)

*It's not steep because...*



johnny99 said:


> Are you talking about Mount Hamilton? The climb is long (20 miles) with lots of switchbacks, but it is not very steep (5% average, unless you go up Quimby first).


They had to haul up everything to build the Lick Observatory (including the 36" refractor) by horse and carriage.


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## Gnarly 928 (Nov 19, 2005)

*Speaking of hauling stuff up hills..*



robwh9 said:


> They had to haul up everything to build the Lick Observatory (including the 36" refractor) by horse and carriage.


Last year as we headed south to Borrego Springs (a great winter bike spot east of 
San Diego) we spied an interesting short ride up the Tehachipi canyon(just southeast of Bakersfield) on the old highway. A bit of a climb, but not too difficult, coming at just the right time of day for us during our drive. Interestingly, it is about the most gentle grade out of the central valley onto the high desert. The old-time railroad builders scoped it out and built one of the original main train routes up this canyon. It's still one of the main east west routes out of the south end of California, by train.. According to the "Hysterical Marker" signs we read, the max climb possible by freight trains is somewhere around 3%.(I think that was the grade) The canyon is steeper than 3% , so the train track switchbacks up the bottom of the canyon most of the way until the canyon gets too narrow. There, the railroad engineer (the building kind, not the train driver) had a brilliant idea..he laid out the track in a big circle taking advantage of the last open area large enough to do so. The trains do a complete circle (gaining altitude at 3%) and pass over themselves on a bridge! We watched one (it had seven locomotives attached) take that circle and the engines actually crossed over the back end of the train they were pulling..Ingenious..There are some fine bike rides in that part of the State..
Don Hanson


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## robwh9 (Sep 2, 2004)

*Tehachapi loop*



Gnarly 928 said:


> Last year as we headed south to Borrego Springs (a great winter bike spot east of
> San Diego) we spied an interesting short ride up the Tehachipi canyon(just southeast of Bakersfield) on the old highway. A bit of a climb, but not too difficult, coming at just the right time of day for us during our drive. Interestingly, it is about the most gentle grade out of the central valley onto the high desert. The old-time railroad builders scoped it out and built one of the original main train routes up this canyon. It's still one of the main east west routes out of the south end of California, by train.. According to the "Hysterical Marker" signs we read, the max climb possible by freight trains is somewhere around 3%.(I think that was the grade) The canyon is steeper than 3% , so the train track switchbacks up the bottom of the canyon most of the way until the canyon gets too narrow. There, the railroad engineer (the building kind, not the train driver) had a brilliant idea..he laid out the track in a big circle taking advantage of the last open area large enough to do so. The trains do a complete circle (gaining altitude at 3%) and pass over themselves on a bridge! We watched one (it had seven locomotives attached) take that circle and the engines actually crossed over the back end of the train they were pulling..Ingenious..There are some fine bike rides in that part of the State..
> Don Hanson


A friend stopped there once to check it out. He said there was a group of train buffs who came all the way from England to see it. 

<img src="https://hewgill.com/photo/trips/tehachapi-loop/tehachapi-loop-aerial.jpg">


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## Rushfan (Apr 20, 2003)

Gnarly 928 said:


> In any case said:
> 
> 
> > http://bikemaster.home.att.net/routes/index.htm[/url]
> ...


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## derek (Feb 14, 2005)

Gnarly 928 said:


> The Mt Hamiltion ride, someone suggested a way to make it steeper? Can anyone tell me where to park while I do that ride? What is a good time for that climb? 20 miles or so and 4k of climbing? Thanks all, it sounds like a fun ride for me, when passing through..
> Don Hanson aka Gnarly 928 (my racecar's name)


If you want to make that ride harder, just add Quimby Road to the start of it (2100 feet in 5 miles). The last half-mile absolutely kills me.

http://www.westernwheelers.org/main/resources/BA_Climbs.html#Quimby

Then drop down and head right up to the top of Mt. Hamilton.

Have fun,

-Derek


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## Woofer (Nov 18, 2004)

A lot of the rides posted were for the Bay Area not SoCal. Anyways be careful out there, on two different rides down highway 9 I saw one motorcycle crash going uphill and a bicycle crash going uphill on the same corner.


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