# Lake Tahoe in September



## DrSmile

I will be taking a cycling vacation at Tahoe Sept 26-30 and plan on doing 3 days of riding. One of them will be spent circumnavigating the lake, but I'm looking for suggestions for the other 2. I will be staying on top of the mountain at Kingsbury. If I coast down the other side on 207, how is the riding in the valley on 206? I was thinking of riding the Rt 88/89 loop back up.


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## robwh9

Hope Valley (Highway 88 east of Carson Pass) has some of the best Fall colors in California. Usually October is best, but I think they might turn early this year because of the cool weather.

I love Tahoe at the end of September. The tourists are gone and the days are usually warm. Lodging is cheaper, too.


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## DrSmile

Wow if it looks like that I'll be thrilled!


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## KB11

For rides in Tahoe area see: http://www.altaalpinacyclingclub.com/rides/dsp_selarea.php?action=Road


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## TahoeBC

DrSmile said:


> how is the riding in the valley on 206? I was thinking of riding the Rt 88/89 loop back up.


206 is a very nice ride take it to Fredricksburg road which turns into foothill, then take Emigrant road to 88/89. for a bigger ride do a out and back on Blue Lakes road which is probably the nicest bits of pavement in the area.

Starting out in Markleville, ride up Ebbetts pass and/or Monitor Pass both long mountain climbs with great descents (on both sides of the ass)


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## TimV

I did a loop over Luther Pass and Kingsbury Grade when I was in Tahoe last summer. Here is the route:

http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/nv/minden/789535523126

It rained on me for most of the ride, so be prepared for any weather. The ride was worth it, though, and Kingsbury Grade is a wicked climb.


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## grrrah

bring a mountain bike


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## Sagebum

Here is a link to our Ride Section which has most our commonly done routes and our Ride Board........hope it helps.

http://altaalpinacyclingclub.com/rides/ 

Sat we will ride the Monitor Pass Metric Loop. Meet at 10 AM at Blind Dogs Coffee at the corner of Kimmerling and Tillman in the Gardnerville Ranchos.

Sun we will ride a Flume/Rim MTB ride from around Incline. It should be posted on our ride board on the same page.

Hwy 4 from the junction of Monitor Pass to the top of Ebbets is being repaved right now... (hooray!) not sure what kind of mess it is as of today.

A bit early for the colors as in the great pic above but very nice weather this weekend.

Be safe, have fun!

Twain


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## DrSmile

Thanks for all the suggestions, I just finished my last day of riding here, tomorrow it's back to the east... The weather conditions were perfect and I rode more than anticipated.

I arrived early enough on Sunday to put my bike together and rode the Kingsbury climber (I stayed at the top of the climb so I rode this pretty much every day). Although the Tahoe side is way shorter there is no shoulder and there was lots of construction on both sides of the pass. I enjoyed the climbing and it gave me (over)confidence for Monday.

Monday I rode the Kingsbury/Tahoe century. I anticipated the route being more flat around the lake, I guess I neglected to read the part about 8000 feet of climbing... By the time I got to Rubicon Bay I was questioning my choice of rides, but luckily it leveled out after that. There is a 7-11 half way around the lake and I made one other pit stop at the base of Kingsbury grade. I must admit I was pretty darn tired on the climb! For those interested in the ride, Fallen Leaf Road has terrible pavement, and I was not expecting the short but significant climbs on Tahoe Mountain Road and Emerald Bay, so be prepared!

Tuesday was the cycling "rest" day, so.... I hiked the 12+ mile Glen Alpine Trail to the top of Mt. Tallac! My legs did not appreciate the effort and refused to move that night, but it was worth lugging the SLR up for pics like this:

http://mysite.verizon.net/johe/Tahoe.swf

Today (Wednesday) I rode the Kingsbury Luther Loop. Without question this ride included the nicest road of the vacation, namely Upper Truckee Road, especially once it crosses 89 going uphill. It is a very quiet, small road with excellent pavement and great scenery. Too bad it ended before the top of Luther Pass. It kicks up in spots but it was never unmanageable, I don't think I needed the 34/25 until Kingsbury. For those interested in the ride, be aware that the last place to top off food/water if you're riding counterclockwise (I recommend this) comes immediately after the 88/89 merge, it's a cafe on the right. I did not stop there and there is no further food/water available for OVER 30 MILES! Also I got back to Kingsbury grade (east side) by 1, and I highly recommend against riding it at that time because there is absolutely no shade during the early afternoon. The combination of the hot blazing sun and lack of water made me bonk half way up and I suffered the last 2-3 miles pretty badly.

All in all a great biking vacation, I will likely return again another year... It was very warm for this time of year (I went through 28 bottles of water) and I've got quite the biking tan to show for it!


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## mtrider05

I just got up here and rode a little warm up and down Pioneer Trail, hopefully that will help with altitude. Doing the lake loop tomorrow, clockwise.


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## Sagebum

Good observations on the Kingsbury Luther Loop Dr. Smile.......looks like you had a great time.

Actually, after you leave Meyers and head up Old Luther, it is only about 12 miles to Sorensons, 13 to Hope Valley Resort and 16 to Woodfords where you can get food and water and a couple places along Foothill before Kingsbury. Soemtime I'll go back and redo our Alta ride Maps and try to add more info on food and water.

Twain


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## Ridgetop

Sounds like you had a good time. We've been getting hammered by t-storms for the past four days. I got soaked yesterday and surrounded by lightening. Made for a fun ride. Now that the weather is supposed to be getting better I'm going to be on the Cali coast without my bike. Oh well.


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## DrSmile

Sagebum said:


> Good observations on the Kingsbury Luther Loop Dr. Smile.......looks like you had a great time.
> 
> Actually, after you leave Meyers and head up Old Luther, it is only about 12 miles to Sorensons, 13 to Hope Valley Resort and 16 to Woodfords where you can get food and water and a couple places along Foothill before Kingsbury. Soemtime I'll go back and redo our Alta ride Maps and try to add more info on food and water.
> 
> Twain


I think that would be very helpful, because believe me I was looking for a pitstop on Foothill!

None of those places you mentioned must be on the route directly, so for a guy like me who is unfamiliar with the area it's gonna be pretty hard to locate.


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## Sagebum

Thanks for the feedback. Re-doing maps will be a good winter job with good info on water/food etc. Sorenson's, Hope Valley Resort and Woodfords Store are right on the route......it's a big downhill.......how fast were you going?   

But seriously, point taken. On Kingsbury, there is fresh clean spring water coming out of a white plastic pipe about 2/3 the way up. We drink it all the time. That may have helped too.

In the high desert we tend to learn where every drop of water might be...worth sharing.

Twain


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## jasonwells4

I do a clockwise Tahoe loop at least once a year. The descent on HWY 50 from Spooner always scares the crap out of me due to several factors: no shoulder, massive drains, semi trucks, plus I'm just not used to looking straight down the mountain while descending(compared to windy descents down Diablo or Tam).

Has anyone used this detour along Kelly Cir? If this is a viable route, it seems like a no-brainer.

http://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=U...AIdutPZ-A&mra=dpe&mrsp=3&sz=15&via=1,2,3&z=15


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## sometimerider

jasonwells4 said:


> I do a clockwise Tahoe loop at least once a year. The descent on HWY 50 from Spooner always scares the crap out of me due to several factors: no shoulder, massive drains, semi trucks, plus I'm just not used to looking straight down the mountain while descending(compared to windy descents down Diablo or Tam).
> 
> Has anyone used this detour along Kelly Cir? If this is a viable route, it seems like a no-brainer.
> 
> http://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=U...AIdutPZ-A&mra=dpe&mrsp=3&sz=15&via=1,2,3&z=15


Well, your route is really in Nevada, not NorCal.

In any case, I did it (in the uphill direction) last year; see the little thread about it.

First, it's not called _Kelly Circle _(that is a longstanding error in the Google map database); it's called _Old Hwy 50_. The road is gated top and bottom, but even if the gates are closed you can likely get past them. On the bottom there is also a guard station, but this is probably not an issue if you're going downhill.

I considered this bypass to possibly be a preferable route for the uphill direction, but would still probably use the newer road in the downhill direction.


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## dditty

Wow, that is absolutely gorgeous country!


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## TahoeTexan

DrSmile said:


> Monday I rode the Kingsbury/Tahoe century. I anticipated the route being more flat around the lake, I guess I neglected to read the part about 8000 feet of climbing... By the time I got to Rubicon Bay I was questioning my choice of rides, but luckily it leveled out after that. There is a 7-11 half way around the lake and I made one other pit stop at the base of Kingsbury grade. I must admit I was pretty darn tired on the climb! For those interested in the ride, Fallen Leaf Road has terrible pavement, and I was not expecting the short but significant climbs on Tahoe Mountain Road and Emerald Bay, so be prepared!


Yes, the Lake Tahoe area has a little elevation gain! Such an amazing place to ride.


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## hooj1

Such a nice area. Love going up there


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## jasonwells4

sometimerider said:


> Well, your route is really in Nevada, not NorCal.
> 
> In any case, I did it (in the uphill direction) last year; see the little thread about it.
> 
> First, it's not called _Kelly Circle _(that is a longstanding error in the Google map database); it's called _Old Hwy 50_. The road is gated top and bottom, but even if the gates are closed you can likely get past them. On the bottom there is also a guard station, but this is probably not an issue if you're going downhill.
> 
> I considered this bypass to possibly be a preferable route for the uphill direction, but would still probably use the newer road in the downhill direction.


I went and checked it out a couple days ago... It seemed like a dirt road covered in pine needles so, I didn't go that way.


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## sometimerider

jasonwells4 said:


> I went and checked it out a couple days ago... It seemed like a dirt road covered in pine needles so, I didn't go that way.


Old Hwy 50 is paved (at least it was last year when I tried it) - probably the whole way; but it's old pavement, cracked, covered with detritus and dirt in some places. Still, it's quite ridable on a road bike, but better uphill than down.


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## maximum7

I'm headed there for the weekend of the 19th. Hopefully we can figure out some good rides. Going with a buddy. 
Looks like the Alta Alpina website offers little by way of group rides and it sound like the traffic will be a bear. Is this true? Are there any bike shops close in case we need anything?


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## RedWhiteSteel

maximum7 said:


> I'm headed there for the weekend of the 19th. Hopefully we can figure out some good rides. Going with a buddy.
> Looks like the Alta Alpina website offers little by way of group rides and it sound like the traffic will be a bear. Is this true? Are there any bike shops close in case we need anything?


How did it go? I'm headed up there in a couple days, and plan to ride around the lake (something I've done before, though it's been three or so years ago).


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## sometimerider

RedWhiteSteel said:


> How did it go? I'm headed up there in a couple days, and plan to ride around the lake (something I've done before, though it's been three or so years ago).


I had a couple of good rides in absolutely great (mid 70s) weather. Didn't get a response to my PM from max7 - so we never hooked up.

One short ride to the Mt Rose summit (Hwy 431) and a 50 miler from Truckee, over Donner Pass to Cisco, and back.


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## CHL

sometimerider said:


> I had a couple of good rides in absolutely great (mid 70s) weather. Didn't get a response to my PM from max7 - so we never hooked up.
> 
> One short ride to the Mt Rose summit (Hwy 431) and a 50 miler from Truckee, over Donner Pass to Cisco, and back.


How was the climb up Mount Rose? Did you start from the Reno side or from the Lake Tahoe side. That's a climb that I have always wanted to do. However, each time I've driven up Mt. Rose, there was a substantial amount of traffic from either direction. What speeds did you achieve, while descending?

C.


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## sometimerider

CHL said:


> How was the climb up Mount Rose? Did you start from the Reno side or from the Lake Tahoe side. That's a climb that I have always wanted to do. However, each time I've driven up Mt. Rose, there was a substantial amount of traffic from either direction. What speeds did you achieve, while descending?


I've never done the Reno side of the climb. 431 on the Tahoe side has a great shoulder; the traffic is not an issue (but the 2400 ft of climbing is). I recall from driving it that the Reno side has a much smaller shoulder. (It looks like you might be able to avoid signficant sections of east 431 by taking back roads, but I don't know about those.)

Here's a map that shows my route (bypassing the lower west side of 431) to the summit and then shows the descent to the east side (which I didn't do).

As you can see from the elevation graph, there's 1500 more feet of climbing on the east side but over a longer distance. The average grade on the west side is about 6% (never more than about 10); it's just a bit less on the east side.

The west side descent is smooth with no tight turns - so there's no need for braking (except to stop and look at the fantastic views of Tahoe). But I don't think I hit much more than about 42 mph on the descent (wasn't really trying).

Maybe Ridgetop will gives us a local's viewpoint.


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## maximum7

> How did it go? I'm headed up there in a couple days, and plan to ride around the lake (something I've done before, though it's been three or so years ago).


It went ok. I never rode around the lake. There is a lot of traffic and there isn't a shoulder to ride on all the way around. I rode from Squaw Valley to Incline Village, heading North, and that was about it. Check my other thread for what I ended up doing. It was a great ride and route save for 89 on the way back. 
http://forums.roadbikereview.com/northern-california/im-squaw-valley-resort-now-what-259007.html

Here's what the Garmin showed. Not alot of climbing, but still an ok route. 
Untitled by anthem70 at Garmin Connect - Details



> I had a couple of good rides in absolutely great (mid 70s) weather. Didn't get a response to my PM from max7 - so we never hooked up.


I bummed!! I never received a PM from you, or I would have most certainly have responded. Crud.


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## sometimerider

maximum7 said:


> I bummed!! I never received a PM from you, or I would have most certainly have responded. Crud.


Oops, I just took a look at my "sent" PM's - I didn't send one to you (probably should have). I sent it to another guy that said (in the "Lake Tahoe Loop" thread) he was going to be there. Never heard back from him.

The part of the Tahoe circuit you did was perhaps the least interesting (for me, at least). I prefer the east side of the lake (just south of Incline) and the area around Emerald Bay - they have the best lake views. Yes, there's little shoulder in most places, but some of them have a parallel bike path (which has it's own problems).

The ride you did to Donner is a real good one. (I was also on Donner on Sunday, Aug 14.)


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## maximum7

That's when we did it.
I'm on the left.


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## sometimerider

maximum7 said:


> That's when we did it.
> I'm on the left.


_Look_in' good.

So, where's the video? (You may have already posted it, but I missed it.)

(I left my d*mn camera at the start - so got nothing to show for the Donner ride.)


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## TimV

TimV said:


> I did a loop over Luther Pass and Kingsbury Grade when I was in Tahoe last summer. Here is the route:
> 
> Alta Alpina Kingsbury/Luther Loop in Minden, NV | Bike Map | MapMyRIDE
> 
> It rained on me for most of the ride, so be prepared for any weather. The ride was worth it, though, and Kingsbury Grade is a wicked climb.


I'm in Tahoe for the weekend and will be doing this ride tomorrow for the third year in a row. The weather is nice so it should be good.


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## vontress

Enjoy. I love that ride. Tough climb.


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