# palm springs



## p lo (Sep 26, 2002)

I am going to be in palm springs for a week and want to bring the bike and keep training that week. Was planning on bringing the road bike, but most of the web sites about Palm Springs seem to mention mountain bikes. Which should i bring?

Thanks in advance


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## rocco (Apr 30, 2005)

p lo said:


> I am going to be in palm springs for a week and want to bring the bike and keep training that week. Was planning on bringing the road bike, but most of the web sites about Palm Springs seem to mention mountain bikes. Which should i bring?
> 
> Thanks in advance



I'm a roadie so I can tell you there are plenty of good roads to ride on and if you want to get your climbing on a little you can ride up Tramway Rd which starts at the outskirts of town on the northwest side. Enjoy.


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## endo verendo (Nov 22, 2005)

It's certainly easier to bring the road bike, grab a map, hit one of the many Starbucks and go. You can ride an infinite number of loops in the valley. A couple MTB rides out there are truely epic but I wouldn't recommended doing them solo. The goat trails above Cathedral City has some sweet singletrack and you could spend a few hours on climbing to Murray Peak and down Clair Burgess, but use Slime or Stans. Equally nice would be a roadie climb up the 74 switchbacks, (or the Tram road but I haven't done that one yet). I brought both bikes two weekends ago and ended up just riding roadie. In the past I'd do a day on the road and one on the singletrack.


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## Friction_Shifter (Feb 8, 2006)

if you do tramway rd you MUST check out the hot springs...pm sent.


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## rocco (Apr 30, 2005)

endo verendo said:


> It's certainly easier to bring the road bike, grab a map, hit one of the many Starbucks and go. You can ride an infinite number of loops in the valley. A couple MTB rides out there are truely epic but I wouldn't recommended doing them solo. The goat trails above Cathedral City has some sweet singletrack and you could spend a few hours on climbing to Murray Peak and down Clair Burgess, but use Slime or Stans. Equally nice would be a roadie climb up the 74 switchbacks, (or the Tram road but I haven't done that one yet). I brought both bikes two weekends ago and ended up just riding roadie. In the past I'd do a day on the road and one on the singletrack.



What are you referring to when you say "the 74 switchbacks"?


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## Friction_Shifter (Feb 8, 2006)

could be highway 74 from hemet towards idyllwild (meeting up with 243). Not exactly palm springs but a very gnarly climb nonetheless...


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## rocco (Apr 30, 2005)

Friction_Shifter said:


> could be highway 74 from hemet towards idyllwild (meeting up with 243). Not exactly palm springs but a very gnarly climb nonetheless...



Oh yeah... I've looked at that route online. He must be talking about taking 74 out from Palm Desert.

I have family who live in Moreno Valley just off of Redlands by the 60 which might make good point of departure to hit that from the west. I rode out to Gilman Springs Rd to see if it could be a good route down to San Jacinto/East Hemet/Valle Vista but it just seemed too busy and too fast. 

Have you ridden up and down 74 and 243? I'd really like to know about the conditions out there because if they're favorable I'd like to get a group together and hit that thing.

I bet starting Palm Springs and taking 111 s/w down to Palm Desert then around sort of closewise on 74 and 243 to Banning would be a hardcore century.


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## rocco (Apr 30, 2005)

endo verendo said:


> It's certainly easier to bring the road bike, grab a map, hit one of the many Starbucks and go. You can ride an infinite number of loops in the valley. A couple MTB rides out there are truely epic but I wouldn't recommended doing them solo. The goat trails above Cathedral City has some sweet singletrack and you could spend a few hours on climbing to Murray Peak and down Clair Burgess, but use Slime or Stans. Equally nice would be a roadie climb up the 74 switchbacks, (or the Tram road but I haven't done that one yet). I brought both bikes two weekends ago and ended up just riding roadie. In the past I'd do a day on the road and one on the singletrack.



Hey endo,

Where is your avatar pic from?


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## rocco (Apr 30, 2005)

rocco said:


> Oh yeah... I've looked at that route online. He must be talking about taking 74 out from Palm Desert.
> 
> I have family who live in Moreno Valley just off of Redlands by the 60 which might make good point of departure to hit that from the west. I rode out to Gilman Springs Rd to see if it could be a good route down to San Jacinto/East Hemet/Valle Vista but it just seemed too busy and too fast.
> 
> ...




Starting in Palm Springs and taking 111 s/w down to Palm Desert then around sort of closewise on 74 and 243 to Banning is 80 miles. If you're crazy enough to either walk or ride the shoulder of the 10 freeway for about a half mile between Haugen Lehman Way and the 111 you can do a full 100 mile loop. Palm Springs is at about 450' and Banning is at about 2350'. The max. altitude for the journey is about 6,200'. The grades run at about 2,3,4 and 5%. It looks like the real climbing is typically at a 4 to 5% grade with some 6 to 7% spikes.


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## Friction_Shifter (Feb 8, 2006)

used to live in idyllwild. never biked from hemet to idy but driven it plenty. i think a group ride would get spread out as its a serious climb. thats probably what you'd want though as i think that would be safer. not much of a shoulder. I would think it would be ok unless you get cars from both directions (which you will on occasion)then it could get a little stressful. if the riders are comfortable dealing with traffic on a narrow winding mountain road not that big of a deal(not a lot of passing spots (dotted yellow)for cars as its narrow and windy so some may pass you kind of close). there are some pullouts but not a lot. i have done the ride from banning to idyllwild which is a longer ride (26 miles if memory serves)and i don't think as much elevation gain. kicked my behind hard!...same deal with that. basically both would be nice group rides but you will encounter cars, the road is narrow and not much shoulder...if you are looking for a climb either would work. I think the banning route is a little more mellow (and pretty) and theres a natural water springs (can't miss it right next to the road and piped off, ice cold)about 7 or so miles from idyllwild.


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## endo verendo (Nov 22, 2005)

rocco said:


> Oh yeah... I've looked at that route online. He must be talking about taking 74 out from Palm Desert.


Yes, that's the one. There are a surprising number of riders going up and flying down it one the weekends. I'd think it's one of the more scenic rides out there.


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## endo verendo (Nov 22, 2005)

rocco said:


> Hey endo,
> 
> Where is your avatar pic from?


You'd know it if it was a bit bigger.


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## Friction_Shifter (Feb 8, 2006)

my guess is highway 74 just below mountain center....


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## rocco (Apr 30, 2005)

endo verendo said:


> You'd know it if it was a bit bigger.



Beautiful... Let me guess... Glendora Mountain?


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## rocco (Apr 30, 2005)

Friction_Shifter said:


> used to live in idyllwild. never biked from hemet to idy but driven it plenty. i think a group ride would get spread out as its a serious climb. thats probably what you'd want though as i think that would be safer. not much of a shoulder. I would think it would be ok unless you get cars from both directions (which you will on occasion)then it could get a little stressful. if the riders are comfortable dealing with traffic on a narrow winding mountain road not that big of a deal(not a lot of passing spots (dotted yellow)for cars as its narrow and windy so some may pass you kind of close). there are some pullouts but not a lot. i have done the ride from banning to idyllwild which is a longer ride (26 miles if memory serves)and i don't think as much elevation gain. kicked my behind hard!...same deal with that. basically both would be nice group rides but you will encounter cars, the road is narrow and not much shoulder...if you are looking for a climb either would work. I think the banning route is a little more mellow (and pretty) and theres a natural water springs (can't miss it right next to the road and piped off, ice cold)about 7 or so miles from idyllwild.



Are weekdays better than weekend days regarding the traffic?


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## Friction_Shifter (Feb 8, 2006)

rocco said:


> Are weekdays better than weekend days regarding the traffic?


weekday from Banning to Idyllwild would be your best bet.
weekday from Hemet to Idyllwild would be 2nd best (people that live in Idy go to Hemet for stuff during the week)
weekends will have more traffic on both routes I'm fairly certain.


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## rocco (Apr 30, 2005)

Friction_Shifter said:


> weekday from Banning to Idyllwild would be your best bet.
> weekday from Hemet to Idyllwild would be 2nd best (people that live in Idy go to Hemet for stuff during the week)
> weekends will have more traffic on both routes I'm fairly certain.


Thanks for the info.


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## p lo (Sep 26, 2002)

*thanks*

thanks guys. I will bring the road bike and use the week to help me catch up on fitness before the season starts.


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