Bicycling Tioga Road

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Messages 1 - 20 of total 49 in this topic << First  |  < Previous  |  Show All  |  Next >  |  Last >>
enjoimx

Trad climber
SLO
Topic Author's Original Post - Apr 15, 2014 - 05:22pm PT
Anyone done it? Which way did you go? How far? Out and back or whole thing? Logistics of going one way?

When is the road going to open for bicyclists....? I know I know a week before it opens for traffic!

Anyway, I want to do it this year! How hard is it?

Also, pics would be cool!
Modesto Mutant

Trad climber
Santa Cruz, CA
Apr 15, 2014 - 05:24pm PT
I can't imagine doing the Lee Vining Ascent unless your totally burly. That's a long steep grade.
JEleazarian

Trad climber
Fresno CA
Apr 15, 2014 - 05:28pm PT
A client of mine did it from Mammoth to Yosemite Valley in a day in the early 1990's. I think Bruce Cooke used to ride from Berkeley to Tuolumne Meadows in the 1960's, so I know it's been done in both directions. A couple of summers ago, we hosted a lone cyclist in our campsite who had started in the Napa Valley, ridden down the coast, cut over to the Sierra around Bakersfield and came across over Tioga Pass. Now there was a stud!

John
StahlBro

Trad climber
San Diego, CA
Apr 15, 2014 - 05:28pm PT
I did it several times in the late 80's. It is burly, but great. Long finger gloves and extra layers are good to have. Watch out for rocks/ice on the descent.
enjoimx

Trad climber
SLO
Topic Author's Reply - Apr 15, 2014 - 05:33pm PT
Wow Tom Smith!
crøtch

climber
Whale's Vagina
Apr 15, 2014 - 05:55pm PT
I did the Lee Vining ascent a couple of years ago. There are two or three sections where I had to get up out of my saddle, but with 34/25 gearing it was doable and took about 90 minutes from Mobil station to the top. Coming back down was a blast though I was worried about gravel on the road in places. I'd love to ride from Lee Vining to El Cap Meadow.
DesertRatExpeditions

Trad climber
Flagstaff, Arizona
Apr 15, 2014 - 06:18pm PT
I've ridden down to Lee Vining, pretty awesome ride. Just make sure your brakes are in good shape, although it probably doesn't matter since they didn't seem to want to even slow me down anyway.

I imagine riding up, I would just take a few feet at a time.
JerryA

Mountain climber
Sacramento,CA
Apr 15, 2014 - 08:07pm PT
I've done it a couple of times from the Lee Vining side before the road opened to cars .I do not think it's that hard but I was only 75. My 85 year old friend found it more challenging. Go for it !
barry ohm

Trad climber
escondido, ca
Apr 15, 2014 - 08:16pm PT
http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/tioga.htm
markf

Trad climber
Frisco, CO
Apr 15, 2014 - 08:24pm PT
In the late '80s, I would ride from Mammoth to the top of Tioga Pass, then turn around and go back. I did go from Mammoth to the Valley once, which was a long fun day. I brought a change of clothing and a few other things in a single pannier, and stayed the tent cabins in Curry Village. Sometimes in spring the road would be gated at the bottom on the east side, even though the road was dry. I guess they needed to do last minute checks or something. I would lift my bike over the gate, ride to the top and turn around. It was fun having my own private road to ride on, as long as I didn't forget about the gate across the road on the way back. I used to max out at 50+ mph around Saddlebag Lakes, which was quite the thrill.

I think the east side of Tioga maxes out at 8%, which is pretty steep for modern roads but manageable. On the west side, the spot to worry about is a really narrow bridge somewhere near Porcupine flat. If someone in a big RV decides to take his half out of the middle on that bridge, you could have trouble getting past.

If you continue down into the Valley, put a red LED blink light on your bike for the tunnels. If you're touring with camping gear, the rangers will make an effort to find you a campsite, they seem tone a little more flexible with self-propelled travelers than with the rest of us.

Have fun, it's a great ride!
tinker b

climber
the commonwealth
Apr 15, 2014 - 08:53pm PT
last year they didn't open the road to cyclists before the pass was open for cars. i hope they open it again. i bike all over, but the roads in tuolumne make me pretty nervous when i have to share them with cars.
Mtbphoto

Trad climber
Mammoth Lakes, Ca
Apr 15, 2014 - 09:42pm PT
I rode from the gate on the Eastside almost to Tuolumne Meadows after a day of backcountry skiing, I was just too tired to head all the way to the Meadows. I have also ridden up Tioga Pass from to Mobil, the road was closed which made it easier, but there was still some debris in the road which made the decent very sketchy. It beats walking up the pass, which I have also done.
I would really like to ride from the gate to Olmstead, hopefully I will be around
Crimpergirl

Sport climber
Boulder, Colorado!
Apr 15, 2014 - 09:50pm PT
Rode from lee vining to the T u o l u m n e store and back a few years ago.great fun. No shoulder in some sections so I recommend it not be done on a weekend. Make sure your brakes are in good shape for return ride. Going by big scree slope is eerie as it moans and groans. Have great fun!
Delhi Dog

climber
Good Question...
Apr 15, 2014 - 09:59pm PT
Yep.
Valley to the meadows to the pass and back
Never went down the eastside but I need to cuz it would be a sweet ride.

Just did a long ride here last weekend. One stretch was 50km of downhill with Nanda Devi views all the way- so sweet!
Charlie D.

Trad climber
Western Slope, Tahoe Sierra
Apr 15, 2014 - 10:10pm PT
Riding up from Lee Vining is a great ride with few really narrow spots and plenty of good visibility for drivers coming up on you. I don't think I'd care to ride down beyond the TM store given the fact the road narrows as you drop by Fairview and there are some sweeps that leave you less visible. Besides every other driver is looking at rocks instead of the road.

We'll typically ride up and down from Tioga Pass and throw in the June Lake Loop, 395 has a great wide shoulder. You can also head out east on 120, check out the High Sierra Century that starts down near Mammoth.

Safe travels.
Hoots

climber
Toyota Tacoma
Apr 15, 2014 - 10:12pm PT
Skied Ellery Bowl last week from the bottom closure gate carrying my skis and boots on my pack- on a mountain bike no less! No way in hell would I peddle up there with traffic on the road.
rockermike

Trad climber
Berkeley
Apr 15, 2014 - 10:24pm PT
I didn't know it was (sometimes) open to cyclists before cars. That would be great. How/who would one find out if its open this year? The ride up from Lee Vining isn't that bad if you have a granny gear and take your time. 50 mph easy on the way down though its hard to not feather the brakes a bit. 50 is scary fast on a bike. :)
rottingjohnny

Sport climber
mammoth lakes ca
Apr 15, 2014 - 10:33pm PT
Rode Mammoth to Mariposa in a day , off the couch , with some friends..When we approached the east entrance gate , we discovered that each cyclist would have to barf up 20 bucks to enter the park...Luckily our sag wagon rolled up and 4 of us crammed into the ford van to avoid paying the fee..As soon as the van crossed into the park , we all jumped out and re-mounted our bikes...great ride and the winding descent into the valley is exhillirating...
enjoimx

Trad climber
SLO
Topic Author's Reply - Apr 15, 2014 - 11:22pm PT
That's good to know rottingjohnny.
Fuzzywuzzy

climber
suspendedhappynation
Apr 16, 2014 - 12:44am PT
Yerian. That cat has done the pass about a billion times!
Messages 1 - 20 of total 49 in this topic << First  |  < Previous  |  Show All  |  Next >  |  Last >>
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