Bicycling Tioga Road

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enjoimx

Trad climber

SLO

Topic Author's Reply - Apr 16, 2014 - 01:10am PT

Cool. I really want to do it. Just one way, east entrance to crane flat. I'm having trouble with logistics.

Greg Barnes

climber

Apr 16, 2014 - 01:11am PT

I was thinking of doing it with a friend a few years back from Crane Flat to Tioga pass and back, I remember figuring out it was around 10,000' vertical to get there and back (lots of ups & downs) and a lot of miles. The mileage was enough that I bailed on the plan, since the closest I have to a road bike is a full suspension mountain bike with the shocks locked out and fat tires pumped up. Jon did it and said he was really tired - and he had a road bike and was generally in way better shape.

edit: I'm wrong, it's actually 8,080' vertical and 94 miles round trip Crane flat - Tioga pass - back - see the details in Bruce's post.

bhilden

Trad climber

Mountain View, CA/Boulder, CO

Apr 16, 2014 - 01:54am PT

I have done it numerous times in both directions. There isn't much of a shoulder for the first 5 miles or so out of Crane Flat, but after that it's not bad. There isn't any steep climbing, much is in the 5-7% with a few sections of 8%.

Here are some stats for you:

Crane Flat :0 mi :0 feet climbed
White Wolf :14 mi :2330 feet climbed
Olmstead Point :29 mi :3930 feet climbed
Tuolumne Meadows :40 mi :4530 feet climbed
Tioga Pass :47 mi :5830 feet climbed
Lee Vining :58 mi :5830 feet climbed

Other direction:

Lee Vining :0 mi :0 feet climbed
Tioga Pass :11 mi :3160 feet climbed
Tuolumne Meadows :18 mi :3160 feet climbed
Olmstead Point :29 mi :3730 feet climbed
Crane Flat :58 mi :5410 feet climbed

enjoimx

Trad climber

SLO

Topic Author's Reply - Apr 16, 2014 - 02:43am PT

Thanks a bhilden! Awesome info.

kovarpa

Mountain climber

Bay Area

Apr 16, 2014 - 10:29am PT

Did Crane Flat to Mobilmart and back a couple of years ago. It is awesome and actually not that hard. I have a triple on the road bike and never used the smallest front ring (whatever it's called). That road is well graded (Sonora pass from the east is harder...). I think the total was about 135 miles or so and I finished with plenty of daylight. Go do it, it is pretty special to be there without cars and bunch of other people!

Elcapinyoazz

Social climber

Joshua Tree

Apr 16, 2014 - 12:57pm PT

Surfer Bob probably rides it out and back from Portal to warm up before hitting the Cookie in the afternoon.

McHale's Navy

Trad climber

From Panorama City, CA

Apr 16, 2014 - 01:55pm PT

Tioga Pass is probably most pleasant to do in the Fall when most of the tourists have gone home. I've done Tioga maybe 12 times and never had a car incident. The cars and especially RVs are going pretty slowly and there's plenty of shoulder. It's actually the easiest of all the eastside high roads. I rode from Yosemite Valley to Lee Vining once. That was a good workout. That was in the Fall also though. The scariest part car-wise was just coming up out of the valley to the gas station. Generally, uphill riding seems safer because the cars are going slower and they have to pay more attention too. Rides like going up to Onion Valley and etc. are best because there are no through destinations for cars, so traffic is limited.

le_bruce

climber

Oakland, CA

Apr 16, 2014 - 03:56pm PT

You sickos have got it all wrong. Climbing is something we do on rocks not bikes. These were the steps I was told to follow, worked like a charm:

1. Drive over Sierra to east side, soak lazily in hot springs all weekend.
2. Drive back up and over Tuolumne, having your family drop you at Crane Flat. Kisses goodbye as they head home.
3. Put a rack and sleeping gear on your back, and point your wheels toward Camp 4.
4. Coast. Don't die crashing into deer on the road if it's dark! Park. Sleep in dirt.
5. Climb all day, throw your bike in friend's car, drive home.

Total elevation gain on bike: 0 ft. On rock: however many pitches you can fit in. Victory is yours.

enjoimx

Trad climber

SLO

Topic Author's Reply - Apr 16, 2014 - 03:58pm PT

Good one leBruce. Nice pic of Hardd too!!

bhilden

Trad climber

Mountain View, CA/Boulder, CO

Apr 16, 2014 - 04:17pm PT

The fee for bikes entering Yosemite is $10.

Fat Dad

Trad climber

Los Angeles, CA

Apr 16, 2014 - 04:49pm PT

The climb up from Lee Vining always appeared like it would be tough, but doable, especially if you had a triple. Like all climbing, once you have that base level of fitness you can grind away for a long time. Heck, bike tourers do it with pull panniers of gear on their bikes. The downhill always seemed like it'd be kind of gnarly, for me at least, but then my descending skills probably aren't all they could be. But, between gravel on the roadway, some of those big sweeping turns with no guard rails and the frequent 'bago barreling down past you, it looked a little sketchy.

Karen

Trad climber

So Cal urban sprawl Hell

Apr 16, 2014 - 05:10pm PT

I rode up from Lee Vining and the only issue I had was it was hot and ran out of water. To solve this issue got off my bike and stood under water cascading off this rocky enclave. Went ahead and filled my water bottles, to Hell with giardia.

The descent was amazing, let er' fly and went up to 50mph. What's great about Tioga is how far you can see down the road, so that enables one to go fast!

My goal has been to cycle up all of the Eastside roads/climbs. So far made it up from Lone Pine to Whitney Portal, Rock creek, Mammoth main lodge, then down and back from Red's Meadow, Sherwin Pass from Mill Creek, and Pine Creek. Still have a few to go:-)

I challenge any of you to enter and complete this....

http://www.tourofcalifornia.org/2006/09/everest-challenge.html

Greg Barnes

climber

Apr 18, 2014 - 04:49pm PT

Tioga road/120 opens for bikes from Crane Flat to May Lake or so, tomorrow at 6am through Sunday at sunset.

TGT

Social climber

So Cal

Apr 18, 2014 - 07:00pm PT

Skied it twice. Wished I'd had a bike for both up and down (especially down) from the 9000' hairpin where the good snow seems to start/end to the gate.

I'm gonna have to put this on the bucket list.

( think I'll invest in a 33t small ring first)

Kalimon

Social climber

Ridgway, CO

Apr 18, 2014 - 09:59pm PT

If you are asking about such a ride on this forum you are probably not very in tune with your personal cycling fitness level and ability . . . I suggest you start training and become familiar with yourself and your bike. It is a mountain stage . . . tough but entirely manageable with the proper preparation.

Jon Beck

Trad climber

Oceanside

Apr 19, 2014 - 12:03am PT

20 bucks is the vehicle fee, fee for individuals on foot or bike is 10 dollars each.

enjoimx

Trad climber

SLO

Topic Author's Reply - Apr 30, 2014 - 12:37pm PT

Bump. Anyone know anything about the possibility of it being open to bikes this weekend?

John M

climber

Apr 30, 2014 - 02:49pm PT

Bump. Anyone know anything about the possibility of it being open to bikes this weekend?

Dean on this post said it was going to open this week to traffic.

http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.php?topic_id=2398643&msg=2398643#msg2398643

I called the Ranger Office in Mather, who should know, but the lady who answered did not know and her boss was out. Tioga did open today to admin traffic, so Dean could be right.