Riding from Folsom to South Lake Tahoe
#1
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Riding from Folsom to South Lake Tahoe
Is there a recommend (safe) route to ride from Folsom to South Lake Tahoe. I know highway 50 exists but I don't find it safe to ride on especially after it drops to 2 total lanes.
Thank you
Thank you
#2
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Highway 50 is doable by bicycle, but it's not very pleasant east of Strawberry.
A longer but much nicer route is taking Highway 88 through Kirkwood. Sutter Creek to South Lake Tahoe is about 85 miles and 11,000 feet of climbing.
ridewithgps: Sutter Creek-South Lake Tahoe
A longer but much nicer route is taking Highway 88 through Kirkwood. Sutter Creek to South Lake Tahoe is about 85 miles and 11,000 feet of climbing.
ridewithgps: Sutter Creek-South Lake Tahoe
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Highway 50 is doable by bicycle, but it's not very pleasant east of Strawberry.
A longer but much nicer route is taking Highway 88 through Kirkwood. Sutter Creek to South Lake Tahoe is about 85 miles and 11,000 feet of climbing.
ridewithgps: Sutter Creek-South Lake Tahoe
A longer but much nicer route is taking Highway 88 through Kirkwood. Sutter Creek to South Lake Tahoe is about 85 miles and 11,000 feet of climbing.
ridewithgps: Sutter Creek-South Lake Tahoe
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#4
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Thanks
I think I need to train a bit harder to be able to do this ride. The gradients don't look too bad, but that is a lot of total climbing in the first 50-60 miles.
I think I need to train a bit harder to be able to do this ride. The gradients don't look too bad, but that is a lot of total climbing in the first 50-60 miles.
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It looks like a grind.
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Send me a pm, or join "Classic and Vintage Bicycle Club" on Strava, and I will send you the link to this route I made. I know all of these roads, and this is the only safe route.
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I can't recall ever seeing a cyclist on 50, but a few people did Echo Summit two years ago to commemorate the 100th anniversary of a 1917 ride from Sacramento to South Lake and back that made the papers. They mostly stuck to bike routes, mtb and back roads when they could. They did ARBT -> El Dorado Trail -> Pony Express
https://adventuresportsjournal.com/centennialride/
https://forums.mtbr.com/california-n...l#post13381845
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/26274365
https://adventuresportsjournal.com/centennialride/
https://forums.mtbr.com/california-n...l#post13381845
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/26274365
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I can't recall ever seeing a cyclist on 50, but a few people did Echo Summit two years ago to commemorate the 100th anniversary of a 1917 ride from Sacramento to South Lake and back that made the papers. They mostly stuck to bike routes, mtb and back roads when they could. They did ARBT -> El Dorado Trail -> Pony Express
https://adventuresportsjournal.com/centennialride/
https://forums.mtbr.com/california-n...l#post13381845
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/26274365
https://adventuresportsjournal.com/centennialride/
https://forums.mtbr.com/california-n...l#post13381845
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/26274365
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Could a (confident, competent, experienced) cyclist descend 50? You wouldn’t be going AS fast as the car traffic, but at 35-40 mph, you’d sure be causing less of a tailback than going up at 5-10.
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#11
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Yeah, I even hate going down 50 in a car. A lot of folks, rushing from SLT back to the Bay Area take it way too fast. I can't imagine doing it on a bike.
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I've ridden 50 over Echo Summit between Strawberry and Meyers several times in both directions. I don't remember it ever being exceptionally hairy, but I agree that 88 would be a more pleasant route. If you do decide on 50, a cool little alternate to to 50 at Echo Summit is to take the Old Lincoln Highway over Johnson Pass.