Garfield Cat

Has anyone ridden the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway?

It starts from North Palm Canyon Drive and ends at the tramway.

There's an annual run but I don't see any bike ride event.

I looked up the distance on Google Earth. 3.7 miles with beginning elevation at 663 feet and top at 2,630.

estimated math: 5,280 feet per miles x 3.7 miles = 19,536 feet and climb is 2,630 minus 663 = 1,967 ; thus 1,967 / 19,536 = 10% approximate.

Jimriides

When I was 16, I rode to the top on a SS Beachcruiser, then met my buddies and went back down on Longboards. The most interesting part was seeing Mountain Goats and learning to scrub off Skateboard speed by sliding all four wheels around the corners while coming back down. No safety equipment or helmets. Glad to be alive!
Circa 1978.

diphthong

ridden it 6-7 times. used to be able to ride a bike all the way up to the tram station at the top but they installed a gate guard some years back and bikes not allowed past that point. pity because that’s where it really starts to get steep. i found it to be harder that making it to the bottom of the ski lifts of mt. baldy. still plenty of exercise to be had from the bottom up to the gate house and the adjacent neighborhood to the immediate south of tramway road.

skidder

I thought the organized bicycle rides (a time trial IIRC) was stopped quite a few years ago; logistics issues with all the bicycles, bicyclists, paraphernalia along the main road at the bottom. I think they still allow individuals who just want to ride up it to do it, just go early in the morning before the Tram opens to regular tourist traffic/cars (8AM?). It is a private road so don't be surprised if you get asked to NOT ride on it especially if you do it later in the morning.

TakingMyTime

It's been about 10 years but it's a pretty cool thing to do. If you go on a weekend you may want to look into buying your tickets ahead of time, it can get crowded. There are several hiking trails at the top. You can take a lunch and go for a little walk. I'm not sure if there's still snow up there right now. But yeah, if you've never done it before I think it's something everyone should experience.

Elvo

If you want to save some money you can bypass the tram and walk up Skyline - the trailhead starts behind the Art Museum in downtown Palm Springs.

edit: Trail might be closed for repairs

skidder

And I'd suggest not going up Skyline trail unless you're with someone who is familiar with it, or if you're familiar with it. It's a 'trace trail' so not an official route and not maintained as a regular trail. Some sections are not obvious, and some sections are overrun with shortcuts and side trails. Pay attention to the weather, too, as its starting to warm up in the Palm Springs area and temps at the start can be hot (90F+). Start in the pre-dawn hours to avoid the heat, and don't do it mid-summer.