Northern California - Best Place to Start Skyline Loop
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scattante
04-18-09, 06:24 PM
I am thinking about doing the Skyline Loop tomorrow for the first time. I got the route out of a book of Bay Area rides. It says to start at the Inspiration Point parking lot, and to get there early to get a parking spot. I plan to start around 10 AM, so two questions. 1) Do you think there will be parking left at that time, and 2) is this the best place to start the loop?
http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/ca/-oakland-hills/547124003354749948
Thanks in advance!
johnny99
04-18-09, 06:30 PM
Looks like this is the Skyline in Oakland, not the Skyline on the peninsula.
scattante
04-18-09, 06:51 PM
Oh, I didn't realize there were two. Correct this is in Oakland.
You could start at Orinda BART and not worry about parking. There's also a little parking lot at the corner of San Pablo Dam Road and Bear Creek/Wildcat Canyone - i.e. at the start of the climb to Inspiration point. (assuming you're riding this counterclockwise).
Enjoy - it's a great loop.
OK - I checked the direction and it's clockwise. If you're riding this alone then you could still try those suggestions, just the descent from Wildcat will be your finish - actually that'd be nice.
scattante
04-18-09, 08:59 PM
Cool. I was going to do it clockwise because that's what the book said to do, but counter clockwise would be fine too. A decent to the finish would be nice. I guess I will start from the Orinda BART station, too. And, Yes, I will be going alone, but not by choice. Thanks for the replies.
scattante
04-19-09, 09:37 PM
I want to thank everyone for the advice. I had a great ride. I ended up going clockwise because I thought it would give me some semi-flat roads to warm up on. A lot of climbing, but the decent down Wildcat Canyon Road made it worth it. I got the bike up to 44 mph! So if anyone was out and going the other way, I was they guy slowly inching my way up the climbs. :giver:
Glad it was a good ride scattante. Wildcat is a great descent, also the descent going Redwood if you do the route anticlockwise is also pretty nice. The other variant to try for the clockwise route is to turn right at the end of Moraga Road and Pinhurst and ride through the Redwoods and climb Pinehurst to Skyline.