Northern California - SF --> Tahoe?

This might sound crazy, but has anybody ridden from the Bay Area to Lake Tahoe? Is it feasible? What route did/would you take?

try tahoe to sf first

i used to live in reno, and driving back from the valley i dont remember seeing any side roads. just 80 up the mountain.

I've ridden there on a motorcycle, and from Stockton to Tahoe I think 88 to 89 would be a pretty good bicycle route. However I don't know the best way to get to Stockton.

The ACTC bike club in San Jose leads an annual "Sierra to the Sea" bicycle tour from Lake Tahoe to Bear Valley to San Francisco. Their web site has a route description and maps: http://www.sierratothesea.org/

Sacramento to Tahoe
1. bike trail from Sacramento to Beals point
2. Auburn-Folsom road to Auburn
3. Follow main road through downtown Auburn to Bowman. When you get to Bowman, Get food and water.
4. Left under freeway at CHP station. This is the last eastbound entrance to Reno
5. Follow frontage road as far as you can go. Frontage road becomes Crother Road.
6. Continue on Crother Road (nice downhill)
7. Right on Placer Hills Road. (becomes Tokayana Rd).Take PHR to Colfax.
8. Through old town Colfax (Main St.) Get food and water at the grocery store in the main square.
9. Turn left on Route 174
10. Continue straight on Rollins Lake Road when Route 174 turns toward Nevada City, Grass Valley.
11. Cross over I-80. Road becomes Magra Road. It is the frontage road all the way to Gold Run
12. Cross over I-80. Turn right ono Gold Run Road
13. Approximately 1/2 mile, turn left just past a small commercial/residential structure on right side of road. You will immediately cross the railroad tracks. Don't know the name of the street. If you get to the point where you have to re-cross I-80, you have gone too far. It is the only left turn you can make off Gold Run
14. Turn right on Lincoln Rd.
15. Turn left on Ridge Road. Follow Ridge Road. Do not turn toward Dutch flat.
16. Turn left at Alta just before you get to I-80
17. Stop in Alta to get food and drink at the little grocery store. You can't get food or water until you reach Emigrant Gap
18. Continue through Alta on Alta-Bonnynook Rd.
19. Turn left onto E. Towle St. This is a T intersection just before you get onto I-80. You can't miss it.
20. Turn left onto I-80. The first time I did it, I was nervous about the traffic. Not to worry. It is mostly uphill and the trucks are in the right lane moving slowly. They block the high speed traffic. There could be a lot of debris on the shoulder (car parts, rocks, etc.) so just watch for it.
21. Exit at Cisco. Get food and water at the Chevron station.
22. Cross over I-80 and follow the frontage road all the way to Donner Summit. You will pass Soda Springs and Sugar Bowl ski area. You then have a great 3 mile downhill run off Donner Summit. Be careful and control your speed, especially the first right turn onto the Rainbow bridge. There are several decreasing radius corners and you could easily crash if you go into them too hot.
23. Turn right onto Highway 89 and continue to Tahoe City.

This is a great ride. I have done it several times. PM me if you want more info. Can't help you get from SF to Sac.
VG

From the Davis Wiki, here's a couple of routes to take from SF to Davis. From Davis, cross town, then head across the Yolo Causeway into West Sacramento. Take Capitol to downtown Sac, then get on the American River Bike Trail. Just reverse engineer the directions...

http://daviswiki.org/Bicycle_Rides#head-e4c8369bc45a186e8ebb376cf1d3b4df994553d3

The third one is the fun one, although taking the ferry to Vallejo and riding from there is the most direct.

I've never done this ride but it looks fun. I was curious about VaultGuru's route and so I mapped it out here:

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2843989

Looks like this takes you on I-80 for 16 miles :)

This is awesome. My folks have a place in TC, I live in Sacto, my sister lives in SF. My buddy and I have been talking about doing a two-day ride from Tahoe to SF with our kids when they're old enough. (We just won't mention the I-80 portion to the wives...)

Thanks for the advice everyone. I'm looking to do this ride sometime soon, perhaps this fall when riding through the valley won't cook me.

VG, that route looks like a good one to me. I take it that it is legal to ride a bike on that stretch of I-80, since there appears to be no alternate route? Have you thought about a route through South Lake Tahoe via the roads around Hwy 50?

I think once I get to the lake, I'll ride around it. That's been a goal of mine for a little while now. I've been going to Tahoe since I was a kid (I'm 27 now) and I've always enjoyed riding up there.

That "Sierra to the Sea" option is pretty enticing, I may have to try that too.

Thanks again guys!

Stripes, it is legal. When there is no alternate route, you are allowed to ride on the shoulder of the interstate. If you tried to ride fron Cisco to Donner on the shoulder, you would get nailed. I have had several CHP's pass me, and talked to several more on the ride. They all say, "No problem. Just be safe". Same goes for I-50 across Nevada. Other than I-80, there are no alternate routes.

I also can post the route from Sacramento to South Lake Tahoe if you want it.

(*^(Y^^(&(^T I just spent 45 minutes posting the ride and hit the wrong key. I lost it. Will do it again tomorrow. This is a great ride, but be warned. You will climb about the same as the Death Ride - 16k

From Sacto to Tahoe: Find your way to SR-16 east (it takes off from Folson Blvd east of downtown). Take 16 to SR-49. South on 49 through Sutter Creek. Go east on Ridge Road (between Sutter Creek and Jackson) or go into Jackson and take SR-88 east. (Ridge Road will get you to 88.)

Go east on 88. Keep going. Keep going some more. Then keep going some more. You will be climbing for a looong while, but it is a gentle climb. Drop doown to Silver Lake, climb over Carson Spur, go past Kirkwood, go over Carson Pass (~8300 feet) and down the other side. Go northon SR-89 and over Luther Pass (~7900 ft.) and drop into Myers/South Lake Tahoe. If you need/want to go the north shore, continue north on SR-89.

I did this ride in the 1990s, and I think it is the way to go. Most of 88 is has a decent shoulder, and there is much less traffic than on I-80 or US-50. There are camping options near Jackson/Suter Creek (Chaw-se Grinding Rock State Park near Volcan, and at least one private campground in Pine Grove (?) on 88 east of Jackson. Also camping at Silver Lake.

Another alternative - grope your way to east of Placerville and go up Mormon Immigrant Trail. It will take you to SR-88 near the first summit (the one before the drop to Silver Lake).

I-80 is your second choice. Riding on the freeway is plenty safe, as the shoulders are quite wide. But freeway riding is a constant exercise in dealing with noise. In addition, the grading and sweeping turns that are needed for freeway driving makes for suboptimal riding.

US-50 is nota viable option because it has too many miles of too narrow lanes+ lots of traffic + no shoulders to be safe, IMHO. It's too bad, because some of the road is fine and the view coming down off Echo Summit into the Tahoe basin is spectacular. But you have to be alive to appreciate it.

The really long way around is to go north and east on SR-49 through Downieville and over Yuba Pass, then south on SR-89, but that is probably too much out of your way for what you are talking about.

I was going to suggest Bikingshearer's route too. I also agree with all comments about Highway 50 and 88. Here is the turn by turn route I have done several times. You will climb about 16,000 ft. doing this leg of the ride

Sacramento to South lake Tahoe Route
WARNING - THIS ROUTE IS UNSUPPORTED FROM SLY PARK TO SILVER LAKE (3+ HOURS) BRING AT LEAST TWO LARGE WATER BOTTLES AND A CAMELBACK.

1. Follow bike trail from Sacramento to Folsom
2. Turn right at the Rainbow Bridge and cross over the American River.
3. Approximately 100 yds. after crossing the bridge, turn 180 left on bike trail.
4. Turn left onto Liedesdorff St.
5.Turn right onto bike trail just before gated community. The bike trail will terminate at the Folsom Rodeo parkig lot. Continue through parking lot on Stafford St.
6. Turn left onto Natoma St. At T intersection, turn right onto East Natoma St.
7. Turn left onto Green Valley Road. Begin long, rolling climb to Placerville. There are convenience stores along GVR that you can get food and water. You will lose the wide bike lane on GVR in Cameron Park. The road is still good and people are used to seeing riders.
8. GVR becomes Missouri Flat Rd. just before you cross over Highway 50. Continue on MFR.
9. At T-intersection, turn left onto Main St. Main becomes Pleasant Valley Rd. Get food and water at any store along Main St. Continue on PVR.
10. After you pass Mt. Aukum Road, PVR becomes Sly Park Rd. Continue on SPR. You will start some serious climbing. Continue on SPR until you reach the entrance to Sly Park Recreation Area. There is a small convenience store across the road from the entrance (Sly Park Resort)
WARNING - DRINK, EAT AND FILL YOUR WATER CONTAINERS. THE RIDE IS NOW UNSUPPORTED UNTIL YOU REACH SILVER LAKE (3+ HOURS)
11. Retrace your route on SPR for approximately 1/2 mile
12. Turn left onto Mormon Emigrant Trail. This is a beautiful, quiet road, but is a major climb for 25 miles.
13. Turn left onto SR-88. Stop at Silver Lake for food and water. Continue on SR-88. Just past the entrance to Kirkwood Ski Resort, there is a small restaurant (Cooks Station) on the left side of the road. The food is incredible, but anything tastes really good about now. If you stop and eat a heavy meal, (heavy = more than a Cliff Bar) you will pay for it as you climb to Carson Pass, but it is worth it.
14. Descend the Carson Pass, the coveted 5th pass on the Death Ride. Continue through the Hope Valley.
15. Turn left onto SR-89 (Luther Pass Rd.) Climb over Luther Pass and descend to Highway 50.
16. Turn right at T intersection onto Highway 50 and continue to South Lake Tahoe.
Enjoy the ride
VG

From SF to Davis:

You can take the ferry from SF to Vallejo. It's a great ferry ride, and bikes have been free in the past.

Cycling from Vallejo to Davis is not bad. There is a bike path that parallels but stays separate from I-80, going from just outside Vallejo over the hill and down into Fairfield. The status of the path does change from time to time, and it might be worth checking on it before departing.

There is a bike path that you can catch from behind a local college on the Vallejo side of Fairfield. There is a parkway with a good bike lane out near the military base.

There are low-traffic two-lane roads going from outside Vacaville into Davis. Davis riders know these roads well. There are a number of different options. Some of them are pleasant riding.