Northern California - Berkeley Hills Death Ride - Interest?

This sounds like fun. I have yet to ride in the Berkely hills. Unfortunately, I'll be at the Winter's RR that day. Maybe I'll try it another day since it's on Bikely.....

BUMP.

OK - getting ready for this one, should be good. I propose that we roll from Rockridge BART (western side of the bridge) at 8 - based on my climb of Marin at 9am on a Sunday, there was still a fair bit of traffic so let's start early. It'll also make sure we get most of the climbing out of the way before it gets too hot.

If you're interested but you don't want to do Marin, then please let me know. We could collect folks at the interesction of Grizzly Peak, Wildcat and Spruce at ~8:30. But do post or PM me to let me know if we should expect you.

Marin is the whole point ;)

Here's our preparation:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybFLAZEsiyg

8 am start is pretty early! Count me in for now starting from BART, we'll see if I can get up and out on Saturday morning.

Marin is the whole point ;)

Here's our preparation:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybFLAZEsiyg

Nice! :thumb:

Marin is the whole point ;)

Here's our preparation:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybFLAZEsiyg

Is now a good time to mention that it will be almost impossible to zig-zag up Marin? :(

8 am start is pretty early! Count me in for now starting from BART, we'll see if I can get up and out on Saturday morning.

Sorry about that, but honestly, you'll thank me if there's less traffic on Marin. I did a recon on Sunday, and for the bulk of the climb it didn't really bother me, I found I could ride straight up without too much fuss. For the top three blocks though I wanted as little traffic around me as possible, I made one little unplanned excursion across the top of the final block (it was either that or fall over into a hedge) - thankfully I didn't meet a motorist.

Is now a good time to mention that it will be almost impossible to zig-zag up Marin? :(

Eh... So I've heard. :lol:

We could have went mostly straight up I think, but I was already tired from SB Mountain, plus rollers and 14th Ave. I went in zig-zagging anticipating the worst... and knowing that more hills were to follow (Twin Peaks and another 1/2 SB Mountain to cross over to the Bay side). Afterward, I felt that we really didn't need to zig-zag so much.

Glad to hear your positive attitude, Marco :thumb:. I now know my limits, and suspect that they'll be exposed again on that road on Saturday, I suspect you'll be in better shape than me.

While Marin is a focal point, I think that the rest of the ride is quite entertaining as well, although you've climbed Claremont and South Park on the tandem before, Centennial > Claremont and El Toyonal/Lomas > everything save the top 3 blocks of Marin IMO.

How do these climbs compare to Bohlman/On Orbit? I ask because, honestly, getting up at 6am to ride 4-5 hills as steep as BoO sounds like a really unpleasant day.

I've ridden a double this month, I've nothing left to prove. Having some 25% grade telling me that I'm fat might not be the most productive way for me to spend a weekend day.

Also, how are the descents? I freaked out and had to stop descending the backside of Hicks last week, at like -16% grade. I can't imagine that I will fare well descending anything that steep in traffic-y areas.

Please, talk me in or out of this. I like to try to be hardcore, that's why I stand in front of the showerhead when I turn the water on (my avatar is endlessly amusing to me), but I do value my moderately functional knees and/or my life (depending on talking about ascent/descent here).

Well, I've not ridden Bohlman/On Orbit, but have a sense of its difficulty from others reports and analogies to other climbs. Firstly most of these climbs are shorter, and although they're a little raw, the grades I posted at the foot of the first page feel right to me. The only stretches that I think seriously compare to BoO are the top of Marin and Lomas Cantadas. The top of Marin is probably a bit steeper but is pretty short, and there are easy bail out routes that will allow you to completely avoid that section or just do 1 or 2 blocks and get to Grizzly Peak. No shame in that - I seriously considered bailing on Sunday.

The other difficult climb is Lomas Cantadas that follows directly from El Toyonal, where the grade is sustained in and around the mid teens for 3/4 mile to a mile. Likely a little easier than BoO, very doable, but it'll make you work a bit.

The other climbs are a little more reasonable and I view them as climbs that challenge but can be savoured rather than simply survived. Obviously it'd be good to ride with you again Chris, but I know it's a long way to drive.

Edit: Oh yes, the descents - I don't think there's anything to worry about in the route I drew up. I have us descending Claremont (I think that's a pretty fun descent, w/ sweeping corners), Wildcat (I think you've done that before) and Tunnel IIRC. Neither of which is terribly steep. I completely agree about descending very steep streets - very little fun for me in that.

Does that help?

I will most likely bow out of this ride in favor of the closer santa cruz ride the following day.

Chris, your avatar is a lot funnier to me now that you explained it :)

I'm bowing out. I've got a 11-23 cassette installed and am too lazy to switch it out.
(That and I totally let the water warm up before getting under the shower.)

I will most likely bow out of this ride in favor of the closer santa cruz ride the following day.

Chris, your avatar is a lot funnier to me now that you explained it :)


I'm bowing out. I've got a 11-23 cassette installed and am too lazy to switch it out.
(That and I totally let the water warm up before getting under the shower.)

...and so it begins... :innocent:

we are still in :)

as long as we make it on time....

I'm still in. :)

I'm still a maybe:).

...and so it begins... :innocent:

If you tell me that you can't make it because you're washing your hair, then I'm calling you out.



I'm still a maybe:).

I think you have a pretty darn rock solid reason if you can't make this!



we are still in :)

as long as we make it on time....

Yeah, I know that early start is brutal for the peninsula. Does 8:30 make it any easier for you guys? I don't want to go any later than that, and it'll be getting toasty in the east bay this Saturday. I'll update the first post depending upon the replies.

^^

I vote for keeping the original start time. We can all call Marco's mobile number to make sure he gets up on time...

I want to do this ride but have no interest in dying, an upleasant death, on the East Bay hills due to heatstroke, or cars, or both.

8 is fine

I've been handed an VIP invite to the SF Outside Lands Festival (http://www.sfoutsidelands.com/) for the weekend.

As much as I really want to do this ride, it's going to have wait for me to do it "next time". I'm looking forward to reading the ride reports.

BR

I'm still out

Sorry to hear that, we'll be all the poorer for your absence guys.


I've been handed an VIP invite to the SF Outside Lands Festival (http://www.sfoutsidelands.com/) for the weekend.

As much as I really want to do this ride, it's going to have wait for me to do it "next time". I'm looking forward to reading the ride reports.

BR

You mean I have to do this again?

I am definitely in. I was wavering a bit since I was off the bike for three weeks at the start of this month, but now that I've got a couple rides in the past week I think I'll be up for it. Maybe not killing it, but at least able to survive. Like the writeup says, you can always roll to a BART if you die right?

I'll meet with everybody at BART, I could definitely use the warm-up.

Sorry to hear that, we'll be all the poorer for your absence guys.



You mean I have to do this again?

Yes, and you organize these things so well, we expect it. :p

How do these climbs compare to Bohlman/On Orbit? I ask because, honestly, getting up at 6am to ride 4-5 hills as steep as BoO sounds like a really unpleasant day.

I posted this a while ago:

From the Complete Guide to Climbing (by Bike)

The NorCal climbs include:

Nacimiento Fergusson Road (west) in Monterey
Average Grade 6.9% (max 11%), Length 6.9 miles, Total elevation 2,506 ft

Bohlman Road / On Orbit Drive in Saratoga
Average Grade 12.8% (max 21%), length 2.3 miles, Total elevation 1,557 ft

Bohlman Road in Saratoga
Average Grade 12.0% (max 21%), length 2.6 miles, Total elevation 1,648 ft

Alba Road in Santa Cruz
Average Grade 10.2% (max 19%), length 3.8 miles, Total elevation 2,030 ft

Hicks Road / Mount Umunhum in San Jose
Average Grade 10.0% (max 18%), length 4.1 miles, Total elevation 2,160 ft

Marin Avenue in Berkeley
Average Grade for half mile 18.1% (max 28%)
Average Grade for mile 14.1% (max 28%)

Here is the description from the book for Marin:

Marin Avenue may contain the most difficult half and full mile of climbing in the U.S. It is not the steepest in either category but throw in stop signs, traffic and leg numbing grade variability and you will see why it is more difficult than its statistics suggest. For the full mile, enjoy the first 1/10 mile as it is the only break you will get. Negotiate 'The Circle' and your real troubles begin as you slam into sustained 20% grade. The only forgiveness comes from the cross street sections which are flat. At Santa Barbara (cross street) the real fun begins as you hit the steepest half mile of the climb. After 8/10ths mile the grade finally eases and you finish the torture fittingly at a seminary at the top of the hill. Good luck with this one!

Directions: From I-80 in Berkeley, CA, take the Buchanan Street exit toward Albany. Head east on Buchanan for a half mile which becomes Marin Avenue. Follow Marin for 1.5 miles to begin the climb by continuing east.

Another great resource is http://graphics.stanford.edu/~lucasp/bike-grade.html. Lots of detailed data on some of the popular climbs in the Palo Alto and areas to the south, including Bohlman/On Orbit.

Hey Paula, thanks for the complete transcription, but SSSHHHHHhhhh! There'll be even more weird excuses for not making this ride now.

Shatdow, great to have you along. My goal for this ride is just finishing the whole thing - "killing it" isn't even close. I have a sneaky feeling that I'll be bringing up the rear for this.

For once, I'm glad I'm on-call this weekend ... :)

For once, I'm glad I'm on-call this weekend ... :)

Except that you're missing my ride! :(

Since I know it'll come up, here's a potential option to take a spin after we've paid our dues.

http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/PostBFBerkeleyDeathRideLoop

This would add ~25miles and take us back to Rockridge. It's a well know loop that would take us along Grizzly Peak to Skyline through Redwood Regional park and Chabot Space Center, then down Redwood Road for a nice shaded descent through the redwoods (of course) and a gentle climb up Pinehurst. We'd then loop back and ride through Canyon (beautiful and shaded) before making a climb up Pinehurst - the only "real" climb on here. It will add about 3000 bikely feet to the ride though, so not sure if my legs will up to that, but it'd be a nice way to round out the mileage (and elevation!)

I vote that we see a) what kind of shape we're in and b) what the temperature is like.

Hopefully by this time tomorrow we'll have some interesting tales to tell. Weather looks weird, but an 8am start makes sense.

The exposed parts of Lomas Cantadas and Claremont could get warm in the second half of the morning, but Orinda/Berkeley weather at 11am has temps in the range of 80 (orinda) to low 70's (berkeley). Humidity could be the wild card.

I'm out. I did Centennial yesterday to test my back on a steep climb, and it doesn't feel great today. So, I'm off to PT in the morning.

Have a good ride!

Good luck to everyone. Please hydrate. If it's as hot as it was today, it won't be fun out there.

I'm out. I did Centennial yesterday to test my back on a steep climb, and it doesn't feel great today. So, I'm off to PT in the morning.

Have a good ride!

Sorry to hear that, but the hills will always be there - we'll ride another time.




Good luck to everyone. Please hydrate. If it's as hot as it was today, it won't be fun out there.

Definitely - the good news is there are plenty of water stops on this ride - in fact you can fill up between each and every climb. It's a surprisingly good route in that respect.

TO confirm, we'll meet at the steps to the Western parking lot, across the passenger footbridge from the BART ticket office.