BigSean

Page Mill Rd
Kings Mtn Rd
West Alpine-suprised nobody else mentioned this one

baxman

+1 for Alpine. I'm new to climbing the hills so I'm hoping to check out the others soon.

kmart

Another vote for Page Mill. Took it down for the first time today, all the way; usually I come up Moody and down Page Mill, but today I experienced the fully monty and it was amazing. OLH is definitely not fun, lots of cars and blind twisty turns. 84 down to Woodside is great.

DG Going Uphill

MarkoPolo, thanks for bring back the bad memories of Redwood Gulch -- forgot about that one. It's one of the few hills I've gone down where I was concerned about not being able to keep the rear wheel on the ground.

Remembered another favorite: The upper part of that road that is the descent after going up past Sunol Damn (can you tell that I am more a point and go rider than a plan with the map, since I can't remember the names of any roads?).

Ygduf

Did you go in the morning? There was a wicked car accident that I rode past around 10am. On the bottom third of page mill someone descending got wide right on a left hand turn and ended up with a 20' fencepost through the windshield and into the backseat. The driver was alive, but that post must have missed him by maybe an inch.

Ygduf

Similar to redwood gulch, I did not enjoy the descent on Bohlman.

reidconti

Calaveras wall/Calaveras rd.

I remembered it. Listed it on my 'worst'.

msincredible

West Alpine is definitely growing on me, as I do it all the time now. Pretty nice when the weather is nice, but it gets covered with branches in the winter and is not cleared very frequently.

uspspro

I like W Alpine too.

I think my favorites are

HWY 9 from Skyline to Saratoga/LG
Diablo NG
Kings Mtn
Page Mill
E84
W84 (especially on the tandem)
The Pescadero side of Haskins

A good one in Central CA was from the Lighthouse Century. I think it was Hwy 46 or something like that. Several miles of 40+

MarkoPolo

That is EXACTLY the feeling I get. Plus my hands are so cramped by the bottom, it's hard to enjoy the rest of the ride!

johnny99

I often take Redwood Gulch when I want to head north after going down Hwy 9. I don't think it is that tough. The secret to descending steep roads is to keep your weight back (sit on the end of the saddle) and grab the drops of the handlebars. Braking from the tops of the brake hoods gives you much less power and much less control. The only reason to brake from the tops is that allows you to hold your head up higher and get a better view of the road, but that is more useful on fast sweeping curves than on a very technical descent.

DG Going Uphill

It may be a size issue, there just isn't that much of me to move to the back vs the size and placement of the wheels. I used to do a lot of technical mountain biking, so I know how to descend, it's just that Redwood Gulch is no fun for me on a road bike because of the lack of traction and that you can't really let er rip anywhere. As I recall, it is necessary to take one of the steep turns while braking unless you perfectly set it up, no? I'd rather go up it and then only on a really good day. I do miss living where that area was my backyard (I don't miss riding through Sunnyvale to get there, though).

uspspro

I have been to the Lemmon a ton of times, but never riding a bike....

t4mv

The entire Redwood Gulch run is not so bad until you get to around the last third or so, before the T with Stevens Canyon. From the house at the top I just let it rip, alternating brakes to keep the speed manageable until the decreasing radius right. That one you do want to push your weight back and set up the line (to the inside) because it's a tight squeeze if there's a car coming up through the turn. The other nasty turn is the steep left hander towards the bottom; there's just no good way to carry speed though that section because it seems to never see sunlight so more often than not it's moist when I go through there and sliding down the hill on my butt or flying into the ditch just really has limited appeal to me. I just nail both brakes to scrub off as much speed as I can, then use my rear brake after I've committed to the line and then let it go. Bohlman is pretty much the same exercise, but longer..

SteveE

Nothing better than a ripping descent of Page Mill, Kings, or West Alpine to bring you face-to-face with your own mortality!

That must be why I enjoy them so much!

Skyline south into Skylonda, Skyline north from the Old Kings Mountain Store to Hwy 92, 84E into Woodside, Hwy 9 from Saratoga Gap in either direction are nice but they don't give you the adrenaline rush the others do.

- Steve

bikingshearer 

Favorites, most listed by others:

North side of Palomares - just let 'er rip.
Mt. Diablo - too technical to just let 'er rip, but 10 miles of a lot of fun
South side of Morgan Territory - I do wish it was wider than a lane and a half, but the sight lines are good enough so you know when to expect traffic coiming up the hill at you, and the pavement is great
Mines Road towards Livermore
Del Valle Road heading back towards Livermore. Go as fast as you dare.
North end of Pinehurst from Skyline to the road to Moraga - very technical at the top, then you can just go on the flattish straightish part by the creek. A nice combination, and always pretty. Don't do it in the wet, though.
Pig Farm - either side. Not very long, but either side launches you into the land of gentle downhill with a bunch of momentum in your pocket
Eastbound on the new western extension of Dublin Blvd (access by going under I-580 from the Rowell Ranch rodeo grounds on Dublin Canyon/580 frontage road). Catch this one now, because the area is going to be built up in the next years and the traffic will ruin it. For now, brand new uber-smooth asphalt, very gentle turns (it's effectively straight) and very little traffic. It's two miles of major fun. There is one stop light and one stop sign. In both cases, you are going across the top of a T intersection, so if you are inclined to blow through them - not that I, as lawyer, advise such things . . . .
Wildcat Canyon, Tilden to San Pablo Dam Road - I've been down it so many times and know it so well, that I can overlook the less-than-perfect pavement. It's like a old pair of jeans to me, only more fun.

Faves in the Sierras:
The road from Crane Flat to Yosemite Valley. 10 miles of incredible down punctuated by some awe-inspiring scenery. Traffic can be a nuisance, but you'll be going plenty fast enough to take the lane and defend yourself adequately.
East side of Monitor Pass - only did it once, and then on a fully loaded touring rig, but what a descent and what a view.
Luther Pass, either side - who needs brakes on a road like this? Plus, the meadow at the saddle at the top is a nice little bonus
Mt Lassen, either side - Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeee (breathe in) eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. Good mix of technical and just flying.
Highway 88, eastbound, from where 89 comes in from Luther Pass to where 89 turns off to Markleeville. Coast or pedal, the choice is yours

Least favorites, also most listed by others:

Mt. Hamilton - jeez, does somebody go out there every week to make sure there are plenty of mini-potholes to fall into evey minute or so? And do they have to be so well disguised?
North side of Morgan Territory. If it isn't the worst pavement out there, it's on the short list. Okay to climb, absolutely craptastic to descend
East side of Old La Honda - You have to be nuts to take your chances on this one. Just go over to 84 and go down that.
Any major urban or suburban downhill - I hate wasting good downhills having to worry about when someone is going to back out of a driveway

x136 

When said somebody is done carving cracks, dips, divots, and holes into the pavement, they must spend the remainder of their shift spreading rocks and dirt and **** on the road in every right hand turn. Preferably not visible from the entrance of the turn, of course.

DG Going Uphill

Don't forget those wild pig crossings...