brownhairgirl

Hi all! I'm new to this group and my friend and I are planning on doing a ride from the east bay area to tahoe. has anyone done this ride or one like this before and give me any pointers. thanks!!

bikingshearer 

Northshore or Southshore of Tahoe? It makes a fairly significant difference. Regardless, it's not a one-day ride unless you are both super-fast and insane.

In either case, hie thee to Sacramento by way of the Antioch Bridge and river-delta roads. From Sacto to Southshore, I've done this and would recommend it: Head east on SR 16 (it starts from Folsom Blvd near the Howe Ave offrampr from Hwy 50, but you can probably do better workign your way through Elk Grove to 16). Follow 16 to SR 49 - go south. Between Sutter Creek and Jackson, turn left on Ridge Road and prepare to climb for the next 50+ miles (I'm not kidding). Follow that to SR 88. Turn left. Stay on 88 over the first summit and down past Silver Lake, over Carson Spur and down past Kirkwood, and then over Carson Pass at 8500 or so feet. drop down teh other side to SR 89. Turn left. Climb Luther Pass (c. 7900 ft) and drop down to Meyers, and on via US 50 or (better) Pioneer Trail to Casino Land, or stay on SR 89 north to Camp Richardson, Emerald Bay, and, eventually, Tahoe City.

Do not ride US 50 from Sacto to Tahoe. Way too much traffic for the road conditions.

For Northshore, youwill need to parallel I-80 most of the way, and actually ride on it for something like 20 miles. Riding on the freeway shoulder is fairly safe - the shoulders are wide - but the incessant noise and diesel fumes make it less than ideal. The best part of the ride will be going over and down old Donner Summit, the two lane road that was US-40 and, before that, the Lincoln Highway. There is a fun descent and a lovely, but trafficky, jaunt along Donner Lake and into Truckee. From Truckee, go south on SR-89 to Tahoe City. (This turn is rigth across from a Safeway shopping center but about a mile before you get to downtown Truckee.) Do not go over the highway that goes past NorthStar (I think it's SR-267, but I can't remember for sure). That road is no fun at all, at least not on the uphill part - narrow to non-existent shoulders and bunches of fast traffic means a nerve-wracking, thoroughly unenjoyable slog. The descent into King's Beach or whatever town that is okay, but not worth the aggravation on the climb up the north side.