Zapdaba

Posted this too on the MTB forum. I can bring either my road bike or my mountain bike. Over the past two years I have neglected mountain biking because I love road biking so much. However Tahoe has, I believe, some great MTB trains for the intermediate skill set.

My question is, can Tahoe also wow me with road rides that start at the lake level?

rpenmanparker 

Both are great. If you choose road, you can ride over the Mt. Rose pass, the same road on which Greg Lemond trained. Also the loop ride around the lake at 72 miles is very attractive.

dtrain

I'd love to circle the lake as part of an organized ride...or a bit more off-season. However, I think you'd be dealing with a ton of traffic on the main (road) loop in August. Certainly folks on the trails too, but I'd rather deal with that.

I'll defer to locals or people who have visited during that month.

c0lnago

Tahoe is big and round...what part. South, North? If South you can always mimic the Death Ride passes.

EnsitMike

Take your road bike.

but go to North Star and rent a full-suspension downhill bike for a day. Ski lift up, shred down—all day! It is one of the best times I’ve ever had riding. Love the people up there.

VwFix

My suggestion would be to bring the roadbike and one of the days go up to North start resort and rent a mountain bike for some fun shuttle runs down the mountain.

Best of both worlds.

rpenmanparker 

On a road bike avoid several days on both sides of July 4. Other times are busy but manageable.

wallrat

I ride road and dirt in Tahoe. What part are of Tahoe will you be staying and how many days do you have? Are you going to be riding from the place you're staying or can you drive to the location?

Personally, when I go to Tahoe (Truckee or South Shore), I ride my mountain bike. There is GREAT mountain biking in the area. In South Shore you have Toads, Armstrong Pass, Corral, etc. Near Truckee you have Yogis and Hole in the Ground. There are plenty of other trails but those are my favorites.

Road riding South Shore you loop around the lake and it's 70 some miles. It's OK but the best part is heading from South Shore to Emerald Bay. The rest of it, which is 2/3, is so so. You can also head up 89 which is a fun climb and descent or Kingbury which is another hard climb. If you can drive you can head to do the Death Ride route but I'd recommend paying to do the ride because they close 80% of the route. It's fun but there's a lot of traffic and narrow roads to deal with in and around Tahoe.

I'd personally bring both of my bikes. It's better to be safe than sorry!

caloso

If you have a cross bike, you could bring that with two sets of tires and do both. I ride the trails in Burton Creek SP all the time with my SSCX. Obviously, I can't bomb the super technical stuff, but it's doable.

As for riding around the Lake in August, I would avoid it on a weekend. Just too many tourists. Weekdays the traffic should be much better. I usually go clockwise to stay on the lake side, and keep the views a little closer. Plenty of places to stop for food and water so no need to load up. There's not too much climbing but the altitude can be a factor if you are not acclimated. And make sure to wear plenty of sunscreen. Again the altitude means more effective UV radiation.

Lazyass

Tough decision. I would go with the MTB, if the weather forecast was clear. Would suck to get there and find the trails closed.

caloso

It rarely rains in August. And we're in the midst of an epic drought. Rain is not likely to be a factor.

Nachoman

I had a great time cycling around lake tahoe.
https://www.bikeforums.net/road-cycli...hess-beer.html

DXchulo

Absolutely. How many miles do you want to do?

The west side of Mt. Rose is good and has a shoulder. Donner Pass is great. The scenery is fantastic and traffic tends to be low. Those are probably the two most popular.

Both sides of Kingsbury are fun (especially the east side), Martis Peak (https://www.strava.com/segments/613598) (road surface kind of sucks, but there's a great view at the top from the fire lookout that makes it worth the ride), Luther Pass (fast descent and has shoulder), and if you want more the Death Ride passes are within a short drive.

Riding around the lake is overrated, IMO. The Nevada side is more bike friendly than the CA side. The CA side has a lot of bike/ped paths that are separated from the road that are a pain in the ass to ride on. Emerald Bay is great, but the rest isn't any more scenic than other roads in the area. You might as well ride on Pioneer Trail, N Upper Truckee, and S Upper Truckee near South Lake Tahoe, for example, instead of 50/89 between Stateline and Emerald Bay.

That's just the tip of the iceberg. Let me know if you want more specific routes.

DXchulo

Also, it's easier to find a good place to rent a MTB than it is to find a good place to rent a road bike in case you want to squeeze in a little of both.

3alarmer 

.
...if it's either/or, I'd go with the dirt.

I <3 Robots

I'd do what a couple of the guys recommended. Take the road bike and rent a DH and hit the lifts.

If I had to choose one...I'd do dirt. Riding uphill and down a hill on pavement is the same to me no matter where I am. I've been going to Mammoth in September for the past couple years...and I've been bringing my 150mm full suspension bike.

I highly suggest doing some lift runs. Couple pics from the lifts at Mammoth. I know its not Tahoe...but I'm sure it'll be just as epic.

VwFix

I have never had more fun than lift rides. Just the concept of all day never ending downhill runs is a blast.

Zapdaba

Thanks, all. I will be up there for one week. I think I'll bring my MTB this time because I'' probably want the trails and the hills by then (Hot in L.A.)

EnsitMike

Just a heads up—if you take the North Star route and go for the lifts and downhill, you’ll have a rough day with a stump jumper. If you just do some trail riding though, you’ll be fine.

goenrdoug

I did the same last year up in Mammoth. Took the road bike and rented a mtn bike to go down the back side of that lift run from the top. It was pretty epic. I had to do it twice (even though I totally ate a face full of gravel and bruised some ribs the first time down, I could not be stopped!)



Once I was done downhilling, I then pulled the road bike out of the car and went down the mountain on the road.. One not of caution there, I forgot that I was at 8000 feet and doing an extended descent... When I got to the village at the bottom and had to slow/stop for an intersection and foot traffic, the heat on my rims was too much for my fully-inflated tires and BOTH blew out on me... I was able to keep it upright, but a brand new set of conti 4000's was toast (and I missed out on a few awesome rides in the next day or two as well!)

So, my point is, if you're gonna be riding the road bike up there at elevation, be sure to watch your braking and adjust your tire pressure accordingly.

Oh, and my vote is take the road bike and, if you're so inclined, rent a mountain bike. I found the rental fees to be quite reasonable (and the full face helmet they provided probably saved me face surgery...)

Bluechip

You can't go wrong either way. One of my favorite places to visit even if there was no such thing as bikes.

rpenmanparker 

What does 8000 feet have to do with anything? It is all about how much braking you are doing on the descent, not the ambient air pressure. The ambient pressure at 8000 feet is just about 11.25 psi only about 3.75 psi less than at sea level. So that isn't what is making the tires unable to hold the pressure. Also there is less air in the tires if they are inflated at 8000 feet to any given pressure than if they are inflated at lower altitude. It is all about the heat, possible expanding the air in the tires and grossly raising its pressure, but just as likely softening the tire bead and allowing it to stretch and blow off.

goenrdoug

You're probably right. Here are the facts, though: I inflate my tires to pretty close to the max pressures to begin with. That day, I did so at roughly sea level where it was pretty warm. Then we went up the mountain where it was significantly cooler. Then the bike sat inside the back of the station wagon most of the day, in the sun. Then I stormed down the mountain at a fairly high speed without giving any thought to tire pressures. I was unable to use the entire lane as nut jobs in cars kept insisting on squeezing past me, so I ended up having to brake more than I'd have liked to keep to the 'bike lane/shoulder' all the way down.

I haven't really given it a thorough examination to determine what impact all the variables might have had to result in the blow-out (the tires didn't come off the rims, the sidewalls blew out.) I simply made a mental note to give it some serious thought before duplicating the problem the next time I find myself descending that stretch of road (or a similar one.) I am well aware that the elevation, alone, wasn't to blame. I am well aware that over-braking causes heat problems and can be catastrophic.

Tell you what, I'll check my tire pressure the next time I'm there (and probably lower it 10%) and I'll also take the lane and brake less.

In the mean time, I won't argue with you and you can read this thread to feel like you got your quotient of arguing in. https://www.bikeforums.net/tandem-cyc...elevation.html

gsa103

Unless you have a full suspension MTB, I'd take the road bike. Hard tails are not going to cut it for the lifts, so you'll be renting anyway.

rpenmanparker 

You don't have to get your panties in a bunch. I was just trying prevent someone else from thinking they should ride soft tires up a mountain so they won't blow out on the way down.