No really, that’s what they call it.
72 miles with about 2600′ of elevation gain/loss.
Most of the ride has at least an acceptable shoulder. This is pretty typical.
For a good 20-30 miles on the California side of the lake there’s a full-on separated bike path. Sweet! Unfortunately it’s then generally clogged with families and beach cruisers… so most of the time we stuck to the highway anyway. But it’s a step in the right direction. And it’d be a great place to take anyone who’s not yet solid on highway riding.
We started from South Tahoe, and went clockwise around the lake. If you follow that route, your first treat is Emerald Bay, which you definitely have to earn with some steep climbs. But riding along the ridge between Emerald Bay and Cascade Lake is… stunning.
Looping around the west side heading towards Tahoe City: share that road!
From somewhere on the north shore. We got lunch in Incline Village.
Coming down Hwy 50 on the Nevada side is probably the most sketch part of the whole trip. Shoulder is non-existent, traffic is fast and so are you (we maxed out at just under 45mph) and there are large drainage grates that extend halfway out into the lane. We started by swerving around them, and ended by hopping them. Bunny hopping with a road bike – that can’t be good for your frame.
And… back in South Tahoe with a total riding time of just over 4 hours for the loop. A beautiful end to a beautiful ride.
Been meaning to try this one, so thanks for the pictorial.