Monthly Archives: September 2011

Update: Marin Headlands Closure Information

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NOT OPEN YET! One more month before the descent down Hawk Hill is open to bicycles again.

On September 15, 2011 the US Park Service reopened Lower and Upper Conzelman Road to vehicles and pedestrians.

Bicycles are allowed up Lower Conzelman Road to Hawk Hill. But bicycles are still prohibited beyond Hawk Hill due to the repaving of Field Road. The paving of Field Road is expected to be completed between mid- to late- October 2011.

Another option for descending from Hawk Hill is to turn at the roundabout and head down McCullough Road to Bunker Road and back through the tunnel. For more information, see our Marin Headlands route here.

To relive a descent down the backside of Hawk Hill, check out the video below!

Golden Gate Bridge West Side Reopened!

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Jon and Miko Like Totally Pause Near Fort Point

On September 10, 2011 the West Side of the Golden Gate Bridge reopened to bicyclists. The West Side of the bridge will now be open 24/7 until seismic renovations are completed on the East Side of the Bridge. However, there are some restrictions on bikers during the week in the construction zone where the repainting is occuring. See the release for full details.

The East Side of the Bridge has limited access until mid-January 2012

As of September 12, 2011 pedestrians are unable to walk across the Golden Gate Bridge. Presently, pedestrians entering from Vista Point in Marin County are limited to the area immediately surrounding Vista Point and a 700 foot section of the Bridge. The renovations will be at the north anchor-housing and will last through mid-January 2012. Visitors from the San Francisco side of the Bridge are able to walk past the second tower, but must turn around at that point.

BIKES ONLY on the West Side! NO Pedestrians, Joggers, Rollerbladers or Skateboarders!

This effectively means that pedestrians, joggers, skateboarders and everyone else, EXCEPT bicyclists WILL NOT be able to cross the Bridge until it reopens in mid-January 2012. If you are a jogger and feel you should be able to run on the bike side of the bridge, DON’T! Bridge Police will be out and cite pedestrians trying to cross on the West Side of the Bridge. So if you want to walk to Sausalito, you will have to park in Marin County to do so.

Although tempting, pedestrians are not to ender the West Side of the Bridge

Bicyclists, you can now rejoice in the fact we can once again ride across the bridge without dealing with pedestrians. So don’t be bike douches, just slow down around the towers and in the construction zone because we all paused for pictures on the Golden Gate Bridge at one point in time and may do so once again.

Miko pauses for a picture at the south tower on the West Side

Tour de Tahoe 2011 Recap

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Miko & Jon at the Finish Line -- 5 hours, 5 minutes, 20 seconds!

The Tour de Tahoe was a tough, yet beautiful ride that took you from Stateline, Nevada up the switchbacks along Route 89, through Tahoe City, Incline Village and back down the steep descent along Route 50 back into Stateline.  See our pictures of the event below. This ride was very challenging with almost 4,300 feet of elevation gain. If you are up for a challenge, this is the ride to do!

Team WeLikeToBike pauses up the switchbacks along Rt. 89 with Big Blue in the background

Lake Tahoe glistens in the early morning sun

Bikers pause at the first rest area

Lake Tahoe from the Kings Beach lunch rest stop

After 40 miles of riding, bikes are strewn across the parking lot

Pausing for lunch along the beach

Team WeLikeToBike pauses for lunch

Here’s a couple of links to videos of the route by Jim from a few years ago. Our ride was less sunny and the descent was wetter than a water park!

http://www.vimeo.com/1121888

http://www.vimeo.com/1160193

To sign up for next year’s America’s Most Beautiful Ride (June) or Tour de Tahoe (September), visit BikeTheWest.com.

Tours: Tour de Tahoe — Ride Your Bike Around “Big Blue”

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Going to Lake Tahoe is typically associated with boating, camping or snow skiing. The opportunity to have a fully-supported bike ride around Lake Tahoe is available only twice a year, June and September.

Both of these rides are put on by Nevada’s BikeTheWest. The first event of the year is called “American’s Most Beautiful Ride,” put on every June. This time of year is tends to be a bit chilly and snow is still prevalent in the higher elevations.

The second event of the year is the “Tour de Tahoe” in coordination with the Ride to Cure Diabetes. This ride starts in Stateline, Nevada and continues around the south side of Lake Tahoe along Route 50, then heads north up Route 89, then continues to loop the north side of the lake along Route 28 and once again joins up with Route 50 on the ride back into Stateline, Nevada.

There are two ways to enter this ride, through BikeTheWest.com for $100 or as part of the Ride to Cure Diabetes team.  The Ride to Cure has a series of rides all over the country with a variety of different fundraising levels. The minimum level of fundraising to be part of its team is $2,000.  If you don’t think you can raise this money, the best way to be part of this ride is directly through BikeTheWest.

We will be participating in the Tour de Tahoe on Sunday, September 11, 2011 through BikeTheWest. We can’t wait to take part of this amazing ride! We will be training for this ride as the elevation change is just over 3,000 starting at 6,500 feet above sea level.

We will post pictures of the ride later. We hope you will be able to join us or find a ride in your own area.