Why?
The simple answer is "because it's there". In Tahoe Donner there are 60+ miles of paved road and in the summer of 2006 I had the idea of doing a road ride in Tahoe Donner that covered every piece of navigable road that wasn't a dead end at least once. Then I thought "why not turn it into a century ride?" To do this without making it too repetitive I had to go slightly out of the bounds of Tahoe Donner onto Alder Creek Drive, but I thought that was excusable. The ride was created for my own amusement and I think it might be of interest to others, hence the web site. There are no affiliations to Tahoe Donner Association.
What is it?
The result (after much Goggle Earthing, what seemed like a million iterations of routes and a summer of riding) is a ride that clocks in at just over 100 miles (give or take a GPS or two) with a nett ascent/descent of about 9600 feet (click here to see the profile of the ride). It's pretty unforgiving as there's hardly a flat spot on it. It seems like you're either going up or you're going down. As the crow flies you're never more than 5 miles from home if you live in Tahoe Donner, so you're within a few minutes of rescue from loved ones if you need it. The route passes by (or is just a short detour to) the Deli at many points, so you don't need to carry a ton of supplies to sustain you. It starts and ends at the Golf club but I would ask you not to park there if you're doing the ride as it will only annoy them (and they carry clubs.)
It is a ride on public roads and so you need to take all of the usual precautions as on any road ride. I have tried to minimize the number of left turns (i.e. where you're crossing traffic) but some left turns are inevitable. While much of the ride is on the back-roads of Tahoe Donner you need to bear in mind that Northwoods, Alder Creek, Schussing and part of Lausanne are primary access roads for Tahoe Donner and can get very busy. There is a disclaimer that you will need to accept before you get to see the PDF of the route, please read it.
What do you need?
More than anything you need to be in good physical condition. You are going to ride more than a hundred miles of very hilly terrain at a mile above sea level. If you have any medical condition that might preclude you from safely attempting this ride please consult a healthcare professional.
This ride can be done on a road bike or a mountain bike. You need to wear protective gear and have a reasonable amount of water with you and some money for re-supply at the Deli. Stop by at your home as you pass it (or make a detour if you're close) to take a break if you need it. Spread the ride over two or more days if you need to.
Reading a map while riding is dangerous. Please either memorize the section you are riding on or if you need to refer to the map at any time take a break to do so. The map is designed to be printed on two sides of a letter sheet which is then folded in four. Each section appears on a quarter of a side and the map can be re-folded as you proceed along the route. I did try to create waypoints for GPS, but there are too many for most GPS's to handle.
Show me, show me!
