Ride Description: Los Trancos

Los Trancos juts left from Alpine Road, just below Portola. Los Trancos immediately feels more because the road is narrow, winds more and has less traffic than Alpine.  After getting past the really steep section that ends at Ramona, the road becomes much more narrow and shaded as it winds upward past beautiful houses.  It reminds of Old La Honda but the homes are closer to the road and it ocassionally provides amazing views that Old La Honda does not.  As of 9/1/06 I’ve only ridden Los Trancos twice, but it is quickly becoming a favorite and I will be back again soon.
The first part of Los Trancos is about 1.84 miles.  It has rolling hills with gentle inclines and in a couple of spots, it does get mildly steep… and then you run into a brick wall of .23 miles with consistent grades of 15-18%.  A quarter mile doesn’t sound long but trust me at 18% it can feel like a century.   The main  Los  Trancos climb ends  at the stop sign where the road splits left for Ramona.  Most ride descriptions talk about Ramona because it continues at the brutal steep 18% grade for another 3/4 of a mile.  However, Los Trancos does continue up to the right.  I can’t find any grades or stats for this section of the road but having ridden it twice my guess would be that it is about a mile with a grade that is just slightly easier than Old La Honda… my best guess would be 5-6%.  Regardless of its actual grade after conquering the 18% section it is a welcome rest that almost feels flat despite riding at 7 mph.  There are a couple of junctions but it is pretty easy to stay on Los Trancos because there are road signs and several of the offshoots are clearly dead ends.  However, it is important to stay left where the road splits into a ring that does in one direction.  At the end of the Los Trancos, one can either follow the one way road back down or continue up on Vista Verde Way.  I’ve never taken the route that follows the one-way ring back down and frankly I can visualize where it splits off from Vista Verda Way, however, Google Maps assures that it does exists.  I recommend continuing up Vista Verde Way for the spectacular views and nice ride back down Joaquin and Upper Alpine, but man is it steep!

Ride Description: Old La Honda Rd.

Old La Honda is the most famous climb in the San Francisco Bay Area… its the Alp d’Huez of recreational cycling in Northern California. Much like the famous Alp, Old La Honda is neither the steepest nor the longest climb in the area. However, Old La Honda has a certain mystique that is due beauty its beauty, winding amongst the redwoods, approachability, which is very hard but still possible for determined recreational cyclists, and its proximity to highly popular cycling roads. Its also worth noting that much of the ride is shaded by trees, which makes it a good choice when looking for a climb on a hot day.
Old La Honda starts off of Portola Rd. in Portola Valley where it climbs up to Skyline Blvd. and then down towards the coast for a couple of miles before reconnecting with Highway 84. However, the famous climb starts at the little stone bridge and ends at the stop sign on Skyline Blvd. The climb is approximately 3.3 to 3.4 miles and averages a grade of 7.3% while winding its way up 1290 feet in elevation gain. For comparison purposes the Alp d’ Huez is an 8.1% average grade over 8.6 miles.

Old La Honda is the kind of road that puts most recreational cyclists into their easiest “granny” gear and makes them wish they had the relief of still easier gears. Most will climb to Skyline Blvd. in 20-45 minutes. I’ve rarely heard of anyone taking longer than 45 minutes while still being able to make it up the hill. In my opinion 30 minutes is a respectable time and 25 minutes very good. The local climb record is reportedly 15:05 and anyone getting up faster than 20 minutes is at least approaching semi-pro caliber.

Ride Description: The Portola Loop

The Portola Loop is kindof my time trial, it isn’t too long or too steep so I usually try to push for a fast time. The Loop it self goes up Alpine Road, takes a right on Portola and then continues straight on to Sand Hill Road at the point where Portola makes a left back into the town of Woodside. At the base of Sand Hill Road a quick right onto Junipero Serra Blvd leads back to the start of the ride at the bottom of Alpine Road.

The route starts with a gentle uphill section on Apline road of approximately 3-4 miles to Portola. The last mile, from the Alpine Inn to Portola, gets a little bit steeper but its nothing too difficult. From Portola to the base of Sand Hill is a rolling section that is mostly down hill. Sand Hill is a short steep climb that can get your heart rate up but its only about a quarter mile. After topping Sand Hill and getting over the freeway all that’s left is a decent of several miles down Sand Hill Road. Riding from my house in Palo Alto, across Stanford Campus and over to Alpine Road adds a couple of flat miles, which makes it about a 17 mile ride depending on the exact route that I take.