I did the Three Bears!!

[cindysue]

We went around clockwise, but I saw lots of people going counter-clockwise, which seems like it would be way harder... Any opinions from you any of you 3 bear experts out there? (CindySue? TomGrrrl?)

congrats on tackling the bears and on your record descent!!!!!

I've gone both ways. If you approach the three bears from San Pablo rather than from Alhambra Valley Road (I'm assuming this is what you mean by counter clockwise), you climb "pumphouse hill" (rather than descend it like you did with your record speed). I didn't think one way was much harder than the other. I guess if you are returning via Wildcat Canyon, it might be easier to do the reverse route (from San Pablo) and then coast a bit before climbing wildcat rather than tackling the three bears then being slammed soon after with wildcat.

[aka_kim]

But now you know that the Bears are easier than some of your other accomplishments - easier than the Mt. Diablo junction, easier than Pinehurst... what's a hard hill we can find for you?

I really like riding the Bears too, and combining them with Pinehurst or Wildcat makes a nice longer loop.

[Veronica]

You know - I have never done the bears.

V.

[tomgrrrl]

Way to go Z! You picked a perfect day for it. I just missed you, rode that route yesterday....I have done it both ways and I think it's kind of a wash....I think Mama Bear going clockwise is for some reason the hardest....harder than Papa in my mind.

I was also happy to see yesterday that someone had actually cleaned up all the big trash on the route!!! The couch and lazy-boy recliner were gone. Perhaps someday us TE gals can take my pickup and do a trash pickup for all the other little crap that lines the route....particularly Alhambra Valley Road (for some reason).....

At any rate, Z, you added another notch to the o'l belt!!!

[bikerz]

Thanks gang!

Perhaps someday us TE gals can take my pickup and do a trash pickup for all the other little crap that lines the route....particularly Alhambra Valley Road (for some reason).....

I'd love to do that - there was a lot of glass along the road, and plenty of road kill (but nothing like that Lodi ride!).

what's a hard hill we can find for you?

Ha! They're all hard! From what you all said in another post about South Park, I think we can say it would be a really tough on for me. My main accomplishment yesterday was not having to stop mid-hill - otherwise, I have a long way to go with hill-climbing - I am so unbelievable slow! I think agree with TG that mama bear is the worst - I just looked at my front wheel the whole way up - everytime I looked up to the top, it seemed as far away as it had been before - so depressing! And at my sloooow rate of speed (3.5 mph on that hill, I think!), it really did seem to take forever. The main thing now is to keep dropping the weight so I can go just a *little* faster up those hills!

But you all were right - hills hills hills, and everything (including the hills) gets easier!

So, I think now I can plan a tough route "out the door" from my house - through temescal and up Tunnel rd, skyline to redwood, along canyon, through orinda, onto the "Dam rd", around Alhambra and the 3 bears, up wildcat cayon ( ) then along grizzly, or back through orinda and up pinehurst ( ) , back along skyline and down snake to home. That will be a long ride, with a lot of climbing! One day!

And Shadon, take it from me, just like the TE girls hill climbing mentors say - just keep riding and it will get (a little!) easier - plus, get teeny-weeny front touring chainrings and whopper back chain rings, and you'll be all set!

[helga]

Hey BikerZ,
Way to go! You really are an inspiration. From zero to the bears in less than a year. Amazing!

[snapdragen]

I like that - "From Zero to Bears"

Hey BikerZ,
Way to go! You really are an inspiration. From zero to the bears in less than a year. Amazing!

[cindysue]

So, I think now I can plan a tough route "out the door" from my house - through temescal and up Tunnel rd, skyline to redwood, along canyon, through orinda, onto the "Dam rd", around Alhambra and the 3 bears, up wildcat cayon ( ) then along grizzly, or back through orinda and up pinehurst ( ) , back along skyline and down snake to home. That will be a long ride, with a lot of climbing! One day!

The route you describe above isn't too much different than the longest route of the Bike Against the Odds except of course starting and stopping at lake Merritt. That ride is 65 miles and 6000 feet of climbing. Here's the route:

Starting at Lake Merritt we'll climb Broadway to cross Highway 24 where it picks up Tunnel Road. We'll take Tunnel Road to Skyline, and continue left on Skyline at the intersection of Joaquin Miller. We'll turn left onto Redwood Road for a descent through the Redwood forest. From there, we'll turn left onto Pinehurst Road. There is a one mile climb on Pinehurst before descending to the intersection of Canyon Road. Turn right on Canyon for a short climb and descent into Moraga. Turn left on Moraga Road, which turns into Camino Pablo when the road crosses under highway 24. Continue on Camino Pablo/San Pablo Dam Rd. and ride on gently descending hills into El Sobrante. The route then turns right on Castro Ranch Road and climbs through a residential area and descends to a right turn on Alhambra Valley Road. The next turn is a right on to Bear Creek Road which climbs “the three bears”, and returns to the intersection of Wildcat and San Pablo Dam Road. We'll cross San Pablo Dam Road and climb Wildcat to Inspiration Point in Tilden Park. Continue on Wildcat to a left turn onto South Park for a VERY STEEP climb to Grizzly Peak Blvd. Turn left on Grizzly Peak and stay on it as it climbs through Berkeley into the Oakland Hills. Continue on Grizzly Peak until it ends at a left turn onto Skyline Blvd. Stay on Skyline to Snake and descend into Oakland via Mountain and Park Blvd.

[aka_kim]

Perhaps someday us TE gals can take my pickup and do a trash pickup for all the other little crap that lines the route....particularly Alhambra Valley Road (for some reason).....

If you want to organize this, count me in. I don't understand the mentality behind dumping one's garbage in beautiful, natural areas .

[bikerz]

A neighbor of mine just gave me another good route "out the door":

Tunnel rd to skyline, north on skyline to grizzly peak, down wildcat canyon, left on SP Dam rd, castro ranch etc, for the 3 bears, left on SP dam rd, back through Orinda, along canyon and UP pinehurst. Whew!

Now if I could just steady my hand enough to get an accurate route drawn on my topo! program, I could get actual mileage and elevations! (The routes I try to draw on the TOPO screen with my mouse would have me rolling down canyons and crawling back up - the lines are all over the place!)


And I'd love to ride anytime with you guys, but (ahem) did you notice my uphill speed? We'd start out together, and then you all would have time to take in a movie, have a couple of lattes, or something before I got back to the starting point!

[SadieKate]

Don't underestimate yourself. Uphill speed doesn't really translate well to other terrain. A slow hill climber can be a powerhouse on the flats or rollies where momentum becomes a factor. If a hill is significant enough to be named, everyone is going to slow down on it.

I'm a conservative downhiller, so everyone catches me. You couldn't tell that I can do decently pointed upward if you saw how slow I go downward.