I have reservations to Tuolomne Meadows next weekend and was considering taking my road bike to bike up to the Tioga Pass and or to Yosemite Valley. Has anybody done that before and how are the roads. I imagine there may not be anyplace for me to refuel.
Any info would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.
I haven’t ridden there, but I’ve driven through there plenty of times. I think riding Tioga Pass would be interesting. The valley is beautiful, but there’s way more traffic down there then on the eastern (Tioga Pass) side, and the rode in between is pretty narrow. I do see touring cyclists passing through there, but I’d rather be cycling where the road is generally wider and has a little less traffic.
Refuelling options: do stop at the Mobile station just down from Tioga Pass. The food there is excellent. No, really. I highly recommend the fish tacos.
If you head into the valley, you can stop for food at the gas station at Crane Flat, or at any of the numerous facilities in the valley itself. They’re all run by the same people. Expect steep prices.
Here’s a writeup from a guy that rode from Crane Flat up to Tioga Pass and back:
http://www.chainreactionbicycles.com/tiogapass.htm
Personally, I think this combines the worst of the attributes, in that it misses the terrific scenery Yosemite Valley has to offer, and includes all the traffic. But it might be of some use to you. Note that in the summer, the Tuolomne store is open, so you can get food there if you decide to do the same route.
I rode Tioga pass from the bottom up to the east entrance and the road is generally good with plenty of space to ride and visibility. The road on top suffers the same issue as other places at 9000 feet altitude ie lots of bumps and patches. Traffic was not bad on that side of the park when I was driving through. The west entrance had very narrow roads with no shoulder and a stone railing right on the side of the road that left a rider no bailout options.
Chad
Thanks, I was just at Davis Wheel Works on Friday we(my buddy Max that graduated from Davis in 08 and some friends) did a ride and stoped by the shop on our way to do the Vineman Aqua Bike. Nice shop lots of Cervelo’s, nice yellow Jersey! Also stopped by and rode with his friend Dan from TRI DNA.
How long did it take you? I know you are a good athlete. I was thinking of going up to the Tioga pass on one day and maybe doing repeats as Tuolumne Meadows is really close to it and then maybe on another day riding down the Yosemite Valley and if possible ride back up. that will be over 110 miles and from what i have read about 9,000ft of total climbing for the 110 ride. I figure I can do that in about 6 hours.
Oh snap, you ride with The Beast? I’m impressed, that cat is faaaaast.
Another suggestion on Tuolomne: go running instead. The trail running there is unreal.
yeah, I plan to run. We will see how fast or should I say how slow I run at 8,000 +.
I actually did it the day after a half-IM in Santa Cruz. I spent the night after the race at this out of the way campground and then drove through the rest of the park that morning and over Tioga pass. The pass looked so fun that I decided to break out the road bike that I had brought to ride Onion Valley road the next day. I parked next to the road at the bottom near the restaurant. The first mile or so is steep(advertised at 7 percent), then there is about two miles of false flat and then it is a six mile 8 percent grind up to the lake. Around the lake is flat and then there is another mile or so up to the gate. I took me about an hour from the bottom.
The whole ride would be tough. After Tioga you have a pretty good descent, maybe 3-5 miles at a pretty good grade, then another similar climb. I don’t remember how many ups and downs there were since I was driving and had less time to contemplate the scenery. 
Chad
thanks, I am going to have to ride it.
I didnt ride when there, but wouldnt hesitate to do the Tioga Pass ride. I would stay away from the Valley on a bike. The ride down would be awesome until you got closeto the bottom, but cars FLY down those mountain roads. The margin for error is minimal. The trails around Tuolumne are awesome. That was actually my favorite part of the park. Altitude effects werent too bad at all for me.
I live about 30 minutes south of the start of Tioga Pass. I wouldn’t ride it - esp. during the summer. Narrow shoulders, big RV’s, drivers’s looking at the scenery…too sketchy for me. The roads down to/around the valley are worse - some places walls and no shoulders…
Mobil mart at the bottom of the pass has great food. Cafe in Tuolumne meadows has burgers’chicken/salmon and good soft serve ice cream. Both places have little stores.
You could ride south from Lee Vining and hit the June Lake Loop. Continue further south and hit Mammoth. Then ride back to Mobil Mart and have someone pick you up or ride up if it looks o.k. to you. Thats the way I’d go vs. toward the valley. The 395 has nice wide shoulders almost everywhere.
You could park at Mobil Mart - ride south on 395 - do the June Lake Loop - cont south on 395 - do Mammoth Scenic Loop and then climb to Mammoth Mountain - then back. That would be a good ride…if you really wanted to kill yourself - then climb Tioga Pass (or run it).
Dave
Thanks, I will consider that. Do You think it is too dangerous to ride from Tuolumne Meadows to the Tiago Pass? I don’t think I am going to ride down to the valley as I think you are right and that is too dangerous with all the traffic and people site seeing.
Dave,
At first I misread your post, and thought you were discussing riding DOWN from Tioga Pass to Lee Vining. I drove that a few weeks ago, and the thought of doing it on a bike makes me sick to my stomach. Lots of exposure, and no guardrails. That said, do you locals ride that?
I asked around:
Me? I would only ride any of those when the roads were closed still - just after the snow melts and before the road opens to cars. I just think the mix of tourists/RV’s/Roads is too dangerous…
Dave
thanks.
A few years ago I rode up into Yosemite Valley from Fresno, going through Bass Lake and some other back roads there pulling a trailer. The ride was fantastic (and yes I know it’s not the ride you’re purposing). Riding into the Valley was simply unreal - very worth while.
I did come through the pretty long downhill tunnel. I don’t recall exactly what the lighting was like, but remember being scared a little, and timing my descent so that there were no cars. If you are thinking of riding out I would a) bring lights or b) hitch hike through the tunnel.
Have a great ride
Nat
Thanks Dream Crusher!