Any good routes in Stateline Nevada

[bikesickness]

I'm going to be spending a few days at a family reunion effectively at Stateline NV and I'm debating if I should take the bike along. Are there any good routes in that area and how is it from a safety perspective? Thanks in advance.

[lovebird]

You're kidding, right :) You're from the Bay Area and you're asking if you should take a bike along to Lake Tahoe in June??

[GoatLeg]

The loop around the lake is nice. Clockwise from Stateline is flat until about Emerald Bay, then rollers and flats most of the way until just before Spooner Summit, then a nice long fast descent back into Stateline. It's about 75 miles with ~4500 ft of climbing, and took me just a hair under four hours.

[donevwil]

Kingsbury Grade to Jacks Valley to and through Carson City up to Virginia City down the North side and up Mount Rose to Incline Village left along the lake to Spooner Summit and back to base. One of the most awesome routes ever. Granted the last time I did it was in '93.

[PeregrineA1]

As long as you are not talking about the Stateline on I-15 on the way to Vegas....that place is a forsaken S-hole.

[Sierra]

Kingsbury Grade to Jacks Valley to and through Carson City up to Virginia City down the North side and up Mount Rose to Incline Village left along the lake to Spooner Summit and back to base. One of the most awesome routes ever. Granted the last time I did it was in '93.


Great route. A word, however: traffic in the environs of Carson City have increased dramatically since 1993.

Another alternative: Down Kingsbury grade, connecting to 395, to Topaz and then back up via the Monitor Pass (Alpine, Sorensen's Meyers, etc). Very scenic (understatement). Much climbing.

[donevwil]

Great route. A word, however: traffic in the environs of Carson City have increased dramatically since 1993.

That was my fear. There are (were?) some nice back roads that circumnavigated the town, but I don't recall the street names. I'd ask my old boss, but he fled the country when the Feds came a knockin'. Oh the good ol' days.

There was also a nice route off of Franktown (get to ride by Greg LeMond's parent's house) adjacent to Washoe Lake that lead up to Incline. At the time is was all dirt, did it on my MTB, but it would have been perfect for a gravel bike.

Regardless, bikesickness take your bike !! I'm headed up with the wife next week WITH BIKES.

[whateveronfire]

Just in case (shudder) you're talking about the other Stateline (on the 15 near-ish Baker), the answer is "no."

:eek:

[Sierra]

I don't know your riding style. You may also just take Kingsbury grade down to 206 and spend some time in those small communities in that area--Minden, Gardnerville, Genoa (Jack's Valley). Genoa is really cool. It was originally an old Mormon town and the old cowboy bar there serves the absolute coldest beer in the West (or, used to). A ride down to Markleeville is nice too. Then you can simply come back up the Kingsbury. The views are spectacular.

Disregard this if you are vegan/vegetarian; but in downtown Gardnerville there is a wonderful, family-style Basque restaurant called, JT Bar. It is a great place to dine. The thinly-cut lamb there is the best you will ever have and you get copious amounts of homemade wine with your dinner. I highly recommend it. I've been going there for decades when in the area.

[bikesickness]

Thanks for all the tips. So the bike is certainly coming along for the trip and a ride through Genoa is planned.

[donevwil]

Thanks for all the tips. So the bike is certainly coming along for the trip and a ride through Genoa is planned.

If your legs are aching don't skip David Walley's Resort Hot Springs outside Genoa. Jack's Valley is (was?) a nice ride in it's own right and at the northern end, if you hit 395 for a very short distance, you can climb old HWY 50 for a period (it dead ended a few miles up back in the day). I'll also second J.T. Basque rec'd by Sierra. Minden is a cute town with wide streets, far more negotiable on a bike than Carson City.

[Spinner]

Disregard this if you are vegan/vegetarian; but in downtown Gardnerville there is a wonderful, family-style Basque restaurant called, JT Bar. It is a great place to dine. The thinly-cut lamb there is the best you will ever have and you get copious amounts of homemade wine with your dinner. I highly recommend it. I've been going there for decades when in the area.

Wow. A local took me to the JT back in 1984 and it was one of the most memorable dining experiences of my life.

It's great to read that this restaurant is still in business and succeeding in the same traditional way.

[Sierra]

If you do make it down to Markleeville, mosey inside the saloon there and have a look up on the ceiling (wink, wink). :)

Edit: Oh, I now see, through the aid of an internet search (wonderful invention, the internet; I thank Mr. Gore from the bottom of my heart!), that my fond and salacious remembrances are a bit dated. Well, the trip would hardly be worth it now. Don't ask. ;-)