Mt. Diablo, CA

[Oaklandhills]

Has anyone ridden Mt. Diablo in Danville CA? If so, what is the climb like and how long did it take? I have not been able to find any good information on the internet.

Thanks

[scottcw]

Look here:

http://www.chainreaction.com/diablo.htm

[jeffg]

Has anyone ridden Mt. Diablo in Danville CA? If so, what is the climb like and how long did it take? I have not been able to find any good information on the internet.

Thanks

[Best Austin powers voice] Yeah, baby!

If you are climbing from South Gate you pass the Athenian school, do a quick little climb, then do a very short potholed descent (very fun during the DMD at 5 AM! :crap: ) and then once you hit the gate for the park the main climb begins. The last 0.2 miles are at 16% (once the road splits), so save a bit of energy for that.

Stats (according to Lucas P.):

Avg. grade: 5.8%
Length: 11.37 miles (18.29 km)
Climb: 3365 feet (1026 m)
Descent: 145 feet (44 m)


If you want a detailed analysis see:

http://graphics.stanford.edu/~lucasp/grade/mountdiablo.html


As for time, that depends on you!

[Oaklandhills]

Jeff - can I call you on this for a moment or you call me. 415-834-4152 Rick

[schneiderrd]

Someone once told me that Bob Roll holds the record for the Mt. Diablo climb. Forgot the time.

[rwl]

Jeff, Wow, is it really 16%? OK, I feel *much* better, thanks.

O.H., Diablo is a great hill on a cooler day. There isn't much relief from trees, unlike much of our wonderful bay area.

Rick

[Oaklandhills]

Jeff - where in the East Bay do you ride? I need to find some good places to ride with good people. I am primarily - Skyline - Three Bears - Tunnel Road area.

[eddief]

Grizzly Peak and Golden Gate Cyclists. both have websites and a monthly list of led rides all over the bay area.

[Ken Robb]

the gang at Rivendell in Walnut Creek ride Mt. Diablo often and their website has lots of pictures of some rides there.

[EPOJoe]

Great climb, but be ready for it. About a year ago I decided to drive down and check it out. I had been doing a lot of short, steep climbs around the Auburn, CA area, and I was pretty much thinking Diablo would be a piece of cake. After all, it’s in the middle of the valley, right? OK, I drive down, with no map or instructions on how to get to the roads that ascend the mountain, but I figure ‘how hard can it be to find the base of this mountain?’ After an hour of driving around and hitting various dead-ends, I’m forced to drive back into Walnut Creek and buy a map. I finally start the ride from what I believe was the West gate, and what a climb it was! If you enjoy mountaineering, and cycling, you can combine both your passions on Mt. Diablo. That last little stretch that JeffG mentioned is a killer, but if you love long, painful climbs (and who doesn’t!) I’d definitely recommend it. On the decent, I was actually stopped by a coyote standing in the middle of the road. I stopped as he stood there and gave me the hairy eyeball for a minute or so, refusing to move, but he eventually backed away and walked calmly off the road. When you get to the top of Diablo, say a prayer for those poor souls who annually do the Devil Mountain Double, which encompasses Diablo, two other equally as difficult climbs and two-hundred miles in the saddle to boot!

[rePhil]

Has anyone ridden Mt. Diablo in Danville CA? If so, what is the climb like and how long did it take? I have not been able to find any good information on the internet.

Thanks

Check out Scott's "blog"
http://diabloscott.blogspot.com/