Sierra Cascades Advice

[d70ar9]

Hi,

First post so go easy...

I'm in the very early stages of planning to do the Sierra Cascades route next year. I live in the UK and am thus unsure of a number of things regarding the route. Chiefly what is the best time to start the route with regards the weather - i'm probably looking at doing the route between 30-40 days. Secondly what is the road surface like - i have titanium road bike which i have used for light tours round Europe but it can only accommodate 25mm tyres with guards or 28 without - would i need some more substantial tyres to do the route and thus a new bike. Thirdly are there facilities in the USA to hire bikes to complete the route (to save me transporting a bike from the UK) can you pick a bike up at the start and return it to a company at the end? Thanks in advance i'm grateful for any help and advice...

[staehpj1]

I would suggest that you either allow more time than you think you will need or plan to be flexible about your finishing point.  I found that I could make much poorer time than I expected due to the heat and difficulty of the climbs.  This is a very tough route compared to something like the Trans America or at least the southern part is.  At least that is my impression after having ridden the whole TA and the southern part of the SC,  Also there are places along the way that are worth spending some time.  I highly recommend spending some time hiking in Sequoia and Yosemite national parks for example.

Weather is a difficult thing to plan for on the SC.

Starting in the South...  Once the passes are open the desert is likely to be brutally hot.  We started in early June and my little thermometer while not reliable, read 115 F at times.  I know that I could have definitely done with less desert and less heat.

You might be able to do better starting late-ish in the season in the North.  How late?  I am not sure, but looking at the closure dates for Tioga Pass from previous years may give some clue of how late you can still get over the passes.

[d70ar9]

Thanks for that advice about time scale - i had factored in distance and altitude but hadn't considered the debilitating conditions i could experience. Also as you suggest having some 'spare days' to stop and enjoy places is certainly a good idea. Ill have a look into Tioga Pass closing dates. Thanks for the prompt reply

[staehpj1]

Our experience may or my not be typical, but you might find some useful info in our journal.
http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/MountainMan

If nothing else it is worth looking at the pictures of the stunning scenery.