This epic, 11.2-mile individually timed climb starts at the Athenian School and climbs up South Gate Road to ascend the 3,249 feet summit of Mt. Diablo - one of the highest peaks in the San Francisco Bay Area. On a clear day, the summit offers breathtaking views stretching from the Farallon Islands to the Sierra Nevada mountains.
Best of all? The road is entirely closed to cars for the event. This is a rare, once-a-year opportunity for 1,200 cyclists of all ages, abilities, teams, and bicycle types to tackle the mountain in complete safety.
The mountain is closed to vehicular traffic throughout the Challenge, ensuring a safe, car-free ascent and descent. Riders descend in groups, escorted by an event car back to the Athenian School starting area. From there, they continue cycling to the Mt. Diablo Event Center at Monte Vista High School for lunch, drinks, awards, and a vendor expo.
At the top, there will be food and drink before you descend and ride over to Monte Vista High School to join the post-ride festivities. There you can cheer and perhaps join winners in multiple age categories, including King and Queen of the Mountain, and enjoy a great lunch, beverages (no beer), vendors, and music for a grand celebration!
Preparing for The Challenge
Watch the VSBC ride calendar for rides up Mt. Diablo on weekdays and on weekends. In particular, there is a weekly Wednesday morning ride to Mt. Diablo starting at St. Timothy's Church and the weekly Brisk Bunch Sunday ride that will help you. There will be more training rides added soon. We recommend riding up the mountain on weekdays if at all possible to avoid traffic. If you cannot ride on weekdays, an early morning ride on a weekend day can be nice, especially on an overcast day because many drivers visit the mountain for the view so there will be less traffic. Just remember to stay as far right as safely possible and use the pullouts and special bike turnouts when cars are behind you. When you descend, keep your speed down and stay close to the right because many cars coming uphill pass cyclists on blind curves and may stray across the double yellow line.
Here are some climbing tips to help you improve your technique:
https://www.bicycling.com/training/a20006985/climbing-tips/
https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/climb-hills.html
https://www.cyclingweekly.com/fitness/training/improve-your-climbing-353501
Event Day
Everyone arrives early to check in for the event at Monte Vista High School located at 3131 Stone Valley Road, Danville, CA. Then cyclists ride over to Athenian School on Mt. Diablo Scenic Blvd. to get ready for their wave. Cyclists are grouped in waves based on the time they think it will take to finish the climb.
The first wave starts at 8:15am and subsequent waves continue every few minutes. The first waves get to ascend using the whole road. Later waves must stay to the right.
At the top, there is a mini-celebration with food and beverages to replenish after the climb. Then cyclists descend in waves and ride over to Monte Vista High School for a grand celebration with lots of delicious lunch, drink, music, goodies and awards! Invite the family to join you there for the festivities!
FAQ'S?
2026 Event Jersey
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