The first part of the climb
View towards San Francisco from halfway up
Page Mill Rd start down in Palo Alto at Camino Real and it's busy road up to Hwy 280. I usually ride from the corner of Arastradero Rd to the Shotgun Bend (2/3 up) or all the way to Skyline Blvd.
The first couple of kilometers are easy. But after you pass the entrance to the Palo Alto Golf Club, the real climb starts. The grade level changes often, there are a number steep section (15%), same flat and even downhill sections and some steady 6%-8% climbs. The total elevation gain is around 500 m. Given the profile, the average grade is pretty meaningless.
Once you reach the top, you can continue on the side, descending on Alpine towards La Honda or Pescadero from where you have many options to continue.
The first part of the climb
View towards San Francisco from halfway up
Page Mill has some of the best views: Mountain View and the South Bay, ...
... San Jose and Mt Hamilton in the background
As you get higher, it's getting steeper ...
... and steeper
Looking back into Silicon Valley from the steepest section just before Big Bend
Big Bend - even though it is still a long way to Skyline, most of the hard climbing is done