Tour Of California

[jdtate101]

All,

Going out to San Jose on Business and due to flights I will have 3 days free at the end of the trip free. I'm taking my bike over with me and plan to do some nice long rides. So far I have mapped out a 100mile run over Mt.Hamilton (4000ft climb), but wondered if anyone had suggestions for other great locations. I would quite like to do a mixture of climbing and flats, maybe down towards Santa Cruz or Monterey. Mt. Diablo (also 4000ft) looks hard but do-able, or maybe up into Napa Valley. I will have use of an SUV, so can put the bike in the back to travel to locations.

If anyone has done any riding in the area, can you sing out?

 

[raybo]

If you don't mind driving a bit, I'd suggest you drive to SF, park in Golden Gate Park (weekday would be best for this), and ride up Arguello to the GG Bridge and then ride up to Fairfax (check the Marin bike map for a route) and then take Bolinas-Fairfax road up and over Mt. Tamalpias and then ride back to and over the GG Bridge and back to your car. It's about 55 miles of fabulous views and hard climbing.

Another wonderful ride would be to drive down to Carmel and ride to Big Sur and back. The 23 miles from Carmel to Pfeiffer Big Sur are the best ones on the entire California Coast. The ride back will be against the wind that gets very strong as the day goes on. I'd do this one early in the day. I believe there is a bus that goes from Big Sur back to Monterey. If it is running, you might park in Monterey and ride to the park and then bus back. That will add 20 vaguely interesting miles.

You can also ride from San Jose down to Santa Cruz over the Old San Jose Road, which will give your legs a workout.

Another idea is to go on a biking road trip with the SUV. You could drive up to the coast, ride for the day, spend the night in a motel and repeat all three days. I'd go north (start in, say, Bodega Bay, say).

 

[mark]

Crossing the Golden Gate bridge and heading north is an excellent idea, I did that a few times when I lived in the East Bay. The Berkeley and Oakland hills are another great place to ride. Get a map of Alameda and Contra Costa counties and look for the regional parks just inland from Berkeley and Oakland.

 

[thom]

I was there earlier in the year - Certainly GG and on north, past Bonita point lighthouse, on towards Stinson Beach, Mt Tamalpais and further are great.
Here's one route someone reccomended (I think you can start from one of the boat docks).
Also agree that above Berkeley is nice what with Tilden Park and priceless views accross the bay to SF, the Bear Loop to see.
I quite liked cycling around the city of SF itself, up Twin Peaks, things like the butter loop.

I didn't go too south on the bike (Big Sur would be amazing) but near Silicon Valley & San Jose there is quite a lot to do in the forests up to the skyline road - take a look here.

 

[jdtate101]

So I've got three routes mapped out:

1) 110 mile loop from My Office (just off the north end of 1st street...near Cisco campus), out and up Mt Hamilton, down the backside and north to Livermore, then back home. Total of about 6000ft of climbs including one HC climb.
2) Down to the coast at Santa Cruz. Head out from the pier north-west into the hills, looping over highway 17 and down back into Santa Cruz. Total of 80miles and about 4000ft of climbs, inc one Cat1 climb.
3) Heading out from Orinda, round to the south, then east through the south gate of Mt.Diablo, then another 4000ft to the top and out of the north gate, round and back to Orinda. Another 80 odd miles and about 5000ft of climbs including another HC class climb.

Got some smaller routes mapped as well (Sun rises at 5am and sets at 9pm), so I can do some early morning before work or head out after too. I plan to make the most of the California weather since it's so rubbish here.

 

[raybo]

Do not ride on Highway 17. It would be suicidal. It is barely safe in a car. On a bike it would be beyond unsafe.

Check out Old San Jose Rd. instead.

 

[jdtate101]

Do not ride on Highway 17. It would be suicidal. It is barely safe in a car. On a bike it would be beyond unsafe.

Check out Old San Jose Rd. instead.

Oh I agree totally. The route I had planned crossed over 17 via a bridge..

http://connect.garmin.com/course/1091747

I think a lot of this is on the old San Jose Road...