Originally Posted by
babybuster
Hi, I was hoping someone with cycling knowledge of the Bay Area can help me out. I am doing a short tour (SF to SD) with my girlfriend in a few weeks. We are flying into the SF airport, and want to cut south directly, cross west and join up with RT 1 at Half Moon Bay. By the looks of it, this is doable if we take RT 92, or "Half Moon Bay Rd." Has anyone biked this stretch before? My gf has never done any touring, and I don't want to scare her if there's no shoulder, super fast scary traffic or some really brutal grades (there are mountains, so I understand that there will be a climb.) The alternative would be to bike north out of the airport, which looks to be a 10-15 mile detour. Thanks in advance!
92 is an undesirable or unpleasant route, for the reasons already mentioned.
Skyline (35) has some very scenic sections. It is hilly, but there are no really brutal grades.
Tunitas Creek is one option.
Another is Alpine Road (near Russian Ridge -- one of the most scenic trails in the entire Bay Area, which can be accessed just off Skyline, at the beginning of Alpine Road). Windy Hill (just above Skylonda Corners) is right off Skyline, and worth the short hike to the top for the views of the Pacific Ocean on one side, and the SF Bay Area on the other (assuming it isn't fogged in -- it's often but not always above the fog).
If you want a pleasant, scenic ride on quiet roads, why not take it easy and reasonably slowly? You're there to enjoy it, not to race. Some of the most beautiful redwood forests anywhere are right along the road -- Alpine Road down to and through Loma Mar. (This route may, however, involve more climbing than turning off skyline earlier, at Tunitas Creek or one of the other options north of Alpine Road.)
It is also possible to ride from the airport down to Palo Alto or Woodside via Crystal Springs (if you google it, you can find details about the route from the airport to Woodside and Palo Alto).
However, it is quite a climb out of Palo Alto and up to skyline. Arastradero Road is one good option. Unless you ride it at rush hour, it is a pleasant, scenic, fairly quiet ride up to skyline -- beautiful country. But I wouldn't want to push anyone too hard up that hill. If you have the time, and take it easy, it could be a very nice ride.
Old La Honda Road is another option, from Palo Alto up to Skyline. (It is steep, though, and steeper than the other routes (though shorter); and narrow, and it should not be ridden during the morning or evening peak traffic times.) It is a popular road ride for cyclists in Palo Alto, Stanford, and vicinity. More details can be found online.