Northern California - Flat and windless?

Is there anything bike-friendly that's flat and windless around here? Ten good flat, windless miles? Doesn't seem like too much to ask.

Oh good. I thought this was another "Bash Siu" thread.

Oh good. I thought this was another "Bash Siu" thread.

elohel :p

Rides along the bay are generally flat and depending on the time of year and day, the winds can be light.

Up and down Foothill Expressway is not too bad. You can get a good 10 miles that way.

Since you are in Sonoma, I remember it being sort of flat along the Russian River.

Canada out-and-back is 15 miles. Can get kinda windy at times though

Rides along the bay are generally flat and depending on the time of year and day, the winds can be light.

Like Hermes says. Black Point Road (Hwy 37?39?) between Port Sonoma and the Lakeville Road is the only road in the county I would call really flat and it is next to the Bay. Watch your Weather Channel for a calm time of day.

It is one of the nice things about Sonoma Cty is that it is not flat.

It is one of the nice things about Sonoma Cty is that it is not flat.

I think I'm still 30 pounds too heavy to appreciate this sentiment. :)

Like Hermes says. Black Point Road (Hwy 37?39?) between Port Sonoma and the Lakeville Road is the only road in the county I would call really flat and it is next to the Bay. Watch your Weather Channel for a calm time of day.

It is one of the nice things about Sonoma Cty is that it is not flat.
Ken, thanks so much but I've having problems. Where is this? None of these places are on my maps and of course my usual methods for finding things, Google and MapQuest turn up naught without cities or ZIPs.

Ah ok, I think I found this here. I believe it's Marin County and you start in Vallejo?

So Guadalcanal Village, Valejo to Black Point, Novato? (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&saddr=Guadalcanal+Village&daddr=Black+Point,+Novato,+Marin,+California,+United+States&sll=38.130236,-122.337055&sspn=0.095061,0.181789&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1)

Looks like 14.4 miles. Are you sure this is a ridable? My only memory of this highway is that it's super sketchy for cyclists, like death-wish sketchy. Is this true? Or is there are service road that runs alongside the highway?

Wow. I think you're going to want to make sure your affairs are in order before starting that ride.

Ah ok, I think I found this here. I believe it's Marin County and you start in Vallejo?

So Guadalcanal Village, Valejo to Black Point, Novato? (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&saddr=Guadalcanal+Village&daddr=Black+Point,+Novato,+Marin,+California,+United+States&sll=38.130236,-122.337055&sspn=0.095061,0.181789&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1)

Looks like 14.4 miles. Are you sure this is a ridable? My only memory of this highway is that it's super sketchy for cyclists, like death-wish sketchy. Is this true? Or is there are service road that runs alongside the highway?

I have driven that stretch and the traffic is fast. I do not remember if there was a bike lane. However, I would not ride it.

Yeah, this is not an option. That highway is crazy.

Wow. I grew up in a place where flat was the rule and hills were almost hard to come by. Now I live in a place where a flat piece of ridable road lasting more than 2 miles is at least more than an hour away. This is truly depressing. Makes me want to ride my trainer. Sheesh!

Yeah, this is not an option. That highway is crazy.

Wow. I grew up in a place where flat was the rule and hills were almost hard to come by. Now I live in a place where a flat piece of ridable road lasting more than 2 miles is at least more than an hour away. This is truly depressing. Makes me want to ride my trainer. Sheesh!

We moved here last year from LA and restarted cycling after a 5 year layoff. We were is great shape but not great cycling shape. The terrain in the bay area is really tough cycling until you get used to it, but is some of the best scenery and cycling in the world. What the locals consider flat most people consider hilly. Just be thankful you are not in the Alpes. All I can say is keep at it, gear down and spin up the hills, stay in Zone 2 as much as possible and throw in some intervals once a week. You will get used to the terrain.:)

San Ramon Valley Blvd is more or less flat, -1% going south to north and +1% coming back. Can be windy, but usually managable or a NNW crosswind at this time of year. Excellent lanes, courteous drivers, lots of bikes on the weekends, good scenery, and lots of nice lunch spots in downtown Danville. I recommend Norm's.

Right now it's windy as hell..... :)

... plus, if you don't already have one, get a triple. I did the same thing as Hermes, moved up here from LA, and I thought I was a good hill climber (with a double). Then, I climbed one hill, Quimby, that got me to walk my bike up a hill. That was demoralizing. Later that day, I went to the bike shop, ordered my triple, and have been riding that ever since.

San Ramon Valley Blvd is more or less flat, -1% going south to north and +1% coming back. Can be windy, but usually managable or a NNW crosswind at this time of year. Excellent lanes, courteous drivers, lots of bikes on the weekends, good scenery, and lots of nice lunch spots in downtown Danville. I recommend Norm's.
+1 to all of the above. A little closer to your neck of the woods, Silverado Trial over in the Napa Valley is pretty good. It isn't exactly pancake-flat, but the elevation changes are minor. There are good bike lanes pretty much anywhere on it, the traffic is fast but not excessive, and there is usually not much wind in the mornings. Afternoons are a different story, wind-wise.

Petaluma Hill Rd. between Snyder Lane and Penngrove is a tad rolling, but doesn't contain anything I'd qualify as an actual climb. Turn right onto Old Redwood in Pgrove then right on East Cotati Ave. then left on Snyder back to Petaluma Hill, which is about 15 miles. If you want to avoid the traffic lights on East Cotati and Snyder, turn right onto Railroad Ave off Old Red and take it back to Pet Hill. Nice wide shoulders all the way, and outside of commute hours the traffic isn't too bad. There's been a bit of a breeze all week, but it's a crosswind for the majority of this route. If you see a guy on a green Klein, that's me on my daily ride. There's several hill options of varying severity available off this route for those days when you're feeling ambitious. (Crane Canyon, Lichau Rd., both of which I'm still trying to get to the top of, and Poplar Ave. off Railroad between Old Red and 101, which is a nice little hill repeat loop with Cypress Ave. if you're working your way up to the bigger ones like I am.)

See, I knew you people out in wine country were secretly envious of us in the Central Valley. Vineyards, hills, redwoods, coast, pffft.

See, I knew you people out in wine country were secretly envious of us in the Central Valley. Vineyards, hills, redwoods, coast, pffft.

Oh I definitely am. A flat, black newly paved road running silently below my wheels on a quick-warming morning is something I've developed a massive hunger for.

Not that I'm time trialing at 28 mph now or anything but I do feel like a (small, weak) Ferrari in gridlock.

We have a few flat roads of some distance around here and it's worth kicking it out but when the lights turn red it's totally demoralizing and frustrating. I'm thinking about training down from 20 miles to something as brief as 5000 meters. Still a flat non-stop 5000 meters is best found on a trainer here.

I'm so bummed about the lack of road availability here that I've even tried riding around the high school track. The turns are actually far too tight to be done at speed. And the coach yelled at me to get off his track.

Petaluma Hill Rd. between Snyder Lane and Penngrove is a tad rolling, but doesn't contain anything I'd qualify as an actual climb. Turn right onto Old Redwood in Pgrove then right on East Cotati Ave. then left on Snyder back to Petaluma Hill, which is about 15 miles. If you want to avoid the traffic lights on East Cotati and Snyder, turn right onto Railroad Ave off Old Red and take it back to Pet Hill. Nice wide shoulders all the way, and outside of commute hours the traffic isn't too bad. There's been a bit of a breeze all week, but it's a crosswind for the majority of this route. If you see a guy on a green Klein, that's me on my daily ride. There's several hill options of varying severity available off this route for those days when you're feeling ambitious. (Crane Canyon, Lichau Rd., both of which I'm still trying to get to the top of, and Poplar Ave. off Railroad between Old Red and 101, which is a nice little hill repeat loop with Cypress Ave. if you're working your way up to the bigger ones like I am.)

Thanks! But aren't there stop signs?

We moved here last year from LA and restarted cycling after a 5 year layoff. We were is great shape but not great cycling shape. The terrain in the bay area is really tough cycling until you get used to it, but is some of the best scenery and cycling in the world. What the locals consider flat most people consider hilly. Just be thankful you are not in the Alpes. All I can say is keep at it, gear down and spin up the hills, stay in Zone 2 as much as possible and throw in some intervals once a week. You will get used to the terrain.:)

I customized my cassette to incorporate a big jump bail out to a 30 from a 23 and now hills are easy but hill climbing is definitely not my passion.

certainly not windless today

Thanks! But aren't there stop signs?
Well, you've got me there--didn't realize stopless was part of the equation.