Hey guys, I was wondering if you guys knew some nice scenic routes that's fairly easy to ride? I'm thinking about going biking with my girlfriend and make a day trip out of it. I'll be leaving from Davis but don't mind driving 3-4 hours. We were thinking about Point Reyes and Lake Tahoe. Does anyone know if Pt. Reyes is a good place for road biking. On their website, it seems like many paths are oriented for mountain biking. The flatter the better.

Thanks!!

Just got back from Tahoe last night. Try starting in Tahoe City where the Truckee River comes out of the lake, at the 28 and 89 intersection. There's a bike trail alongside southbound 89 as it follows the lake. There's also a trail along the Truckee River, but you have to climb back up if you ride away from the lake. It's a nice trail, though.

A very popular ride is from Nicasio (starting around a reservoir) and heading to Point Reyes Station (Cafe Reyes has awesome seafood burritos and beer); from there you can, of course, bike all over the Point Reyes peninsula itself, too. Lots of cyclists in West Marin on the weekends on these routes!

Flat? Not consistently. There are stretches that are flat, like around Tomales Bay (near Inverness and on the other side near Marshall) and other bodies of water. There are undulating hills everywhere. It's a hill climber's dream out there. Not too many killers, but the Marshall Wall (Hicks Valley Road) and the climb from the Nicasio Reservoir to the Novato Cheese Factory (Point Reyes Petaluma Road) are pretty gnarly (depending on your fitness level, natch). The roads are also insanely fun because they curve and wind like crazy...also, however, creates the need for caution around cars careening around said corners. If you bike on the roads heading to the northern tip of the peninsula, watch out for erratic car behavior as people slow down and pull over very suddenly to see or photograph the Tule Elk herd.

If you're out there on a weekday, it's a totally different experience...many fewer people! :)

Only one thing really matters. What is the GF up for? Ask what her limits are and for a first fun ride aim low.
Drive over to Healdsburg in Sonoma County and do one of the flattish loops west of town. End in Healdsburg where she can cruise the shops. I like Rosenblums myself just south of a good Deli on the SE corner of the town square. The town LBS is a block south of there.

If you wanted to avoid the drive, you can ride from Davis to Steady Eddie's in Winters, then into Vacaville, then back along Pleasant's Valley Rd., through Winters and into Davis. Flat (mostly), orchards and fields, nice roads.

Or have you already done that?

Thanks for all the great replies!

The tahoe route sounds wonderful, and we'll be doing that maybe later in the year.

I think our first stop is Point Reyes since we were planning on going there first. Thanks for the road names, I'll definitely check that out.

I'll google Healdsburg and see if she wants to go.

As for the davis to winter loop, we've driven around there countless times but never biked. She says she wants to try it one day so we'll go but for now she wants to see new places. She also wanted to tackle Lake berryessa but of course we know it's a bit too hardcore for us.

Thanks again for the help, I think we'll be heading to point reyes on a weekday some time soon!

I like Mt Tam, Mt Hamilton, both very scenic! I also recommend Sierra Rd, but the scenery tends to be quite yellow this time of year.

I was just out near lake berryessa for labor day. People bike there, but the roads were all two lane with almost no shoulder. They were a motorcyclist's dream, but I wouldn't ride my roadie there.

A very popular ride is from Nicasio (starting around a reservoir) and heading to Point Reyes Station (Cafe Reyes has awesome seafood burritos and beer); from there you can, of course, bike all over the Point Reyes peninsula itself, too. Lots of cyclists in West Marin on the weekends on these routes!

Flat? Not consistently. There are stretches that are flat, like around Tomales Bay (near Inverness and on the other side near Marshall) and other bodies of water. There are undulating hills everywhere. It's a hill climber's dream out there. Not too many killers, but the Marshall Wall (Hicks Valley Road) and the climb from the Nicasio Reservoir to the Novato Cheese Factory (Point Reyes Petaluma Road) are pretty gnarly (depending on your fitness level, natch). The roads are also insanely fun because they curve and wind like crazy...also, however, creates the need for caution around cars careening around said corners. If you bike on the roads heading to the northern tip of the peninsula, watch out for erratic car behavior as people slow down and pull over very suddenly to see or photograph the Tule Elk herd.

If you're out there on a weekday, it's a totally different experience...many fewer people! :)

+1 - I don't ride out that way very often, but we were riding there on Saturday - nice and cool, not too much wind and I love those roads. Just be prepared for any weather - I've ridden there where the temperature was in the 50's and drizzling in the morning, and then in the 80's and sunny in the afternoon - on the same day. It can also get pretty windy.

JB

As for the davis to winter loop, we've driven around there countless times but never biked. She says she wants to try it one day so we'll go but for now she wants to see new places. She also wanted to tackle Lake berryessa but of course we know it's a bit too hardcore for us.


If you ever wanted to do this classic route, it's 5 miles down the Russell Blvd bike path, hang a left to get to Stevenson Bridge, then a right on Putah Creek Rd until Winters. It doesn't get any easier than that. Generations have cut their teeth on this ride, and strangely enough, when I ride it now, it's still almost exactly the same as the first time I rode it (albeit slower, sigh), so for us it's an easy way to go way back in time. It's not necessarily a "pretty" ride, but it's pan flat, and if you want to make it more interesting, just add the Lake Solano loop to it, or continue on to Coronary (Lake Berryessa dam).

Unfortunately for your GF, the more scenic and interesting rides involve elevation change. Lots of elevation change, sometimes.... ;)

+1 on the Winters to Davis route. I ride it frequently, and it is "nice scenic and easy". The route described by t4mv goes through fields of corn, tomatoes, almonds, etc and there are some scenic hills on the horizon. Not too much motorized traffic, either, and lots of other cyclists, making it a bit social. Highly recommended.

You want flat? You want scenic? You're willing to drive? Easy.

Yosemite Valley.

Really.

Park at the west end of the Valley (there should be plenty of places to park just past the road to Wawona/Hwy 41. Bike from there. By the time you get to where traffic is an issue, there are separate bike paths to and from everywhere. If you go on a weekday, especially now that Labor Day is over, traffic is even more of a non-issue. It's very flat, and the scenery simply cannot be beat.

Bring a lock so you can park the bikes in case you want to eat at the Ahwanee (expensive!) or the Yosemite Lodge (cafeteria), or if you want to take a short hike.

The Valley is 7 or 8 miles long, so if you guys can handle 20 flat miles, this is about the ultimate in a one-day jaunt for easy riding. $20 to get in the park (the pass is good for a week), but it's well worth it.