Northern California - Help me find some good places to ride in San Mateo.

So, I've been lazy lately. I've hardly been riding at all. My schedule's changed so I don't have Tuesdays and Thursdays to ride anymore (I used to), and my weekends tend to be busy. So here I sit, with my legs slowly atrophying away, and that bothers me.

But, my work is moving into a new office next month, which happens to be right next to the College of San Mateo. I usually ride in the East Bay, mostly in the Oakland hills, but I know there's some good riding over there on the peninsula, and I'm hoping you guys can help me find it.

What I want to do is bring a bike to work and leave it in my office, and come up with some 10-20 mile routes that I can do at lunch. They have to both start and end at the College of San Mateo, so any good roads with in 5 miles or so of there would be nice to know about.

Thanks for any pointers you can give me.

Check out Canada Road. I'm not sure where it is in relation to CSM, but it's a great biker friendly road that I've ridden a few times. It's right next to 280

tell me an intersection near your new place, and I'll try to make you a good suggestion.

There are LOTS of choices.

tell me an intersection near your new place, and I'll try to make you a good suggestion.

There are LOTS of choices.

New office should be just west of 92 at W. Hillsdale Blvd.

Here is a nice loop. It might be a little longer than 20 miles, but there's no good way to make it shorter if you want to include Skyline.

From the College of San Mateo, make your way to Polhemus Road (a couple of blocks west of campus)
south on Polhemus until it turns into Ralston
turn right on the bike path behind the park and ride lot - follow the path over I-280
at the end of the bike path, turn left on Canada Rd
south on Canada Rd to the town of Woodside
right on Woodside Road
right on Kings Mountain Road - climb Kings Mountain to Skyline
right on Skyline
right on Hwy 92 (downhill) - there is some traffic here, but most cyclists can keep up
left on Hwy 35 at the stop light
right on Crystal Springs Rd
right on Polhemus

Here's one I made real quick.

Basically take Parrot/De Anza (residential area) to Polhemus.
Shoot down that, swing a left on to crystal springs.
Climb Crystal Springs, left on 35
Nice flat section over the reservoir, then an easy climb, then a nice descent.
Left on to 92 (only trafficy section).
Right on to Canada, great rolling terrain, a Peninsula staple.
Turn around at Edgewood.
Make a right on to the bike path as you approach the end, this has almost no one ever on it, and has to short and steep climbs (the bike overpass over the 280, and the final straight to Ralston.
Descend Ralston/Polhemus, right on De Anza to head back.

Here is the route, nets you 16 miles and 1940ft of climbing:
http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/route-for-notfred

Here's a shorter loop. It doesn't go up to Skyline, so the scenery is much more boring (suburbs instead of redwood trees), but there are still a couple of decent hills.

From the corner of Polhemus and Crystal Springs, head east on Crystal Springs
right on Alameda de las Pulgas
right on Edgewood
right on Crestview (short but steep)
go through gate and continue on Hallmark
left on Ralston
straight on to Polhemus back to start

This one is more like 15 miles.

Here is a nice loop. It might be a little longer than 20 miles, but there's no good way to make it shorter if you want to include Skyline.

From the College of San Mateo, make your way to Polhemus Road (a couple of blocks west of campus)
south on Polhemus until it turns into Ralston
turn right on the bike path behind the park and ride lot - follow the path over I-280
at the end of the bike path, turn left on Canada Rd
south on Canada Rd to the town of Woodside
right on Woodside Road
right on Kings Mountain Road - climb Kings Mountain to Skyline
right on Skyline
right on Hwy 92 (downhill) - there is some traffic here, but most cyclists can keep up
left on Hwy 35 at the stop light
right on Crystal Springs Rd
right on Polhemus

That's a nice route... but at least for me would be too long for a mid-day ride during the work day. <20 miles can be done in around an hour. Climbing Kings ads around 30 minutes on its own.

If you're really short on time, just do some hill repeats on Hillsdale Blvd between Alameda and Hwy92. That'll build up your legs :thumb:

you can ride along the bay from sfo to foster city i think. i was taking that route today, but i stopped at coyote point.

That's a nice route... but at least for me would be too long for a mid-day ride during the work day. <20 miles can be done in around an hour. Climbing Kings ads around 30 minutes on its own.

Yeah, but from the top of Kings, the rest of the ride is all downhill, with great views of the redwoods, the ocean, the reservoirs, and sometimes all the way to San Francisco.

Thanks everyone, lots of good ideas. :) And I can do longer routes sometimes, or if I want to go after work instead of at lunch. I want shorter options for days when I'm pressed for time but still want to get some exercise. On days when I have lots of free time, then a longer ride is an option, too. And if you've still got more suggestions, I'll still listen to those, too. :)

If you're really short on time, just do some hill repeats on Hillsdale Blvd between Alameda and Hwy92. That'll build up your legs :thumb:

Or Bunker Hill ;)

Or Bunker Hill ;)

Crestview

Thanks everyone, lots of good ideas. :) And I can do longer routes sometimes, or if I want to go after work instead of at lunch. I want shorter options for days when I'm pressed for time but still want to get some exercise. On days when I have lots of free time, then a longer ride is an option, too. And if you've still got more suggestions, I'll still listen to those, too. :)

You have several suggestions already. Try them all and tell us which ones you liked the best. Maybe some people will make up some more like that.

Crestview
Or Tartan Trail

weird. notfred, did i just meet you this morning on your way in to work? corner of mariners island and fashion island?

weird. notfred, did i just meet you this morning on your way in to work? corner of mariners island and fashion island?

I know it's been a while since this thread was last posted to, but I hadn't seen this last post. I came back to it today since we're finally in the new office and I wanted to review people's suggestions.

And yeah, it's entirely possible that you *did* meet me on the way in to work. I worked in Century Center there, up until we moved the office to right next to the College of San Mateo. Do we work for the same employer?

a-ha, i only remembered because i saw this post the same day or the day after. we don't work for the same employer, assuming you're the guy who works for the large CDN, i work for a financial web services startup in the equity office building on the other corner.

So did you actually try any of the routes listed in this thread? Which ones did you like the best?

There are some good hills in here:

This is my night ride (start/end at my house).

http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/San-Mateo-Neighborhood-Hills-Refined