Northern California - SLO Co ride maps?

Hi,

Just paid a weekend visit to San Luis Obispo. We'd like to return for some 2-4 day tours, but I'm not having any luck finding anything like the Krebs maps we use for the Bay Area. I noticed a sign on northbound 101 at the foot of Cuesta Grade diverting cyclists off the highway, but the route is not depicted on my maps. We like that part of California, and we'd love to get onto some of the back roads for some 50-60 mile days of loaded touring. Any help?

Thanks.

Start with the SLO Bike club.

http://www.slobc.org/Home.html

There are ride maps on the website, or you can try talking to someone in the club.

http://centralcoastoutdoors.com/california-bike-tours.html
We've used this company for bike rentals and they were very helpful at pointing out some great routes. We did a nice loop in Edna Valley and really enjoyed it!

I live here. What would you like to know?

The route off of Highway 101 sounds like Stagecoach Road, which is a dirt road that parallels 101 up to the top of the grade.

Stagecoach sounds like fun. On a touring bike with larger (700x32) tires, is it rideable? We've been to the Great Western Rally, and enjoyed riding out around Adelaida and over to Shandon. Just looking for some 2-3 day loops, so when we head down to buy the daughter dinner on a Friday, we can spend a few days touring the backroads before having another visit with her and returning home.
Thanks!

Stagecoach is your standard hard-packed dirt road. I've ridden it with a touring bike with 700X28 Armadillos, unloaded, a couple times and it was fine. I've never ridden it loaded. I think it would be fine, though I'd worry about my spokes (I have a history of broken spokes.)

The standard way to get to the coast from Paso Robles is over Highway 46. Go west from the fairgrounds to Vine Street. Take that south to 46. There's a nice shoulder the whole way.

I'd steer clear of Highway 41 from Atascadero to Morro Bay. There's no shoulder, lots of blind corners, and lots of fast traffic. Not for me, thanks.

If you're okay with dirt roads, a nice route to the coast is Santa Rita Road, which is a quiet, bucolic, dirt road that goes over the mountains from Templeton to Cayucos. Head west out of Templeton on Vineyard Drive. Take a quick left on Santa Rita Road. There are a couple of turns at first - right, then left - but after that it's an easy-to-follow road through oak forests, ranches, and rangeland. At the other end, Santa Rita Road deadends on Old Creek Road. Turn left and go past the reservoir and into Cayucos.

One of my favorite training rides, when I think I'm in good shape, is to start in Los Osos, ride into San Luis Obispo, take Stagecoach over the grade, then El Camino Real through Atascadero. At the north end of Atascadero you have to ride on Highway 101 for a couple of miles. Then get off at Vineyard, turn west, and head over Santa Rita Road. When I get to Highway 1 at the coast I turn left and ride back to Los Osos. It's maybe 2/3 pavement and 1/3 dirt.

A nice 3-day tour from Paso might be down Stagecoach into San Luis Obispo, then out Highway 1 to Morro Bay State Park (take the South Bay Boulevard/Los Osos exit, go south on South Bay, and take the right before the bridge onto State Park Road. Veer left at the first intersection and stay by the water. You'll go right to the park entrance.) Morro Bay S. P. has a very nice hiker/biker site. If you keep going on State Park Road you'll wind around and into Morro Bay, eventually ending a couple blocks above the Embarcadero, with a gazillion motels and excellent restaurants to choose from.

The second day you could ride up the coast on Highway 1 to San Simeon State Park - about 30 miles. There's a hiker/biker site there too, though I don't think it's quite as nice. You're an easy ride away from Cambria, which has great shopping and dining. There are motels in San Simeon, as well as Cambria, and I think there are plenty of quaint bed and breakfasts along that stretch of road. (I don't know; I'm strictly a camper.)

The third day you could ride over Highway 46 back to Paso. The turnoff of Highway 1 is just a few miles south of Cambria.

EXACTLY PERFECT! Biggie, thanks. This is precisely what I'd hoped to find. If I can ever do the same for you in the Santa Cruz-Monterey-San Benito Counties area, say the word.