Northern California - Share your favorite NorCaL / Bay Area Bike Route.

I pretty much keep my rides local around the Castro Valley/pleasanton/livermore area. I do drive up to Martinez sometimes as well, they got some nice abandoned roads where cars aren't allowed :thumb:. I think most of you guys probably have the garmin edge or something and perhaps go to different web sites to share your favorite route. I plan to get the garmin edge soon though ;). Currently this is my second favorite route below. I actually found this route online on some web site. I have not completed the route yet, I usually just turn back and only end up doing 35-40 miles. This thread could serve as a nice reference for those unfamiliar with the area, or perhaps just want to try something new I suppose.

Time:3.5-4.5 hrs.
Distance:60.89 mi.
Difficulty:Moderate-Hard
Climbing:4922 ft.

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e49/tarmacdude/myroute.jpg

Mile 0.0 - Sproul Plaza to Tunnel Road.

Mile 6.34 - Skyline and Grizzly Peak. Continue straight on Skyline past Grizzly Peak.

Mile 11.51 - Turn left at light on Joaquin Miller.

Mile 12.11 - Turn left on Redwood Rd. There is a long gradual descent into the forest.

Mile 14.40 - Go past the intersection with Pinehurst. This is where the fruit stand ride diverges from most rides that start with Redwood. The next climb is deserted, and the descent is no brakes but not straight either.

Mile 23.74 - You will eventually go over a small hump into Castro Valley. Turn left on Heyer Ave.

Mile 24.49 - Go straight past Center St. up the steep hill.
Alternative Route (in green): Turn right for the longer Dublin Canyon route. Then turn left on Castro Valley Rd. which eventually becomes Dublin Canyon. Once in Pleasanton, turn left on Foothill Blvd. to eventually rejoin the ride.

Mile 24.78 - Turn right on Cull Canyon Rd.

Mile 24.93 - Tricky left onto Crow Canyon Rd. Move over well in advance. Crow Canyon is a nice road except for the cars and the mess on the shoulder. This road is definitely single file.

Mile 27.73 - Go straight past Norris Canyon Rd. or...
Alternative Route (in red): Bear right onto Norris Canyon Rd. for a nice climb and fast descent. Rejoin the route at San Ramon Valley.

Mile 32.67 - Fruit stand! We stop here for food then head left on San Ramon Valley for the flat portion of the ride.

Mile 35.97 - Bear left on Hartz through the center of Danville.

Mile 41.05 - At the end of the long straight section, head straight at the light (instead of turning right under the freeway).

Mile 41.32 - Turn left on Castle Hill Rd.

Mile 41.60 - Turn right on Lilac Dr. This is an easy turn to miss.

Mile 42.27 - Turn left on Newell Ave.

Mile 42.95 - Turn left on Olympic Blvd. This should look familiar as rides often come out this way. Olympic Blvd. is the bar in the dumbell of many longer rides, so there are many ways back from here. Everyone has a favorite.

Mile 44.47 - When you reach the T-intersection, go straight onto the bike path.

Mile 44.87 - Turn right off the bike path at the first opportunity, then left onto Olympic Blvd.

Mile 45.55 - Turn right on Second St. then left ahead on Mt. Diablo Blvd. The ride through Lafayette sucks.

Mile 47.47 - Bear right onto El Nido Ranch Rd. for the Orindawoods return. This small climb can be the test of truth at the end of an epic ride.
Alternative Route (in red): - Keep going straight for a variation called Bike Path. Surprisingly enough, it follows the bike path along 24.

Mile 49.26 - After a short steep pitch, turn left onto Orindawoods Dr. for the descent into Ordina.

Mile 50.45 - Turn right onto El Camino Pablo.

Mile 52.43 - Turn left on Wildcat Canyon for the climb back to Berkeley. This is another killer at the end of a long day.

Mile 58.28 - Head left at the 5-way intersection to descend via Euclid.

For kicks, that's also a nice route going clockwise.

My favorite is still Mt. Diablo/Morgan Territory. No fancy directions here, but from San Ramon:

head out Crow Canyon towards the mountain (not sure if you're heading in the right direction? Look up.) The road becomes Blackhawk after crossing Tassajara.

Right turn onto Mt. Diablo Scenic Blvd at stop sign (Athenian school on right) - follow up to the junction with the North Gate Rd.

turn right at stop sign follow up to summit. Rest and enjoy the view. Bathrooms and water available here and at the junction. Turn around and descend.

Bear right at junction Follow Northgate road out of park and to stop sign.

Right at stop sign (Oakgrove Road?). Straight through traffic circle and follow to Ygnacio.

Right on Ygnacio. You'll get a couple of blocks of no shoulder, then there's a wide shoulder the rest of the way. Up and over the hill into Clayton. Stay on Ygnacio to Clayton Blvd.

Right on Clayton Blvd. Peet's on right is a good spot for water, bathrooms, coffee. Stay on Clayton, eventually becomes Marsh Creek. Follow over hill that is longer than it looks, after you loose the shoulder on Marsh Creek (you'll know you're on this hill when you get about half way up and realize that it kind of keeps going:rolleyes:). At the bottom of the next descent is the right turn onto Morgan Territory.

Follow Morgan Territory for ~ 8 miles up to Morgan Territory regional park parking lot. Bathrooms and water. Recover from climb and get ready for the plunge.

continue on Morgan Territory. The pavement will be much improved at this point, but still single lane. Fast descent, single lane road means you have to be very cautious around blind corners. Can be tricky in cross winds (which is pretty much all the time). Follow to stop sign.

Right on Manning. You'll generally be fighting headwinds now.

Right on Highland. Continue to fight headwinds.

Right on Tassajara.

Left on Crow Canyon.

This is about 70 miles, with ~ 6,000 feet of climbing. These are actually the first 2 climbs of the Devil Mountain Double (coming up this weekend) and you can follow the DMD arrows spray painted on the road until you get to Manning (the DMD goes left at that point over towards the Altamont pass and the next climb). This will take you through downtown Clayton and away from the traffic on the Ygnacio/Clayton Rd intersection, but is otherwise the same route I outlined above.

Variations include only going to the junction on Mt. D. to eliminate some climbing, starting in Danville and approaching the Athenian School from the other direction, using the hole in the wall at the base of the Southgate to avoid the crappy road on Mt. Diablo Scenic, using bike paths from the Northgate to avoid the no shoulder part of Ygnacio (lots of foks on that path, though, so honestly it's not that much better), and starting at Pleasant Hill BART & doing Morgan Territory first.

JB

Here is my favorite local bike ride.
Start at Stanford University (near the upper right of the map).
Climb Page Mill Road to Skyline.
Descend Alpine Road and Pescadero Road to Pescadero.
Food, water, and toilets at the cafe in Pescadero.
North on Old Stage Road.
Climb Tunitas Creek Road to Skyline.
Descend Kings Mountain Road and Woodside Road.
Back to Stanford on Alameda de las Pulgas.

60 miles and 6000 feet of climbing.
Great views. Great climbs. Mostly very light traffic.

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa150/99johnny/bike/page-tunitascopy.gif

Here is my favorite local bike ride.
Start at Stanford University (near the upper right of the map).
Climb Page Mill Road to Skyline.
Descend Alpine Road and Pescadero Road to Pescadero.
Food, water, and toilets at the cafe in Pescadero.
North on Old Stage Road.
Climb Tunitas Creek Road to Skyline.
Descend Kings Mountain Road and Woodside Road.
Back to Stanford on Alameda de las Pulgas.

60 miles and 6000 feet of climbing.
Great views. Great climbs. Mostly very light traffic.


Hard to argue with that route!

JB

Mine is easier but this is my go to ride:
http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/ca/san-francisco/227123810547736596

45 miles with a couple small hills.

Mine is easier but this is my go to ride:
http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/ca/san-francisco/227123810547736596

45 miles with a couple small hills.

The Paradise loop is a nice route. You can add in the Marin Headlands or Mt. Tam to add a few uphill miles.

Mine is easier but this is my go to ride:
http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/ca/san-francisco/227123810547736596

45 miles with a couple small hills.

That's my go-to ride if I don't have all day to devote to riding. Good stuff :)

Here is my favorite local bike ride.
Start at Stanford University (near the upper right of the map).
Climb Page Mill Road to Skyline.
Descend Alpine Road and Pescadero Road to Pescadero.
Food, water, and toilets at the cafe in Pescadero.
North on Old Stage Road.
Climb Tunitas Creek Road to Skyline.
Descend Kings Mountain Road and Woodside Road.
Back to Stanford on Alameda de las Pulgas.

60 miles and 6000 feet of climbing.
Great views. Great climbs. Mostly very light traffic.

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa150/99johnny/bike/page-tunitascopy.gif

Mine too, is a variation of this route, except I usually start from home in San Mateo, and do OLH and down W84, Left on Pescadero Creek to go up and over Haskins.

I also like the Diablo/Morgan ride but is a bit far for me to do frequently.

The paradise rounte a great route. I did it a few weeks ago. Keep the routes coming. Since I recently moved to the bay area (about a year), I still haven't found all the good routes. Does anyone have any more that leave from the city or are down the pennisula?

Currently this is my second favorite route below.

Someone been visiting CalCycling page. :p The best part of fruit stand ride is a stop at fruit stand for some munchies! he he.

UD

Mine too, is a variation of this route, except I usually start from home in San Mateo, and do OLH and down W84, Left on Pescadero Creek to go up and over Haskins.


I think Page Mill and Alpine are significantly more fun than OLH and Highway 84. Try it, you'll like it.

i think page mill and alpine are significantly more fun than olh and highway 84. Try it, you'll like it.

+1

I like the "recovery ride" we did Sunday, up OLH, down 84, up Alpine. Nice way to get in a quick 40 miles.

Agree with uspspro - Diablo is an awesome ride and my favourite descent in the bay area (so far). More locally, the Pinehurst/Redwood loop is just a beautiful ride.

Agree with uspspro - Diablo is an awesome ride and my favourite descent in the bay area (so far). More locally, the Pinehurst/Redwood loop is just a beautiful ride.

Is the descent perhaps a bit too technical for a beginner? What speeds do you guys reach on that descent?

OLH - 84 - (mini) Stage - 1 - Tunitas - Kings is my favorite default loop, though I enjoyed adding Pescadero and the rest of Stage last time I did it.

The OLH - 84 - Alpine - Page Mill loop on Sunday was great, as well. The combination of the two routes posted by johnny99 above is interesting. I'll have to try that one some time.

If I'm indecisive and don't want to go very far (hey, it's only an hour away, that's close!), going up the North side of Diablo is always welcome.

Is the descent perhaps a bit too technical for a beginner? What speeds do you guys reach on that descent?Coming down the North side probably isn't too bad if you take it easy. I've only been down the South side a handful of times, but I seem to recall it being a bit mellower than the North.

Is the descent perhaps a bit too technical for a beginner? What speeds do you guys reach on that descent?

I don't think so, I like it because it's 11miles of unadulterated fun and the amount of 4wheel traffic is often pretty low. If you aren't used to descending 2-3miles I'd consider practice on smaller climbs first, although it's easy to break the descent up into chunks if you wish.

I find the toughest part is descending the 3-400ft stretch from the summit because it's so steep; it's tough to slow if you follow a car. Beyond that though, the pavement is good, and the corners aren't too tight. First time down, watch for corners which are preceded by a 15mph sign, those are the ones to take a little slower.

Is the descent perhaps a bit too technical for a beginner? What speeds do you guys reach on that descent?


I don't think so, I like it because it's 11miles of unadulterated fun and the amount of 4wheel traffic is often pretty low. If you aren't used to descending 2-3miles I'd consider practice on smaller climbs first, although it's easy to break the descent up into chunks if you wish.

I find the toughest part is descending the 3-400ft stretch from the summit because it's so steep; it's tough to slow if you follow a car. Beyond that though, the pavement is good, and the corners aren't too tight. First time down, watch for corners which are preceded by a 15mph sign, those are the ones to take a little slower.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaiSMIG39-Y&feature=PlayList&p=A73813A6B369FCF2&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQgEm3_hW7c&feature=related

Tarmacdude, I found these two clips on the descent from the summit down South Gate Road which should give you an idea of what to expect. And Beaker's right, it can be really fun.

Nice links. That reminds me, Devils elbow (hairpin close to the summit) is probably the toughest corner - tends to be a bit gravelly. I don't normally hit it as quickly as these guys, so in answer to your other question - I rarely get a max of over 40 on Diablo. You could if you wanted to, but to me the fun lies not in the max speeds but in the combination of sweeping corners, smooth road surface and spectacular views. This has been known to make me spontaneously whoop out loud, which is not something I tend to do in the rest of my life.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaiSMIG39-Y&feature=PlayList&p=A73813A6B369FCF2&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQgEm3_hW7c&feature=related

Tarmacdude, I found these two clips on the descent from the summit down South Gate Road which should give you an idea of what to expect. And Beaker's right, it can be really fun.

That descent looks like a blast, and well worth all the climbing. How fast are you guys going down that descent? I am going to have to train considerably hard to complete that route. Farthest I've gone is 40 miles without a rest break, but I definitely look forward to trying that out in the next couple of months when my conditioning is up to par.

That descent looks like a blast, and well worth all the climbing. How fast are you guys going down that descent? I am going to have to train considerably hard to complete that route. Farthest I've gone is 40 miles without a rest break, but I definitely look forward to trying that out in the next couple of months when my conditioning is up to par.

I'll hit 40mph in several spots, but rarely much faster than that. I still go fast enough that I can often catch cars, even ones that are moving along. Some folks go faster, but at some point it's just not worth it. There's just too much going on, and you can't see around a lot of those blind corners. I've gone around blind corners and found the following blocking my lane:

- a car coming up the other way (many times actually, often passing a bicycle on the way up)
- a coyote
- a small rock slide that would hurt (or at least trash your wheels) if you couldn't stop in time
- a flock of turkeys
- hikers
- a park ranger's pickup truck stopped for no apparent reason.

Take it easy - the descent is fun. You don't need to ride your brakes all the way down - just slow down enough for the tighter hairpins so that you have options if something unexpected is waiting just around that corner.

JB

That descent looks like a blast, and well worth all the climbing. How fast are you guys going down that descent? I am going to have to train considerably hard to complete that route. Farthest I've gone is 40 miles without a rest break, but I definitely look forward to trying that out in the next couple of months when my conditioning is up to par.

Can only speak for myself but my fastest was 41 mph at one open section below the junction ranger station (shown at 1:15 into the 2nd video clip). Those guys in the video clips are way more aggressive than I am. After having experienced a wind-induced speed wobble in that same location last year (which scared the cr@p out of me) I typically limit my speed to mid 30's in fear of that speed wobble coming back. Regarding fitness (or my lack thereof), the longest ride I've done this year is 30 miles (from my house to the summit and back). I say give it a try now.

That descent looks like a blast, and well worth all the climbing. How fast are you guys going down that descent? I am going to have to train considerably hard to complete that route. Farthest I've gone is 40 miles without a rest break, but I definitely look forward to trying that out in the next couple of months when my conditioning is up to par.

Like the others have said, I've not gone much over 40 - likely in that exact same spot that Alain mentions. But honestly, Diablo's excitement isn't the speed, it's in the corners, twists and turns. In my opinion, the best way to try Diablo first is probably to drive out, park up at the Athenian school on the weekend and do South Gate. At 21-22miles round trip you don't have to worry about much other than hydrating. Also you have the option to turn around at the Junction Ranger Station after 7ish miles.

Why is the OLH-Tunitas Creek loop always shown clockwise? Is there a particular reason to ride this loop clockwise? I was thinking of heading down there tomorrow. My time in the bay area is coming to a close, and I want to hit up the must ride roads before I go, or at least as many as i can!

Tunitas is quite rough and doesn't make for a good descent. At least it used to be that way. Supposedly they repaved a lot of it for the Tour of California but I haven't been on it since. Anyway most people climb this instead of descending it.

Old La Honda is smooth enough but it is still much more often used as a climb. It's narrow (no center line in lots of places) and twisty and if you were to descend it you'd have to be pretty careful about avoiding other cyclists coming up the hill. I think most people (myself included) would prefer descending Hwy 84 or Kings Mtn where you can take a full lane the whole way down and let your speeds get higher.

So given that both OLH and Tunitas are much better as climbs than descents it is only natural to do a loop of them clockwise. Hope that helps.

Descending Tunitas Creek is not fun. It's many miles of very bumpy roads. Plus the beauty of Tunitas is the long climb.

*edit: ^^ what Ben said.

Roads with no center line are usually terrible descents, because you never know when a car is coming up when you're flying down. That is especially true of roads that are dark (shaded) and winding and full of blind switchback turns like Tunitas and Old La Honda. The reason there is no center line is because the road is too narrow for 2 American-sized cars to fit side-by-side.

Thanks. Gonna go out there tomorrow. Really excited about this ride!

The road surface of Tunitas is actually pretty nice since the repave. I still don't see it being a good descending road, but I've never tried. Kings is too much fun. :)

The road surface of Tunitas is actually pretty nice since the repave. I still don't see it being a good descending road, but I've never tried. Kings is too much fun. :)

Part of it is repaved and nice but part of it is not and still very rough.

Agreed on Kings. :thumb:
(Oh, the number of cars and Harleys I've tailgated on Kings. :D)

Roads with no center line are usually terrible descents, because you never know when a car is coming up when you're flying down. That is especially true of roads that are dark (shaded) and winding and full of blind switchback turns like Tunitas and Old La Honda. The reason there is no center line is because the road is too narrow for 2 American-sized cars to fit side-by-side.

A group of about 5 of us were descending single file on OLH Sunday at a very reasonable pace and some guy going up yelled at us about it being a bad place to descend. He was riding on our side of the road almost in the drainage ditch... Who are these people?

Here is my favorite local bike ride.
60 miles and 6000 feet of climbing.
Great views. Great climbs. Mostly very light traffic.

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa150/99johnny/bike/page-tunitascopy.gif

I'm doing this tomorrow morning :)

I climbed tunitas creek road for the first time last week and I couldn't stop saying out loud how nice the pavement was. I thought it was always like that and didn't know until now that it has recently been repaved. But near the end where it isn't as steep the pavement really sucked.
I can't wait to descend kings mountain road tomorrow morning!!!

Here is my favorite local bike ride.
Start at Stanford University (near the upper right of the map).
Climb Page Mill Road to Skyline.
Descend Alpine Road and Pescadero Road to Pescadero.
Food, water, and toilets at the cafe in Pescadero.
North on Old Stage Road.
Climb Tunitas Creek Road to Skyline.
Descend Kings Mountain Road and Woodside Road.
Back to Stanford on Alameda de las Pulgas.

60 miles and 6000 feet of climbing.
Great views. Great climbs. Mostly very light traffic.

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa150/99johnny/bike/page-tunitascopy.gif

Thanks for sharing this route. Gotta schedule a ride on this route one of this days. Maybe when the temps hit in the mid 80's since this route looks like there is a lot of shade especially going up on Tunitas.

Re: Page Mill vs Old La Honda: What is it about Page Mill that some people seem to prefer (for the ascent)? And why do others prefer OLH over Page Mill?
What about the traffic? -- it seems to be lighter on OLH.

What about OLH to Skyline to Alpine? The views on Skyline might worth something to some riders, and the variety of taking it as an alternate route might also be an advantage at times.

Has anyone tried the out-and-back taking Alpine Road down to Portola Redwoods SP and back to Alpine?

What about East Old La Honda to West Old La Honda to 84 to Alpine to Portola SP, then back up Alpine to Page Mill and down?

Does anyone have any reviews of ascending or descending on Moody Road (for those whose starting or finishing points might be closer to Los Altos Hills)?

Has anyone tried the out-and-back taking Alpine Road down to Portola Redwoods SP and back to Alpine?

What about East Old La Honda to West Old La Honda to 84 to Alpine to Portola SP, then back up Alpine to Page Mill and down?

Does anyone have any reviews of ascending or descending on Moody Road (for those whose starting or finishing points might be closer to Los Altos Hills)?


Re: Page Mill vs Old La Honda: What is it about Page Mill that some people seem to prefer (for the ascent)? And why do others prefer OLH over Page Mill?
What about the traffic? -- it seems to be lighter on OLH.

What about OLH to Skyline to Alpine? The views on Skyline might worth something to some riders, and the variety of taking it as an alternate route might also be an advantage at times.

Those are all fine roads. You should try them all.

Traffic on Page Mill Road is very light above Altamont Road.

Moody Road is a little steep, but short. The road is poorly paved, so you have to watch your speed going down. Altamont is another way down from Page Mill to LAH, but you should slow down at the curve with the sign that says bicyclists should slow down.

Skyline is scenic, but so are Page Mill and Alpine. Skyline has more traffic.

The main reason that some people prefer OLH to Page Mill is that OLH is easier (shorter and less steep). Also, during the summer, OLH has more shade.

The road from Alpine down to Portola State Park is steep.

Climbing Alpine to Skyline is a nice route if you want a shorter loop. Stanford to OLH to Hwy 84 to Alpine to Page Mill to Stanford is around 35 miles. Alpine has little shade and can get hot during the summer.

Those are all fine roads. You should try them all.

+1


Skyline is scenic, but so are Page Mill and Alpine. Skyline has more traffic

Not only is there more traffic on Skyline, but it tends to go much faster than the other roads. In addition, Skyline is is the most likely to be cold and foggy. If you plan a ride to Skyline I would bring a rear blinky in case it is foggy.

That said, I love the descent on Skyline from Bear Gulch down to Alice's :thumb:

Thanks for sharing this route. Gotta schedule a ride on this route one of this days. Maybe when the temps hit in the mid 80's since this route looks like there is a lot of shade especially going up on Tunitas.

Just don't start too late, since Page Mill can get warm in the afternoon. The rest of the route is great on a hot sunny day.

I road up Mt. Hamilton for the first time today, starting from Quimby road. Quimby road was the most painful 5 miles I've ever experienced, but thats what made it fun. But, descending Quimby road was AWFUL. I think next time I'll descend Mt. Hamilton road.
Mt. Hamilton is one of my new favorites rides.

All this talking about the Page Mill - Tunitas Creek route inspired me to try the 180-degree version today (still clockwise, but starting in Loma Mar). 62.5 miles, about 7000' according to bikely.
http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Loma-Mar-Tunitas-Page-Mill-loop

The nice thing about doing it this way was taking Pescadero and Stage before the coastal winds picked up, and the 3 little climbs on Stage were a nice warm-up for Tunitas. Also Arastradero Preserve was a great place for a rest stop before hitting Page Mill.

The downside, of course, was climbing Page Mill in the middle of the hot sunny afternoon. I saw the temp creep up to 100F in the sun at a couple of points.

Beautiful day out though. :thumb:

The downside, of course, was climbing Page Mill in the middle of the hot sunny afternoon. I saw the temp creep up to 100F in the sun at a couple of points.


You are tougher than me to climb Page Mill in 100F weather.

If you need it, there are a couple of public water fountains near the top of Page Mill Road. One is adjacent to the 0.4 mile marker (on the left side of the road as you climb). It is on private property, but owner graciously installed it for passing bicyclists and hikers. The second water fountain is near the nature center at the corner of Skyline & Alpine. You need to ride down a short dirt trail to get to it. Take the trail down on the left of Alpine Road; the tunnel under the road is off limits to bicycles. Once you pass these, there is no more water until you get to Sam McDonald Park on Pescadero Road.