Touring - Highway 1 Solo

Hi all,

I am considering riding the 1 this summer, and because I don't know any other cyclists who have the time to do so, I am thinking about doing it solo. I have not decided on how far to go (where to start and end) and this would have to be a self-supported trip--I would tow a bob trailer behind my Specialized Tarmac.

Does anyone have experience riding the 1 solo? Thoughts on touring by oneself in general?

If you feel like sharing any knowledge, I'm all ears...

For many, solo touring is preferred. Hwy 1 stretches quite a distance, so specific comments on your proposed ride may not be helpful.

However, generally speaking go north to south because of prevailing winds, because you won't have to cross traffic to get in and out of the scenic overlooks, the ocean (the scenery) is closer, and CALTRANS made the road is more bicycle friendly. In summer expect lots of traffic and fog, but at the same time plenty of other cyclists and wonderful (and cheap) places to camp.

Highway 1 ... across Canada?

No, the Pacific Coast Highway, down the west coast of the US.

This will be the ideal trip for you. Aside from spectacular scenery, there will be many cyclists of all ages from all over the world. Many of them will meet up and ride with each other day-after-day. Or not. Your choice.

I did it in 2008. It is good for riding solo because there will be tons of other cyclists. All of the cyclists camp at the same biker/hiker sites. All of the cyclists travel roughly the same speed. All of the cyclists ride north to south. So this means that you get to know everyone within a day or two of you. I heard about other groups of riders long before I met them because I would talk to their friends at the campground. I ended up riding 90% of the days with other riders, and we had a pretty tight pack by the time we got to San Diego.

I am really considering doing it! Aside from loving cycling, I am about to start graduate school at UC Davis and I think a trip like this would be both a great way to see a lot of the state in which I'm destined to spend the next 6 years living as well as have an adventure before getting back to the grind of school.

Dan, and others if you have experience/knowledge with the route, if I only have 2 weeks to ride, any suggestions for a beginning and end point? I may be able to extend the trip, but since this is my first tour I am hesitant to overextend meyself. I have considered San Francisco to Los Angeles (although navigating my way to LAX may be a hassle afterwards), or maybe going Portland to San Francisco (I have contacts in both cities so I could probably enlist them for airport help).

Any more advice?

I rode from San Francisco to Los Angeles along the Pacific Coast in 2009 (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?588175-Back-from-My-First-Tour-Pacific-Coast-Route). It was my first big tour and I went alone. It took me seven days of pedaling, but I probably could have done it in six. I did a credit card tour so I wouldn't have to carry as much stuff or do all the camp setup/tear-down stuff myself. Lots of elevation gain through Big Sur, so it helps if you're in good shape, have the right gearing, and travel light. I went after Labor Day, so the weather was still very nice but the amount of traffic/tourists was greatly reduced.

I took Amtrak back to San Jose when the trip was over. Rode to the station early in the morning. Traffic was still a bit intimidating, but probably not nearly as bad as trying to get to LAX. The train takes 10 hours, or something like that, but tickets are cheap and bringing a bike is cheap+easy.

SF to LA is a good 7-9 days, you could go to San Diego. The part between LA and SD isn't terribly exciting, but there are lots of cute little beach towns, and you really are right on the coast for a bunch of it, which is nice, get some sand between your toes.

The Big Sur coast (south of Monterrey) is really spectacular. The San Diego airport is close to the coast. Don't worry too much about LA, just get through it, there's only a little that's icky, there's a lot of beach side bike path.

If you can use Southwest Airlines, they have the lowest bike shipping cost.

It's hilly, though. Road bike gearing might be too steep. A mountain bike might be a better choice, a tour bike of course would be the best. If you don't have a choice, I would pack REALLY light, and use a rack on your road bike instead of wasting all that weight on the bob itself. www.thetouringstore.com has racks/mount systems for bikes w/o eyelets, they are in fort collins.

Thanks! I appreciate all of the advice so far. Reading over the comments here and my friend's blog (pedalingforpeople.org), I am considering Portland to Santa Barbara. This will ensure I see my friends in both Portland and SF, hit Big Sur, and fly out of a relatively small airport (which luckily has a cheap, direct flight back to Colorado Springs with amenable bicycle shipping charges).

Valygrl, I was wondering about my gearing and the extra weight too. The Yak Bob Trailer weighs 13.5 lbs, so not that bad. Do you think there would be much of a weight savings with the racks and paniers? On vacations/trips, I am a classic under-packer, so I can't imagine I'd overdo it here either. Maybe the paniers would at least be a cheaper option?

Anyone know much about the route from Portland to SF? Any feedback here?

I did Seattle to SF in 2006 as my first ever bike tour. I even bought the bike from Silverdale and just loaded up and went. Had never even riden a loaded bike before. Just go for it :)

I haven't done a chunk of the coast from Crescent City CA to Legget CA, but have done the rest of it, and I think Portland to Santa Barbara is completely perfect. You'll love it. It's hilly, some is in the redwood forest, some is on the coast. Oregon Coast is absolutely spectacular. There are plenty of bike shops in Santa Barbara that you can get a box from, and you can probably get a shuttle to the airport from town.

If you are an really an under-packer, you can get away with just a rear rack and panniers.

From thetouringstore web site (call Wayne, he'll help you figure out what you need):
Tubus FLy rack = 11 ounces (with a 40 pound carrying capacity, and you can get the quick release adaptor and put it on your carbon bike),
Lone Peak P400 panniers, 46 ounces (or other Lone Peak or Ortlieb, all pretty light - also try Performance Transit brand, check weight, they are probably light)

Total under 4 pounds for the cargo system, compared to the 13 for the BOB. If you add a front rack and panniers, you are STILL probably 4 pounds less than the BOB. You'll have all the weight on your rear wheel, you should probably try to get a high-spoke-count wheel and use the fattest tire you can fit, and the biggest cassette you can fit - ask a shop what would be involved in putting a 32 tooth mountain bike cassette on there, and the smallest chain ring you could get. If you can get as low a gear as possible, you'll be happier.

If you can get as low a gear as possible, you'll be happier.

Agree with this. I took something like 22lbs of gear, plus water, plus the bike for a total of about 51lbs. I used a 12-27 cassette and did training rides with a compact crank (54- and 30-tooth rings), a road triple (52/39/30), and a trekking crank (48/36/26) before finally settling on the trekking crank. There's not a huge difference in gearing between these options, but after the 2nd or 3rd big hill of the day I found my legs felt distinctly more fresh when I was using the slightly lower gearing provided by the trekking crank.

As far as routing, either buy the ACA Pacific Coast maps (http://www.adventurecycling.org/routes/pacificcoast.cfm) or Bicycling the Pacific Coast (http://www.amazon.com/Bicycling-Pacific-Coast-Vicky-Spring/dp/0898869544), or both. Bicycling the Pacific Coast is better for the planning stages of a tour, but the ACA maps are more useful when you're actually on tour.

I've got a bunch of video, pics, blog, etc... on my website

http://www.asanacycles.com/Asana_Cycles/Whats_new/Archive.html

there are pretty much daily entries, with video from Portland to Big Sur... straight down HWY 1

i hope this helps...

d-

this is a solid intro
http://www.asanacycles.com/Asana_Cycles/Whats_new/Entries/2009/8/4_Portland_to_Ventura.html

I haven't done a chunk of the coast from Crescent City CA to Legget CA, but have done the rest of it, and I think Portland to Santa Barbara is completely perfect.

She rather conveniently missed the most dangerous portion of this trip. The traffic/road conditions here are so bad that I substitute 25 miles of clay "road" when I ride from Eugene, OR to Davis, CA twice a year. Consider kicking out at Ferndale to the Lost Coast. The hills are truly brutal, but you are rewarded with near solitude and super friendly locals. A.W.Way campground is about 9 miles from Honeydew. Turn towards Ettesburg at Honeydew and make your way to Usal Road (the 25 miles of clay). Usal is trapped between a hunting preserve and a wilderness. Usal ends at hwy 1 thirty miles north of Fort Bragg, but there is a primitive campground five miles from the end of Usal. The only service between Ferndale and hwy 1 if you take the Lost Coast is a bar in Petrolia and a small store in Honeydew, so be self-sufficient.

After you live in Davis for a few years, you will do anything to ride in the hills. The nearest hill to Davis is 25 miles away, and it isn't much. During the decades I lived there my wife and I rode to the Sonoma Coast on weekends pretty regularly. I hope you have as much fun there as we did.

Thanks for all the helpful comments so far. My copy of Bicycling the Pacific Coast should arrive tomorrow or Saturday. It'll be good to be able to plan, more concretely, some of the details of the trip. (Although I think I'm just going to calculate an average mileage, throw in a couple rest days to meet up with friends along the way, plus an extra "oh ****" day, and go.)

I think I'll look into a different cassette and maybe smaller chain ring. Here in Colorado Springs I do get a lot of climbing in, and it's definitely my biggest strength as a rider. Still, it's probably better to be more humble for a 1200 mile trip and gear lower...

AsanaCycles, thanks for the links! I've read through a bit of the entries already. I really dig your setup--I think minimal is the way to go.

That said, do you have a packing list from that trip? I can see some of what you brought in the videos but I'm curious if I'm missing anything? Thanks again!

Thanks for all the helpful comments so far. My copy of Bicycling the Pacific Coast should arrive tomorrow or Saturday. It'll be good to be able to plan, more concretely, some of the details of the trip. (Although I think I'm just going to calculate an average mileage, throw in a couple rest days to meet up with friends along the way, plus an extra "oh ****" day, and go.)

Bicycling the Pacific Coast includes a suggested schedule based on mileage and the availability of campgrounds...

Bicycling the Pacific Coast includes a suggested schedule based on mileage and the availability of campgrounds...

Yeah, I know. But from what I've read the routes are only broken up into around 45 miles a day or so. I plan to use the book as a reference for campsites and general map, but will go at my own pace.

AsanaCycles, thanks for the links! I've read through a bit of the entries already. I really dig your setup--I think minimal is the way to go.

That said, do you have a packing list from that trip? I can see some of what you brought in the videos but I'm curious if I'm missing anything? Thanks again!

kifaru paratarp with annex
kifaru woobie
thermarest.... the smallest one
Packafeather stove
Snow Peak solo cook set

zoic jersey... its decent enough to actually wear as casual wear, if you'd like.
that is.... maybe you dont want to wear a bike specific jersey thereby avoiding carrying yet another shirt.
prana knickers
Patagonia Capaline long johns
PI Optik jacket... i think this year they call it PRO Barrier

2 pairs of rei wool socks, long... simply fold down to ankles when needed... simply roll up and cover with long johns when in camp to hold in heat
1 beanie
PI Armwarmers, and knee warmers
bootie covers for bike shoes
toe covers
1 pair of crocs
PI cyclone gloves
PI glove liners
cycling glasses, need to have interchangeable lenses, clear, etc...

cell phone
digi cam, canon a540
tripod (http://www.pedcopods.com/index.shtml)
iPod
solio charger
cateye uno light
6 rechargeable AA's (2 for digi cam, 1 for light... 3 for back up)
quick charger (radio shack... 30 minute charge... slides down on itself)

tooth brush, cut down short
floss... take out of plastic box
unit dose chamois buttr.... a&d ointment works too
2oz contact lens solution
glasses
small qty of tylenol/advil/asprin/benadryl
neosporin
sunblock... i use Neutrogena Ultrasheer with helioplex (http://www.neutrogena.com/econsumer/ntg/productdetail.browse?segment=women&catId=3&subCatId=9&productId=329&target=/products/sun/ultra-sheer-dry-touch-sunblock-spf-55-&-70.jsp)
cloth bandage tape (sm qty)

smallest swiss army knife
sm bic lighter
water proof matches
sm sewing kit (i do mean SMALL... 1 needle, sm spool of blk thread)


angle hair pasta
quinoa
oatmeal
boost?
snickers bar(s)?
hammer gel?
perpetuem?


HEET

bike tools:

you'd be surprised about multi tools. they are bricks. go thru your bike and discover exactly what allens you need. then take regular allen wrenches. if you geek out, cut them down. and take a chain tool. I use a park
http://www.parktool.com/products/detail.asp?cat=5&item=CT%2D5
use a chain with a quick link
and bring an extra quick link.

Yeah, I know. But from what I've read the routes are only broken up into around 45 miles a day or so. I plan to use the book as a reference for campsites and general map, but will go at my own pace.

i've had that book for awhile
I've sat and read that thing a few time
sit with google earth, and recon your route

scan sections of the book you need... maybe
don't take a book

I rode Portland to Ventura without a map
its easy
keep the water to your right
sun in your face
follow the signs

if in doubt
stop and ask a person for some info

my buddy carries that book
and to top it off, the edition he carried is out of date!

he's toured the cali coast for a number of years...
why he carries the book i have no idea

Morro Bay to SB is not the best

its worse past Ventura.

in fact...

I hop on the Amtrak in SLO and forget the rest.

camp at Morro

wake up decent
ride into SLO
and grab the train...

go to Gus's Market for food before you get on the train or Amtrak Bus.

you do not have to box your bike on the Surfliner


more links:

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?566271-Portland-to-Ventura-LA

this is a good long thread too...
a variety of touring methods with the same bike, and various luggage
http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=445185

+10 on the Ferndale-Usal Road Lost Coast/Unknown Coast option suggested by B. Carfree above. It was part of my first ever bike tour long ago. I have repeated the route several times in either direction over the years. Never easy but quite worth the effort for the isolation and scenery.

Yeah, I know. But from what I've read the routes are only broken up into around 45 miles a day or so. I plan to use the book as a reference for campsites and general map, but will go at my own pace.

You should read the book before making assumptions. Their daily mileage and stopping points generally make a lot of sense, especially if you're touring on a loaded bike...

You should read the book before making assumptions. Their daily mileage and stopping points generally make a lot of sense, especially if you're touring on a loaded bike...

yes, the book is full of info

the Oregon Coast is the easiest of the touring
Oregon State Parks are generally nicer than the Cali ones too
the shoulder of the road in Oregon is also better...

the worst being south of Morro Bay

Morro Bay to SB is not the best

its worse past Ventura.

in fact...

I hop on the Amtrak in SLO and forget the rest.


I would agree with this somewhat. After Santa Barbara, the ride begins to get a bit boring. Still, it's worth going all the way to L.A. at least once. Or at least Santa Barbara. For me, traffic through Malibu was very heavy and the shoulder is generally filled with parked cars so you don't have a whole lot of room. Once you get closer to L.A., the bike paths along the beach are kinda nice if not necessarily speedy. When you leave the coast, though, all bets are off...

I would agree with this somewhat. After Santa Barbara, the ride begins to get a bit boring. Still, it's worth going all the way to L.A. at least once. Or at least Santa Barbara. For me, traffic through Malibu was very heavy and the shoulder is generally filled with parked cars so you don't have a whole lot of room. Once you get closer to L.A., the bike paths along the beach are kinda nice if not necessarily speedy. When you leave the coast, though, all bets are off...

I'm jaded and crass
I grew up in Ventura
and my dad was quick to quote me, "ventura and SB is Northern LA"

I'm of the likes of Humboldt County... I'm not a mega-opolis type... I can't stand brown fog, etc...


pics
train station in SLO
view of LA from Griffith Observatory
from up above Ojai... looking south-ish
clean LA subway station

You should read the book before making assumptions. Their daily mileage and stopping points generally make a lot of sense, especially if you're touring on a loaded bike...

I'm sure that they do, and you can bet I'll be reading the book; after all, I purchased it for a reason. All the same, while on tour I plan to ride more than 2.5-3 hours per day...

I'm sure that they do, and you can bet I'll be reading the book; after all, I purchased it for a reason. All the same, while on tour I plan to ride more than 2.5-3 hours per day...

you are going to be so squared away...

I'm sure that they do, and you can bet I'll be reading the book; after all, I purchased it for a reason. All the same, while on tour I plan to ride more than 2.5-3 hours per day...

Yes, I think the authors understand that... Short days tend to be short for a reason. Sometimes it's because of the availability of decent campgrounds. Sometimes it's because there's a popular attraction along the route that many people choose to visit. Sometimes it's because the route itself is difficult (e.g. due to elevation gain or traffic conditions).

And sometimes it's just because bicycle touring takes more time: you have to teardown camp and pack in the morning, setup camp in the evenings, and because your pace hauling 40-50lbs of gear isn't nearly as fast as when you're ripping around your neighborhood with your jersey pockets empty. Pretty easy to chew up an hour in the morning and a couple of hours in the evening if you're camping and cook for yourself. Easy to burn another hour/day on lunch and snack breaks and another 5-10 minutes every hour if you stop to take pictures. Combine that 4-5 hours of overhead with the 10mph pace that many tourists average and you start to see why 50-60 mile days start to make sense...

plus the touring demographic has a huge range...
ability levels, finance, etc...

What are your opinions of starting in Seattle rather than Portland? I've been turning this over in my head for the past couple of days. I can't decide if it's worth starting in Portland for the convenience of knowing people who could pick me up from the airport, help get me going, etc., or if it's worth starting higher up since I'm doing the tour anyway...

Opinions?

I rode the 1 last summer. Parts of it were spectacular. Once you get into the LA area it isn't as cool. I rode it solo and I thought it was fine.

Do you want to 'ride the 1' or do you just want to ride in that area?

I rode the 1 last summer. Parts of it were spectacular. Once you get into the LA area it isn't as cool. I rode it solo and I thought it was fine.

Do you want to 'ride the 1' or do you just want to ride in that area?

I'm pretty sure I'm going to go from Portland to Santa Barbara, so I'll miss LA. I'm planning on taking the 1 all the way down...

Your plan Portland to SB sounds good. It's hard to declare a favorite section of the PCH. It's all great in my experience. When I did the full ride it was from Seattle north into Canada and then back and down the west side of the Olympic Peninsula.

Oregon is terrific and is comparitively easy for a warm up, and northern California is absolutely beautiful but is probably harder. You can't make a mistake no matter where you start. I even loved the LA and southern section.

Please take your time and enjoy the sights, history and, above all, the amazing people you will meet.

I'm gonna be a little snarky but 1 doesn't run that far north. It starts in Leggett CA I think. From Portland you need to head out to the coast then you'll be taking the 101.

Portland to SB is a great choice. That stretch was the best of my trip. Anything after SB isn't as cool. 1 south of San Francisco is terrible but there isn't any other choice. Just put your blinders on and enjoy the scenery.

During your trip you must stop at: Langlois, OR for famous hot dogs; the Swanton Berry farm north of Santa Cruz for their biker discount; and at the crazy chapel south of Gualala, CA for the neat architecture.

1 south of San Francisco is terrible but there isn't any other choice. Just put your blinders on and enjoy the scenery.

During your trip you must stop at: Langlois, OR for famous hot dogs; the Swanton Berry farm north of Santa Cruz for their biker discount; and at the crazy chapel south of Gualala, CA for the neat architecture.

Anything in particular I should know about beforehand? Thanks for the stop recommendations! If I can work them into my trip I definitely will!

Hwy 1 south of SF is NOT horrible, there are a few short sections that has too much traffic & not enough shoulder.
Tillamook Cheese Factory in Tillamook, OR.
Davenport Cafe in Davenport, just north of Santa Cruz.
Gayles Bakery in Capitola or Tacqueria Vallarta in Santa Cruz.
Camp at Kirk Creek campground in Big Sur, the hiker/biker campsites have a spectacular view.

Yeah, don't forget to stop in Newport Beach, OR at the Rouge Brewery. Rouge beer is excellent. They have a little bar and their distillery on the south side dock. There is a campground there too in case you drink a bit too much.

I did HW 1 from SF to Leggett (where it ends and you grab 101), and 101 until Crescent City. HW 1 was the hardest part of my trip. Granted, I'm headed north, but even still. The hills and switchbacks are a beast. It was mostly cold-ish when I went through. The headwind was crazy as well. The scenery was gorgeous. 1 itself has no shoulder, and is two lanes for almost all of it, and a fair bit of traffic. There are certain stretches with very intense hills, but any modern day bike with any kind of solid brakes should do fine. HW199 to inland also had no shoulder, and tons of switchbacks and logging trucks.

There are a lot of hills along the coast, but for a geared/freewheeled bike you shouldn't have any problems. There are so many places to stop, I'd say you needn't carry any more food than you will immediately eat.

Anything in particular I should know about beforehand? Thanks for the stop recommendations! If I can work them into my trip I definitely will!


Hwy 1 south of SF is NOT horrible, there are a few short sections that has too much traffic & not enough shoulder.
Tillamook Cheese Factory in Tillamook, OR.
Davenport Cafe in Davenport, just north of Santa Cruz.
Gayles Bakery in Capitola or Tacqueria Vallarta in Santa Cruz.
Camp at Kirk Creek campground in Big Sur, the hiker/biker campsites have a spectacular view.

Riding through the devil's slide area south of Pacific is what I'm referring to. That was the only time I ever felt that I was taking a risk while riding on my tour. They were in the process of building a tunnel/bridge which might be getting done soon so potentially the high traffic problem could be over with.

Riding through the devil's slide area south of Pacific is what I'm referring to. That was the only time I ever felt that I was taking a risk while riding on my tour. They were in the process of building a tunnel/bridge which might be getting done soon so potentially the high traffic problem could be over with.

I thought there was some "locals only" way to bypass the Devil's Slide section of Highway 1. Maybe through McNee Ranch State Park? Probably a lot more climbing, but a lot less traffic... if it works.

Alternatively, I'd follow Skyline Blvd out of San Francisco and pick-up the San Andreas Trail near Skyline and San Bruno Ave. Follow the SAT until it turns into Sawyer Camp Trail near Hillcrest Blvd. Once the Sawyer Camp Trail ends, follow Skyline Blvd southeast. Shoulders are narrow/nonexistent in places and there's a bit of climbing, but there typically aren't many cars. Jog over to Canada Rd. at Highway 92 and continue southeast.

To get back to the coast, you'll have to climb over the Santa Cruz "mountains". Two good possibilities are Kings Mountain Rd. to Tunitas Creek Rd. or Old LaHonda Rd. to Pescadero Creek Rd. Both routes are narrow and winding with no shoulder, but have relatively little car traffic and are popular with bicyclists. If you go the Old LaHonda/Pescadero route and can live without the coast a bit longer, take Cloverdale southeast past Butano State Park then use Gazos Creek Road to get back to 1. Warm, unlike the coast, and very peaceful!

The "locals only" route follows "Old Pedro Mountain Road" and climbs almost 1000' up and over where the new Devils Slide tunnel is going. It is overgrown and hard to find without a knowledgeable guide. Also, there is plenty of Poison Oak which is hard to avoid in sections.

Personally, I think by the time one reaches this short section around Devils Slide it is relatively small potatoes compared to many of the hills one has already encountered coming from Oregon. It is only a few hundred feet of 4-6% climbing in about three miles and a spectacular blast down the other side. Then there are wide shoulders for most of the rest of the way down 1 to Santa Cruz.

Yeah, I agree w/ The Smokester - Devil's Slide gets a lot of bad press, but it's over in 15 minutes. Sure it sucks, but it's not worth burning a lot of energy worrying about it or avoiding it. IMO, YMMV, My $0.02, etc. etc.

Yeah, I agree w/ The Smokester - Devil's Slide gets a lot of bad press, but it's over in 15 minutes. Sure it sucks, but it's not worth burning a lot of energy worrying about it or avoiding it. IMO, YMMV, My $0.02, etc. etc.

Have you ridden it recently? Google StreetView makes it look like there are now concrete barriers blocking the shoulder for quite a bit of Highway 1 around Pacifica... Doesn't look like the kind of place I'd want to ride given that there were alternatives available.

Have you ridden it recently? Google StreetView makes it look like there are now concrete barriers blocking the shoulder for quite a bit of Highway 1 around Pacifica... Doesn't look like the kind of place I'd want to ride given that there were alternatives available.

It was under construction w/ Jersey Barriers when I rode it in '07... so no. Point taken, I should keep my older information to myself. :)

Have you ridden it recently? Google StreetView makes it look like there are now concrete barriers blocking the shoulder for quite a bit of Highway 1 around Pacifica... Doesn't look like the kind of place I'd want to ride given that there were alternatives available.

You are right to a point, but probably underestimate the cost of the available alternatives.

I hesitate to make much more of this section because it is not a big deal in my mind. I've ridden Devils Slide twice recently: Three and four weekends ago. These barriers are for a relatively short distance and (from memory) much of it is fairly steep downhill (7-10%, steeper than the uphill going south) so it doesn't last long and you are mostly flying along. Sometimes the wind can be a bit gusty at the top , but if it is nice there is a place to pull out and admire the view of the coastline. I was going to say before that during the (southward) descent it is important to "take the lane" in places because of these concrete barriers. You will be going fast and will not be much of a bother to the traffic behind you. The traffic is accustomed to bicyclists and moves pretty slowly in this area because it is steep and windy (whine-dee, not win-dee once you leave the summit). Bicycles are just as fast as cars on this downhill section. It is also best to hit this area in midmorning up to say 2p to avoid the commuting traffic which goes north into San Francisco in the morning (not a problem if you are going south) but returns south in the afternoon.

IMHO, there are much, much harder and more miserable places on 101...Like coming south on 101 out of Eureka. By the time you get to Devils Slide it will not be very extraordinary.

You are right to a point, but probably underestimate the cost of the available alternatives.

I hesitate to make much more of this section because it is not a big deal in my mind. I've ridden Devils Slide twice recently: Three and four weekends ago. These barriers are for a relatively short distance and (from memory) much of it is fairly steep downhill (7-10%, steeper than the uphill going south) so it doesn't last long and you are mostly flying along. Sometimes the wind can be a bit gusty at the top , but if it is nice there is a place to pull out and admire the view of the coastline. I was going to say before that during the (southward) descent it is important to "take the lane" in places because of these concrete barriers. You will be going fast and will not be much of a bother to the traffic behind you. The traffic is accustomed to bicyclists and moves pretty slowly in this area because it is steep and windy (whine-dee, not win-dee once you leave the summit). Bicycles are just as fast as cars on this downhill section. It is also best to hit this area in midmorning up to say 2p to avoid the commuting traffic which goes north into San Francisco in the morning (not a problem if you are going south) but returns south in the afternoon.

IMHO, there are much, much harder and more miserable places on 101...Like coming south on 101 out of Eureka. By the time you get to Devils Slide it will not be very extraordinary.


Yea when I rode through there it was afternoon, probably getting into the rush hour traffic.

I agree that the downhill parts are easy. It's the uphill in traffic that I remember as being bad.

I rode out of Eureka early and probably on a Sunday so I don't remember that section being bad. I also took a lot of back roads once I got out of the immediate vicinity.