Tonemark

Want to ride SF to Santa Cruz using new Devils Slide multi-use path. But is Hwy 1 surrounding Pacifica/Montara still scary and narrow for a squeamish rider like myself? In general, how bad and bike shoulder-unfriendly is Hwy 1 SF-SC?

shotwellian

CA-1 from Montara to Santa Cruz has a nice wide shoulder the whole way.

However, if you're squeamish about traffic, you wouldn't like CA-1 from Linda Mar in Pacifica up to the Devil's Slide Trail or CA-1 from the Devil's Slide Trail down to Montara. There's no shoulder on these two segments, which are roughly a mile each.

You can avoid the whole stretch by taking beautiful, semi-paved San Pedro Mountain Road (nicknamed Planet of the Apes Road), which begins at Higgins Way in Pacifica and ends at Cedar Street in Montara. You can take side streets and bike paths the whole way from SF to Pacifica. San Pedro Mtn climbs up to 1000 feet, but the climbing is very gradual, as the road (a former alignment of the coast highway) was built in 1915 when cars couldn't handle steep grades. Even if you don't usually ride on dirt, San Pedro Mtn is a treat. Just go slowly and dismount at the 2 or 3 roughest spots.

MightyTour 

I did this in May. There is a pretty scary part of Hwy 1 after Pacifica and not too far before the Devil's Slide (slight incline, curvy road, cars go fast, not much shoulder and what there is, is covered in slippery tree bark and random trash). I ended up pushing my fully loaded Surly up about a half mile of it, simply because I didn't trust my own flinch reflexes if something got too close to me or if I was to slip sideways on a piece of bark.

Makes the Devil's Slide that much more enjoyable, though!

Nick94804

It's very narrow with no shoulder at all from Linda Mar Blvd to the tunnels...maybe a mile or so. There are better times of day, i.e. very early, to ride it. It's also better to ride it when southbound traffic is horrifically bad, i.e. slow. So pick your poison. Once you get to the tunnels, Hwy 1 has a nice shoulder, though you want to be aware of the drunks. Higgins is a great and scenic work around. It'll be gravel from the summit down to Hwy 1, so be prepared. it drops you back onto 1 at Montara, you'll have to cross 1 to get going S in the correct direction. Be careful. I've done both routes many times. I take the risk on 1 for a short mile in the early a.m. every time now, but I'm kind of aggressive about taking the lane. Personally, I'm more terrified in Half Moon Bay...shoulder and all, there are some real numbskulls down there.