Gravel biking around Sonoma
08-05-23, 02:08 PM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: SoCal
Posts: 1,186
Bikes: 2016 Surly Cross Check, 2019 Kona Rove ST
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 284 Post(s)
Liked 313 Times
in
211 Posts
Gravel biking around Sonoma
Anybody live in the Sonoma area and care to share any gravel-ish routes they enjoy? We may be relocating up north this year from LA, will be scouting different areas. Years ago, my family lived near Boyes Hot Springs, but this was long before I got into cycling. I just remember it being pretty flat. I can always drive to trailheads, but curious how the riding is door to door in the Sonoma area.
When visiting NorCal lately, I've done some riding in Annadel in Santa Rosa and that was great, and of course there's excellent riding around Marin. I'm used to SoCal "gravel" riding, y'know, dust, dirt and rocks that go straight up
Gravel map and MTB Project don't show anything right around Sonoma, same with rides I find in Ride with GPS. It's all pretty much paved--is it just roadie territory around there?
When visiting NorCal lately, I've done some riding in Annadel in Santa Rosa and that was great, and of course there's excellent riding around Marin. I'm used to SoCal "gravel" riding, y'know, dust, dirt and rocks that go straight up
Gravel map and MTB Project don't show anything right around Sonoma, same with rides I find in Ride with GPS. It's all pretty much paved--is it just roadie territory around there?
Last edited by pbass; 08-05-23 at 02:17 PM.
08-06-23, 12:22 PM
#2
Happy banana slug
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Arcata, California, U.S., North America, Earth, Saggitarius Arm, Milky Way
Posts: 3,696
Bikes: 1984 Araya MB 261, 1992 Specialized Rockhopper Sport, 1993 Hard Rock Ultra, 1994 Trek Multitrack 750, 1995 Trek Singletrack 930
Mentioned: 31 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1533 Post(s)
Liked 1,530 Times
in
917 Posts
Check Gravel Map for Sonoma. Good luck, I have bupkis near me.
08-08-23, 08:35 AM
#3
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Monte Rio CA
Posts: 1,009
Bikes: Motobecane Le Champion, Raleigh International, Bertin, Raleigh DL-1 1980, Colnago Super,Follis, Bianchi Competizione, Brompton M6L, Black Mountain Monstercros
Mentioned: 48 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 125 Post(s)
Liked 839 Times
in
151 Posts
In West County- look up: Willow Creek Rd., Islands in The Sky, Old Cazadero Rd. Some of our paved roads have stretches that lend themselves to "gravel bikes/tires" (King Ridge, Ft. Ross, Skaggs...).
-D
-D
Likes For djkashuba:
08-08-23, 03:17 PM
#4
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: SoCal
Posts: 1,186
Bikes: 2016 Surly Cross Check, 2019 Kona Rove ST
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 284 Post(s)
Liked 313 Times
in
211 Posts
Looks like for riding in Sonoma proper (like Sonoma City) we're looking at pavement mostly (until you get more west), but it's not too far from where I used to live in Boyes Hot Springs to ride up to Annadel for some dirt.
08-08-23, 08:23 PM
#5
Happy banana slug
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Arcata, California, U.S., North America, Earth, Saggitarius Arm, Milky Way
Posts: 3,696
Bikes: 1984 Araya MB 261, 1992 Specialized Rockhopper Sport, 1993 Hard Rock Ultra, 1994 Trek Multitrack 750, 1995 Trek Singletrack 930
Mentioned: 31 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1533 Post(s)
Liked 1,530 Times
in
917 Posts
Are you familiar with Henry Wildeberry's YouTube channel?; he lives in Sonoma and does a lot of riding. He and Ms. Cools are more randonneurs, so their rides can run 100 miles or more; but anyway, he posts his routes on Strava. If it helps, some of those roads are pretty remote and have little to no traffic.
Likes For Korina:
