Trollbie

What are good trips for a road bike around this area? I haven't been riding in a depressingly long time because I couldn't afford a bike, so I am out of shape. It's disgusting... I'm also still getting used to the bike so I don't want to do anything crazy just yet. I thought riding up to Half Moon Bay might be a good first trip. What do you think? Suggestions?

TIA

bam

there are a lot of options...

santa cruz to half moon bay would be at least a 100 mile round trip. maybe a little long for your first one? you could check out empire grade to start.

Trollbie

But it's a pretty smooth ride, no? I wouldn't do it in one day. I'd stay the night at a friend's house and ride back the next day.

Ride Empire Grade up and then down? Or do a loop?

bam

if you intended to go up the coast i would say be mindful of traffic and prepared for head/cross wind.

you could go up empire grade as far as you like and just turn around. or take a left on ice cream grade (or pine flat) and take bonny doon back to the coast. there are lots of things to see and do on a bike in the santa cruz mountains. big basin is also a required ride.

Trollbie

What about Hwy 9? I've never even drove there

Lanceoldstrong

Stop in The Spokesman Bicycles in downtown Santa Cruz and ask them for some routes.
Wade Hall and crew there are super friendly and they gave me a really nice route from Santa Cruz to Scott's Valley once.
They hand drew a map for me on a piece of paper, very helpful.

qpliu

Why not do some shorter rides to scout out the area? North on Hwy 1 to Davenport and back, or add on the Swanton loop. South towards Watsonville on Freedom or San Andreas. Or for climbs less challenging than Empire Grade, there's Hwy 9 to Felton, or Soquel-San Jose out of Soquel, or Hazel Dell or Eureka Canyon from Corralitos.

Trollbie

I can ride my bike to San Jose?!? That'd be awesome! I didn't know there was a bike friendly route

bam

do you know the way?

Trollbie

no. I didn't even know there was a way

Trollbie

is it the old san jose road?

starvingdavid

yeah, the only tricky part is Los Gatos, you kind of have to ride on 17 for a bit by Lexington, it sounds worse than it is, since your really on an exit lane that almost no one uses. You can also go on a little dirt path which works just as well. To get down to LG from the top of Lexington you will also have to ride on the LG creek trail which is unpaved, I have done this about six times on my road bike, no big deal.

Trollbie

Thanks!!

Jamming

You could go around Lexington and avoid the freeway altogether.Old Santa Cruz Highway Turn right on Alma Bridge Road ride around the reservoir and climb up the hill by the parking lot next to the dam. The creek trail is closed.

bam

i do prefer the trip around the reservoir myself. the right turn you want is on aldercroft heights rd. it's hard to miss since it's the first right turn after the stop sign at idylwild rd. after a short descent it comes to a T where you want to make a left to get on alma bridge rd.

what's this about the trail being closed? st joes is a fun option for the slightly more adventurous but afaik the creek trail is open.

ericm979

It was closed last week. Supposedly the closure ended the 2nd.

The freeway is ok to ride if you're going north. There's one grate that you have to go out into traffic to ride around but most of the way there's a reasonable shoulder. I've gone south (wrong way) on it but that's kind of sketchy not to mention illegal.