Hello,
I plan on possibly taking a bike tour from Santa Barbara California to Gilroy California this November. I know how to check on prevailing weather, and I'm a hardy fellow, so I have no problems camping out.
My problem arises when I seek to get a route. The map application on my tablet gives great advice for an expeditious route...for a car. I want a route that is scenic, safe, and has interesting places to visit etc.
How do you old salts find such a route?
Hopefully, somebody out there can give me some good ideas on how to get started.

I always pick the "backest -of the back roads" that is pavement. I am terrified of heavy traffic. I like shoulders, but if there isn't much traffic shoulders aren't necessary. I sure you can find a California bike map on-line that gives local traffic volumes. Pick the least one and you should be set.

This isn't so much a problem in the Mid-West or Western States (other than California). Seems to me that when I rode from S.F. to Tahoe (20yrs ago) I didnt have any problem with using a state map from the gas station. No problem at all.

I used RideWithGPS.com. It's free and based on Google Maps, but it allows you to save your route. I select the "Avoid Highways" checkbox, set the starting and ending locations, and let Google choose the initial route. Then I use Street View (i.e., drop the little Mr. Google Man onto a road) to see if a road is scenic, safe, etc. If I find a better (i.e., smaller) road, I drag the route to the new road. I describe the method (and how I print a map book) on this page on Crazy Guy. If I get stumped (i.e., I can't find an acceptable route between two locations), I'll sometimes ask here.

Wait a minute..... so you map it out with ridewithgps and then how do you use google to get the street views? In the past I have to open up google directions to look at the route. Perhaps I do not understand.

RideWithGPS.com is based on Google Maps but it allows you to save your route. So while looking at my route on RideWithGPS.com, I can drag the little Mr. Google and see Street View.

We go to the local tourist information place, and pick up maps.

We can also find maps in bookshops, sporting goods shops, and sometimes even petrol/service stations.


For the area where we currently live (and by area, I mean 100+ km around the town where we live), we've got good quality, very detailed maps. For areas further out, we'll go with tourist info maps unless it is an area we'd like to explore more.

If you don't know what you want to see, why go? stick to the spinning classes..

To see what you don't know

To see what there is to see.

Santa Barbara to Gilroy---that would lie along the ACA Pacific Coast Route, so that particular route is a no-brainer. Either get the ACA map for that section, or read some of the hundreds of journals for that section on crazyguyonabike.com.

Usually the advice for the Pacific coast is to travel south to avoid the prevailing NW winds, but they are usually weaker in November.

What if you want to blaze an alternate route inland to avoid the cool dampness of the ocean? You can search the net for others that have done that, or just ask here, since many others have toured in that part of California,

Google maps set for cycling does a really good job. Then just pull the lines to where you want to go. It's not perfect of course, but it's really improved now.

I do exactly what Sachelis said. That seems the best to get to know roads before start. If you are in U.S. than Google maps offer you cycling routes also. Just pick it in the menu. For Europe I can't find that, so if anyone knows something about that, let me know.

P.S. I will open a thread with my routes (ridewithGPS.com) in Italy and France. It'll go from Trieste to Turin and from Lyon to Santiago de Compostela (Spain). So you can see there what we are talking about. Also, if someone knows better way that my or something to be seen in the neighbourhood, I'll correct it.

"... to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before.”

Packing or padding the trip with extra time, so you aren't pressured or rushed..... it's a good way to raise the enjoyment level and freedom of the journey. It also gives you greater flexibilty and more options for doing things spontaneously.

Part of touring is getting out of the rat race mentality.

Part of that is freedom from pressure and deadlines, part of it is freedom from an overly planned, structured, and pre-determined way of living and doing.

A higher level of spontaneous living is possible.

You can respond naturally and spontaneously to what comes in the moment.

Sometimes you come across things, areas, or roads that you are intuitively drawn to esplore.

Often the indirect routes are more amenable and enjoyable.

Also the abandoned and bypassed routes.

I think the backroads of the Salinas River Valley are underappreciated by cyclists. The Gavilans. Steinbeck country. Taking unhurried time to savor the atmosphere of old Spanish California. Slow, quiet tours of some of the old missions, and their gardens and grounds.

Some of the small towns in that area are almost like being in Mexico. It's like you're in Mexico. Ask around and you'll probably find some really good, authentic Mexican food.

There are some beautiful backroads in the Paso Robles area.

And around Mission San Antonio.

Some of the most beautiful and least spoiled parts of California.

[The Santa Ynez Valley is also good. It could be included.

If you are anywhere but the US, Google's cycling routes are not well developed.

Thanks for all the good advice. I feel equipped to figure it out now.