My wife and I will be staying in Carmel for a week next month, and were wanting to take in the 17-Mile Drive one day that week. We thought about doing it by bicycle, but we're far from being in Lance Armstrong condition. However, we did make it across the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco two years ago (stopping to push the bikes up the steep inclines before the bridge). What is the terrain like on the 17-Mile Drive: flat, hilly, variable? With a lot of stopping for sightseeing along the way, would we survive?

Also, what would be a good bike rental place in Carmel should we decide to embark on this little adventure?

Did a websearch and found a lot of info

http://www.trails.com/tcatalog_trail...lid=BGS057-098

http://www.geocities.com/haalck@snet..._letterbox.htm

http://www.evansmonterey.com/bobTours/pbTrail/pb1.html

I have done this, starting in Monterey on bikes rented at a shop there. They provided maps. It was a great ride---full of visual beauty and the sound of ocean and barking seals. I don't recall it as being at all hilly, but I'm mainly a mountain biker and don't mind hills.

If it proves more difficult than you thought, you could always turn around at any point and still have a nice ride.

Thanks for the tips and the links! It looks like a drive that would really be memorable from a bike instead of a car. Guess we'd better get in shape!

I was on a tour bus, so can't say if it's flat, but remember for sure: it's MUCH shorter then the advertized 17 miles!

I think it adds up to 17 miles if you go on all the roads in the gated neighborhood, but those 17 miles aren't all in a row.

There is also a terrific bike path in Pacific Grove along the water.

Great idea! We drove it, but I remember it being pretty flat. Fabulous scenery and views! I hope you are able to do it. Please post a detailed trip report for all of us when you get back home!

I've done it. There is one long hill coming in from the Carmel entrance. Other than that it's mostly just rolling. The problem is traffic. The road can be narrow in places and there are a lot of cars, many tourists who don't know where they are. Best to go on a weekday if you can. And it did pretty much feel like 17 miles. Maybe even a little longer. The good news is, it's free if you bike.

Faina....

How "far" is this:
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:-"

I don't know if I'd like to ride that drive on a bike. Too many tourists not paying attention because it is soooo beautiful.

i think it would be a fabulous ride on a bike.

Kal, you don't want to ride your bike near Monterey because the tourists will be admiring the views instead of looking AT YOU???

I've ridden from the Pacific Grove entrance to Carmel, but not back as someone picked us up in Carmel. From Pacific Grove to Carmel, was somewhat downhill, so the reverse would be uphill. Cars are an issue, especially as there are some stretches that do not have much of a shoulder to ride on. It is one of only two times that I have been on the 17 mile drive in the 25+ years I've lived in Northern CA. It was definitely a better experience than driving and it is free.

The section between the Carmel gate and the Pacific Grove gate is where the long hill is; going counter clockwise.

We live there and have biked it often. There are flat areas and many, many areas with hills. As a matter of fact, many areas are steep and you'll have to walk. It may not seem steep when you're driving but when you're on a bike, it's a different story. A great stretch to bike would be from Spanish Bay to Cypress Pt. Golf Course and back. There's a place on Cannery Row that will rent bikes. If you can put them into your car, park near the PG gate and ride your bike in, it will be a nice ride. Biking from the Carmel Gate is impossible because there is no shoulder in either direction, by the way.

i lived in monterey one summer over a decade ago and my bike was my only form of transportation. i rode 17 mile drive a number of different times and it was gorgeous. from monterey, i do remember one huge hill to get up and over but i might have just been taking a shortcut to stay off of a busy road.

the bike path along pacific grove is wonderful too, but i remember that to be very windy many days.

have fun!