need suggestions for best road biking in california
 

I have spent very little time in CA and none with my bike so I need help! My husband and I would like to find a base town and take day trips on our bikes. We are looking for beautiful scenery and good roads for cycling. He is interested in the Redwood area and I am thinking Yosemite but that is off the top of our heads with no research yet. All ideas welcome!

Napa/Sonoma and Mendocino in Nor Cal leaps to mind.

Beautiful scenery. "Wine to waves" rides.
What's your experience level?
Some nice rides up in the foothills.

"Markleeville Death Ride" is probably the most challenging.

There are bunches of WONDERFUL places to ride in California. What do you think of as a good ride; 10 miles, flat through peaceful scenery with not traffic, or as many climbs as you can cram into a day (as Kal points out, the Markleeville Death Ride - 5 mountain passes, one day)?

My favorite 50 mile ride goes from Healdsburg, through the vineyards, along the Russian River, to Amstrong Redwoods, and back. You can make a much shorter ride of it, or make it longer and hillier by going out to the coast and riding part of the PCH.

Will you bring bikes or do you want to rent? Tell is more and I'll give you lots of good Northern California routes.

Level? We're not animals...not beginners. I don't ride much but teach aerobics and jog every day. My husband rides several days a week. We usually ride 30-50 miles depending on how much time we have before it gets dark in the evenings.

We rode for two weeks in the Pyrenees and Alps during the Tour de France this year and I survived (although I wouldn't want to repeat La Mongie in a thunderstorm). I don't mind mountains but I don't want to go out of my way looking for them either. I don't ride to brag about mileage or particular rides I have under my belt. I liked the rolling hills just before we hit the Alps.

We will bring our own bikes. I want to find a good base town that we will enjoy in the evenings but don't want to spend a fortune on a place to stay in a town that is overrun with tourists. We'll have a car so we can load the bikes in the car if needed to get to the start of some rides.

I printed off Backroads Tours map of their Wine Country Tour which looks like a good plan (Armstrong Redwoods State Reserve, Healdsburg, Calistoga, St. Helena, Yountville, Napa, Sonoma,Bodega Bay)Where should I stay in that area? Any of those towns specifically or is there another town that might be lesser known to the masses? Inland or near the coast?

Although I wouldn't mind going farther north I can fly direct from Indy to SF which is a big consideration so the Wine Country might be a good choice.

Check these two national bicycling organizations' websites. Look for "Links" or "Member Clubs" ... and see what you can find among those. Often local bicycle clubs will have some "rider-tested" routes published online, and may be holding rides (not races, but recreational rides) while you're there.

www.adventurecycling.org
(Adventure Cycling, formerly Bikecentennial - the bicyclists' "AAA", if you will - they also publish maps)

www.bikeleague.org
(League of American Bicyclists, with affiliated clubs throughout the USA)

Whoa!!! "Turn it and Burn it"!

We usually use Yountville as a base in Napa Valley. Cheap stay is Railway Inn.
But very nice lodging nearby.
Heck, the whole town is "nearby"! Very walkable to some VERY good restaurants.

We used to do the Tour of Napa Valley but missed the past 2 due to other travel plans.
Here's their site to get you started
www.eaglecyclingclub.org/tour.htm

Click on "ride schedule" for more info. They really put on a good tour.

My buddy did the Auburn Century a few weeks ago and loved it. He's training to the Markleeville ride next year.

When are you planning it or did I miss it in your post?

G'hop-Didn't know your were a Wheelie!((Y))

Some of my favorite rides have been in Sonoma County.....and it's different in every season. Based on your preferences, I think I would base myself in Healdsburg. From there you can go to the coast, to Napa (good hills between the two "valleys"), or just cruise along the many, many backroads and through the vineyards. Kal's suggestions are also good but I find Napa valley too crowded and too much car traffic for my taste.

If you would like some specific route suggestions, email me at [email protected]

Hi Kal! Maybe we can connect on a ride someday. :-) I'm in Colorado now and the &quot;hills&quot; are a little more aggressive than my speed. It never ceases to amaze me at how many people are going over the passes everyday. And <i>old</i> people too! I live at 9,500' and it all seems to be up from here.

Another option would be the central part of the coast - I am in the Santa Cruz area and there are tons of great rides into the mountains, along the coast, down to Monterey, Carmel, out to San Juan Batista. The Santa Cruz Mountains are very vast and have the redwoods and amazing coastal views. Roads are a bit bumpy here, but no worse than any place else in California these days...

My second choice would be the Healdsburg or Calistoga areas in Napa/Sonoma

G'hop-
Forgot about your Colo stay. A friend of mine tries to get me to go back there for mountain biking. I can barely breath at 6,000 ft let alone 9-10,000!

I keep threatening to &quot;do&quot; Santa Cruz, Monteray and Carmel. Some nice paths along the Bay.

BTW- I drink wine (whatever has a pretty bottle at Super Target) and my husband doesn't drink at all. Is it dumb to go to wine country for our bike trip knowing that we aren't really into the wine thing?

Unless you also don't do beautiful scenery. I don't drink when I'm riding. I took a couple of sips on the tour I stopped for at Korbel and on the first hill my quads said &quot;you've got to be kidding!&quot;

When are you planning your trip? Right now the vines are being harvested and everything is golden. In February the daffodils are popping up and the fruit trees are starting to burst out in color. In March the Mustard is flourishing. After that the vines start to bud and things are coming alive. Every season has its own special glory!

The trip will be next June or July. I'm a teacher and already have winter and spring vacation plans.

As to drinking and riding I've already learned my lesson. Late in the TdF I rode my bike to the race route and stood in the sun and watched the riders go by then I rode back to the town of Annecy and stopped in a bar for a couple of beers and to watch the finish of the race on the big screen tv. OMG! Getting through rush hour traffic to my hotel with all the additional race traffic after drinking on an empty stomach... Not good.

Fun! June or July you could combine your riding with a canoe day. You can rent canoes in Healdsburg and Forestville.

amwosu : you might also consider contacting Wade Hall, owner of The Spokesman Bicycle Shop for advice : (831) 429-6062. If he doesn't know, he knows who does know. You know?

Thanks everybody! You've given me alot of info to get started.