Sacramento rides?

[FlashUNC]

Traveling with The Boss up to Sacto Saturday night to dog sit for a friend. Will bring a bike and I'm curious about any loops to ride Sunday morning.

Any recommendations?

Also, if any local Paceliners up there want to get together to ride, I serve as an excellent confidence booster on any hill.

[Lanternrouge]

It depends on what part of town you're in and how far you want to go. The American River Bike Trail is actually quite nice since it's a good trail and you can be uninterrupted by traffic. I believe there is also a ride that leaves from Coffee Republic in Folsom at 9 and does about 50 miles or so through the foothills. A good ride with some climbing involves heading out through El Dorado hills, going up Salmon Falls and then either going around Folsom Lake or taking highway 49 south for a bit before coming back up Lotus and then taking Green Valley Road back towards El Dorado Hills.

Although I no longer live there, Sacramento has some great riding and I think you should have a really great Sunday morning.

I'm sure someone who currently lives there can chime in more, though a lot of what you do may depend on where you will be staying, whether you are averse to driving to go for a ride (I am) and how far you want to go.

[rilz]

I second that the American River trail is really nice, but a year ago the county created a 15 mph speed limit on the trail which is ridiculous. People break it but I have seen a park ranger speed down the trail on a motorbike to give someone a ticket.

If you go south on freeport blvd/highway 160 you can get into the delta and once you're in a few miles you can start to take some pretty cool county roads that go alongside tributaries and farmland. The cars on the way into the delta can be unpleasant but once you turn off 160 in clarksburg it is great.

[cnighbor1]

go to old town on the river delta
than with a good map go over the bridge to the north
head south on east bank of the river
be prepared to take a left thru some light industrial area and than your riding along the east bank of the Sacramento river and the delta area it is flat and a great ride

[metalheart]

I know a bit, but others will surely chime in. Cyclists in the area often ride loops that start/end in the rocklin/loomis area and may use part of the bike trail. And, you can also start in Folsom and use part of the bike trail and then branch off to El Dorado Hills, Rescue, and other parts of the foothills. Or you can just ride the bike trail --- on weekends it is busy in some parts between 8-10am, but after that things thin out. You can do a 50-60 mile mostly flat ride on the bike trail either starting in the Folsom area (Beale's Point) or in Old Town Sacramento.

So, to some degree, it depends on what part of town you are starting in and how much climbing you would like to do. Here are a few popular rides I know about:

Loomis, Rocklin, etc...
http://ridewithgps.com/trips/2712513
http://ridewithgps.com/routes/742378
http://ridewithgps.com/routes/109135

Folsom, El Dorado Hills, Rescue

http://ridewithgps.com/routes/480855
http://ridewithgps.com/routes/402960
http://ridewithgps.com/routes/730241

The Bike Trail
http://ridewithgps.com/routes/222040

There are rides south that I do not know as well and lots of rides in my area (Rescue), but it is a reasonable amount of climbing.

Popular coffee stops are Trailhead Coffee (cycling focused), A place that used to be called the Wild Chicken in Loomis, Karen's Bakery in Folsom (closed Sunday), Bella Bru on Arden just off the bike trail, and the Flower Farm on Auburn-Folsom road.

There are some organized club rides on Sunday. Here is a link to the Sac. Bike Hikers RIde Calendar. They are friendly folks. Don't let the grey hair fool you, there are some smokin riders in the group. http://www.bikehikers.com/Calendar/Calendar.php5

The Sacramento Wheelmen ride calendar is here: http://www.sacwheelmen.org/page-1658114

And, the Hammerin Wheels group has some strong riders: http://www.meetup.com/hammerinwheels/

Have fun!

[FlashUNC]

Very cool. The trail is basically on the front door step. So it seems like I should get some access fairly easily to wherever.

I'm probably looking for a decent 35-40 mile spin. Hills are fine, I'm just slow up 'em.

[smead]

Watch the weather / air quality maps (sparetheair.com). Hate to say this, but while today the air was breathable here around sacramento, the forecast is for a shift in winds by friday and it looks like the smoke from the king fire in el dorado county will be blanketing the valley this w/e .... Air quality in sac sucks in the summer, combine that with fire smoke and it's nasty stuff.

[EPOJoe]

Where are you staying? The trail's a must see if you haven't ridden it before, but it's going to be a bit on the crowded side on Sunday. Still, as long as you're not looking to set any speed records, it should be fine. I usually ride the trail during the week when it's empty, and I've never seen a ranger hassling cyclists for exceeding the speed limit, but I imagine it's more of a possibility on a weekend. I'd tag along but I'll be down in San Jose working.

[bart998]

The local riders go on "the river ride" on tuesday and thursday evenings. Leaves from Discovery Park near downtown. Call "The Bicycle Business" (LBS) and ask them to be sure. Used to be a fast 25 miles... but it's been awhile and might have changed.

Also, a popular ride goes around Folsom Lake. Park in downtown Folsom and take Salmon Falls Road up to Hwy. 49. Stop for a break from the climbing at the Pilot Hill Market. Head north, go down the gorge to the American River (middle fork, I think) then turn left at the bridge and go up into the town of Auburn. Turn left at High Street and take another left on Auburn-Folsom Road back to the beginning.

About 45 miles with two significant climbs, lots of rollers and a screaming decent with 4 switchbacks down to the river.

[FlashUNC]

We'll be staying just off the intersection of Watts and American River Drive.

[metalheart]

Originally Posted by FlashUNC

We'll be staying just off the intersection of Watts and American River Drive.

I would enjoy the bike trail from that location. You can ride downtown, to Folsom, or go both directions without ever having to see any cars or trucks! This time of year there are lots of deer, some turkey, tons of geese and ducks, red shoulder hawks, and other fun stuff to see on the trail as you ride. The trail is a gem and yes it can be crowded on the weekend, but it is mostly around a few of the access points (Sunrise, Hazel) and the farther you get from those the less the foot and bike traffic. Have fun and enjoy the ride.

[maunahaole]

Watt and American River is right at the bike trail. Head upstream on the trail, it is nicer as you go away from downtown. Watt is at mile 10 or so. There are spots to get water along the trail, as there are numerous public parks. At Hazel ave., about mile 23, cross the river and pick up the trail on the other side. This means up the hill and over the bridge. Ride the rest of the way up to the dam at Folsom lake. A couple miles before the dam at folsom lake, there is a little overlook where you can see Folsom prison. If it is quiet and not windy, you'll be able to hear the pa from the yard. Once you get to Folsom lake, you can choose to continue on the road or turn back. The trail section between hazel ave and folsom lake is the nicest part. Try to get an early start on a Sunday, the trail and the parks get very busy as the day goes on and there is more traffic on the trail of all sorts (horses, runners, roller skaters, strollers, families, etc) to deal with. There are a lot of tricky turns in unexpected spots, so be alert on the trail. Oh, and watch out for rattlesnakes, they are everywhere.

[bikingshearer]

From where you are going to stay (a nice part of town, BTW), I agree that the best option for a first ride in the area is go east on the ART. Since it will be an out-and-back, or maybe a lollipop if you add a circuit of some kind in the Folsom area, you can make it as long or as short as you want. The best part is the return will be gently downhill.

Riding out Freeport Blvd south into the Sacto River/Delta area can be great riding (be prepared for wind, especially in the afternoon), but from where you will be staying it is something like an 8 to 10 mile slog through urban areas to get to the edge of town. But once on Freeport Blvd south of Pocket Road (I think), and then under I-5, it goes from urban to rural very quickly, with almost no in-between. It's kind of neat that way. But save it for another time.

[rilz]

There are some really great dirt trails tucked into the American river trail if you have CX bike