Skeggs Point trail riding - gravel bike?

[ajhapps]

Hey, so I'm supposed to go MTB with some friends at Skeggs Point (in the Bay Area) this weekend. I'll need to rent a mountain bike, but was curious to hear from those who've ridden at Skeggs - can I get away with riding my gravel bike? Or is it way too technical? The profile of some of the trails looks like there are some big climbs and big descents, so I'm thinking best to just rent a full suspension bike.

Thoughts?

[CiclistiCliff]

MTB. You can ride anything on whatever bike, but Skeggs is best on a MTB.

[Lionel]

Absolutely MTB.

[Dr Luxurious]

MTB
Skeggs has some steep / gnarly sections

[rrudoff]

Mountain Bike for Skeggs

[pdmtong]

MTB. You can ride anything on whatever bike, but Skeggs is best on a MTB.

You will have the most fun on a 5" full suspension. Go rent one from passion trail bikes in Belmont. That's the go to mtb shop on the upper peninsula

If you are really strong and have good skills in tech terrain with skinny tires you may be able to ride the norther/upper park. But any of the trails that are really fun on the south end of the park will quickly make you wishing for a mtb's suspension tires brakes and gearing

While I used to ride there with a rigid six speed u-brake fisher a long time ago, full suspension makes it a lot faster and way more fun.

Fwiw my wife and I can ride many of the upper trails on our Ventana full suspension tandem only getting off if it's a really tight switchback have not tried down resolution since the upper 1/2 is so tight but can make Manzanita except that short wall after the rock garden, down to the fire road, left then reverse on crosscut down to Salamander we haven't gotten as many days for the fitness to attack steam donkey, blue blossom etc on the long bike but eventually.

Going down to the bottom via tafoni el forte Madeira then up to north leaf to the bottom and then Methuselah up is enough work and fun for a short ride on that beast

[Pelican]

All this talk is making me want to dust off my old MTB. I don't think I've done Skeggs in over 10yrs.

[ajhapps]

Awesome, thanks everyone! Guess I'll be renting a MTB. Passion Trails is on my way down from SF, so I'll have to give them a ring tomorrow.

[pdmtong]

Awesome, thanks everyone! Guess I'll be renting a MTB. Passion Trails is on my way down from SF, so I'll have to give them a ring tomorrow.

whatever you do, DO NOT take gordon mill to timberview (clockwise) to salamander or south leaf/north leaf clockwise. the former you will walk/barf the latter is way less fun.

http://www.openspace.org/sites/default/files/pr_ecdm.pdf

[ajhapps]

whatever you do, DO NOT take gordon mill to timberview (clockwise) to salamander or south leaf/north leaf clockwise. the former you will walk/barf the latter is way less fun.

http://www.openspace.org/sites/default/files/pr_ecdm.pdf

Ha, good to know. I'm heading out with 2 guys who should know the route... then again, one of them is also the guy that got us lost on Neil Young's ranch. We rode/walked/hiked our road bikes across cow pastures for like 4 hours. Not fun.

[pdmtong]

Ha, good to know. I'm heading out with 2 guys who should know the route... then again, one of them is also the guy that got us lost on Neil Young's ranch. We rode/walked/hiked our road bikes across cow pastures for like 4 hours. Not fun.

if you have time to do a double loop.
park at the main lot/lookout

tafoni (stop to see the sandstone formation)-el corte madera-north leaf down. cross the creek. methusalah up. I have seen guys drop into the creek the opposite way and ride over and out. I wish I had those skilz.

at the four way clearing, manzanita down. left timberview, right cross cut back onto timberview the down direction to salamander then Methuselah to south leaf and grind out on virginai/gordon mill and sierra moreno back to the lot.

the park has been sanitized form the old days but it is still the best (along with water dog, belmont) place between demo and marin.

[CiclistiCliff]

Rent a Yeti SB5 from Sports Basement in SF.

You're going to hate yourself for riding it, because they are simply amazing.