Gravel riding SF Bay Peninsula - apologies if this has been covered

[scottcw2]

I did a search, but turned up empty.

I live in the Palo Alto area and am familiar with all the local paved road rides.

I am considering buying a gravel bike, but I don't know if there are enough local gravel rides to make it worthwhile. By "local" I mean being able to get there on my bike as I don't have a car with a bike rack.

Any recommendations for gravel rides within biking distance of Palo Alto/Menlo Park?

Thanks!

[m_moses]

Have you tried gravelmap.com?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[dem]

Well, uh, depends on what you consider "local" - if you're down for 100 mile, 10,000 foot days.. the world is your oyster with some of the best non-technical dirt around! Make sure you get really low gearing (below 1:1 for sure.)

If you aren't up for both sides of skyline, you're more limited - but dirt alpine, up and over black mountain, and the skyline ridge trails are good. You also have the bay trails if you want to do the flattest ride in the entire bay area.

If you give a little more context on specific mileage/elevation, I can give you more specific routes.

[scottcw2]

Originally Posted by dem

If you give a little more context on specific mileage/elevation, I can give you more specific routes.

40-50 miles including to and from Middlefield @ Marsh Road. Maybe working up to longer routes eventually.

[rigged]

I did this ride when I happened to be in San Fran for business, and it was excellent: https://www.cyclist.co.uk/in-depth/8...cisco-big-ride. Has a bit of everything including gravel.

[dem]

Originally Posted by scottcw2

40-50 miles including to and from Middlefield @ Marsh Road. Maybe working up to longer routes eventually.

Some options in that range:
The bay trail loop
Windy Hill - takes you up to the ridge trails (Skyline park, Long Ridge park, Russian Ridge park)
Dirt Alpine - takes you up to the ridge trails, and Montebello park
Arastradero park - small but you can entertain yourself for an hour

Best part is you can string a bunch of this together, especially along Skyline. I think you have enough to justify a gravel rig. Plus when you get tired, it's mostly downhill home.

Once you get some more fitness/hall pass, there's more stuff further south along Skyline (john nicholas trail that drops to sanborn/hwy 9) and some really nice stuff that goes down to the ocean side (big basin state park, pescadero & portola, butano, purisima creek, etc.. but then you gotta go back up!)

[scottcw2]

Originally Posted by rigged

I did this ride when I happened to be in San Fran for business, and it was excellent: https://www.cyclist.co.uk/in-depth/8...cisco-big-ride. Has a bit of everything including gravel.

Thanks, but that is 20-25 miles north of me and not conducive to riding my bike to get there.

[modernfuturist]

It's been a year or so since I've done the route but it was a blast underbiking certain parts of this route

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/10661514
Write-up and photos from Jenny: http://www.plattyjo.com/boyz-on-the-...sula-mtbrevet/

[Hindmost]

Originally Posted by scottcw2

I did a search, but turned up empty.

I live in the Palo Alto area and am familiar with all the local paved road rides.

I am considering buying a gravel bike, but I don't know if there are enough local gravel rides to make it worthwhile. By "local" I mean being able to get there on my bike as I don't have a car with a bike rack.

Any recommendations for gravel rides within biking distance of Palo Alto/Menlo Park?

Thanks!

There's some good climbs up to and along Skyline boulevard. Stevens Canyon and above.
Nothing really technical but for me some of these become hardtail mountain bike territory.

[scottcw2]

Originally Posted by dem

Some options in that range:

Thanks!

[scottcw2]

Originally Posted by modernfuturist

It's been a year or so since I've done the route but it was a blast underbiking certain parts of this route

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/10661514
Write-up and photos from Jenny: http://www.plattyjo.com/boyz-on-the-...sula-mtbrevet/

I will definitely add this one!