#1
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best silicon valley gravel / route planning for 100 miler
I'm trying to piece together a birthday ride for next weekend and was hoping for some help: I want to hit 100 miles, I'd like to incorporate a new gravel climb (or two), and I prefer to descend road. I basically live in Mountain view near enough to 85/82. I'll be riding a gravel-y touring bike, no front suspension, so I don't want to wander into something miserable, mellow ups and downs but I can deal with some steeps. I'd prefer to keep it under 10k elevantion, this is a stretch ride, the closer I get to 10k the less likely I am to finish. I haven't done a century in a few years (a couple close calls), my last was Mt Tam 104 miles / 6500 ft.
Anyone got long gravel climbs to suggest? I know Butano Fire Road has been mentioned, and I haven't done that. I don't know the preferred way to get into/out of it. I'm sitting at about 90miles/10k ft if I do: Mountain View->King's Mountain(gotta check legality of ascending Huddart Park)->Descend Purissima dirt and somehow get to Lobitos->Pescadero->Gazos Creek Rd->Butano Fire Rd->Descend Page MillSomething like that sounds good, but I'd probably be happier if I was sitting at 8k ft elevation and 100 miles, rather than >10k. I also don't really want to add 5 miles doing loops around mountain view... I've already ridden Mt Umunhum->Loma Prieta->Watsonville. I've also done Aptos->Demo (added Flow/Braille to that for my birthday last year, actually, mtb for this one). Slight preference for Santa Cruz Mtns over East Bay. Thoughts? Or even, what are your favorite bay area (peninsula) gravel roads? Cheers! Dane |
#2
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If you haven't read Ray Hosler's book about riding with Jobst Brandt, get it and it will give you dozens of ideas.
I don't have complete routes for you, but for partial suggestions, you could try working in up dirt Alpine, then down camp pomponio to old haul and then over to gazos Creek. Or you could go up dirt Alpine and down Stevens Canyon, then up through Sanborn to Castle Rock. Then it's just a few miles down the road to Big Basin where you can pick up Butano or Gazos.
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Instagram - DannAdore Bicycles |
#3
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Pretty sure Huddart Park is a no-go. (I probably should say the pavement is fine; off road is a no-go.)
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You always have a plan on the bus... Last edited by Hindmost; 10-21-2019 at 05:55 PM. |
#4
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You're probably right, I need to sit down with my NatGeo maps this week and see what I can come up with. |
#5
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I'd rather not descend Steven's Canyon again, I've done it a few times since its local, more fun with a little suspension too. |
#6
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I have the Kindle version and am happy with it, though I am sure if you bought a physical copy, you would consider it money well spent.
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Instagram - DannAdore Bicycles |
#7
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I vote some combination of portola redwoods/pescadero/gazos too.
Tough to do less than 10K ascent in 100 miles though. If you're not averse to getting "lost" - there's a few poachy routes that I've never seen a soul on. https://ridewithgps.com/routes/30456999 - is one I've done. (mile 17ish not bike legal, nor mile 62.) |
#8
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If you wanted to go really big, once you got to Big Basin, you could drop down and head over to Aptos Creek. If you put all that together, you'd have yourself one monster day in the saddle.
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Instagram - DannAdore Bicycles |
#9
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How is Butano Fire Road vs Old Haul vs Pomponio in terms of fun+scenery?
Big day (probably all legal?): https://goo.gl/maps/kfSzbYfdezJ8Nc566 I don't mind "getting lost" on occasion, usually stop short of jumping fences. Holy ****, I've ridden Aptos Creek, if I ended up linking that into Big Basin I think I'd be closer to 130+, that's a bit much, heh. I'll play with that route too. I have some friends that live down there I should contact... |
#10
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PS: did you do Mt. Um on gravel or road? I've only done the gravel route and it was a doozie. |
#11
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Instagram - DannAdore Bicycles |
#12
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Old Haul doesn't go through to 236. Big gates and angry logging companies. You can poach Butano Easement to Butano Ridge trail to get there though. They were doing work on Easement a few months ago, but I haven't been over recently. You can also hop off Alpine and do Ancient Oaks if you want to mix up some dirt/pavement on the climb up. Here's a modified suggestion: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/31347145 Last edited by dem; 10-21-2019 at 09:35 PM. |
#13
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I poached that section of Old Haul once. I went the opposite way you have routed, there was a 10 ft tall gate smack in the middle of a bridge at the end. We were on loaded bikes and managed to make it over but I was physically confronted by a logger a few minutes later (he jumped out of his truck and grabbed my bars) and he was very close to starting a fight. I would not recommend it at all.
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#14
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PS, John Nicholas trail in Sanborn is a great way up and can be connected to big basin via Bear Creek
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#15
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I did Mt. Um up on road: Hicks->Mt Um Rd->(sneaky sneaky)->Loma Prieta Road, then descended gravel down the back: Loma Prieta->Summit. FABULOUS ROUTE. The end of that ride from Watsonville->Monterey was ****ty by comparison. [I am looking carefully at everyone's suggestions.] My NatGeo map "suggests" that Butano Fire Road is impassible between Butano State Park and Big Basin, no one has ever mentioned this...? |
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