CYCLING IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
- A View from Steve Loughran with help from L P Danna (1999) and Nigel White (2001)
SKETCH MAP . . . Links to Related Websites . . . Santa Cruz Mountains/Coast Range . . . East Bay . . . Marin . . . Northern Sierras . . . Alpine County Passes . . . Alpine County "Death Ride" with 1998 article . . . Central Sierras - Kaiser Pass
This guide is an experiment, so far being nothing like as comprehensive as the best of our European ones, but makes a start for people visiting the area. Any additions will be welcome, either directly or as links, and we include links to other known websites which cover the area. Updated 21 March 2001 with improved maps.
Weather
Winter: Sierras closed off except to ski resorts, winter storms on the coast, still a cool pleasant when sunny. The Central Valley is warm rather than baking.
Spring: Green hills & a pleasant temperature on the coast. Alpine roads mostly open, but with snow still above the 2 km mark and sub zero at night.
Summer: The Central Valley heats up, pulling Pacific fogs inland to cool down the coast. The Sierras are in season: hot in the day but still cool to chilly at night.
Autumn: The first of the winter storms arrive in the mountains, but the coast gets sunnier as the mists are less common. Smog levels are high in the Bay Area.
Airports
The main airport for flights to and from the US is San Francisco International. A good view of Marin (the county north of the San Francisco inlet) is often gained during the approach.
Bikes are hand delivered via side doors, and seem quite a conversation point through the sometimes slow process of immigration, agriculture and customs. The agriculture officials are very protective of the Californian agriculture industry, so don't turn up with muddy bikes.
Leaving and approaching the airport is somewhat tricky, and with major redevelopment taking place in 1997, still unclear.
Leaving via hire car is relatively simple; put the bikes in the courtesy coach. The hard part here is getting a car which will take one or more bicycles as most rental cars are saloon cars, often without folding rear seats.
Travellers heading West and south can take 'Airport Boulevard' S. until 'Millbrae', E., for some miles till you go under the i280 freeway and reach a bike path running along the San Andreas fault. Northwest from here leads to the SW side of San Francisco - Pacifica and Daly city. The roads are busy, but this dies down as the coast is followed N to the Golden Gate bridge.
South, the bike path leads to CA92: a pass over the half moon bay, or on S. "old Canada road', which can be taken down to Palo Alto and the other mid-peninsula cities.
The local bus company SamTrans will equip each bus to take four bikes/bus in Fall '98. You may be able to get one inside already.
Public Transport
Many buses in the peninsula cities will take bicycles, a rack in front of the bus will carry them, as do the rarer buses in the Tahoe area. Some buses will take bikes across the Dumbarton Bridge to East Bay. Trains between San Francisco and San Jose will also take bikes in one of the wagons (maybe only outside of peak hours). No other train details yet.
US internal flights usually charge a premium for shipping bikes. A folding bike wins here.
Supplies
Food is widely available in supermarkets, stores, cafes and restaurants. In the cities, 24-hour supermarkets are common. In small towns, stores are usually open until the late evening. Restaurants will do everything from a full cholesterol special: pancakes, fry ups or huevos rancheros. With the widespread adoption of espresso as the national drink of the West Coast, strong coffee is also widespread.
Bicycles and related products are easy to buy, and often very good value. Not only will almost any broken item be replaceable, it might be worthwhile replacing worn out equipment during a visit.
Navigation - Maps and Guide
Good maps are some of the hardest things to acquire. Most widely available maps are designed for drivers, lacking contour information and focussing on main roads.
DeLorme mapping sell a "topographic atlas of Northern California", this covers Oregon to San Jose; a counterpart covers the South. Contours are shown at 100' intervals, and campsites are clearly marked. It will fit in a pannier - just. At 1:150k scale (2½ miles to the inch) the atlas is adequate for on road touring, but not off road.
Maps for off road routes can be found in bike and outdoor shops. Usually these are trail guides which indicate gradients by arrows. These are useful, but sometimes are unreliable, and a not so adequate for finding out where you are when you get lost. Perhaps this is why GPS systems are so popular - and cheap. Parks and forests often have maps of sorts available in their visitor centres. They indicate trails and some contours.
The US Geological Service does excellent maps, at 1:12500 scale, but these are hard to obtain and so detailed as to be almost impractical. They are relatively cheap, at $4 a quad, about the same area as an OS Pathfinder map.
Anyone travelling with a laptop with CD-ROM drive and colour printer may consider buying a CDROM of a series which covers a large region with multi scale maps - down to the 7.5 minute scale, plus digital elevation data to enable routes to be profiled. Cost is $60+tax for a CD of a region such as the "Bay Area" or Yosemite. See the Internet on www.topo.com for more details. NB: magnetic north was 17 degrees east of true north at San Francisco in 1995.
LP Danna adds:
A far as a reference guide for where to ride in this area and how to plan out a route, the "Bible" for us locals is a series of books called "Roads to Ride" by Grant Peterson. I believe he has three different editions for three different coverage areas. "Roads to Ride South" covers the Coast Range/ Santa Cruz area discussed. It's a great reference book and it lists out each road worth riding and gives a two dimemsional display of the rise and fall in elevation over the mileage scale. He also has a little narrative on the road and points out areas of steep gradient and also has an overall map of the area covered so you can see how all the roads hook up with each other. I find it very easy to use and extremely accurate. I have not seen a topographical map of the area that is very useful.
Accommodation
Youth hostels exist, often in unusual places. The Point Reyes hostel stands alone in the National Seashore, while the Golden Gate hostel is part of a military base which once housed a system to protect the area from incoming ballistic missiles. One of the ABM missiles - now without its nuclear warhead - remains outside.
Motels are often affordable ($30 a room in '97) and easy to get a room in. San Francisco itself seems to be an exception - there is nothing quite like turning up at 7 pm after an 80 mile ride to discover your reservation has been "lost" and all the motels in town are now full. The YMCA in the centre of town has rooms on a first-come-first-served basis.
"Campgrounds" in the US can mean "a piece of gravel for your RV with power and water connectors". Backpacking , "walk-in", sites are often available in national parks. These areas also permit wild camping, once the appropriate permit has been acquired. In these areas all food has to be kept safely away from bears - often lockers are provided. NB: Mint toothpaste smells like food to a bear. Water should be purified if not from a trusted source.
On Road Cycling
Californians don't usually drive quite as dangerously as some of our fellow Europeans: optimistic overtakes and cornering on the inside of blind corners are the exception rather than the rule. Speeds are often a lot lower too. That said, a lot of the drivers often seem a bit "unsafe". The acceptable distance between fast moving vehicles is about one vehicle length: any more and someone will cut in front of you. No-one likes changing lanes to pass a cyclist, or even slowing down, and when they do pass they usually cut in earlier than would be liked. Driving through orange lights is socially acceptable; red lights common enough to cause a hazard.
It is legal to turn right on a red light - giving way to all other traffic and pedestrians. This can be convenient, but watch out for cars pulling out in front of you, or wanting to turn right while you are next to them at the lights. Vehicles will also turn in front of you from side roads forcing you to brake or take evasive action. At least they do this to cars as well as cyclists.
Slow moving vehicles - and bikes - are legally required to cycle as far to the right of the road as they can: this can be at odds with what an experienced urban cyclist considers to be safe. Riding on pavements, and unlit bikes are commonplace - one even meets bikes going against the traffic in the road. The reason for these traditions are unclear, as they do not contribute significantly to cyclist safety.
There are certain parts of most US cities where visitors are not safe. Around the San Francisco area, Oakland, East Palo Alto and the south of the city are all such places, as are smaller regions within other cities. Keep your eyes open, and if you end up in a "hood" that seems a bit dangerous, head out on the nearest main road, or just retreat the way you came.
Cyclists come in from verbal abuse from some motorists - quite what they say is unclear as it is usually impossible to hear. But it probably isn't complimentary. On the last Friday of every month, San Francisco hosts their critical mass bike ride. In July '97 the number of attendees was over 5000, and there were some arrests as things got out of hand.
Motorists are unused to windy roads, and even less so to cyclists on them. They usually wait till the least safe point in a curve before overtaking.
All these facts sound a bit scary, but you should find the area a lot less hazardous than most British cities, let alone anywhere in France.
(In 2001 Nigel White added..) Your introduction makes cycling in CA seem dangerous. If you pick the right routes you can escape into rural California, and hardly ever see motorized vehicles! You can ride roads only used by rangers, hunters and fishermen right into the depths of the mountains. The villages in the foothills, and the beginnings of the mountains are often quaint, quiet, friendly, and reminiscent of the wild west with old wooden general stores selling everything but the kitchen sink.
(Steve Loughran ...) I guess as original creator of the notes the blame for making CA cycling seem dangerous is my fault. Ignoring places like South San Franciso where I had to pedal for my life to get out of an extremely threatening situation, it is pretty safe. But people still drive up their pickups and complain about you not pulling over to let them pass, even when they are perfectly free to go round you on a hill climb up a two lane road. There is still that expectation (encoded into law) that bikes are meant to stay as far to the right 'as practicable', which helps reinforce the notion that we are second class citizens.
Off Road Cycling
The area is the birthplace of modern mountain biking and, as a consequence, on the cutting edge of cycling restrictions. These restrictions seem to be a combination of environment protection regulations and rules for the safety of other trail users.
Helmets are usually mandatory, a fairly sensible practice. What are more inconvenient are the 15 mph speed limits on trails with radar enforcement and $200 fines. One way routes are also common: usually they are uphill only. Given the speed limits, often roads make for better downhills anyway.
Poison oak and rattlesnakes are common in vegetation. Snakes like lying on sunny trails, especially in spring. Keep your eyes open and stay on the paths.
The most common of the large mammals encountered will be deer, but bears are entirely feasible. Mountain Lions are more of a threat to runners than cyclists, but if encountered moving towards them rather than away is the recommended action. Bobcats are somewhat smaller with a stumpier tail and tufts near their ears. The hunting season in many places begins in mid-August, after which many woods and forests become unsafe.
Watch out for cyclists coming the other way at speed, or passing you fast. Lane discipline and careful approaches to blind corners and summit are advisable.
SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS
These form the spine of the San Francisco peninsula to the south of the city. A ridge road, "Skyline" runs along the crest, undulating between 2000'-3000'. The San Andreas fault runs alongside the range - the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake had its epicentre at the S.E. end of the mountains. The long history of 'quakes has shattered the underlying soil, so that landslides are common. The road quality also reflects this geological history.
Page Mill. The classic Palo Alto ride. Appalling road surface and steep gradients at the corners. OK as a climb, but a rough descent. (See LP Danna too - below)
Monte Bello. 845m (610 from dam on road). total 760m ascent including r/s stretch. Good views, good downhill, little traffic.
Alpine. Quiet. A valley mid way can ruin your stride.
Steven's Creek tba
CA92: to Half Moon Bay. Busy, but manageable as a descent.
HWY 17. One to avoid. Busy, scary, unpleasant. There are parallel alternatives.
LP Danna, recent OCD Member, has added the following:
As a resident of Northern California, I was intrigued by Steve Loughran's article which appears in the web site. For the most part, Steve's impressions are pretty much right on. I thought I could add to his article by giving out some information on other climbs in the area as well as providing a resource for planning out routes etc.
I live in San Jose which is roughly 50 miles south of San Francisco. The Santa Cruz Mountian area which Steve refers to in his article is the my home ground. We just call it the Coast Range. There are several routes to take as ascents up the eastern face of these mountains, Page Mill Road being one of them and, I might add, probably the least favorite. All of these climbs lead up to Skyline Road (Hwy 35) which runs along the top of the ridge from Hwy 92 at the Northern end all the way back into Santa Cruz County. The main cycling routes range between Hwy 92 at the north end to Hwy 9 at the south .
There are three other great climbs up the eastern side of the range:
Hwy 9 from Saratoga to Skyline Road, also known as Saratoga Gap. It climbs 2100' in just over 7 miles with the last four miles averaging 7.5%. There can be a fair amount of traffic on this road but the shoulder is adequate and the surface is fine. It is a great descent.
Old La Honda Road - This is an old logging road that has hardly any traffic on it. It has a decent surface and it climbs about 1250' in 3.1 miles. Not to be missed. Old La Honda Road is in Woodside and it parallels the more widely travelled Hwy 84 up the slope. I would not recommend Hwy 84 as an ascent due to narrow shoulder and lots of traffic. The westerrn side of Hwy 84 which descends down to the Pacific Ocean is a great road and is the only road I would recommend if you want to go down the back ( western ) side of these mountains to the ocean.
Kings Mountain Road - This road starts in Woodside right off of Hwy 84 and climbs for five miles to reach Skyline. The first mile is pretty flat, then it climbs fairly steeply and consistently gaining about 1600' in the last four miles.
If you happen to ride over to the ocean, a fairly strenous but auto-free return is Tunitas Creek Road. It feels just like Old La Honda Road. The first couple of miles are unimpressive with only an average road surface. The road winds its way through a canopy of forest with a gradient that averages about 7.5 % with some 10% pitches thrown in for good measure. You'll climb about 2000' overall (Pretty easy to calculate since you basically start at sea level!).
One word of caution while riding on Skyline Road or on any of the approaches: on the weekends this area is a haven for motorcyclists, some of whom ride very fast on these roads. They scare me much more than the cars.
EAST BAY
Mount Hamilton
At 4213'/1284m this mountain to the SE of San Francisco would be a "first category" climb on the western side were it not for the slight dip midway. A road built during the construction of the summit observatory. The East side leads down to Livermore, 50 miles away, which is the next stop for supplies. There is a vending machine in the observatory visitor centre - open 10-5.
The Eastern approach, the San Antonio Mountain Road, is steeper and with much less visibility on the corners. As a climb it is nice because of the near total absence of traffic - a real sense of complete isolation and good views of nearby mountains. But it lacks the views of the upcoming peaks which the other direction offers.
Quimby
A 672 m pass which can be used as the start of an ascent of Mt Hamilton from the west. Steep (over 10%) and single lane on the eastward side. Quiet.
Mount Diablo
Mount Diablo. 3849'. ENE of San Francisco. Very good views, water available at picnic sites. Steepest at the top. Not too much traffic, even on an August weekend. Lots of off-road opportunities, including the North Peak. Drivers pay for access; there are places outside the park to ride in from.
The mountain gets blisteringly hot, but on road this is bearable as all the campsites by the road have drinking water: a single bottle is all that's needed. Off road - carry as much water as you can. It is needed not just for drinking but to pour over rims to cool them down.
11 miles & 1000m from start of park: 1h40 ride.
North Peak. 3557'./1084m At the devils elbow on the road take the narrow, technical and exposed single track down to the col between the peaks. Then start climbing. The final stretch is a 1 in 3 walk.
Return to the col and then retrace your steps along the single track or turn NW. towards "Prospector's Gap": a steep, rocky and hazardous descent follows before a climb to this 2350' pass, then another descent to deer flat and a strenuous ascent out of this. Then right down Burma (rocky and steep in places) or straight on to return to the road.
M A R I N
Just north of SF over the golden gate bridge (bike lane). Some nice trails at the end of the bridge, but the real climbs are further North. Another bike lane runs along the coast to Sausilito. There are some steep climbs here, but few claims. Also, the area gets very busy on a summer weekend.
Mt. Tam. 3000'+. The sacred home of modern mountain biking. On road and off road routes to the summit. (Steve White adds... The view from the summit of Mount Tam is Absolutely Fabulous - would only begin to do justice to it. A panoramic view of the sparkling blue SF bay, with the hilly city perched right on it's jutting headland, and enormous graceful bridges spanning the water. A must see sight at the end of a superb climb!)
Bolinas Ridge. An off road ridge; the on road climbs are hard work from either side.
Pine Mountain, 550m. Another of the original routes; it takes you to the summit of this small peak. Easy to Moderate r/s; 15 mile 2 hour circuit.
THE NORTHERN SIERRAS
General
The border between Nevada and California, the Sierras contain most of the Californian mountains and, consequently, most of the peaks. Some of the passes can be busy with through traffic, others with seasonal holiday traffic.
Winter begins early - snow can fall in September but is more likely in October. Even in August it gets very cold at night.
Lake Tahoe Area
Donner Pass. The main East-West pass through the area and busy with a nearby freeway and railway. Named after the Donner Party, a party of emigrants who got trapped here by early snows, and were reduced to cannibalism to survive the winter.
Emigrant Gap (off road pass parallel to Donner Pass).
Barker Pass, r/s about 7700' probably an easy one.
Ellis Peak 8740'. Off road, E. side of lake. Easy/medium
Brockway Summit 7199'/2194m. On Hwy 267 with a 200m climb from the lake side, 400m from Truckee - with a 9% gradient near the top. No shoulder for bikes, but wide and with relatively little traffic compared to neighbouring Hwy 89.
Martins Peak. 8742'/2664m. R/s and easy. Superb views of the whole area from a manned fire station just below the summit. Recommended. Approach from a trail starting just N. of Brockway summit.
Mount Baldy. approx 9660' R/s. easy/medium. Probably reachable from Martins Peak by descending and following the trail heading east. (I got lost and never found it.)
Flume Trail. Includes the pass at the end of North Canyon (8300'/2529m) -starting at Spooner Lake there's 300m of climb to get to this, and the optional return journey (moderate) over the 8855'/2699m unnamed summit NE of Marlett Peak. The main reason for doing this circuit is really the incredible views of the lake got from the 4 mile single track N. from Marlette Lake: a 1-2m wide trail with a sheer 400m drop to the side. Recommended - and viewed as one of the best trails in Western USA.
Highway 50 South of Lake Tahoe. There does seem to be a pass here, but the road is only mentioned as one to avoid - it gets most of the traffic between the Central Valley and South Lake Tahoe. It is busy, narrow and lacks any shoulder.
ALPINE COUNTY (South of Lake Tahoe)
Every July the "Markleeville Death Ride" is held here, a 130+ mile organised race.
Nigel White has filled out most of this section for us in March 2001.
Carson Pass, 8573 feet. From the east this is a long slog up from Woodfords at first through a narrow, rocky valley, and then opening out into a large, meadowy vista. Last refreshments available at Sorensons resort near the junction with Luther Pass.
Daggett Pass (Kingsbury Grade), 7451m, 7740 feet. (Actually in nearby Nevada) A hard, hot climb out of the lower, Nevada side of Carson Valley to high on the rim of the Tahoe Basin. This is a good way over to the fleshpots of South Lake Tahoe from the wastelands of the east. The descent to, and climb from Lake Tahoe is unknown to me. No refreshments available. The road is wide with a large shoulder to ride on. Good views of the dry Eastern Sierra.
Ebbett's Pass, 8730 feet. This is really a classic Sierra Nevada pass. You climb from a river valley, and switchback up through scented pine forests, with spectacular views opening up towards the top. The very summit has no views because it is in the forest, but the views on the way up are superb. Water available at Forest Service campsite at around 7,000 feet.
Luther Pass, 7740 feet.A gentle climb from the Lake Tahoe basin over to the spectacular and open Carson Valley which leads up to Carson pass, or down to Woodfords and Markleeville, home of the Death Ride. Not much of a climb from the Carson side.
Monitor Pass, 8314 feet. An Excellent climb from both sides. Not too much traffic because it usually all goes straight on down Carson. From the West the climb begins steeply in a canyon, but then opens out into a beautiful, meadowy view with a much gentler grade. Good views from the top. The summit is shaded with Aspens. The climb from the east is a brute but very satisfying. It can be extremely hot. Descending both sides is fast and fun. The road is wide, and smooth with some long straights on the east side, and exhilarating sweeping curves on the west. I've seen >50mph here in the thin air towards the top. Water available at fire station at the base of the eastern side at the junction with highway 395.
Pacific Grade Summit, 8050 feet. tba
Near Yosemite
Sonora 9624', 2933m This is a pass just to the north of the Yosemite valley. Worth climbing in both directions. It was the original pass across the Sierra Nevada for emigrants to California, and there is a monument detailing the passes history at the summit.
From the west the climb is 15 miles/1200m to the summit from the Dardanelles (last shop/cafe). After going along a gentle valley (wild camping ok), you soon encounter 7-10% gradients up to the pass. The scenery is good, and the traffic minimal: tourists only.
From the east, the climb begins in desert conditions, with no water supplies apart from a few mobile water trailers for use by the Marines training at the nearby military base. The water from these proved drinkable. The climb is long and steep, reaching 20% in a few places.
Tioga Pass 9945' 3031m This is the highest road in the Sierra Nevada. Although it's above anything Alpine, it doesn't feel so bad as you start from the desert only 920m below.
The ascent from town to the east is 13 miles up a wide and easy gradient. There is reasonably spectacular scenery during the ascent. The road takes tourist traffic only but is still busy at even on a late September weekend. RVs lumbering up behind ought to be pulled in for as there is always a line of vehicles behind them.
The climb levels off at the lakes, at 2915m, where you can
go up a few gears for the final sprint. Food and drinks are available
from cafe/store near the summit. The summit is a bit of an
anti-climax, as it is level and denoted by a toll gate. It costs $10
for an individual pass, $20 for a car - this gives seven days access
to Yosemite National Park. A through ticket for $5 is restricted to
carrying along the road, but the two hour time limit for this journey
is hard to do in car once you've stopped for some photo sessions and
it would be well-nigh impossible by bike. Because the West side of
the pass is part of Yosemite it deserves to be ridden through
slowly.
"The Tour of the California Alps - popularly known as the Death Ride - is a premier Alpine County event. The ride, held every July, is an endurance style bicycling event with a total of 128.6 miles and 16,310 feet of climbing over 5 mountain passes in one day."
There's a regional web site containing a list of camp grounds and a map of the area
Alpine County's total population is only 1500, so on the date of the Ride, cyclists outnumber residents by 2 to 1. The ride date in 1998 was July 11 (Saturday), start at 0530 for the full 5 pass circuit; there are cut-down variants doing one or two passes.
An account of the 1998 ride from the OCD Magazine
The following is from a colleague who goes
every year - note that the route changes some years:
The Death Ride attracts nearly 3000 cyclists from around the world. You will encounter national calibre racers and fairly inexperienced beginners. It is interesting to observe the variety of cyclists you see on this ride. I have seen 240 lbs., balding, ex-footbail types and Roseanne Arnold look-alikes winding their way up Monitor Pass. The One and Two Pass options are within the reach or many people, given enough time and a sufficiently low gear. Perseverance is the key.
The back side of Monitor is actually one of my favourite passes. The descent is spectacular and reminds me of Dante's Inferno. The climb back up can be a stinker, if it is a hot day. The hot air from the valley rises about as fast as you do, giving the impression of "no wind" and a feeling of "baking in an oven."
The third pass (some years) is Daggett. It's been years since the ride has used this pass, since it is in Nevada and involves the Nevada Highway Patrol. As I recall, Daggett is a lot like the back side of Monitor, so be prepared to take some heat here!
(In that case) after lunch comes the very difficult climb up from Woodfords. By this time it is usually quite hot, and heat exhaustion can become a factor; be sure you have plenty of water. I usually take a rest upon arriving at Hope valley (7000 feet) . If you make It to Hope Valley by 3:30 pm, you can probably complete the 5 passes. Luther and Carson involve mostly distance with some climbing, but it is not overly steep. If you are planning to go for all 5 passes, be sure to have stickers put on you number at the bottom of Monitor-2, top of Daggett, end of the Diamond Valley loop, top at Luther and top of Carson. This will allow you to collect your PRICELESS 5-Pass Death Ride Pin and join the distinguished group of 5-pass Heroes! However many passes you ride, the Death Ride is always a Challenge - a compression of many weeks or months of preparation into an effort lasting a few hours. For me, it has always been a real high!
I guess that is what keeps me coming back.
If anybody's interested for another year link for organiser's details .
CENTRAL SIERRAS
Kaiser Pass (by Nigel White)
This is a brutal climb with long stretches of 18% (if you do it right!). However it is scenically very rewarding. The road stops at the pass, so there isn't that much traffic.
If you climb right from the hot central valley, the air becomes cooler, cleaner, and more pine scented every foot you rise. Take the hard option, and ride through the small town of Big Creek to experience the 18% grade from Big Creek to Huntington Lake. This brutal 2 mile section has no shade for the first mile, but Huntington lake is a beautiful, serene place to rest, or even take a cold, refreshing swim.
The final pitch from Huntington Lake to the pass is also very hard with sections into the teens. However it is through peaceful pine forests with glimpses down to the central valley 8,000 feet below. Refreshments available at Shaver Lake, Big Creek and Huntington Lake.
The Fresno Bike Club run the "Climb to Kaiser" randonee every year in July. It is one of the best organized and supported rides in California, well worth entering if you are over there at the right time. Harder than the Death Ride! I did it in 11:48 with some resting and sightseeing. Some people take over 16 hours!
Steve Loughran's page for California
For pictures around San Francisco Bay
For a tour of California with some nice pictures (Dutch text)
For a large number of USA links including California
List of climbs in California from KOM - King of the Mountains site
Links from Nigel White, March 2001
- Run by an old clubmate of mine from the Sacramento Wheelmen. He knows a lot of great, quiet roads through wild areas of California
- Superb site about riding in the Sierra Nevada mountains. Makes me all maudlin with "homesickness"!
- Named after the lowest point in Death Valley! Organized rides for the Western states. Most of these are well supported, and well worth doing.
- The Climb to Kaiser page. Just do it!
Commercial site promoting tourism in the Eastern Sierra. The last undiscovered wild place in California. It is wild, open and beautiful there with sports from road and mountain biking to rock climbing, ice climbing, skiing, hiking and fishing. Natural hot springs bubble out of the ground in the desert. If you know where to find them (a guidebook is available), you can just ride right up and jump in!