Self-supported, long bicycle rides have some advantages over organized ones: you are free to start whenever you want and they are dirt-cheap. They also practice a concept Theodore Roosevelt loved to preach: rugged individualism. After all, in case of breakdown or navigation errors, you’re on your own.
This self-supported ride is called (at least by me) the Mt. Bachelor 100 as it is a century route where you get to see Mt. Bachelor many times. Untroubled by traffic, there are panoramic views of the Cascades, with gradual (but long) climbs and pine everywhere. One also passes by Todd, Sparks, Devils, Elk, Hosmer, Lava, Little Lava, and Cultus Lakes. Needless to say, this ride can only be done when there is no snow on the highways, which probably is only the summertime and maybe late spring and early fall. This was some of the best traffic-free riding I have done anywhere. Continue reading »
My friend and fellow ultra-cyclist Adam P. was the one who thought of this ride, and a beauty it is. It has quite a lot of climbing after the initial 25 miles of flats. The scenery is spectacular, however, after you go through downtown Half Moon Bay (near the coast) and start heading back towards the bay through the hills and redwoods. Highly recommended! Continue reading »
This ride is hilly! Starting at the old Fremont Niles train station, you ride through the lush Palomares hills to Castro Valley. After climbing through Moraga, you round the entire circumference of the San Pablo Reservoir, including the Three Big Bears–Mama, Papa, and Baby Bear. These are names of climbs that are neither steep or long. However, you then ascend back up through Berkeley’s Tilden Park and the Oakland Hills, some of which are steep and long! Upon reaching Castro Valley you may want to stop off and buy both more food and water before making the final pass through the Palomares Hills again. A beautiful and challenging ride! Continue reading »
I gave this SF Bay Area ride its name due to two things: (1) it is as flat as a felixwong.com self-supported century will get, and (2) it goes through 3 of the major bodies of water between Fremont-Belmont-Los Altos: the San Francisco Bay via Dumbarton Bridge, the Crystal Springs Reservoir, and the Stevens Creek Reservoir.
It’s not the most exciting ride (though I suppose most flat rides aren’t), but it’s a good recovery or winter-season one! Continue reading »
If long climbs are your thing, this ride is for you: over 6000 (maybe even more than 7000) feet of climbing in 100 miles! Starting from Fremont’s Central Park and going through Milpitas, the ride has only “baby” rollers until you get to Calaveras Rd. Then, you climb up to the backside of Sierra Rd., which while not nearly as steep as going up the front (westward-facing) side of Sierra, it will certainly get your heartrate up! Just a few miles is the real test: Mt. Hamilton Rd. to the Lick Observatory. At 19 miles (with 4000 feet of elevation gain and only brief downhill/flat sections), it is probably the longest climb in the Bay Area. Faster riders may do it in 1.5-2 hours, but for most cyclists, esp. with 30 miles already in your legs, it may take 2-3 hours. The views at the top, at least when there isn’t fog or snow, make it worth it, however! Continue reading »
