In the bay area on a work trip, got about two hours mid-day tomorrow and have my road bike… need to be in Marin, at least reasonably cleaned up, at 3:00 so tomorrow, can probably get up to the area around 10:30-11 AM. Looking for input- want to do an awesome ride in the headlands. Locals/local knowledge folks- where would you start/park (ideally reasonably safe since I’ll have all my stuff in the car) and where would you go?
Not looking for super hard, but no problem with climbing… 25-30 miles max…
You can ride a great loop up and around Mt. Tam. Depending on where you need to be, you can start pretty much anywhere, from Sausalito on the southern end to Fairfax on the northern. Assuming near Sausalit, head up Tam to the summit, drop down Ridgecrest, right on Fairfax-Bolinas Road, then back through San Anselmo, Ross, Greenbrae, Mill Valley. Can make it longer by dropping down to Stinson and then climbing back up, perhaps on Fairfax-Bolinas.
My favorite road ride ever. Makes me somewhat regret I no longer live up there. . . .
Ahh - you are bringing back fond memories. I used to live in Sausalito and this was my training grounds.
My favorite 30 mile loop there was the Paradise loop around Tiburon (30 miles from Sausalito…probably 20 if you park off the freeway) . Paradise Valley Drive
will provide 3 bridge views of the bay, ocean breezes and a fun stop-over point for a coffee or Ice Cream in the town of Tiburon. A fun ride to
ogle some $10M dream houses as well. It is an easy to follow loop without any grunt hills, so a quick bird-bath should have you ready for your meeting.
Marin Headlands is a different animal, also beautiful. There are some very steep hills to climb and the descent from the peak to the lighthouse was scary
when I was 25 without a family… I think it might be terrifying now. It is mostly all park / preserve with some old coastal defense batteries tucked away in the
cliff sides, some salt marshes with lost of long legged birds. I think it would be 10-12 miles from the GG Bridge lot in Marin. It can also be confusing as there
are several roads that criss-cross. You may end up with an extra loop to ride or hill to climb.
In the bay area on a work trip, got about two hours mid-day tomorrow and have my road bike… need to be in Marin, at least reasonably cleaned up, at 3:00 so tomorrow, can probably get up to the area around 10:30-11 AM. Looking for input- want to do an awesome ride in the headlands. Locals/local knowledge folks- where would you start/park (ideally reasonably safe since I’ll have all my stuff in the car) and where would you go?
Not looking for super hard, but no problem with climbing… 25-30 miles max…
Thanks in advance for suggestions!
Sam
Define what you would consider “Super Hard”.
A standard route for locals in the Bay is Paradise Loop and you can start at a dirt parking lot at Mike’s Bikes in Sausalito… Amazing ride with some climbing, and awesome section rolling into Tiburon. http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/50713484
If you head to the coast on Highway 1, there is some serious climbing depending on which part of the country you live in. Mt. Tam is incredible though.
Paradise is the flattest route around, but pretty. Not the most challenging route.
I like Alpine Dam and Mt Tam route - Mill Valley through Fairfax, up to Alpine Dam then Bofax, Seven Sisters and then down Pantoll to Mill Valley. 28 miles and around 2.5 hours. Lots of climbing.
You can also go start from Tam Junction (Mill Valley) to Shoreline to Pantoll to Seven Sisters and then back on Seven Sisters to Pantol to Stinson and Shoreline. This should also take 2.5 hours. Lots of climbing.
I recommend that you park at Mike’s Bikes in Sausalito - you can also ask them about these routes.
Very cool, thanks to all who replied. Looks like that Paradise Loop might be just what I’m looking for. Love the idea of riding Mt. Tam but this might not be the trip for it… it’s on my to do list.
Did Paradise today, perfect day, amazing road. May be in my top 10 rides list, just for combination of weather, no traffic, and awesome road… Great way to kill some down time.