What we’re about
Interested in bike touring excursions? From exploratory day rides, to weekend over-nighters, to multi-week tours, this meetup is the place to meet others and get the plans rolling. This is also a great place to exchange bicycle touring tips, knowledge, and tales from the road.
Upcoming events (3)
See all- Southern Arizona Gravel tourAlvernon Park, Tucson, AZ
Join Christie, Wyatt, and I on a weeklong gravel tour near Tucson, Arizona.
The proposed route will begin/end in Tucson and traverses a counter-clockwise loop through the rugged landscapes of the Sonoran desert and Santa Rita Mountains. We’ll dip into small towns along the way for refreshments but this route is fairly remote. The Sonoran desert is beautiful and ecologically fascinating (imo). This area is also dotted by dramatic mountain peaks (‘sky islands’) that nurture unique microclimates and biomes. The Santa Rita Mountains rise just south of Tucson and provide a sharp contrast to the surrounding desert landscape.
I based this route largely on Lael Wilcox’s Komoot Women’s Rally held last fall. I also referenced previous route development and stewardship by Sarah Swallow and her Sky Island Odyssey series. But warning, I have not ridden any of this route!
Current proposed route is 300 miles and about half unpaved. We are planning to do this over 6 days (5 nights). The first day might be one of the more challenging with 60 miles and 4000 ft elevation gain. Riders should have experience riding loaded bikes on rough, steep terrain. The terrain will dictate pace but expect to ride full days (8-10 hours). To the best of my knowledge, this route should be rideable on a ‘gravel’ bike but low gears and wide tires should be prioritized. Wide tires (~50mm+) with appropriate tire pressure will offer a more comfortable experience. The desert is full of sharp, pokey things; tubeless tires are strongly recommended. There could be some short hike-a-bike sections. There should be no single track trails on this route.
I have camp areas in mind for each night. Some are developed campgrounds but others will be dispersed camps (no water, no toilet, no table, etc). Please be prepared and practice leave no trace principles (link). We might have one night indoors (motel / airbnb). Each day has a resupply option. Surface water is limited in the desert; have enough capacity to carry upwards of a gallon of water for dry camps.
We plan to start riding Sat. March 29 and end the trip on Apr 3. Tucson is nearly 900 miles from the Bay Area so factor transportation time. We plan to drive from the Bay Area and carpooling is encouraged!
Interested riders, please rsvp and we will connect to discuss logistics and trip details.
As always, please ask questions below or reach out via DM. If you’ve toured parts of this route, please share your experiences. Thank you for your interest.
- Pinnacles National Park trip (6 Day)Winchester Light Rail Station, Campbell, Campbell, CA
Hi folks, I have a multi-day trip planned from 5/31 to 6/5 that takes in Pinnacles National Park, San Juan Bautista and New Brighton beach (near Santa Cruz) to complete a loop back to Campbell.
The plan looks like this:
- Day 1 (5/31): Campbell to Coyote Lake in Gilroy, via Los Alamitos Creek trail and Coyote Creek trail
- Day 2 (6/1): Coyote Lake to Pinnacles NP, riding through Gilroy wine region, Hollister, and Tres Pinos.
- Day 3 (6/2): Chill at Pinnacles. Do some hiking, or just hang out by the pool.
- Day 4 (6/3): Pinnacles to San Juan Bautista.
- Day 5 (6/4): San Juan Bautista to New Brighton State Beach
- Day 6 (6/5): New Brighton to Campbell, via Soquel-San Jose Road and Los Gatos Creek trail
The total loop is about 200 miles. Most days are about 40 miles. The stretch from Gilroy to Pinnacles is a bit longer (60 miles with a steady climb from Tres Pinos). The last day does involve going over the Santa Cruz mountains, with a climb to about 1700ft.
Here's an approximate map on Google Maps, based on a similar ride I did last year: Pinnacles Bike Packing 2025.
The route is all paved. I try to do as much on creek trails as possible, but most of the ride is on road.
I have campsites booked for Coyote Lake, Pinnacles and New Brighton. My plan for San Juan Bautista is to stay at the Best Western near downtown. The max in one of the campgrounds is 6 people, so that limits the group size, unless someone is able to get a second site.
COST:
I've booked spots at the three campsites. We will share the cost between us ($165 is the total for the three sites).Please arrange your own accommodation in San Juan Bautista. I booked my room at the Best Western already, it was around $150 for the night.
Last year I made lunch stops on the ride, I expect I'll do something similar this year. You might want to factor that into your budget. For example, on day two last year, I stopped for lunch at the Hollister Airport Eatery (it's en route).
- Clear Lake - Mendocino Tour (6 days)Larkspur Station, Larkspur, CA
Hi Folks, this is a 6 day tour I am planning in June. It will be a big and fun tour! Proposed route is here: RideWithGPS link
DESCRIPTION:
The route includes 6 challenging days of very scenic riding. The total distance is 278 miles with over 21,000 ft. of elevation gain. 58 miles will be unpaved (gravel), which adds additional difficulty.
I have split up the route so that each day is doable in 6 hours of riding by a relatively fit rider, 7-8 hours if you are slower.
Among the sights we'll get to see:- Lake Sonoma (camp - night 1)
- Healdsburg / Russian River
- Cloverdale
- Clear Lake State Park (camp - night 2)
- Low Gap Road to the coast (camp - night 3)
- Van Damme State Park (camp - night 4)
- Sea Ranch
- Salt Point State Park (camp - night 5)
- King Ridge area and Cazadero
There will usually be water available near where we are riding, though you may need to filter it. Should also be some good swimming opportunities.
We'll ride the SMART to the start and from the end point of the loop (Santa Rosa - check the map link above).
Please comment below if you can't see the map or if you have questions.
It should be a great adventure. Please no beginners.
TRAINING:
This will be a physically challenging tour. Make sure to do at least 2 rides in excess of 50 miles and 4,000 ft climbing in the 2 months leading up to this tour. It would be great if you did a separate bike tour before this tour, but since I won't be doing that myself, I won't hold anyone else to it. I'll be in touch with everyone who signs up to check in about their training.
REQUIRED GEAR:- a solid gravel bike or bike with wide tires (minimum 32 mm, preferred 36+ mm)
- tent and sleeping bag
- water filtering device
- 2L water capacity (carry min 1L at all times in back country)
- bike computer or paid navigation app on your phone that will function without internet
- enough food for 3 full days (we can supplement on the road)
- plenty of snacks (nuts / dried fruit etc.)
- frame bags to carry all your stuff
MISCELLANEOUS: Thurs 6/19 is Juneteenth, and no matter what the White House says, we will celebrate it!
Thanks!
