Are you serious?

For locals and visitors….

“What do you mean we ‘don’t look serious’?  This hard-core riding with our Velo Club doesn’t exactly keep us from having fun!”

Help keep the local bike scene cool

New here?  Our Constables of the Peace are great in Monterey County.  Make their job easier–and be a good ambassador for the bike world–by brushing up on Cali’s bike laws:  See the CA Bike Laws and Personal Safety section. 

And if you’ll be on the multiuse trail, please scroll to “Outta my way” at the end of this page for trail etiquette tips.

Diane Kirckof and Jane Marquette of Estes Park, Colorado stayed in my home while visiting Monterey County in 1984.

A few tips for visitors…

1. Camping: Guidebooks written by people from out of the area can be helpful, and sometimes they are incorrect.   Touring cyclists often have materials referring to campgrounds at Carmel State Beach, although there’s no camping there!  Ask a local; see  “‘Camping in Monterey County” on this site.  And if you’re camping at Veterans Park and want food delivered, check the tips in that post.
2. Other lodging: Check out these extra bike-friendly lodging providers; all provide discounts to cyclists, males and females, on their Thursday night stay, as part of the HER Helmet Thursdays Project.  The project offers discounts at Hotel, Educational/entertainment, Restaurants and other venues.
3. Warm Showers lodging program: Many touring cyclists appreciate WarmShowers.org–facilitating lodging by touring cyclists for touring cyclists.  Many Monterey County cyclists host Warm Showers visitors.
4. Showers: Just passing through and need a shower? See “Where to shower and change” section of this site’s “Tips” guide.
5. Bike security:  Looking for a place to kick back for meal, drinks, or entertainment while still keeping an eye on a pricey bike?  For starters, check the list in the Bicycle Security section.
6. Bit off more than you can chew?  Even for the strongest of cyclists, a need may arise to shorten or end bicycling as planned.  Be smart:  Listen to your body. Any mile of biking beats a mile of driving, and there’s no shame in doing both.  For tips on taking your bike aboard the Amtrak train, Monterey-Salinas transit buses, or other transportation, see the bike-and-ride section of this site.

Maps and Where to Ride

Refer to “Once you start:  Bike maps and more” in this site’s Tips for Bicycling Monterey County  guide.

Section 10 of the Tips guide, “Where to Bike” includes an “If you’re inclined to explore” portion; that and the headings below it may be of interest to you.  Tips include bicycling 17-Mile Drive, Pebble Beach and more.

Infrastructure

Infrastructure contacts, including where to report a pothole and more, are on the Monterey County Bike Shops, Services, Clubs, and Resources page.  

Scheduled road and lane closures for Monterey County will normally be posted on the Transportation Agency for Monterey County (TAMC) “What’s New” page.

Some infrastructure news is also in this site’s Local Bike News section.

Group rides

When time permits, a new group ride section may appear on this site. Meanwhile, here are a variety of notes:

1. Our three main bike clubs–Velo Club Monterey, Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) Cycling Club, and Monterey Off Road Cycling Association (MORCA)– have regularly scheduled group rides.  If participation is appropriate for you, please carefully note the group ride guidelines offered on each of their websites.  These clubs often have “no drop” rides, “no mercy” rides, beginner’s rides, and more.  And don’t be shy about asking club members if anyone can join you to ride at another time; their Google groups and such are full of these invitations. You’ll find many club members show up at the Twilight Rides at Laguna Seca as well.
2. If you’re looking for a racing team to go on group rides with, see “Racing and related blogs” below.
3. California State University Monterey Bay (CSUMB) Otter Cycle Center’s support for the CSUMB community includes organized rides.   Stop by during these hours or reach Otter Cycle Center via email. By phone, try  Megan Tolbert, CSUMB Transportation Planner.
4. Jess Martinez founded F.N.B., a fixie group with a safety-conscious street cred.  Click here for details.
   
5. If you still can’t find the ride that best meets your schedule, interests, and abilities,  contact me, and let’s see what’s possible.  Or write a guest post outlining what you’re looking for.  Our Monterey County bike community wants to see more people on bikes, and there’s a lot of respect for the multitude of uses.  Perhaps your favorite group would be parents and children in bike trailers or parents-children with trail-a-bikes, or couples with tandems.  Or even shopping-by-bike groups (now that sounds serious–a serious hit to the wallet!).
6. Recumbents:  To my knowledge, there was a recumbent group in Monterey County in the past, tho not at present. Perhaps check the forum at Easy Racers to connect with other riders.
   

There is also a tri-county bike Meetup group, Over the Top Cycling.  The group organizer emphasizes that the Meetup’s membership is actively screened and inactive individuals are removed on a regular basis.

A visitor’s perspective on riding with local clubs

Oregon resident Jim Moore has written a useful feature story on bicycling with local bike clubs as a tourist.  He shared his experience of biking with the Monterey Velo Club.

Local clubs

Conditioned cyclists, both mountain and road, who want to connect with their peers for group rides or local tips will find these three clubs especially helpful. Visit their websites and learn a lot!

1. Monterey Off-Road Cycling Association (MORCA). See below re Ft Ord also.
   
2. Naval Postgraduate School Foundation’s NPS Cycling Club. Road and mountain.  Members are NPS students, faculty, staff, and spouses.  The club is also part of Velo Monterey and partners regularly with MORCA too.
   
3. Velo Club Monterey. Velo has tools and bike boxes available for checkout to current members; see vcmonterey.org.
   

These clubs include some of the strongest cyclists in Monterey County.  Members are typically supportive of others, and each club works hard to support our local bike community and its visitors.  See “Knights of the Central Coast,” “NPS Provides Inspiration,” and “Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day” for examples.

Devon, Tyler, and Dena Donnell

Who ya gonna ask?

The above three clubs and lots of other local resources are on my Monterey County Bike Shops, Services, Clubs, and Resources page.  Here are just three of the many cyclists from that page who have solid tips to share.  (See more details there.)

1. Jan Valencia (on Twitter @jvalen) has been a terrific help to visiting and local cyclists for many years, both as Velo Club Monterey’s Answer Man and informally.  Contact him via the Velo Club Monterey website.  Weekdays, Jan bike commutes from Seaside to Salinas, where he has a business.  Weekends? He bikes more! Jan and his wife, Cath Tendler-Valencia, cover a lot of miles and have many route and other tips to share.
2. Devian Gilbert of Asana Cycles. Devian is a bicycle lifestylist and lives a car-free life in Monterey County since 1993. He is a United Bicycle Institute certified mechanic and winner of the Transportation Agency for Monterey County’s 2011 Golden Helmet Award, In Sonoma from April to October 2011, Devian is back in Monterey County and available for a range of services and general support. Welcome back, Devian!
3. Frank Henderson, League of American Bicyclists Safety Instructor and Transportation Agency for Monterey County’s 2010 Golden Helmet Award winner.  Frank is another local cyclist who puts on a lot of miles and can be especially counted on for guidance on safest routes and more.

Cath Tendler-Valencia and Jan Valencia at the Sea Otter Classic

Devian Gilbert on his Ride the Divide adventure

Frank Henderson

(Photo courtesy of Transportation Agency of Monterey County)

Racing and related blogs

1. If you’re a racer or race fan, if possible, don’t miss the annual Sea Otter Classic!  More on that below, and elsewhere on this site.
2. The three main local bike clubs listed above all have members who participate in races and/or have race teams.
3. You’ve heard about other local bike clubs?  They are probably actually referring to racing teams, such as:

• Ghost Tree, open by invitation
• Joselyns, open to anyone
• Monterey Bay Racing, open to anyone

Others that locals participate in include Velo Bella and VOS Racing.

If you show up to ride with a group open to anyone, keep in mind the standard guidelines, as posted on MBR’s website:  “Have a reliable bike in good working condition. Please ride with common sense, and obey all traffic laws. All riders are expected to be skilled at riding in groups and pacelines.”

Blogs: Joselyns Bicycles closed 1/15/12; however, for now, you can continue to check Joselyns home page blog for tips, news, and additional resources, such as Central Coast Cyclo Cross, which has its own CCCX race blog.

One popular local blog, as highlighted by the Monterey County Weekly, is written by Velo Club Monterey member Keith Vandevere, an attorney and Monterey County planning commissioner. Keith’s blog, Xasáuan Today, includes cycling photos, news, and tips.  Most longtime locals will recognize the Vandevere name–whether because Keith’s father, Jud, taught their young children in “Dr. Zed’s Zany Science Experiments” through the Lyceum, because his mother, Joyce, answered questions for their newly-of-age children about local elections as part of her leadership in the League of Women Voters, or because of a variety of other helpful interactions with this family of community leaders. Check out the cycling category of Keiths’ blog, http://xasauantoday.com, including Keith’s favorite bicycling links and other favorite local links.

Youtube:  A Youtube search will show up some great Monterey County cyclists, such as Keith De Fiebre.  Check out this 6/8/11 Youtube of Keith on a training ride, and changing a flat en route.

Salinas High Cowboys Racing

Racing – BMX

Monterey County’s BMX racing champs include Shawn Carden, a Salinas High student. In May 2012, Shawn will compete at the BMX World Championships at Birmingham, U.K.  Click here for photos and details.

Racing – High School

Monterey County has, as of January 2012, one high school mountain biking team:  Salinas High Cowboys Racing!  You may have the chance to meet members at Twilight Rides–then try to keep up with their youthful energy on the Laguna Seca racetrack!  Or, contact Coach Warwick about their race schedule and show up to cheer them on.

Visit their website.  See their Coach Jim Warwick on this site too. 

Other youth biking ops

For some of the other local bike activities for youth, see the Children and Teens section of this site, including “Bicycle Culture and Youth.” To support or create youth opportunities here, see “Salinas youth and others for bikes:  Bikes make life better.”

About Fort Ord Public Lands

Undoubtedly the best resource for riding the Fort Ord trails (and other trails, such as Toro Park, Salinas ) is  Monterey Off-Road Cycling Association (MORCA).  They also do trail maintenance work; volunteer to help. This is “an organized voice for responsible mountain biking in Monterey County.”  Besides the info on their website, follow their Google group (access it via their site), for the latest scoop on where, when, and more.

Want to help users at Fort Ord? Help Bicycle Equestrian Trails Assistance.  BETA is mostly on horseback, but some mountain bikers participate too, trained in first aid, radios, maps, and assistance:  http://www.ftordbeta.org/

Also see Call for President Obama to Declare Fort Ord a National Monument.

About Andrew Molera, and other California State Parks

See “All kinds of trails for all kinds of cycling–Biking in California State Parks.”  Also see Andrew Molera page (Andrew Molera, Big Sur (831/667-2315).   Caution:  At Molera, yield to horses on the multi-use paths.

If you’re heading north from Monterey County to Santa Cruz County, you’ll likely enjoy Wilder Ranch too, which is included in the state parks bike link above.

About Big Sur in general

While not a cycling-focused blog, Big Sur Kate (Kate Woods Novoa) is a helpful resource for anyone heading to Big Sur.  When there are road closures, weather conditions, and other factors that may impact your plans for cycling on the Big Sur coast, check Kate’s blog:  http://bigsurkate.wordpress.com/ – On Twitter @bigsurkate.  

If you’re heading down the coast, here’s a bit about Big Sur.  You may be interested too in tips on bicycling Carmel, which includes bike shops just off Highway 1 between Carmel Valley Road and Rio Road.

This Santa Cruz County resident bikes to Monterey–and on to Big Sur–regularly.

Biking between Salinas and the Monterey Peninsula

If you might want to ride with experienced bike commuters–who welcome beginners to join them–between the Monterey Peninsula and Salinas, see the Blanco Rd/Hwy 68 post. Frank Henderson and Phil Yenovikian are ready to help you ride the Blanco Road route or the Highway 68 route.  If doing 68 on your own, note the following tips.

Monterey-Salinas Highway/Highway 68 Corridor

Now and then I see a cyclist on the freeway–at risk of getting a ticket.  That can be avoided here, hence the tips below.

Be advised that although this scenic Monterey-Salinas Highway route is loved by many experienced cyclists, it is a two-laner with no bike lane, tho a mostly comfortable shoulder.  Bright clothing and appropriate lights/accessories are in order.

Sign along Monterey-Salinas Highway/Hwy 68

Traveling by car, you may have noticed…

First, if you’re a visitor, don’t get mixed up about Highway 68.   Perhaps you’ve traveled Highway 1 by car and noticed that 68 West/Holman Highway exit takes you past Community Hospital and on to Pacific Grove (where you’ll first end up on Forest Hill, near the Forest Hill Bike Shop, before continuing down Forest and landing in downtown PG, a few blocks up from the coastal bike path).   And this 68 West exit is also the exit that connects you promptly with the H’way 1 Pebble Beach gate.

By car,  from H’way 1, you’ll likely have noticed that 68 East/Monterey-Salinas Highway is the exit that takes you to the Monterey Airport and on to Salinas.

Coming from 68 West/Holman Highway, you connect with 68 East not directly but by traveling Aguajito Road until you take a right on Monhollan, which later becomes Olmsted. At the traffic light, Olmsted connects with 68 East/Monterey-Salinas Highway.

Traveling by bike, here are just a few tips…

Okay, now for tips on biking the Monterey-Salinas Highway.

I’ll offer these tips as if you’re starting from the Salinas side.

• Be careful around the Salinas River Bridge.  You may want to avoid it by biking through the little town of Spreckels from south Salinas, or take Reservation Road to Davis from north Salinas.

• You can get a ticket if biking on a California freeway, which means:  across from Toro Park, it’s wise to exit 68 and bike on Portola Drive for a couple miles before returning to 68 at Torero Rd.

Okay, so you continue along 68 toward Monterey.  Then what?  As you near Monterey, you have options:

• You don’t have to take the above-mentioned (in orange) route.  If you want to do that, you turn left at Olmsted and continue; it becomes Monhollan, then make a left when you reach Aguajito.  And if you do go that way (a lovely scenic route with hills and trees), you also have the option of making a right when you get to Molhollan, and then head straight all the way to the coastal bike trail at Del Monte Beach!
• If you don’t want to take the “turn left at Olmsted…” route, here are some other nice options for getting off the Monterey-Salinas Highway.  Both of these allow you to avoid ending up on a Highway 1 (freeway) ramp; that means you won’t risk a ticket!  Here are choices:

1. Turn right when you reach the light at Canyon Del Rey Blvd/Hway 218 (by 711 and Starbucks). Then take Cyn del Rey all the way to the coastal bike path at Roberts Lake/Embassy Suites, near Sports Center Bicycles.  (En route, you’ll pass the Frog Pond Preserve and Del Rey Oaks City Hall, then later, Fremont Ave, then Laguna Grande Park and DMV and Seaside City Hall–and behind it, if you need it, is the Seaside Library.)
2. Or, turn right when you reach the light at Olmsted Road (by Monterey Peninsula Airport turn-off and Comfort Inn).  Then, make a left right away onto Garden Road (a stretch of office buildings, with no pit stops except the coffee bar at Gold’s Gym).  It’s a short stretch though, and then you’re at the corner of Garden Rd and Mark Thomas Dr/Fairgrounds Rd–at the 3-way traffic light by the Monterey County Fairgrounds.  From there, you can turn right and go up to the stop sign at Casa Verde, then make a left and take Casa Verde all the way to the coastal bike path (past La Sala Bi-Rite Deli).  Or, at Garden Rd and Fairgrounds, make a left onto Mark Thomas Drive; you’ll soon pass Santa Catalina School.  Continue on Mark Thomas all the way to Sloat Ave (first light).  From there, if you’d like to head directly to the coastal bike path, make a right.  You’ll go underneath the freeway, then continue straight on Sloat in the bike lanes alongside the Naval Postgraduate School. Continue all the way to the coastal bike path (when you reach the T-intersection, you simply cross Del Monte Ave).

At the Sea Otter Classic

Sea Otter Classic

Be sure to calendar the annual Sea Otter Classic at Laguna Seca Recreation Area/Mazda Raceway!  For 2013, Sea Otter’s 23rd year, the dates are April 18-21.

Sea Otter includes North America’s largest bike expo, as well as the road and mountain race events that first made the event so popular.  For a link to their course maps, click here.

Sea Otter is a bicycle festival for the entire family, with activities for little kids and much more.

Gran Fondo

Sea Otter includes three Gran Fondo routes–fully supported recreational rides!

For 2012, there were two Gran Fondo road route options–the Carmel Valley Route (approx 95 miles), which includes “The Loop”; and a mostly Coastal Route (approx 50 miles).  There was also a Mountain Bike Route (approx 20 miles).

Check out this report by Patrick Brady/Ride Kite Prayer on his experience of the Carmel Valley Route, which includes the Salinas Valley.

What a great time for serious cyclists to visit Monterey County!

Serious cyclists?

Looks like too much fun to me!  Velo Club folks at one of their favorite hangouts,

HER Helmet Thursdays spot East Village Coffee Lounge on Monterey’s triangle plaza, downtown.

(Photo courtesy of Leo Kodl.)

“Outta my way!” Sharing the bikeways

Courteous cyclist on the bike/multi-use path.

Love to race along or have fun doing your daredevil deeds?  More power to you!  Sometimes I do too.

Still, I know that startling pedestrians or others on a multi-use path—or drivers on a shared road—isn’t a good way to be an effective ambassador for the cycling community.

On the multi-use path, when I’m the one on the bike, I feel confident of the way I can zigzag safely between groups of pedestrians.  But if were walking the path with my toddler friend Mira, or guiding my pal Margaret in her wheelchair, I know either could be frightened by zooming cyclists darting in-and-out of pedestrian traffic.   So I remind myself to slow it down near others, as appropriate.

What about other cyclists?  It can be annoying when, for instance, another cyclist who has stopped to chat with a pedestrian intrudes on your lane.  From having been such a person myself, losing my balance and crossing into the other lane just seconds before a fast cyclist came my way, I know it usually makes sense to give others the benefit of the doubt rather than yelling at them.   Patience in such situations, too, sows good seeds for a more cycling friendly world all around.

Shucks!  Think I’m spoiling all your fun?  I wouldn’t wanna do that!

Although I’m not a racer, I do often love to fly along.  In those moments, I wish I could have the bikeways all to myself.  However, here in Monterey County, there are lots of place to experience freedom and speed; the resources listed above will take you there!

And if that doesn’t give you enough, try out the Corkscrew on the TwilightRides at Laguna Seca’s Mazda Raceway!

Below:  New Year’s Day 2012 was a beautiful, sunny day…

And it was also one of those times when the Monterey Bay Coastal Trail is packed in certain sections!

As the touring cyclists pictured here can surely relate to, after many miles of biking, sometimes the scenery around you–and the people–can start to blur together.  Staying safely alert to those around you means you’ll be more aware of nature’s beauty here too.  So be prepared to relax your pace when you reach pedestrian-heavy sections like this one.

You may also wish to review Bike Etiquette and Common Sense from the Marin County Bicycle Coalition.

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