STR | SocalTrailRiders.org

Rob

We're going on a little vacation after Christmas from Dec 26 to Dec 30. Bringing the bikes and want to get some nice Norcal riding in.

I have no clue where to ride there.

Looking for something not too technical as my girlfriend is kinda new to MTB, so maybe some nice buffed singletrack, with tree cover, moderately techy trails ok, she can walk those parts Can drive up to an hour and a half away from San Fransisco.

Links to trails with trailhead directions, would be great. Is there a site like Geoladders for Nor Cal?

Thanks for any info!

allison

Hit up jschwart73 or whatever the name is. He lives up there and has just recently started riding, so he probably knows a few decent areas.

__________________
My Blog
The Path
Crank Brothers

jschwart73

Where you going to be staying? I'm off work that entire time and wouldn't mind meeting someone new. I'm a relative newb too, so whatever works for your GF will probably work for me.

Go to MotionBased, look up Skeggs (El Corte Madera is the formal name, but everyone calls it Skeggs), that's semi-advanced, but nice. I ride at Joaquin Miller Park in Oakland a lot, redwood forest, nice ride, easy loops with a couple of tough climbs. Decent mix of single and doubletrack riding. Here is a MB of my last ride there:

http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/4542661

You're also not far from Marin, plenty of great riding there I hear, but I don't know firsthand.

As much as I hate to say this, post in the NorCal thread on MTBR, there are people a lot more knowledgeable than I am about riding in the Bay Area...

Pain Freak

You guys might want to check out the NorCal board on emptybeer, they are pretty active there and they always show us southerners a good time when we go up there.

__________________
"The best rides are the ones where you bite off much more than you can chew—and live through it." — Doug Bradbury

"When I was a kid I used to pray every night for a new bicycle. Then I realised that the Lord doesn't work that way so I stole one and asked Him to forgive me." — Emo Philips

genusmtbkr5

__________________

Gene"GuidesNewWarriors"
http://www.warriorssociety.org/


http://www.sharemtb.com/

dstepper

It is winter and it rains alot more up there, many of the usually rides will be muddy. If it was me and no rain I would head to Annadell in Santa Rosa. If it rained I would go to Oak Hill in Calistoga...hard pan goodness, rideable in any weather...but you would need to get a new girlfriend when you got back.

The closest good singletrack would be Tamarancho, China Camp or the fireroads in the Marin Headlands. To keep the girlfriend you may just want to ride Golden Gate Park and the bridge.

http://ogrehut.com/
http://www.petefagerlin.com/index.html

__________________
If I'm not lost or getting bushwacked, the trail was too easy.

Prescott Valley Houses
The Path

Rob

Thanks for the info guys. I posted my question on the Nor Cal forum, here is the thread.

http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.ph...63#post3859163

Dean, which of all these trails talked about here and on MTBR will have the least climbing? She's really new to mountain biking and this will be one of her first rides. We plan on riding the fully loop and Santa Rosa Plateau a few times before the trip.

I'm going to take a day off to myself to hit up some really techy stuff with a friend who lives in Berkely(Rb from MTBR)

dstepper

Golden Gate Park, thru the Presidio, Fort Point and the bridge...actualy very nice ride if it is sunny, but not much dirt. And you can keep going to the Marin Headlands...but that is a big ride. http://www.nps.gov/goga/planyourvisit/maps.htm

Dean

__________________
If I'm not lost or getting bushwacked, the trail was too easy.

Prescott Valley Houses
The Path

dstepper

Ask him if he knows about The Crack, if not head to Oat Hill. There

__________________
If I'm not lost or getting bushwacked, the trail was too easy.

Prescott Valley Houses
The Path

mtbchip

"The closest good singletrack would be Tamarancho, China Camp or the fireroads in the Marin Headlands. To keep the girlfriend you may just want to ride Golden Gate Park and the bridge........"

I Concur

1) Tamarancho is a kick, dizzying fun ST....BUT...could make your GF crazy
2) China Camp is real close.....can your GF walk?
3) Marin Headlands.... huge views, huge hills!
4) Annandale in Santa Rosa......simply NorCal beautiful (see pics)

All close to Sausalito, Tiburon, Larkspur and other cool little "burgs" you can take the GF and sooth her savage hunger for food and unique shopping!

All while taking on 2-6 inches of rain, but that is NorCal!

Attached Images

	str2.jpg (324.7 KB, 0 views)
	str1.jpg (249.9 KB, 0 views)

BrewMaster

For a fun simple day about 30 minutes from SF, check out Water Dog Lake Park. It's not going to blow your mind, but it is very newb friendly.

Also, Sawyer Camp Trail goes along the Crystal Springs Reservoir and has some pretty views. Also very newb friendly. I haven't ridden there since I was a kid, but I remember it being mostly fire roads with little climbing.

Linda and I will be up in San Mateo for Xmas. Hit me up if you want to ride on 12/23 or 12/24. She is pretty new to riding so she would probably enjoy riding with your GF.

__________________
Above all accomplishments, character matters most.

genusmtbkr5

Dean's link is the same one I was going to give ya. lick on Crack Pacifica. Like I said, this is just outside SF.

http://www.petefagerlin.com/cavid.htm

__________________

Gene"GuidesNewWarriors"
http://www.warriorssociety.org/


http://www.sharemtb.com/

cbharping

You mentioned being willing to drive up to an hour and a half - Santa Cruz is about an hour or so away from you! Check out Soquel Demonstration Forest(lots of beautiful single track), and there are other options right around UC Santa Cruz as well.

Bicycle Trip is a great local shop in Santa Cruz.
Mountain Bikers of Santa Cruz and Trailworkers.com are both local groups with online maps and info about the area.

It can be quite rainy in the Bay Area this time of year, so check things out before you go.

__________________
My MTB Blog
My Harp Blog
The Path Bike Shop in Tustin

jschwart73

Looks like I have some new places to try too...

jschwart73

Who woulda thunk that reading a SoCal board would have given me a few new places to try - Rockville and Annandale were on my list to go to, had no idea about Tamarancho.

allison

The Fully Loop has a few steep parts doesn't it? You may want to hit up the Plateau a few times before hitting Fully.

If you guys go on a Sunday let me know. We'll be doing our longer rides on Saturday, so we can do a nice easy ride on a Sunday. Start at the horse trailer parking down the road from the main lot. It's more fire road.

__________________
My Blog
The Path
Crank Brothers

sheclimbs

The ride up to the top of Mt. Tam is a beautiful fire road. It's long but not too steep and goes right through the Redwoods.

These were taken (with a cell phone cam) on Old Railroad Grade over Thanksgiving. My sister doesn't ride much anymore but she really enjoyed this. It's something you can both enjoy.

climbing.JPG
scott_nick.JPG
fromthetop.JPG

__________________
Mountain biking is a life altering experience STJunkie

Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wildness is a necessity; and that mountain parks and reservations are useful not only as fountains of timber and irrigating rivers, but as fountains of life. John Muir

dirtmistress

This is GREAT since I'm going to SF for my birthday in February!

__________________
http://www.bichonsandbuddies.com/

Shannon; "You see the problem is that God gave men a brain and a penis...but only enough blood to run one at a time".

Rob

Thanks for all the great posts guys! Much appreciated. I told her about China Camp and she seemed interested in that. She has no problems walking the techy stuff. I think we might be able to get in two days of XC riding, and then I'm gonna ride some Norcal chunk with my friend Ray.

autoduel