superpletch

I'm mapping a tour from SF to Santa Barbara and will spend the night in Monterey, CA. The next day I wanted to ride around the outside of the Monterey Peninsula via Lovers Point Park, Pacific Grove, Pebble Beach and rejoin HWY 1 at Carmel By The Sea. ACA map bypasses the peninsula and when I let ridewithgps map a route from Monterey to Big Sur it does the same thing.

I rode this tour a couple years ago, but Big Sur was closed due to a washed out bridge so before we got to Monterey we had to detour inland (east) to bypass Big Sur and missed the peninsula.

does anyone have experience or advice on staying on the coast around the Monterey Peninsula?

BlarneyHammer

I'm pretty sure the bridge outside of Big Sur has since been rebuilt and Hwy 1 is now open again. I could be wrong.

spinnaker

That was done a while back. Last remaining piece was the slide near Ragged Point and that is now cleared too.

spinnaker

Do you mean 17 mile drive? IMHO not really worth it. There are only a few spots where you see the ocean. You see mostly homes. I rode out to Point Pinos. That is just OK too but really not that far out of your way. If you have the time and the energy then by all means ride 17mile drive but if you miss it then don't feel disappointed.

Also there really is no reason to ride into Santa Barbara. I would just end it in San Luis Oposipo. That ride down into Santa Barbara is far from pleasant with the freeway and all. Though Santa Maria is an excellent lunch stop. Lots of good Mexican restaurants on the main drag.

Cyclist0108

You are not wrong.

Cyclist0108

Yup.





The 17 mile drive is free for cyclists and you can join up and leave it in several places. It is a non-issue for cyclists. There is a path along the shore from north of Monterey. Just follow that until you come to the end, near the Aquarium (which you should visit if you have time) and then follow the road on the coast. We ride there several times a year, recreationally. The scenery is spectacular. You then return to Highway 1 in Carmel, and can proceed down the coast to Big Sur (where there is a nice campground next to the new bridge).

eja_ bottecchia

That is not completely true. From Monterey, south, through Asilomar and heading south to Pebble Beach you are close to the ocean. Then from Pebble Beach on, you do ride a bit inland, but never far from the ocean. There are plenty of places to stop and take in the sights. The biggest problem with 17 Mile Drive are the tourists who clog up the road.The ride from Monterey to Carmel is one of the most beautiful rides around.

The whole Monterey Peninsula offers some of the most beautiful scenic routes.

I love that area and highly recommend it.

The ride from Big Sur, south to Lompoc is equally beautiful but some the sections, especially on the freeway can be a bit hairy. The ride from Solvang to Santa Barbara includes some freeway sections that may not be fun for an inexperienced rider.

My suggestion to the OP is to contact any of the bike clubs in the San Luis Obispo area. SLO is a riding mecca of sorts and they can provide you with invaluable information.

Also, check the map routes for the AMGEN Arthritis Ride of the California AIDS Ride. Both rides follow the same routes that you are considering.

Once you get to Santa Barbara, you can ride a little further south and go all the way to Ventura. Again, some very beautiful and challenging riding. One of the stages of this year's AMGEN's Tour of California will ride from Pismo Beach to Ventura. Check their route map.

OP, if you are willing to do some of the pre-ride homework you will be rewarded with some of the best riding that you will ever do.

Good luck.

stevepusser

You can also cut inland through Santa Maria and Foxen Cyn Rd to stay at the hiker-biker site at Lake Cachuma, then take Stagecoach Rd and Old San Marcos Pass Rd to avoid the busy and narrow Hwy 154, to Santa Barbara. Not for those that are adverse to some summer heat and climbing, though.

OrenNoah

This September will be my fourth bike trip from San Francisco to Los Angeles, mainly along Highway 1, for the Arthritis Foundation as part of the California Coast Classic. events.arthritis.org/participant/Oren

We stay overnight in Monterey and then ride around the Monterey Pennisula and rejoin Highway 1 at Carmel and then on to Big Sur for the night.

We ride right through Santa Barbara. By the way, we leave the coast at Pismo Beach and go through Beullton. It's a great route. Check out the above website for more info.

(BTW, the AIDS ride does not follow this route and does not go down the Big Sur coast. It goes much farther inland, along the Salinas Valley.)

eja_ bottecchia

You are right on both counts. The Aids ride goes inland for part of the ride, but then it rejoins the coast from Santa Barbara on south to Ventura and LA.

I have ridden the Ventura to Santa Monica portion of the ride in support of my friend, who does the full San Francisco to LA ride.

I would love to do either of those two rides, but it is hard to find the time and it is even harder to do the fund raising.

Congrats and kudos to you for raising the funds to do the ride.

Philly Tandem

I've ridden the section from Seaside near Monterey down through 17-Mile Drive many times, and consider it a beautiful ride and well worth doing. Riding through Asilomar State Park along the coast, 17-Mile Drive, and the Carmel area is great IMO. Take a short detour into Point Lobos State Park, too, just south of Carmel (free for bikes).

superpletch

thanks for the responses. I will take the long way around the Monterey Peninsula on 17 mile road.

I was disappointed last time that we missed Monterey and south through Big Sur. I am aware that the Pfeiffer Bridge is back open which is why I'm going to redo this tour.

djb

my opinion is from a looong time ago, but the 17 mile drive mostly remains in my memories as uber wealthy homes and some golf course stuff, I imagine there was some nice scenery, but honestly, what stays with me was the wealth. (there was a show once called "Lifestyle of the Rich and Famous" kinda sums up the whole thing.)
I can't imagine its any different.
but of course, probably still nicer going along the coast, ish.

spinnaker

I agree with you as that is my memory too. Not that the rest of the peninsula doesn't have some great views But maybe I am remembering wrong.

Though curious the 17 mile drive gets a number of bad reviews on Trip Advisor. As I recall there was more that one review that stated the free roads in the area offer much better vistas. But of cours 17mile drive is fee to cyclists.

Cyclist0108

I for one find it really inspiring how the locals manage to survive when faced with such crushing, grinding poverty and no hope for the future.

eja_ bottecchia

CraigMBA

I rode a double century through Monterey a couple of years ago. It bypassed the pennusula.

We came down Del Monte to where the McDonalds is (I know this McDonalds very well, I got kicked out of it when I was 18 because it was 7:45pm and they were closing!) and turn on Augajito. Ride underneath Highway 1 and stay on it till it dumps you out on 1 again but in Carmel.

If you can find the course notes for the Carmel Valley Double Century in 2016, it'll be in the route description.