Sonoma Coast-69 miles Advanced |
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Sonoma, California Bike Tours & Rentals
This might be the ultimate Sonoma County Adventure. From the Wine Country Town of Healdsburg you’ll roll through the vineyards of the inland valleys, climb the steep Coastal Range and descend to the crashing Pacific. After riding one of the most beautiful sections of the California Coast, you’ll follow the
Russian River back inland as it winds its way through the Redwoods and back to Wine Country. Ride a lot but want a little extra help? We now offer Performance E-BIKES but you'll still get a workout! Want to do this ride but maybe not all in one day? Check out our 5 DAY/4 NIGHT SONOMA ADVENTURE TOUR, it offers so much more....
**We suggest you follow this link on your phone to create a free Ride With GPS account and automatically become a member of the Wine Country Bikes RWGPS Club. Installing their free app will then allow you to use turn by turn voice navigation on any Wine Country Bikes routes and download our routes and maps to your phone for offline usage.
Break Down of the Route: This ride covers most of our 5 Day/4 Night Sonoma Adventure Tour. Leaving from our Bike Touring Center, the first ten miles are flat to rolling along south/east side of the Russian River Valley. The next 20 miles or so are where the climbs are strung together in which you'll accumulate most of the total elevation gain for this ride- from Graton in West County out to the coast. The first climb we've marked is Vine Hill Rd #1; which is the first noteable hill. It's about a mile long with a moderate grade and a few pitches. The second hill marked west of Graton offers a mile section of a gradual drag of uphill #2 that leads up to Harrison Grade #3 which is about 2 miles of stair stepping pitches with steeper sections reaching 15%- it's a kicker! These two hills close together with some steep grades can be challenging. Not to mention the next main climb from Occidental is just a few miles after these.
You can catch a short break in the town of Occidental, which is also a good spot to refuel, before experiencing the fourth climb on Coleman Valley Road #4. This road, held dear in the heart of cyclists, starts with a sharp climb of 1.5 miles right from town, before dropping into a pastoral valley nestled in the hills. After making one final-tough!-ascent on Coleman Valley #5, a roller coaster section with a couple of tough 15% pitches, you’ll be greeted by a cool ocean breeze and amazing panoramas.
Just before the final descent to the ocean the road becomes even narrower as it rolls along the bluff to the top of Irish Hill before diving about 800 feet in just over a mile to Hwy 1. Use Caution!!!
A right turn heads you north along an 8 mile stretch of Sonoma Coast Beaches. Be aware you can often encounter a head wind on this section. Our favorite is Goat Rock State Beach just before you reach the mouth of the Russian River and turn back inland (say hi to the seals!).
Once you do turn inland from Hwy1 the remainder of the ride-30ish miles- is primarily flat to rolling as you snake your way along the west side of the Russian River Valley and back to Healdsburg.
Main Challenges:
Places to Refuel:
Safety First! Use caution on the descents- they're steep and rough and the corners are sharp!
Please make sure you have both the skills and fitness to ride this route, we'd be happy to answer any of your questions- contact us!
It can always be MUCH COOLER at the ocean than inland. Always bring warmer clothing when riding to the coast.
The most appropriate rental bikes for this ride is a Trek Carbon Domane or a Trek 2.1 aluminum road bike.