This route is from an event held annually as part of the California Triple Crown series of double centuries - 200-mile bike rides. It is not technically a race but they do keep track of start and finish times. It starts in King City and travels over the coast range mountains to the Pacific coast, down to Big Sur and then retraces the route back to King City. (Usually this event goes south on the coast to the Nacimiento-Fergusson road, which goes back to the Salinas Valley. but Hwy 1 was blocked by two landslides, so we had to do an out-and-back ride this year). King City is a vegetable and wine-grape agricultural center in the southern Salinas Valley. The route starts by going north from King city on the east side of the valley to Greenfield and then east across the valley to the coast range. The early morning start, often still dark, is quiet with little traffic. Once across the valley It follows the Arroyo Seco river into the hills and crosses the range on Carmel Valley road. The twenty mile climb to the top is gentle until the last 5 miles that reach 5 to 9% grades, the steeper parts being short. The road surface is fair. When climbing the surface is not bad. Descending is bumpy. The climb is mostly exposed and in daylight has little shade. Cool mornings are the best time for this climb. From the top of the ridge, the view to the east is expansive and scenic in the early morning light. Descending the west side the road is largely tree-shaded. The road surface is again fair but smoother than the east side. About 10 miles down it has been resurfaced so is smooth. The descent is mostly 3-5% grade with one 10% section for half a mile. On this section there is little traffic. Carmel Valley village is at about 17 miles into the descent and at that point the traffic increases dramatically. In the early morning it is not bad, but very noticable. From this point the shoulder increases in width to 2-3 feet making cycling fine despite the increased traffic. The road descent is very gentle after this point and is rolling to flat the next 15 miles to Carmel but even the gentle descent allows fairly high cycling speeds, 20 to 25 mph. Once in Carmel follow the signs to get to Highway 1, the Pacfic Coast Highway. On this ride we went through Carmle around 8:30 to 9 am and traffic was "light" considering that this is a world-famous scenic road and on a Saturday we can expect more traffic. More on that! Weather - summer is often overcast and cool due to the cold pacific creating fog. The sunniest parts of the year are spring and fall. The road south of Carmel starts near sea-level, passing several public beaches where people are already setting up for the day. This is a popular area for scuba divers so you may see people with scuba gear right next to the road. The road south hugs the coast and ranges from gently rolling hills to a few longer climbs. However, the longest climb going south is only 1.5 miles long (total climbing going south is 2,400 feet, and going north is 1,700 feet). The road surface is always excellent and for the most part, there is adequate shoulder to ride comfortable with traffic. The few exceptions are the old bridges that have no shoulder. But, for the most part, the traffic is fairly slow and drivers are courteous. The scenery is spectacular with the sea crashing on rocks on your right and mountains rising right out of the sea going up to 3,000 feet elevation. Much of the ride is high above the ocean and weaves in and out of various coves and stream cuts. This variety of perspective allows spectacular views of long stretches of the coast. The ride south provides the best opportunity for taking photos at the numerous turnouts as traffic on the northbound leg will prevent crossing the road for any pictures. The wind generally is from the north, so a tailwind is most likely on this stretch A few miles before Big Sur the road turns slightly inland and climbs 1.6 miles to the village of Big Sur, on the Big Sur River. At this point several cafes and stores are available. A feature of Big Sure, and all the coastal river canyons, is the redwood forests providing deep shade. This is the turn-around point so now head back north. On this route, it will be mid-day at least and the tourists will be out in force. The traffic will be much heavier and every turnout will be packed. The views are bit different and some of the climbs are longer (though there is less climbing northbound because the one significant climb to Big Sur is a descent on the northbound leg). The one significant variable is the wind, which can be a very strong headwind. However, the road cuts in and out of the coast so you do get some reprieve as you cut inland. And nearer to Carmel the road is more shielded by trees. But expect wind, light or strong. Once back to Carmel, the route starts climbing back over the Coast Range. But the climb is very gentle for the first 15 miles to Carmel Valley village, rising only a few hundred feet. For the first couple miles the road is 4-lanes with very wide shoulders. After that the shoulder is generally wide until a couple of miles before Carmel Valley when it becomes more narrow and sketchy. The afternoon traffic on this section is very heavy all the way to Carmel Valley. After Carmel Valley the traffic drops by 99% and there will be, at most, a few dozen cars passing in the next 15 miles to the top. The road is largely shaded so is very pleasant even on a warm day. Usually, a cool sea breeze will also reach this far inland. The climb is gently at 3-6% with that one 10% section the only exception. Once over that it is an easy climb to the top. The descent to the Salinas Valley is long and the road feels much bumpier due to higher speeds. It is easy to keep 20-25 mph even on the flatter sections. Nearer to the valley the temperature will rise (in summer it could reach 100) and the headwind will pick up, Once on the valley floor a very strong cross wind is likely to push you sideways as you traverse the 7 miles across the valley to the east side. But once back on the east-side Metz road and heading south to King City a very strong tailwind will push you at 25 to 30 mph with little effort on your part.