Road Bike Ride Recommendations in the San Francisco Bay Area

By: Erin Crager

Need recommendations for rides? Here are a few local favorites. Pro tip: We'll occasionally add new recommended routes here so make sure to check back every time you rent a bike. Links to strava routes are in the header.

Pandemics have upsides. As of this writing, the Great Highway is closed to cars from Friday at 12pm thru Monday at 6am, which means the ocean-side portion of your ride will look like this. For updated hours.

Twin Peaks Loop

This route begins in Golden Gate Park and heads west to the coast. It shoots down the Great Highway, and inland on Sloat, where the climbing begins via Portola, then Twin Peaks for a view of downtown.

From the top of Twin Peaks

Climbing Twin Peaks at Golden Hour

Legion Loop

Great for a quick out and back, this one doesn't require leaving the city, and will get your heart rate going with ~1000 ft of vertical feet. It navigates the presidio, lands end, ocean beach, and golden gate park. Named after the museum you'll pass toward the end called The Legion of Honor, the route is arguably most scenic going counter-clockwise, where your descents will be ocean facing. Highly recommended at sunset.

View of the golden gate from Lands End Trail

Descending from Cliff House

Bunker Rd TT to McCullough Rd Headlands

Skip Hawk Hill with a tunnel through a mountain side and get right to the headlands. Immediately after the tunnel, this ride is a fast TT style with rolling hills as you make your way to the coast. For extra credit, climb McCullough Rd out to the coast, a short (sometimes technical) section that's littered with WW2-era bunkers. Descend down to Rodeo Lagoon on your way back to McCullough and, if you're cooked at this point, the tunnel is still there: it's the flattest way back. But if you're looking for one final climb before you throw in the towel, bend right to stay on McCullough, hit a left on the Conzelman roundabout, and descend with a spectacular view of the bridge.

Four Corners Climb in Mill Valley

This route is hard to beat. It begins in Mill Valley's downtown (which has an Equator Coffee), and follows several serene, redwood covered roads: Cascade, Marion, Sequoia, and Panoramic Highway. You'll descend east on Shoreline Highway to Tamalpais Valley Junction to make your way back.

The view climbing up Shoreline Highway

Golden Gate Park Cycling Track

This cycling track is .7 miles long and is great for quick interval sessions. Warm up as you ride through the park and hit the track rearing to go. Pro tip: Its hours of operation can change. Check here for its schedule and updates

Cycling Track in Golden Gate Park

Alpine Dam

The business end of this route launches out of Fairfax on Bolinas Rd with a pretty sustained 1st climb (see topo chart in strava link). At times this route can feel like you are in the sierras, particularly after the first descent. After passing Alpine Dam (https://marinmagazine.com/arts-events/things-to-do/alpine-dam/), which is especially eerie if it happens to be a foggy day, you have one more slightly longer climb with Bolinas-Fairfax road. It's switch-back intensive with lots of tree cover. This gets you to the final section of undulating steep climbs with coastal views from Ridgecrest Boulevard, pictured below.