The Whole Coast Ride: A How-To Guide
Taking on a point to point ride requires a whole bunch of logistics that aren’t necessary in a circuit or out and back route. How to get back to your car or how to get home can be a bit of a head scratcher without proper foresight. It pays dividends to have good friends or an unlimited Uber budget. It’s a whole different kettle of fish when you do back to back, point to point rides for more than a week riding from Oregon to California. Namely, the Whole Coast Ride.
I want to help point out some more details that might be missed if you’ve watched the video above and are thinking of an adventure of this magnitude. Because, quite frankly, this ride is amazing, and if you can fathom doing it, you definitely should.
Day 0: Somewhere to Brookings, OR
Brookings, Oregon is on the California/Oregon border and smack on the Pacific Ocean. It’s also smack in the middle of nowhere if you’re trying to fly into a nearby airport and make it to this little seaside hamlet. Even though it requires some 8 hours of driving, I think SFO is your best bet. You get a terrific glimpse of the Golden State while you largely drive inland and you can see a few roads you’ll be tackling in the coming days. Eugene, OR is another airport option, but that’s 4 hours away. And despite the Redding, CA airport being relatively close as the crow flies, it’s still nearly 5 hours by car. So pick your poison.
Do some homework before getting to town. There are plenty of options for places to stay, although if it’s off season they can be limited or closed. The same goes for dining options; it’s not worth trusting Google Maps, so do yourself a favor and spend 10 minutes on Google and on the phone, because the friendly business owners will happily tell you if they’re open or otherwise.
Day 1: Brookings, OR to Eureka, CA
113 miles, 6,500 feet of climbing
Ready, set, GO! This is a largely sparse, but tremendously beautiful route. You’ll get ample coast, plenty of old growth (trees), some time inland, and a whole lot of austerity. It’s a fairly flat ride with some big, bruiser climbs. If you drove in from SFO, you’ll know that there are some relatively small roads that big rig trucks, tourists, and locals treat as a main highway. These roads are not dangerous, per se, but they require smart bike riding. That is, stay to the right and bring a bright rear light.
We stopped in the nearly non existent town of Orick for some refueling. It’s not your only option, but it’s one of the best as it’s not purely a beef jerky store. Which is to say, many of the other establishments are. Beef jerky is delicious and you could fuel your ride on protein and sodium, but you’ll likely want some carbohydrates as well.
Fast forward to the finish, you’ll end today in one of the biggest cities in northern California. I think it is the biggest city, in fact. Eureka, CA has plenty of options to dine and sleep, so rest well given a big day tomorrow. And the next day. And the next day. And the next day.
Day 2: Eureka, CA to Benbow, CA
116 miles, 10,000 feet of climbing
We take the Coast right out of of the Coast Ride here on day 2! That said, the section of the coast you will ride is among the very best of the whole trip, so it’s worth the brevity.
You’ll roll out of the center of the universe that is Eureka, California. This is pancake flat so you have time to warm up by the time you get to quaint Ferndale. Please look around and appreciate this is a town based on Victoran houses. Why? I don’t know. Please read the tourist placard and get back to me on that. Ferndale is also where you hit the first climb of the day which is an abrupt kick to the schnoz. Yup, it’s hard. The gradient does improve, as does the view during you stunning descent to the ocean. This section of coast is short, but you’re pretty much as far away from civilization as it gets and it’s truly heavenly.
Have you ever watched the show Murder Mountain on Netflix? In the coming 50 miles, you’re nearing the heart of it. Honestly, don’t worry about that. It’s more fascinating than anything. People are friendly, so just wave and say hi and pretend you’re in Hollywood given the Netflix production value. Refuel in Honeydew and then really venture into weed country. The final section of road snakes to either Garberville or better yet, Benbow. Again, this is one of those potentially very busy roads so just be aware and turn on your bright, flashy rear light here, especially.
Oops, I forget to mention that this is Avenue of the Giants territory which is one of the coolest roads on the planet. I’ll leave it at that. Enjoy.
Day 3: Benbow, CA to Point Arena, CA
110 miles, 8,500 feet of climbing
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, be aware of your vehicular surroundings at the beginning of this ride. Stay to the right and use that flashing light. Also, not the worst idea to start day 3 on a Sunday where traffic is presumably at its lowest.
After some highway time, you’ll turn right and start climbing something stunning and fierce. Okay, not fierce, but a silky smooth road that seems to snake along forever. From here you’ll descent into some dank forest that looks like it’s out of a children’s novel and has never seen sun. This eerie road will eventually take you to the coast which is like a magical reward that you’ll understand when you do it yourself.
We’re reinserting the Coast back in the Coast Ride here and you’ll cruise some spectacular roads all the way to Point Arena. Hopefully you have a tailwind and hopefully you decide to stop in Mendocino at Good Life Cafe. You could stop 10 miles prior in Fort Bragg, but as someone who has a gravitational pull to good coffee shops and bakeries, trust me it’s worth the ride to Mendo.
Continuing to Point Arena is a lovely jaunt and the Wildflower Boutique Motel is like a 5 star resort to your wary legs. The co-op across the street has everything you need, so you’ll be organically fueled for the days to come.
Day 4: Point Arena, CA to Larkspur, CA
119 miles, 8,500 feet of climbing
Today is a stone cold stunner. Having lived in Marin, today’s route goes from roads I don’t know to roads I know, and they’re all roads I now know and love.
This is also a day to hit some killer bakeries. Do due diligence and try to make it to Two Fish bakery, but be aware they aren’t open every day. Wildflower Bakery is one detour option, Cafe Aquatica is lovely and right along the route, the Gold Coast Bakery is a short trip off course, and if you can, be gosh darn certain to make it to Bovine Bakery… which will be tough since it’s far from the start line and they close sometime mid-afternoon. This route snakes down south, paralleling the coast where you’re almost never on a flat, straight road, but as long as the ocean is on your right, you’re doing it right.
You can end anywhere in or around the Bay Area. All Marin towns have Marin hotel prices, but you’ll also notice that once you hit Fairfax you’re going from a wildly rural ride to a wildly urban ride literally as soon as you crest White Hill. Which is to say, be aware of Marin traffic if you haven’t had the pleasure, and then find yourself a fine place to stay and rest up. The coast ride starts tomorrow.
(Bonus Day 4.5: Larkspur to Larkspur)
Actually the coast ride starts tomorrow. This is a rest day since the (Traditional) Coast Ride begins tomorrow and runs SF to Santa Barbara. Being a stage race, you want to turn your legs over instead of sitting in bed all day. Seriously, go for this ride if you have time. This ride is a Marin staple and if you missed Bovine Bakery yesterday, you can hit it today. Be sure to wave at the 225 cyclists you’ll see today.
Day 5: Larkpur, CA to Monterey, CA
144 miles, 8,200 feet of climbing
Beginning in Marin will add some miles to your ride, but it will also start your ride with a trip across the Golden Gate Bridge which is about as iconic as it gets along the California coast. That’s one massive benefit of starting here, in addition to not having your bike stolen while staying in SF.
From here you roll through the city, down to Pacifica, and shoot down some token coastal towns such as the tiny village of Pescadero (get the artichoke bread) or super hip Santa Cruz. From there you’ll start to be getting bored as the sun gets lower in the sky — it is nearly 150 miles today, after all — but once you finally arrive to Monterey, you’ll have options aplenty as to where to stay. If you’re feeling baller or have recently won the lottery, stay in Carmel.
Day 6: Monterey, CA to San Luis Obispo, CA
140 miles, 8,050 feet of climbing
Say hello to the queen stage. This is the Big Sur day and it’s absolutely stunning. If you don’t ride California regularly, this will likely be in the top 3 rides of your life. You’re seemingly as far away from civilization as it gets and that means you’re rewarded with generally quiet roads. Bring your fitness because this is also a relentless route. It’s “only” ~8,000 feet of climbing over 140 miles, but more to the point, you’ll do approximately 7,000 feet over the first 80 miles, so it packs a punch early.
You should pack your pockets because there aren’t a lot of places to stop. Ragged Point is the traditional refueling point and from there it’s largely flat until your destination and hopefully a screaming tailwind. You can stop earlier in Morro Bay or even Cambria, but that means you have a pretty decent poke the next day. Plus SLO will feel like a mega metropolis so there are plenty of places to stay and dine. Laura and I stayed at the Garden Street Inn which was lovely and not too pricey. Maybe the best part of that is we were one block from Scout Coffee, which is as hip as it gets.
Day 7: San Luis Obispo, CA to Santa Barbara, CA
112 miles, 6,300 feet of climbing
This is “the breadbasket of America” route! Which is to say, a good portion of today is farm roads. With all due respect to this area, this might be the least inspiring day so far. Although depending on what you call local roads at home, this might still be the ride of a lifetime. Anyway, you’ll see where most of America’s produce comes from. The roads are fine, blah blah blah.
Eventually you’ll get to Buelton at which point you can refuel, or go to Solvang which is a lovely, touristy Dutch retreat. And then you’ll go down a twisty road that might say “road closed” but you should ignore it as you climb up Rifugio, seen below. This is one of the coolest parts of the whole ride at which point you descent to the coast. From here, I suggest the bike path as much as you can while paralleling 101. I’m riding the freaking 101 and you’ll angrily ask “Why didn'’t I take the 154?!” and trust me when I say the 154 is horrible on a bike. Heck, it’s horribly dangerous in a car, so don’t do it on a bike.
Oops, let’s backtrack to mile 54. The climb out of Los Alamos is also quite radical and something you might not have planned on your own. Super remote and very fun, so enjoy that little ditty.
Day 8: Santa Barbara, CA to Santa Monica, CA
109 miles, 6,600 feet of climbing
The SB to SM. One Ritzy town to another. I love both of these towns and have a hunch you will too. Start your day at either of the Handlebar Coffee locations and then go to the other one to get a second cup before rolling out.
You’ll cruise along the stunning Pacific coast in what appears to be paradise. As you spin the legs and get warmed up, you may wonder why you don’t move here. In fact, you’ll consider it, then you’ll find yourself looking up real estate prices and either choke on your coffee or buy a $4m fixer upper.
There is a point on today’s ride after Ventura where the ride gets less exciting. It gets busier and the road conditions turns pretty bleak. Passing through Oxnard is very busy; it’s perfectly safe with lots of room in the bike lane, but it’s mostly filled with glasses. After Oxnard, you’ll again see more of where your daily salad is grown while the Santa Monica mountains loom ever closer. There are so many climbs that go straight up from the ocean into the Malibu hills. The route that we’ve routed takes you up one of the first and it’s a real gem, Sycamore Canyon dirt. You could bypass this and take any number of other climbs or if you’re feeling entirely smoked then it’s a long straight shot into Santa Monica. I recommend the inland route.
Once upon the hills you can gaze south towards the city of Angels and the mighty Pacific. It seems like you could see Hawaii from here. You’ll cost down from this peaceful mountaintop, soon be riding on Hwy 1 with every hipster and new car owners from LA. Only they’re mostly parked due to stop lights and you can (carefully) navigate the road until you get to a beach path and only be dealing with rollerbladers and beach cruisers. It’s a scrum, but it’s the most entertaining scrum of the week.
Day 9: Santa Monica, CA to Encinitas, CA
113 miles, 3,900 feet of climbing
You may recall that I called it a complete trip after day 8. It was a touch heartbreaking to take an Uber to the airport, fly home, and have surgery on my elbow. That’s not the suggested route, but I proved it’s one option. Another option is to continue the migration south, which you see below. I wouldn’t call it the most exciting route, but it’s likely the only time you’ll ride from Santa Monica, through Los Angeles, and down to San Diego. That only climb of the day is brief and get you up to a sky scraping 400-something feet, then dropping down to Long Beach. There’s lots of bike path so thank your friends at People for Bikes and the LA rec department for keeping the path clean.
Then down in San Diego county, it’s a similar bike path and wide shoulder trip until you find a hotel. Get a great taco shop or hipster smoothie bar to sate your appetite and plan the final assault on the boarder.
Day 10: Encinitas, CA to Mexico
About 40 miles, about 1,000 feet of climbing
I’m not going to post a route for the final day because I have absolutely zero intel on it. The rumor is you have to ride through an air force base and maybe even a swap if you want the true shortest distance between two points. It’s not all swampy air force bases though as you’ll also enjoy a continued trip on the bike path and super wide shoulders like you enjoyed at the end of yesterday’s ride.