Site Map  Regional map highlighting these rides.

 

Each link below connects to a general description of a bike ride.  Further links then provide a ride preview (featuring pictures and historical links), one or more detailed route sheets, and a map of the route.  These rides are configured for road bikes (no off-road routes).  Most rides offer both Century (~100 mile) and shorter options.  

 

• Climb to Cook's
  (56 / 93 Miles)  This ride starts on the valley floor (Ione, elev 327') and climbs to near Cook's Station (elev 4,835').  Along the way riders tour quiet, rural roads lined with forests of Oaks and conifers.  All riders visit Plymouth and Fiddletown.  The 57 mile option (4,470') returns to Ione via Volcano and Sutter Creek.  The Century ride (7,370'), visits Mt. Aukum, Omo Ranch, Cook's Station, Volcano, and Sutter Creek.

• Coloma-Camino Century  
  (43 / 64 / 102 Miles)  This ride visits the historic gold rush country of the Coloma-Placerville-Camino region.  Starting in Shingle Springs, riders visit Lotus, Coloma, Placerville, Camino, and Somerset.  The Century ride is very strenuous (12,110') and features seven climbing challenges.  The 43 mile (3,565') and 64 mile (5,515') options tour the same general region but are much easier and avoid major climbs.  
  

• Hillacious Hundred
  (55 / 99 / 125 Miles)  This ride tours remote gold rush country east of Jackson, San Andreas, and Angels Camp.  Starting in Ione, all riders climb to Jackson, Clinton, and Pine Grove.  The 55 mile (4,340') ride returns via Volcano and Sutter Creek.  After visiting West Point and Railroad Flat, the longer (99 mile [8,275'] and 125 mile [11,650']) rides return through San Andreas, Paloma, Campo Seco, and Buena Vista.  The very strenuous 125 mile option adds a loop to Murphys and Angels Camp.

• Island Hopping
  (37 / 49 / 95 Miles)  This ride tours levee roads of the islands, rivers, and sloughs of the California Delta.  Starting in Franklin, all rides visit Randall, Sutter and Grand Islands.  The 49 mile ride adds Tyler and Andrus Islands, and the 95 mile ride adds Brannan, Sherman, and Twitchell Islands.  These flat routes, suitable for family bicycling, visit (variably) Courtland, Ryde, Isleton, Walnut Grove, and Locke.

• North Bay Valleys  
  (55 / 96 Miles)  This ride tours picturesque wine country just north of the Suisun and San Pablo Bays.  Starting in Fairfield, all riders bike through the Gordon and Wooden Valleys.  After crossing the Napa Valley, Century riders enjoy a gradual, beautiful climb along Redwood and Mt. Veeder Roads, then thrill to a fast descent down Oakville Grade back to the Napa Valley.  Highway 128 then brings riders to an easy cruise down Pleasants Valley back to Fairfield.  The shorter (55 mile) option eliminates the Napa Valley portion of the tour.

• Tahoe-Donner Alpi
  (15 / 20 / 55 Miles)  This ride features alpine scenes of lakes, forested mountains, and high mountain passes.  Starting in Donner Memorial State Park, all options pass through the historic railroad town of Truckee. The 15 and 20 mile routes ascend Northwoods Blvd. to Alder Creek Road, then follow Highway 89  to downtown Truckee on the return to Donner Memorial State Park.  55 mile riders follow an out-and-back course to the Mt. Rose summit (elevation 8,900 ').

• The Monster
  (66 / 135 Miles)  Starting in Bowman, all riders pass through Colfax on the way to Iowa Hill and Foresthill.  The 66 mile route (7,000') returns directly to Bowman.  The 135 mile "Monster" (15,000') adds the Oxbow Reservoir and Rubicon River climbing challenges on the way to Georgetown, Cool, and Auburn.  Both routes pass through remote, undeveloped, beautiful forests in historic gold rush country and include severely steep climbing.

• Valley Fever
  (54 / 112 Miles)  No, not coccidioidomycosis!  This "Valley Fever" refers to the  Chiles, Pope, Napa, Franz, Bennett, Sonoma, and Wooden Valleys visited on the 112 mile version of this ride.  Starting at Moskowite Corner (20 miles west of Winters), all riders pass through Pope Valley and Angwin on their way to the Napa Valley.  The 54 mile ride returns to the start on Highway 128.  The 112 mile ride passes through Calistoga, Santa Rosa, Glen Ellen, and Napa on the return to Moskowite Corner.    

• Wilderness Wanderings
  (69 / 97 Miles)  This ride visits undeveloped, pristine National Forests southeast of Placerville.  Starting in Placerville, riders pass through Sierra Springs on the way to Jenkinson Reservoir and the Mormon Emigrant Trail.  Both routes (69 / 97 miles) proceed south on North-South Road to a rest stop at Capps Crossing campground.  The 97 mile ride adds a loop on remote (paved) Forest Service roads; both rides then return to Placerville via Grizzly Flat, Somerset, and Buck's Bar.