Big buzz, big views, Big Sur

When I first heard that you could ride through one of the closed sections of Big Sur on electric bikes, I wasn’t sure what to expect. But after taking the windin-your-hair ride up, over and down windy Highway 1, I realized the bike ride is like visiting the Louvre on a private tour: There are so many stunning sights, dazzling vistas and welcoming venues in Big Sur that it’s still heaven’s picnic grounds. Even when it’s bruised, it’s beautiful.

Coming from the north, the ride actually begins with a short hike from Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park on the Community Bypass Trail, which bypasses the downed Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge, a victim of last winter’s mad storms.

We parked in Pfeiffer and crunched up — and it definitely is up — the trail. But it’s only a half-mile or so, on fairly packed dirt, with nice wooden handrails and stairs in critical spots, courtesy of the California Conservation Corps, State Parks workers and other locals.

There are a fair amount of good-natured souls on the share — many people live on one side and work on the other — and you might see unusual things in transit, like the two very large sheet cakes carried by people passing us in the other direction. Once you hit Highway 1 (you’ll see and hear that the bridge restoration is loudly in progress), it’s a quick stroll to Big Sur Adventures, where the real adventure begins.

Big Sur Adventures offers two sizes of Rad power bikes, both adjustable for height and both meaty, fattired stallions. The shop personnel gave us a clear overview of how to power up/off the bikes, what the digital readout screen is telling you (including speed, mileage and remaining battery time) and how not to plow into a parked car because you underestimated the juice of the electric pedal assist.

Ah, yes, cars. It’s not quite a private tour of Big Sur’s Louvre; there are still people living there, road closures or not. We didn’t encounter a lot of cars on this particular weekend and none were an issue, but you must stay pulled to the right as you would biking anywhere. But biking in Big Sur with essentially no traffic, and without having to pull your lungs out of your chest to ascend those clambering hills? Lovely.

The bikes have five levels of pedal assist: Pedal assist Level 1 feels like a small child is pushing you from behind; Level 5 feels like the child has been eating a lot of spinach, and is now a mini Popeye. There’s also a motorcycle-style throttle that works independently. Popeye or not, pedaling is involved, so you do get some exercise.

On some stretches of our ride, fog obscured much of those blue-green coves and thrashing waves below, but the snaky curves and sharp hills were sublime through the redwood mists.

We often stopped to gaze, at cherished Big Sur spots, including the Henry Miller Memorial Library and the Big Sur Coast Gallery and Cafe, and at many pullouts along the way. After drinking in the striking view of McWay Falls pouring into the emerald-hued cove at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, we turned around.

Sadly, nature has taken a dramatic toll on several old stalwarts we passed, including Deetjen’s inn and the Big Sur Bakery, still shuttered due to the storms. But some beloved landmarks, including Nepenthe, are open — and that’s where we had a sunny lunch on the terrace, which was thronged with happy customers. Fortified, we saddled up to finish the ride back to Big Sur Adventures, arriving there with battery power to spare after our nearly 20-mile trip.

I’ve been to Big Sur many times over the years, and have always marveled at the bicyclists strong enough, brave enough and crazy enough to ride those formidable hills, while surrounded by gawking (and sometimes inattentive) tourist traffic. Riding an electric bike through this magical area felt like a gift — in my imagination, I saw one of those old maps with an anthropomorphic cloud puffing up its cheeks to blow ships through rough seas. In our case, puffyfaced fog.

Big Sur has taken some hits, but it will come back again. And the bridge may open in October to help that process along. In the meantime, before everyone’s uncle, cousins and cats pile through in Winnebagos, you might want to try a sweet ride into the sky.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ALICE BOURGET A bike ride through Big Sur’s marooned landscapes yields misty panoramas and minimal traffic.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CATHERINE KARNOW The sunny terrace and bustling bar at Nepenthe, the beloved Big Sur landmark, are open.

PHOTO COURTESY OF TOM BENTLEY A breathtaking sculpture of a phoenix stands outside Big Sur’s Nepenthe.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ALICE BOURGET Surprises, including interesting artwork at the Phoenix shop at Nepenthe, await when you do Big Sur by electric bike.