Rider’s choice
SAN FRANCISCO
Roasters Ride: 80 miles, over Golden Gate Bridge and Marin loop. Meet at 8 a.m. Saturdays at south parking lot, Golden Gate Bridge. Ride the Gate: Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito for lunch, then return by ferryboat. 8 miles. MARIN COUNTY Mount Tam Loop: From Fairfax, take Fairfax-Bolinas Road past Alpine Dam to Ridgecrest, then return via Pantoll and Panoramic Highway. Angel Island: Perimeter Road, 5.5-mile ride on Perimeter Road, easy for youngsters, seniors, with series of spectacular bay views.
PENINSULA
Bay-to-breakers loop: From one of several backcountry roads, connect to Highway 84 above Woodside and then ride to San Gregorio and Highway 1. Return on Tunitas Creek/Kings Mountain roads. 60 miles.
Crystal Springs Trail: Crowded but beautiful, San Andreas, Sawyer Camp and Crystal Springs Trail, 13 miles, easily extended into Woodside. On Bicycle Sundays, Cañada Road closed to motor vehicles.
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY
Mount Diablo: From Danville, ride up South Gate 6 miles to the junction of North Gate Road (newcomers turn around here); then turn right and ride out 11 miles, climbing all the way, to the Mount Diablo Summit. Carquinez Bridge/Martinez: On the southern foot, you can extend your ride east past Crockett to the Port Costa Staging Area for the George Miller Trail. This leads along a trail etched in a bluff to the Carquinez Regional Shoreline and to Martinez.
Nimitz Way: From Inspiration Point at Tilden Regional Park, popular trail is paved for 4 miles, crowded for first mile or so.
ALAMEDA COUNTY
Bay Bridge: Bike lane on southern side of Bay Bridge spans from a parking area/trailhead in Oakland near the toll plaza and extends to Yerba Buena Island.
Redwood Road Loop: From Berkeley, ride up Old Tunnel Road, out to Skyline and to Redwood Road. Then ride up the back side of Pinehurst and return by coming back down to Tunnel Road.
Dumbarton Bridge: Noisy 5mile bridge ride (bike lane on southern side) with South Bay views extends to Bay Trail on the south Peninsula, and S.F. Bay National Wildlife Refuge, and with a jog, over to 12-mile Alameda Creek Regional Trail to Niles. Alameda Creek Regional Trail: Paved on south side of Alameda Creek, extends from Coyote Hills Regional Park to Niles, 12 miles one way.
HALF MOON BAY
Coastside Trail: From Half Moon Bay State Beach, ride north on the Coastside Trail for 5 miles to Pillar Point Harbor (with one section incomplete at Surfer’s Beach) for lunch; easily extended on each end.
SANTA CLARA COUNTY Los Gatos Creek Trail: 14-mile route between Lexington Dam and San Jose.
Coyote Creek Parkway: From Coyote Creek near Morgan Hill, spans 15 miles to Hellyer Park in San Jose (some damage at north end from winter flood).
OTHER NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
Rainbow Bridge: From Norden, ride old Highway 40 over Rainbow Bridge (sensational view of Donner Lake) and descend 1,000 feet down Donner Lake and then climb out to Truckee.
Tahoe: From Stateline, ride 72 miles around Lake Tahoe, or add 28-mile route for full century.
Castle Crags century: From Mount Shasta, ride up South Fork Road, return via Castle Crags. CONTACTS, LINKS Lists of organized rides: Talbots Cyclery, http://talbotscyclery.com; Bike California, www.bikecal.com; Cycle California, www.cyclecalifornia.com/centuries. html; NorCal Cycling News, http://norcalcyclingnews.com — click on NorCal Group Rides.