Bike to Work Day 2014!

In spite of its reputation as a quintessential, laid-back southern California beach town, America’s Finest City is perpetually on the move, especially when powered by pedals. With miles of coastal roadways, bike paths, and mountain bike trails, it’s no surprise that San Diego is home to a diverse cycling community with clubs and meetups for bikers of all interests and abilities. Whether riding road, trail, or somewhere inbetween, these group rides are sure to help you find your peloton—or at least your two-wheeled wolfpack.

Moment Bicycles

Old Town, Carmel Valley

Featuring shop locations in Old Town and Carmel Valley, and group rides leaving from both throughout the week, Moment Bicycles is a good option for both novice and experience riders. Early bird roadies can check out Moment’s 6:30 a.m. Tuesday and Thursday morning rides which treat riders to gorgeous views of San Diego Bay, as they make their way through Point Loma to Cabrillo National Monument, culminating in hill repeats on Tide Pool Hill before returning to Old Town.

Those looking to get off the beaten path (or for a later start) can join Moment’s mountain bike rides, which take place at 8:30 a.m. on the fourth Saturday of every month. While the route each month will vary, the ride typically leaves from the Carmel Valley location and details will be communicated through Moment’s website in advance. Moment also hosts Sunday morning rides with different routes each week.

San Diego Bicycle Club

La Jolla

If skinny tires and spandex are your style, the San Diego Bicycle Club has just the peloton for you. Organizing events since 1976, SDBC continues to host Saturday morning meetups with seven different group and distance options for road riders at all stages in their cycling progression. Elite riders can push the pace with peers in the A Group, while hardcore roadies and weekend warriors will find their cadence in the B and C Groups. The Development Groups offer new riders the chance to build skills while focusing on safe group riding dynamics and techniques like paceline rotation. Each group leaves from UC Cyclery in La Jolla and riding starts at 8:30 a.m.

No Spandex Saturday

Normal Heights

Beloved Normal Heights cycling establishment, Uptown Bicycles, may have recently closed shop, but that hasn’t stopped its former proprietors from continuing their No Spandex Saturday rides. As the name suggests, leave the lycra at home—this casual group ride is about the simple pleasures and camaraderie of enjoying the city on two wheels. Each week’s route is posted in advance on the group’s Instagram page and tends to feature a stop or two for refreshments at local favorites.

Gravelstoke

Location Varies

There’s enough asphalt in San Diego to keep even the most tenacious spinner satisfied, but sometimes the greatest thrills in life require taking the road less pedaled, which is where Gravelstoke comes in. An online hub for gravel riders, racers, bikepackers, and anyone else who enjoys adventure on two wheels, Gravelstoke hosts gravel rides and events on a monthly basis. Routes and locations are posted in advance on Gravelstoke’s event calendar and feature a mix of gravel, trail, and road riding conditions.

Fiesta Island Tracklocross

Fiesta Island

It’s often said that the simplest things in life are the best, and the best things in life are free—so why not apply that to biking, too? With no entry fees, no race numbers, and no registration, the Fiesta Island Tracklocross Association’s monthly Saturday race series has everything you want, and nothing you don’t. Starting at 9:30 a.m. the first Saturday of every month, a bike and the willingness to pedal for glory are all that is required to enter. Any type of bicycle is allowed, however “tracklocross” bikes—hybrid track/cyclocross bikes—are encouraged.

Adams Avenue Bicycles

North Park/Florida Canyon/Various

Adams Avenue Bicycles hosts multiple rides that are certain to keep even the heartiest velo fanatics busy. Drop bar banshees, gravel grinders and mountain mashers will all find something to suit their styles throughout the month. Roadie watt watchers can spin until their heart’s content each week on the Monday Smackdown road rides. Leaving from Adams Avenue Bicycles at 6:45 p.m., this ride is all about showing up and throwing down over the course of 26.88 miles before returning to the shop.

Mountain bikers and gravel riders seeking a midweek session will appreciate the DirTNR rides occurring each Tuesday night during the velodrome racing season. Riders link up at the velodrome at 5:15 p.m. before rolling out for a casual hour-long ride through Florida Canyon, returning to the velodrome in time to catch some track racing action.

Those who want to take their riding further afield will enjoy the monthly Sunday Field Trips, typically scheduled for the second Sunday of each month. Each trip will explore a different part of the county with locations and routes shared ahead of time on their website.

Awarewolf Full Moon Bike Ride

Location Varies

With the tagline, “We’re a pack. Not a mass,” Awarewolf is a collection of cyclists led by Charlie Sears and Ricardo Juarez, with the aim of increasing bicycling participation, safety and, of course, awareness, especially between riders and drivers in San Diego. In keeping with this mission, Awarewolf hosts a monthly Full Moon Bike Ride open to riders of all styles, from casual cruisers to fixed gear fanatics. The time, location and routes vary month-to-month and are posted in advance on Awarewolf’s website, but one thing is certain: when the Awarewolves are out, even the moon cycles.

SheWolves

Balboa Park

The Awarewolves aren’t the only pack of pedalers in town; the SheWolves bring their own lycanthropic flair to biking. A cycling club for women, trans, femme, and gender nonconforming riders, the SheWolves focus on fostering inclusion and allyship in the San Diego cycling scene. Thursday night group rides leave from the Bea Evenson Fountain in Balboa Park at 7:15 p.m. and end at a different bar or brewery for post-ride libations each week.

Rouleur Brewing Social Ride

North Park

Given its connections to cycling (its name is a French term for “having wheels,” and was later adopted by racers), it’s no surprise that North County beer staple and bike themed brewery, Rouleur, hosts a social ride every Thursday night from its North Park tap room. The ride begins at 6:00 p.m. and follows a 17-mile route, ending back at Rouleur for beer and refreshments.

Bonus: San Diego Bike Coalition

Various Locations

The San Diego Bike Coalition does essential advocacy work to ensure the region’s bicycling culture continues to grow and thrive by championing projects to improve cycling infrastructure, access to bike lanes, and policies that benefit riders. While the Bike Coalition doesn’t host a dedicated weekly ride, they do publish a robust monthly calendar of biking events in the area, ranging from local races to classes on safe riding skills and bicycle maintenance.

On Florida Drive, which bisects Balboa Park, but not extending beyond Park Boulevard on the west side and Pershing Drive on the east, there is a spider web of trails in Florida Canyon. If you’re willing to explore it, you can connect upwards of seven miles of trails, depending on how you link them up. Since there’s no set route, use any available stretch of dirt pathway to get in around an hour of fairly strenuous riding.

Park in the parking lots by the Morley Field baseball and softball fields. To start, ride in the direction of the tennis courts and on toward the dog park, skirting its edge and diving into the trail on the far left corner, which is the southwest side of the dog area. The immediate cobble-filled downhill will get you loosened up a bit.

Stay straight, never making any hard turns. The trail will twist and turn as you pass turnoffs, but stay the course. If you do, about a mile later you will end up down at the intersection of Pershing Dr., 26th St., and Florida Drive. Staying on the dirt, look to your left and note the single track that climbs up alongside Pershing Dr. Take it. Enjoy the wildflowers if they’re poppin’.

It is about a half-mile climb up a tight and fairly narrow single track. Back down at the three-way intersection, go right, back in the direction that you came. As you work your way back through, at about the half-mile mark, turn left and cross over Florida Dr. The crossover occurs slightly beyond Zoo Place ahead of the trail entrance. It’s a little past Zoo Place, going north, on the west side.

Again, dive in and get ready for cobbles. Follow the trail as it bends to the right. At this point, there is a main trail going north, but you’ll see other trails jumping off as you go. I tend to stay low and keep close to the stream. When I reach the north end, crossing over Morley Field Drive, I slowly pedal the Little Eden Trail. It’s very short but oh so beautiful with the big trees and shady canopies.

At this point, turn around and cross back over Morley Field Drive. Then go up the steep incline/hill to your right. Up top, it will come to a T intersection, at which point, go left. From here, go across the top.

From there, it’s a free-for-all as to what to do next. You can double up again and ride what you rode earlier. One typical route I do is after crossing Florida Drive at Zoo Place, I go north on the trail and take the immediate right-hand trail that climbs up and up. It’s a switchback that can be grueling, especially on a single-speed.

Up top, turn right and ride the dirt road, heading south. On a clear day, you can see the Coronado Bridge and distant Coronado Islands in Mexican waters. It’s a stunning view when there’s no marine layer or haze. From there, look around and wander your way back to wherever you started. There are other trails up top that drop down. You can’t really get lost.

The Anderson Truck Trail (ATT) has been around for upwards of 80 years. Today, it is not a trail that you can actually drive a truck on from end-to-end. Technically, when mountain bikers, hikers, dog walkers and trail runners are on it today, they are actually using an unsanctioned trail. From top to bottom, there are various land use/title designations, including: United States Forest Service, Capitan Grande Reservation, San Diego River Park Foundation, and private property owners. Officially, there is no legal way to access the trail (but that does not prevent countless people from using it every day). I’m not saying you should go. 

But if you did find yourself there, this is a trail riding experience that affords breathtaking views of the El Capitan Reservoir and surrounding foothills. The farther up you climb, the more rewarding the views. In late spring/summer, the rocky landscape becomes green and wildflowers pop. Winter’s rains course their way like lifeblood from the ground up through the trunks of oaks, the groves taking on a deeper green hue than the grasses.

To get started, some visitors park at the T intersection of Alpine Blvd. and Peutz Valley Rd. off of the I-8 near Alpine in a dirt parking area, or they simply park along the road below the 8 that runs overhead. They then pedal up Peutz Valley Rd. for about one mile, watching on their left for a single track entrance. They take it. They then descend at the outset a little ways, about a mile or so. 

The trail has a cross-country-esque feel to it, meaning it dips and bends and has an uphill bump or two along the way. When it begins to noticeably climb, riders settle in for the relatively steep and long grind to the top, roughly three miles. With some chunk here and there, it is a perfect tech-lover’s training ground for boosting one’s ascending abilities.

The oak grove somewhere mid-way through the climb is a solid spot for a break to take in the views. At the summit, the trail opens up into what feels like a giant dirt parking lot. Again, the views. Not done? No problem. 

The ATT continues, but riders will come upon a well-signed and fenced area when reaching the Capitan Grande Reservation. No continuing past that point. Riders here must turn around and head back in the direction they came up. Along the way, though, they can watch for unmarked single track to the sides of the ATT. If feeling adventurous, riders can take one, like those choose-your-own-adventure books of yesteryear.

Not feeling it? The descent on the original up hill trail is phenomenal. It’s fast, hair-raising, white-knuckle downhill glory at its best. One thing though: that little descent at the start of the ATT—after all the fun downhill ends—riders have to climb a little to get back out.

Riders who choose this trail should be respectful of locals by not parking at the trailhead. There is no legal parking there. Also, riders should not try to access Capitan Grande Reservation lands. Riders are not permitted to be there.

Anyone who is hungry after can take Alpine Blvd. into Alpine for about three miles. Order what sounds good at Tapatio’s and take it up the sidewalk to Mcilhenney Brewing Company. Order what sounds good there and then carry beer and Mexican food out back. Enjoy!

More than a century ago, the Stowe Trail was a transportation link created to connect the Santee and El Cajon area communities with Poway. In time, it became part of the property of MCAS Miramar’s eastern region, but local residents still utilized the trail. In 2001, it was dedicated a Millenium Trail. During this time and until more recently, however, it was technically unlawful for people to use the trail. Nevertheless, mountain bikers, hikers, equestrians and trail runners continued using it.

Stories of Marines on patrol citing trail users with violations were not uncommon, and in January 2016, things came to a tipping point when some 50 mountain bikes were seized. Outrage ensued. Public meetings were held. The decades-long work of former County Supervisor Dianne Jacobs, along with the leadership of San Diego Mountain Bike Association and support from local advocates and elected officials resulted in an agreement with MCAS Miramar in early 2017. It allowed people to use the Historic Stowe Trail, if they had a permit (see how to get a permit below).

At nearly four miles long from end-to-end, the trail morphs between being double track and single track, passing through a copse of oak and sycamore trees. Coyotes wander, quail swoosh, and during wildflower season, a painter’s palette colors the surrounding landscape, highlighted by one area that in some years becomes a California poppy lover’s dream. 

With signage the entire way, it is impossible to get lost while out there. There are trails veering off the Stowe Trail, but officially, they are not part of the permitted areas. On the northern end of the trail, it connects into Goodan Ranch/Sycamore Canyon County Preserve, where you can continue to ride other trails, with Martha’s Grove Trail being one of my favorites in all of San Diego County.

How to Get a Stowe Trail Permit

Begin by going to the Miramar Marines official website and downloading the forms. All parties wanting to access the trail will need a permit which is required for those 10-years-old and older. 

Fill out the forms and drive to MCAS Miramar’s East Gate entrance off of I-15. When you drive up to the security checkpoint, the person on duty will direct you to the transportation office, which is on the right. Proceed to the parking lot there and go inside.

When called, present your documents, along with your driver’s license. If you don’t have one, a U.S. passport will suffice. You also need to provide the person with your Social Security number, but you do not need to show them a social security card. Assuming everything is filled out correctly, they’ll ask you to take a seat and wait while they run a background check. 

If that all checks out okay, you’ll get called up to a window to have your photo taken and then you’ll wait a few minutes while they print your permit to access the Stowe Trail. It is good for only one-year, so you’ll need to renew it annually.

Note: Currently, to access the Stowe Trail in Santee, there is a new temporary entrance. You should park your car along Ganley Rd. and then bike north on Strathmore Rd., about a half mile where it dead ends at a cul-de-sac. Step through the opening in the fence, as is indicated there. Proceed up the slight rise/hill, staying to the left. The trail will connect into Stowe Trail that is down on the left. At that point, turn right and ride north towards Poway via the Stowe Trail, taking in views of the distant Cuyamacas to the east.

No, that is not John Denver crooning, “Rocky Mountain high, Colorado.”

It is me, singing, “Laguna Mountain high, San Diego.”

Up a mile in the bluebird sky of the Peninsular Ranges, I pedal away on my mountain bike from Penny Pines Trailhead, which sits off of Sunrise Highway, and go in the direction of the southern terminus of the Noble Canyon Trail, some ten miles away in Pine Valley.

It is a dandy of a trail, traveling through pine forest and mixed oaks before reaching the farthest edges of the Colorado Desert, a sub-desert of the greater Sonoran. Along the way, the traveler, whether on foot, horseback, or bike, descends through six eco-zones. During the winter, when rain and snow fall on the Lagunas, Noble Creek steadily—and sometimes heartily—flows through the canyon, a mountain-to-desert seasonal stream that fills the air with a refreshing and life-giving song.

The Peninsular Ranges are characterized by what some consider to be “sky islands,” meaning that their uppermost peaks reach more than 6,000 feet. The Noble Canyon Trail begins in a pine and oak “island,” then drops in elevation from its northernmost point to its southern end. However, trail traversers also ascend some uphill sections here and there, the first one less than a mile into the trek.

In the far viewshed to the north, snow-capped San Gorgonio glistens in its winter cloak. In the foreground and its environs, the nearby Cuyamaca Mountains sit quietly, peaks like sentinels watching over the land. Cresting out, I go down and around, the trail undulating like a flamenco dancer.

Further on, the trail plummets. The pines seem taller as they reach skyward from the darker forest floor, and the sound of water starts trickling in my ear. Not long after that, there it is: Noble Creek, a narrow ribbon running through the forest on its way to the desert. I cross over it a few times, trying not to get my shoes wet.

About midway down the trail, I arrive at the Tolkien Oak Forest (an affectionate nickname I’ve coined) waiting on the other side of one of the stream crossings. The ambient light is darker. The canopy of magnificent California Black Oaks is so thick that dappled light is all that hits the ground. I stay and quietly sit. This is my rehydration and snack spot, and it’s also where I refill my soul tank. To be here, in this moment, with these trees, is reason alone to make this 10-mile trek.

I continue, soul moderately quelled, knowing there’s more to discover still. Descending through more oaks with scattered pines that give way to desert chaparral and various cacti, I pedal methodically through the rock gardens, taking care not to crash and fall while still keeping pace. Soon, I arrive at the second place along Noble Canyon Trail that stops me in my tracks.

It feels as if I am biking through a keyhole, and, when I finally enter it, I unlock a door that opens to a stunning desert view with soaring ridgelines. Way down below, the stream is a silver snake winding its way through the hardscrabble landscape. Yuccas and beavertail cactus defy the odds, eons of evolution granting them the ability to thrive in an unforgiving landscape.

There’s no escape from the punishing sun. I pause, slathering some sunblock on my face and the back of my neck. The trail bends and meanders, ranging down and up and then down some more, with more rock gardens along the way. Decomposed granite dots the trail surface. When I reach the junction that requires me to turn left to stay on Noble Canyon Trail, I’m feeling a bit haggard, so I refuel with water and an apple, knowing a large sand trap is just around the way.

I pedal quickly past another creek up the slope to the other side, which leads me to another ethereal oak grove where the sun passes through the leaves, illuminating the canopy like a natural cathedral. I sit to take it in.

The next stretch is gradually uphill, a long couple of miles of slight incline that I call “the slog” on account of the endless sand. It’s a put-your-head-down-and-go section of trail.

Cresting out at the end of that slog, I carve my way along the trail as it passes downward through camel-colored boulders to my right and long views on my left. I continue to climb, eventually finding a manzanita forest, a gnarled, fragrant mess that always lures me in. I can never pass through without touching the trees’ silk-smooth bark.

Then, it’s all down-down-down to the parking lot, an exhilarating run. There are more oaks to admire and big rocks to navigate through, culminating in one final push, when the trail finally rolls like a soft magic carpet ride to its end point. I’m greeted by towering pines that whisper in the breeze, singing their own song.