Tour de Bay Area

~45 miles with 2500 ft vert gain - road

This route, based in the San Francisco Bay Area, takes you up one of the most famous climbs on the north side of the Golden Gate Bridge that offers sweeping views of the city and through the undulating hills of Marin County – Hawk Hill and Paradise Loop. It’s a perfect route to ride on a day off or weekend to escape the city and explore Tiburon.

A great meeting place to start the ride is at the Golden Gate Bridge Welcome Center. Grab a coffee and/or pastry at the roundhouse Equator Coffee Café to start off the day and head north to cross the Golden Gate Bridge. The first segment after making it to the other side of the bridge is a small out-and-back up Hawk Hill, one of the most popular climbs in the area. The climb itself is about 1.7 miles with an average 6% grade and absolutely worth the effort to see fantastic views of the bay, the iconic bridge, and the San Francisco skyline.

Photo by Tim De Frisco

Head down Alexander Avenue into Sausalito, where you’ll eventually hit the Mill Valley-Sausalito Path, which is open to cyclists and pedestrians. Along the way, you’ll catch a glimpse of Mount Tamalpais before reaching the next climb – Camino Alto. About 1.25 miles and 300 feet of vertical gain later, you’ve reached the top and are rewarded with a smooth descent down gently winding roads to Corte Madera.

Photo by Kailen Swain

After riding through some pedestrian-bike trails and roads in Marin County, you will turn onto Paradise Drive and reach the start of Paradise Loop. The route takes you about 8 miles along the Tiburon Peninsula through gently rolling hills until you get to the main street of Tiburon, where you can find a place to have lunch, grab a snack, fill up water, and use a public restroom.
It's time to head back to the city! Navigate your way to the Tiburon Historical Rail Trail and follow the route that outlines the Peninsula until you find yourself back on the Mill Valley-Sausalito Path. Ride past Sausalito and climb up Alexander Avenue to get back to the Golden Gate Bridge. You made it back to the start!
 
If you have extra time, I recommend riding through the Presidio and down Arguello Street to stop for a croissant at one of my favorite bakeries – Arsicault. I promise you won’t be disappointed!

Submitted by PEARL iZUMi Crew Member Anthony Venida, IG: @antoekneeohh