[eniveld]

I am looking for loop rides no more than about 5-6 miles long that you can ride as fast as you want and as many times around as you want without stopping in the SF Bay Area. Ideally, you could ride such a loop without stopping *and* you would be following the law, i.e. there are no stop signs, lights, or other reasons you would need to stop.

I'll show you what I've found so far and hoping others have similar loops?

Top of San Francisco, looping around the very short Twin Peaks Loop (bonus points for climbing up 17th Street to get there): https://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=...gDFXtgS1ZSaeLQ&t=h&mra=mift&mrsp=0&sz=17&z=17


The Urbano Drive loop is almost a perfect mile around and looks like a race track from the air, as you can see.

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=486+...Arch+St,+San+Francisco,+California+94132&z=17

Anyone got something like that? Would love to know. Thanks.

 

[slow.climber]

FWIW, I don't think such a thing exists in the Bay Area.

Twin Peaks? Part of that's a high traffic/parking area. Kind of doubt that you'll be able to ride 'ride as fast as you want and as many times around as you want without stopping'.

Urbano Drive? That's residential, so the speed's limited. And there's a stop sign on Corona (where it enters from the south). The reason that it looks like a race track is that it used to be the Ingleside race track:

Ingleside Racetrack - Western Neighborhoods Project - San Francisco History

http://foundsf.org/index.php?title=File:Sfsuingl$ingleside-clubhouse.jpg

 

[Rhymenocerus]

Get some lights and head to the nearest industrial lot at night.

 

[thatdrewguy]

go for it
View attachment 272167

 

[ziscwg]

The Uvas loop around Uvas Res and Chesbro Res clockwise has right turns at 3 points with stop signs. the traffic is really low, but technically you are supposed to stop. I don't unless there is a car coming. Even then, you have a big shoulder.

It's 16 miles with some small climbs and decents. It's rather pretty to ride too. There's a view of some wineries, the hills and two res.


here's a strava link
Bike Ride Profile | Frozen Uvas loop. Too cold to ride further. near San Jose | Times and Records | Strava

 

[centurionomega]

I like the Marin Headlands. Go north over the GG Bridge from SF. Take Conzelman Rd up to the top of Hawk Hill. Descend down to Field Rd, then Simmonds Rd until it merges into Bunker Rd. Then make a right turn onto McCullough Rd and climb back up to Conzelman. Repeat.

I know there is a stop sign there somewhere, but you can ignore it. Great climbs, a great descent, and not many cars usually.

+1 on the Polo Fields in GG Park too.

 

[patrickkonsor]

I am looking for loop rides no more than about 5-6 miles long that you can ride as fast as you want and as many times around as you want without stopping in the SF Bay Area. Ideally, you could ride such a loop without stopping *and* you would be following the law, i.e. there are no stop signs, lights, or other reasons you would need to stop.

Easy, Hellyer Velodrome in San Jose.

 

[zender]

The loop around Lake Merced in the city is 5 miles. This is a bike+jog path but it might be tough to keep your speed very high with all the foot traffic.

 

[teflondog]

Coyote Creek Trail in San Jose is a MUT that doesn't have too much foot traffic. I see a lot of people on TT bikes going at a decent clip on the trail.

 

[Ventruck]

Get on BART to get to Diablo. Literally lets you go as fast as you can for 11 miles.

 

[bayAreaDude]

The loop around Lake Merced in the city is 5 miles. This is a bike+jog path but it might be tough to keep your speed very high with all the foot traffic.

My experience has been it is indeed difficult to keep any kind of speed on that loop when the weather is alright because of the foot and slow cyclist traffic.

 

[slow.climber]

The Hawk Hill loop is a good one. I ride most every day, unless it rains.

Here's a map,

San Francisco -> Hawk Hill Marin Headlands at Bikely.com

It shows a longer loop in the headlands. I take the short loop, much like the one centurionomega describes.

Some people take the medium length loop. They go out through the tunnel to Alexander, turn right, go under 101, and then take Conzelman back up the hill.

The longer loop is to go out the tunnel, turn left on old Bunker, ride to the bottom of the Golden Gate Bridge, and then climb old Conzelman back up to Conzelman.

All three of those options are good.

You can add more distance by taking Bunker out to the parking lot at Rodeo Beach, climb up to Battery Townsley, and then descend back to Bunker.

 

[eniveld]

You are right about both of those loops, although in the past I have been able to ride as fast as I want around these loops (generally an average of 23-ish is what I mean). I have found that it depends on what time and day I am hitting those loops. Around Twin Peaks, I have to be careful of the slower moving traffic and especially the cluster right by the parking lot, but on a day with little traffic, there are no stop signs and I usually can go as fast as I want. There's the added fun of the wind factor. On high wind days it's fun to fight into a 25+ mph head wind, flip around, and fly back the other way. It was a great way for me to learn more about riding in high winds. And of course, it's a non stop view fest. And, there is the 17th street monster to climb to get there that just gives the whole thing an extra zing.

And thanks for the link to the history - that makes so much sense now.

 

[Mnkykng77]

I usually do a JFK/MLK loop through Golden Gate Park. There are some stops and traffic is relatively low depending on the day and time.

 

[4Crawler]

If you are not averse to riding some dirt/gravel roads, the levee loop trails in the south bay would fall into those descriptions. Just off the Bay Trail in Sunnyvale are a couple of levee loops that are in the few mile long range and the Alviso Slough Trail north of the Alviso Marina is 9 miles in length. I take my cyclo cross and touring bikes out there all the time. On the down wind legs, I can get into the low 20s speed-wise, but into the stiff headwind usually in the 12-14MPH range, with a 15-16MPH average speed for the loop.
- http://www.baytrail.org/Maps/South_Bay.pdf

 

[picview]

In the peninsula area, my default fast routes are out-and-backs on County Road G5 (Foothill Expressway) continuing to Stevens Creek Reservoir, and County Road G6 (Central Expressway). They're about 14 miles each one way, on a relatively flat and straight roads shared with fast cars and trucks, with few traffic lights. There's good amount of shoulder, but you need to watch for right hooks in key intersections.

Central Expressway in the middle of the night is a blast; there's very little traffic, and you usually get greens the whole way.

 

[picview]

There's also Cañada Rd in Woodside, CA. More hilly, out and back instead of a loop, about 7+ miles one way, and it has two stop signs on T-intersections which supposedly riders have gotten tickets for. It's quite scenic and has a good bike lane. Northern part is closed to all car traffic during Bicycle Sundays, but having never seen what it's like at those times, I'm not sure if that's better for speed. There's water at the Water Temple, and also water and food at Robert's at the Woodside end.

 

[ukbloke]

You can ride a loop on Central Expressway in Sunnyvale with no stop signs or lights. You use the cloverleaf intersections with Lawrence and Mathilda to do the turnarounds. Be very careful with the merges though. Even though it can be ridden infinitely I only ever did it twice.

 

[marmac]

in woodside: start at woodside town hall. at intersection of canada rd/woodside road go right to whiskey hill road, then right on sand hill road , right on portola rd, then right on mountain home road to start at intersection of canada rd/woodside road. observe stop at intersection of canada rd/woodside road. they ticket there. you can add this to
picviews #2 route if you want to make it a longer ride. all very scenic. not hilly. more like rollers. i forget the time when i ride out there! avoid canada road section from edgewood to 92 on bicycle sundays (which resumes in ? feb) a lot of families, kids new on bikes, trikes, etc. if you want to ride fast.

 

[MadoneTrek12]

Hello Everyone! I'm new to this forum and wanted to find a great group to ride with in Sonoma County! I currently go to SSU and it would be awesome to make new friends and go out and ride in the hills of Sonoma County...Come on don't be shy