Undiscovered California

MEETING TIME AND PLACE

This tour will begin at 8:00am PST at NorCal Bike Sport 425 College Ave. Santa Rosa, CA 95404, 707-573-0112. You will need to spend the night before in Santa Rosa.

ENDING TIME AND PLACE

We will return to Santa Rosa between 2:00-3:00 pm on the last day.

ITINERARY

TRIP DAY 1

After meeting at the bike shop in Santa Rosa, we will shuttle north to Hopland right on the Russian River in Mendocino County. We'll begin with a warm up along the East Side Road through beautiful vineyard lands. Then we will cross the valley into Ukiah for our first Category I climb of the trip. Orr Springs Road takes us west and up through rolling oak woodlands and then drops us into our first view of California's magnificent Redwoods. We'll make our way to the Anderson Valley, the home of some excellent wineries and a tasty brewpub. Our goal is Boonville, a tiny farming town that once had its own dialect developed by school children over 100 years ago. We'll teach you some of the key phrases tonight at the Boonville Hotel, an unpretentious but elegant hotel and restaurant. TOTAL MILEAGE - 75 miles

TRIP DAY 2

This is a short, hard, satisfying day. We immediately head west, and up again, toward the coast on the hilly and beautiful Mountain View Road to Route One and our first glimpse of the Pacific Ocean. A short ride down the coast will get us to St. Orres, a beautiful, Russian inspired inn and restaurant just north of the town of Gualala. The baths at the St. Orres are shared. We will arrive in the early afternoon and will have time for a few activities, including a walk on the beach or a tour of a winery in one of the state's newest viticultural areas. After, we will return to our wonderful accommodations and another great restaurant for refueling and relaxing. TOTAL MILEAGE - 42 with 3,600 feet of climbing

TRIP DAY 3

In his book, Bob Roll called today's ride "the Himalayas". He should know, as he trained here for years on the 7-11 and Motorola teams. After an easy cruise down the coast, we turn left on the Annapolis Road, past redwoods and vineyards, before hitting the hardest stretch of the whole week: the Skagg Springs Road. The first half of the ride rolls over a tiny meandering road through oaks and redwoods. Then the road widens to get around Lake Sonoma and includes some beautiful views. You may need to stretch out your jeans tonight with your newly enlarged and now massive thigh muscles. The final descent of the day takes us to the north end of the Dry Creek Valley, home to some of the world's great Zinfandels. Ten short miles down valley is the town of Healdsburg, with a vibrant town square and tons of restaurants. We'll stay at a hotel a block from the square, where you can lounge by the pool or check out the town. TOTAL MILEAGE - 65, with 5,500 feet of climbing

TRIP DAY 4

Our pal Scot Nicol dares you to find a better road ride in the world, "King's Ridge has it all, hard climbs, fun twisty descents, coastal tailwinds, a few miles of mellow dirt road, all topped off by massive spectacular top-of-the-world views." Mention King's to a local and you'll get a respectful nod. It's that good. We begin with a shuttle over to Duncan Mills and warm up along the Austin Creek drainage, then the real ride begins. One magazine editor calls this ride "God's cycling theme park" and another said "without a doubt, the most beautiful road I have ever ridden." We finish the ride with a gorgeous downwind coastal cruise into the town of Bodega Bay for our final night of feasting. TOTAL MILEAGE - 70, with 5,500 feet of climbing

TRIP DAY 5

Our final ride delivers an extra dose of epic scenery. The day starts with a climb above Bodega Head on the challenging Bay Hill Road, then we go through the town of Bodega (where Hitchcock's "The Birds" was filmed) and into the tiny berg of Freestone. After picking up a baked treat at the incredible Wildflour Bakery, we'll climb up to Occidental before giving our thighs one last workout on the spectacular Coleman Valley Road, a knife edge ridge on a road oriented east-west, unlike the ridges we have been traversing. Views of Pt. Reyes, Mt. Diablo, Mt. Tamalpais, Bolinas Ridge and Bodega Head are all visible, before we plummet back down to the shore, the finale of this great week of riding. TOTAL MILEAGE - 30 miles

TERRAIN

Physical Difficulty: Moderate to Advanced.
Altitude: 0 - 4,000 feet.

Please Note: Accommodations may be changed due to availability.
Itineraries are subject to change due to weather, road conditions, rider safety, and other factors which may affect the logistics of the trip.
Low gears and at least 23c tires are recommended for this trip. While there is lots of climbing, super lightweight tires are not appropriate.

TRAVEL LOGISTICS

GETTING THERE

-Driving
Santa Rosa is one hour north of San Francisco

-Flying into San Fransisco
Airport Code: SFO
or Oakland
Airport Code: OAK

From either airport you can take the Airport Express Sonoma County into Santa Rosa, 707-837-8700.

TAXI SERVICE
Yellow Cab 707-546-3322

LODGING

Santa Rosa is a popular vacation spot. It is a good idea to book your rooms several months in advance if possible; here are a few recommendations.

Flamingo Resort
$110-250
707-545-8530, 800-848-8300

Hotel LaRose
$120-210
707-579-3200, 800-527-6738

Vineyard Creek Hotel
$180-200
707-636-7100

Days Inn
$80-100
707-568-1011
This is where the shuttle from San Francisco stops. This hotel is very basic and you may want to take a taxi to another hotel for your stay in Santa Rosa.

Above rates are approximate.

WEATHER

There are really just two kinds of weather: weather you like and weather you do not like. Come prepared for both and you won't care what the weather does.

If you have questions about temperatures for your specific trip please feel free to give us a call 800-845-2453 or email us at biking@westernspirit.com. We will be happy to give you packing suggestions and help you with ideas for things to do before and after your bike trip.

PACKING FOR YOUR TRIP

You will receive a packing list with your tour confirmation package. Be sure to bring everything on this list. Weather in the mountains can be unpredictable so be sure to bring all the warm clothing and rain gear listed! While this trip is vehicle supported there will be extended times when you are away from the vehicle. You will need to be able to carry a tube, pump, water and some extra clothing.

SHIPPING YOUR BIKE

You are welcome to ship your bike to us in advance of your trip. For a moderate fee we will unpack it, build it, and ship it back home to you afterwards. Bikes can be insured to $4,000. Domestic shipping only. If you decide you want to go this route, you must call us in advance of your trip so we can inform the shop that your bike is on its way.

To ship your bike UPS, send it to NorCal Bike Sport, 425 College Ave, Santa Rosa, CA 95404; 707-573-0112. It is critical that you include your name, "Western Spirit Cycling" and tour date on the outside of the box. Check with your local UPS people for the number of days needed for it to arrive in time. There is no Saturday UPS delivery. It is imperative to have your bike finely tuned and cleaned before your tour so you know it is in top running condition.

If you have any other questions about trip logistics, please feel free to send us an email or, better yet, to call us at 800-845-2453. We will be happy to try to help you answer any other questions you might have about our bike trips.

THINGS TO DO

RESTAURANTS
Santa Rosa is teeming with incredible restaurants and fine food. You will easily be able to get recommendations from the place you're staying once you get there.

MAPS
Your guides will have all the maps necessary for your trip. If you would like to see the route on your own map obtain a road map of Sonoma and Mendocino Counties.

ACTIVITIES
For additional information from the Santa Rosa visitor's board go to http://www.visitsantarosa.com/ or call 800-404-7673.