Bitterwater Road

San Luis Obispo Bicycle Club founder, Larry Souza (the original SLOB), initiated the club’s annual Wildflower Century in 1971. This ride follows most of that early route, but in reverse. It is seventy miles and takes about five hours. No water is available during the last fifty miles nor are there any other amenities on the route. This ride is for serious lovers of solitude and self-reliance.
Park at the intersection of Highway 58 and Shell Creek Road nineteen miles east of Santa Margarita.
Shell Creek/Truesdale/San Juan Roads - Sixteen and one-half miles through the Avenales Wildlife Area following Shell Creek northward from Highway 58 to Highway 46. At ten miles, turn right on Truesdale Road for one-half mile. Then turn left on Shandon/San Juan Road. Turn left on Toby Way, then right on Centre Street. You pass by the outskirts of Shandon before connecting with Highway 46.
The good: Long, flat, smooth road with little traffic. Cows and horses graze alongside irrigated meadows and fruitful vineyards. Friendly drivers wave back at friendly bicyclists.
The bad: The road has no shoulder but traffic is light.
State Highway 46 - Four and one-half miles to Bitterwater Road. Caltrans maintains a roadside rest area one mile east of Shandon with rest rooms and drinking fountains. This is the last fresh water you will see on the ride.
The good: Riding shoulders wide enough to accommodate bicycles. A rumble strip separates the shoulder from the main traveled way.
The bad: Debris on the shoulder. Fast traffic.
Bitterwater Road - Thirty-two miles following the San Andreas Fault. The first seven miles climb 1000 feet up Palo Prieto Canyon. Two miles beyond the summit, you will see the Greensberg General Store. It has been closed a long time. The road forks here. Go right and continue riding through Choice Valley. Along this stretch you will dip into and out of a corner of Kern County.
At the halfway point, you come to an intersection with Bitterwater Valley Road. It goes to the left and connects to Highway 46 near Blackwell’s Corner. You want to continue straight on Bitterwater Road.
The next five miles are rolling climbs and dips. At Las Yeguas Ranch you begin a long, satisfying downhill ride to Highway 58 in the California Valley. Keep an eye open for antelopes.
The good: Solitude if you love it. Lots of open ranch land. Cattle grazing in open meadows. Good road surface for the most part with little traffic.
The bad: Solitude if it makes you uncomfortable. No food, no water, no amenities. Just you and your bicycle and your thoughts.
Highway 58 - Eighteen miles of rolling hills with a generally downward gradient to the intersection with Shell Creek Road. You cross San Juan Creek and pass La Panza Ranch at Pozo Road. Five miles east of Shell Creek Road, a dirt road turns off to Navajo Camp, La Panza Camp and Friis Camp.
The good: "Carrisa Plains 4H Welcomes You." Beautiful deep ravines and strange rock formations line the highway. Green, rolling hills splashed with yellow and orange and purple flowers provide picturesque backdrops for grazing cattle. You have a couple of little climbs but for the most part this is fast riding with not much traffic. Friendly drivers give you lots of room.
The bad: Grouchy drivers tend to crowd bicyclists. The shoulder is narrow to non-existent so court friendliness.
Shell Creek Road - Here is where you parked. The ride is over. If you want to recreate the original WildFlower Century, begin your ride in Creston. Take Highway 229 to Highway 58. Ride east to Shell Creek Road. Follow the route described above in reverse back to the junction of Shell Creek Road and Highway 58. Turn right on Highway 58,then right on La Panza Road. Turn left on Highway 41, then immediately left again on Highway 229 to ride into Creston.
San Luis Obispo Bicycle Club’s Wildflower Ride takes place in April. Specific routing varies from year to year. The club’s website is http://www.slobc.org/rides/Wildflower.html.

Adelaida

North county autumn weather can be delightful as summer heat begins to moderate and leaves turn bright fall colors. The dozen or so wineries in the area are starting to harvest this year’s vintage. Dry summer weather produces concentrated wine grapes. West of Paso Robles you can find good wine and good bike riding.
Three main roads cut across the area. They are Peachy Canyon, Adelaida and Nacimiento Lake/Chimney Rock. Each has its charms and challenges. They are connected at their western ends by Vineyard Drive, which ambles northward from Highway 46.
The roads are very similar from a cyclist’s standpoint–like life, they have their ups and downs. You change gears often as you ride across the hills. The pavement is narrow and winding but you don’t see much car traffic. Most of the time it’s just you and your bike and the scenery.
Oak trees hanging with Spanish moss shade the western ends of these roads. Deer gangs lurk, looking for things to nibble on. Wild turkeys squabble and gobble their way across the fields. Grapevines fly ribbons of shiny tape or huddle beneath netting to keep birds away from the fruit.
The northernmost road leaves Paso Robles heading for the lake. Nacimiento Lake Drive has a wide shoulder and lots of fast traffic. Its scenic value is limited. Eight miles out of town, take the left fork onto Chimney Rock Road. What you lose in shoulder width, you gain in open country charm. After six miles of rolling hills and open vistas, Chimney Rock meets Vineyard Drive.
Turn south on Vineyard to ride 2 ½ miles to Adelaida Road. Adelaida climbs back toward Paso Robles for four miles to a high point in its center. From there, the road descends five miles to connect with Lake Nacimiento Drive two miles west of Paso Robles.
To get to Peachy Canyon Road, ride west on 6th Street. Turn right on Olive, left on Pacific. Pacific becomes Peachy Canyon. In short order, you’re out of town and climbing. This is a delightful road full of twists and turns, climbs and descents. At its western end, you have a choice of taking Las Tablas/Willow Creek Road south or connecting again with Vineyard Drive. Both will lead you to Highway 46 if that’s what you want.
Other roads cris-cross the area. Niderer is a mile of shady road that ends at Dunning Vineyards. Oakdale and Jack Creek both parallel Highway 46 and provide a pleasant alternative to riding alongside high-speed traffic. Klau Mine Road leads you down a shady canyon for a couple of miles before turning to dirt.
For something completely different, stop by Willow Creek Olive Ranch–on Vineyard Drive between Peachy Canyon and Adelaida Roads, a half mile north of Norman Vineyards–and explore the world of award-winning olive oils. The tasting room is open Fri-Sun from 11-5, other times by appointment. Find out what makes an olive oil extra-virgin and what happens when it is not.
One of the least-traveled roads in the Adelaida area is Chimney Rock west of Vineyard. Pedal eight miles past Justin Vineyards, crossing two arms of Lake Nacimiento, to the end of the county road. You will see signs that tell you the road does not go to the ocean and it does not go to the lake. The signs are correct. At the end of the public road, additional signs at a cattle guard tell you that you are about to enter private property. Turn around and pedal back.
As always when you ride in rural areas, be courteous to car drivers and give them plenty of room. We can all share the roads safely with a little effort and respect for others.

Amgen Tour of California 2008

San Luis Obispo will, for the third time, host Stage 4 of the Amgen Tour of California professional bicycle race, on February 21st, 2008. Sixteen pro teams, more than a hundred cyclists, will speed down Chorro Street and make the tight turn onto Monterey for a dash to the finish line as they complete a 130-mile stage that begins that morning in Seaside.
That will be the fifth consecutive day of racing for the third annual Tour of California, an eight-day event ranging across the state from Santa Rosa to Long Beach.
Local cycling enthusiasts will have plenty of opportunities to participate in the event, either as a cyclist or as a volunteer.
Bike riders can get close to the racers and ride the course with John Flaherty of Central Coast Outdoors. John offers two different day-trips based out of San Luis Obispo to watch the race and to ride portions of the routes.
On Thursday, participants will ride from Carmel to a viewpoint near Bixby Bridge and watch the racers as they climb a long hill that is one of the King of the Mountains qualifiers. After the racers pass by, John’s group will ride some of the best sections of Highway One back to San Luis Obispo and enjoy a gourmet picnic lunch along the way.
John says that on Friday, "We'll depart San Luis Obispo in the morning so we'll have time to rub elbows with the racers as they get ready to ride. Once the leaders finish in the early afternoon, we'll have an opportunity to ride the 14.5 mile course ourselves (maybe twice or with some longer options added in for fun) before heading back to San Luis Obispo."
You can sign up for one or both tours or get more details by calling 888-873-5610.
Volunteers who want to serve as course marshals, survey takers, conduct registration or provide security will have an opportunity to both actively participate in the event and to support the race. You can sign up at Amgen’s website at http://www.amgentourofcalifornia.com/Tour/volunteer.html or call City Parks, 781-7300, or contact Richard Ogden at rogden@slocity.org.
Mayor Dave Romero welcomes the race–"The City of San Luis Obispo is a bicycle-oriented community; therefore, the Amgen Tour of California is a perfect fit for us. The City is delighted to host the Amgen Tour of California once again."
Two local riders will race–Lucas Euser, who graduated from Cal Poly in December, will be back for his second year in the Tour riding for Team Slipstream Powered By Chipotle (formerly known as TIAA-CREF). Ken Hanson, another Cal Poly graduate and former head of the Wheelmen, will race for BMC.
The city will again set up a big screen TV at the corner of Chorro and Monterey, the infamous last turn before the sprint finish to Osos Street. Organizers expect the race to end about 3:00 pm on Thursday.
San Luis Obispo Bicycle Club and the Bike Coalition are taking an active role in supporting the event, working with the Chamber of Commerce and the county’s other primary cycling organizations–Cal Poly Wheelmen, SLO Nexus and Central Coast Concerned Mountain Bikers. Bike Valet will be set up on Morro Street to provide free, secure parking for anyone who rides a bicycle downtown on race day.
Everyone is invited to come downtown for a community festival on the 22nd and enjoy exhibits featuring health & fitness products, cycling gear, bike safety demonstrations, entertainment, food and activities for the whole family–then stay afterward for Farmers Market.