Pulgas Water Temple - Woodside, CA
For road cyclists, getting access to uniterrupted pavement is a little piece of heaven. The ability to ride down the road without fear of getting sideswiped by some nimrod in a minivan is something to which we all aspire. Enter Cañada Road and Bicycle Sundays.
Cañada Road runs along Interstate 280 between San Mateo and Woodside just south of San Francisco. On Sundays, San Mateo County shuts off access to cars between Hwy 90 and Edgewood Road creating 7.3 miles of cycling nirvana. Bicycle Sundays are hugely popular with Peninsula cyclists with one blogger calling it paved perfection. The description couldn't be more accurate.
I'm partial to the ride because it's in the hills above my home in Burlingame. It's a great daytrip for me because I can do the entire ride without ever having to even think about getting into a car. My route starts at the Hillsborough Police Station at the corner of Floribunda Avenue and El Camino Real in Burlingame. From there, make your way to Crystal Springs Road in San Mateo. There are lots of ways to do that, so choose one that's easiest for you.
From Crystal Spring Road, make your way up to the Sawyer Camp Trailhead on Skyline road which will require a bit of a climb towards the end. Make a left on Skyline and take that all the way down to Hwy 92. You'll be treated to some fantastic views of Crystal Springs Resevoir which holds all of the water piped in from Yosemite's Hetch Hetchy to provide water for San Francicso. On a nice day, the views of the resevoir with the Santa Cruz Mountains in the background are awesome. At Hwy 92, make a left and follow the highway up to Cañada Road - you can't miss it because it will be blocked off and there will be tons of cyclists milling about.
Cañada Road is a huge two lane road that continues to follow the shores of Crystal Springs Resevoir. You can take it all the way down to Edgewood Road if you like, but I generally end my rides at the Pulgas Water Temple. It's a great halfway point for a 40K ride and offers ample grassy spots for lounging and a snack before heading back. As an aside, it's also a great spot for picnics as it's very serene and relatively empty on most days. When you're finished, you can return to Burlingame along the same route.
When you get back, make your way immediately to Steelhead Brewery on California Street in downtown Burlingame. This is the sole reason that I recommend you start and finish your ride in Burlingame. Steelhead makes some fantastic hand-crafted beers and giant pub burgers to provide some nourishment after the long ride. And on nice days, there's a great patio out back where you can have a few beverages and soak up some rays to finish your day.
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