ROUTE DESCRIPTIONS

Most of our events take advantage of the great cycling roads that lie to the south of Santa Cruz. Getting there from the start/finish means some urban riding for the first and last 10 miles of the brevet. Most 300k, 400k and 600k riders will be arriving in the evening when the roads leading to the finish are quieter. With our morning starts, getting out of town won't be too hectic. Most of these streets do have a bike lane. Still, if this is not to your liking you might consider other events elsewhere.

Our 2009 Series:

• Moss Beach 200k: Using the same roads from previous editions of our season-opener, they have been reconfigured for 2009. Now riders will travel north to Moss Beach in the morning, then return to Santa Cruz via La Honda, Haskins Hill, and Gazos Creek in the afternoon. This is a fine brevet sure to please, no matter the direction of the route.
  
  
• Greenfield 300k Route: Riders will cycle south from Santa Cruz along the Monterey Bay, then turn inland along the west side of the Salinas Valley to reach the turnaround in Greenfield. There isn't any hard climbing on this route but afternoon/evening winds might make the return to Santa Cruz harder than the outbound leg. Come experience California's sublime springtime cycling.
  
  
• Monterey Bay 400k: This route uses most of the Greenfield 300k route for the last 2/3ds of the brevet. The first third includes fine cycling along the coast north of Santa Cruz and then delightful roads inland from Pescadero. From majestic redwood forests to coastal hills to bucolic farm roads, this ride's scenery can't be beat. The brevet is schedule to take advantage of April's full moon.
  
  
• Surf City 600k: A new route for 2009 during the full moon! By re-arranging familiar SCR brevet route sections into a different configuration, we think the 'new' Surf City 600k will provide an even more enjoyable long-distance cycling experience.Riders will begin early in Santa Cruz on a Saturday morning and head north along the Pacific Coast Highway. About the time the predictable northwest winds rise, riders should be making the u-turn in Moss Beach and returning south along the coast highway. The route will turn inland at San Gregorio and climb to La Honda and its beautiful redwood forests. Riders return to the coast via Haskins Hill and Gazos Creek. From there they will continue cycling southward through Santa Cruz and Aptos, and onward around the Monterey Bay to Marina, then southward still through the Salinas Valley to Greenfield, King City, and finally to San Ardo--hopefully with a strong tailwind. From there the route returns to King City on beautiful country roads under a full moon, but perhaps with a headwind for 40 kms. With about 415 kms done, King City's 24-hour services will make a good place for a short sleep stop and some hot food. Early Sunday morning riders will remount their bikes and ascend the long hill to Bitterwater Summit and then over bucolic hills to the Pinnacles. From there more climbs await but the route grows increasingly less hilly through the Hollister region--until Carr/Anzar road is reached before Aromas. More route undulations (and likely headwinds) follow, but riders will be on the home stretch by midday through the serene redwood forests on Hazel Dell road to the village of Corralitos. Hames Road provides the last serious obstacle of the brevet before reaching Santa Cruz for 600 kilometers done in 40 hours or less.
  
  (Note: due to the lack of all-night services between King City and Hollister, this is not a good brevet to ride straight through unless you are up to doing 75 hilly miles without any stores or water faucets. This route is best done with a sleep stop in King City and resuming the ride around 5 or 6 AM in order to reach the Pinnacles store when it is open.)
  
  There are two good motels near the start/finish for rest before and then after the ride is done. Sunset Inn and Mission Inn are two Best Western-quality motels that are nearby. In addition, Santa Cruz has many other options for lodgings.
  
  
• Big Basin 200k: Back by popular demand, this ride is one of the most difficult brevets on the US calendar, but one of the prettiest too. The out-and-back route starts and ends in Cupertino, and travels to the turnaround on the coast at Davenport. There are no flat miles on this mountainous route. We estimate this route contains at least 13,000 feet of climbing. For mile after mile randonneurs will be either climbing or descending through the beautiful Santa Cruz Mountains. Riders should be prepared to add at least three hours to the time they usually take to finish other hard 200k brevets. Many randonneurs will be near elimination most of the day, so long stops are not advised. Riders will climb Moody/Page Mill, Jamison Creek, Bonny Doon, and Saratoga Gap, along with many other ascents. Compared to the other brevets in our series, very low gears and especially good brakes will be needed. For those not able to keep the minimum pace on the official route, there are some bail-out options that will (hopefully) get riders back to the start/finish before darkness arrives. Come give it a try and see what you can do! (Route Profile)
  
  

Brevet Routes for Other Years

• La Honda 150K Populaire: This is a good early season ride to build your fitness before trying a 200k brevet. The route goes north along the ocean highway from Santa Cruz, then turns into the coastal hills on Gazos Creek road. From there the route passes through serene redwood forests. Ascending Haskins Hill before La Honda is the hardest climb of the day and the final mile before the summit will test everyone's legs. There are also numerous short climbs along the route and most riders will be glad they brought a triple crankset along, while the strongest riders will want a 39x27 low gear in spots. From San Gregorio and Pescadero, the route retraces itself back to Santa Cruz. All in all, it will be a fine day of cycling--but come prepared with clothing layers for variable spring weather that might make the brevet even harder.
  
  
• Chualar 200k: Come celebrate the 10th anniversary of Randonneurs USA by riding the route of the first brevet organized by the Santa Cruz Randonneurs four years ago. There will be a special RUSA gift for all riders who complete the brevet. The Chualar route is on a circuit and is good for riders of all abilities. There isn't too much hard climbing except for Old San Juan Grade (5 miles long with moderate gradients), followed by Carr/Anzar Road (short but steep) in the San Juan Bautista region. Most of the hills will be encountered in the second half of the ride; be sure to pace yourself during the first half and save some energy for the trip back to Santa Cruz from Chualar. Otherwise, this ride has mostly flat to rolling roads in farmlands around the bucolic Monterey Bay and Salinas Valley regions. We estimate about 4,600 feet of climbing.
  
  
• Half Moon Bay 200k: Neither a classic out-and-back, nor a true circuit, this brevet's route follows various roads as it explores the beautiful coastal regions and redwood forests to the north of Santa Cruz. There isn't any one climb that is overly steep except (depending on one's fitness) the final mile of Haskin's Hill near La Honda. Still, there isn't a lot of flat ground either, so come ready to do some climbing. With fine views of the rugged Pacific coastline, this is surely one of the most scenic brevets in the United States.(Route Profile)
  
  
• Kings Mountain 200k: Here's a challenging out-and-back route with a nice mixture of rolling coastal terrain north of Santa Cruz followed by a crossing of the Santa Cruz Mountains into the Bay Area. On the outbound leg this brevet goes up tranquil Tunitas Creek Road to Skyline Road and then plunges downhill to Woodside via Kings Mountain Road. After the turnaround near Stanford University, the route retraces itself back to Santa Cruz. Riders will be rewarded with a fine day in the saddle over some of our favorite cycling roads, but come ready to do a lot of climbing and some bumby descending (Tunitas Creek) on the return.(Route Profile)
  
  
• Moss Beach 200k: This ride begins and ends in Santa Cruz, and is very similar to the last 200 kilometers of our Surf City 600k brevet. Riders will travel north along Coast Highway 1 to Gazos Creek, then go inland through majestic redwood forests to La Honda. The route returns to the coast at San Gregorio, goes north to Half Moon Bay, and northward still to the turnaround at Moss Beach. From there the route returns to Santa Cruz via the coast highway and Stage Road. Along with climbing Haskins Hill before La Honda, there are numerous short climbs along the route so come ready to do some climbing. Coastal winds can also add to the challenge. You'll enjoy great scenery throughout the entire ride. This route has ~5,600 feet of elevation gain. This map of the northern section of the Surf City 600k shows the route.
  
  
• Skyline 200k: This is a challenging brevet in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The longest climb on the Skyline 200k is in the morning up shady Eureka Canyon on (mostly) gentle gradients, then the route travels along the hilly spine of the mountains that separate the Pacific coastline from the Bay Area. Randonneurs will be treated to fine vistas of either region from Summit and Skyline Roads (if the weather cooperates.) Several of the short pitches on Summit Road are quite steep, so bring low gears. Most of the hard climbing occurs in the first 65 miles, then it's downhill to the coast via Old La Honda Road and Highway 84. After San Gregorio the normal afternoon winds will (hopefully) push weary randonneurs back to Santa Cruz along beautiful, undulating Stage Road and the coast highway.(Route Profile)
  
  
• Night Owl 230k: Most brevets have a morning start, but here is one that begins after sundown. This all-nighter will be ridden under bright moonlight and should be very enjoyable, especially as the event uses tranquil rural roads for safe nocturnal cycling. The Night Owl's route is a circuit that begins and ends in San Juan Bautista and does a clockwise lap along lonely Highway 25 to King City, then north through the Salinas Valley. There is a mix of flat farm roads, rolling hills and several long climbs. Due to the non-standard length this ride is not listed on the Audax Club Parisien event calendar, nor does it count toward their awards. It is, however, a RUSA-sanctioned brevet and counts towards all RUSA distance awards. In any case, if you are getting ready for a tough 1200k event or just want a great ride on a summer night, the Night Owl is the brevet for you.
  
  
• Greenfield Nocturne 300k: As experienced randonneurs know, California's coastal winds blow hard from north to south most the year. Riding the second half of a long brevet northward in the Salinas Valley is hard enough without them, but with powerful the headwinds most riders really suffer. This year we have a new twist--a 300k "out and back" brevet with an afternoon start that will (hopefully) see entrants pushed south during the first 150 kilometers to the turnaround in the peaceful farming town of Greenfield. After refueling there, the return trip should be easier than doing it in daylight since past rides have shown the wind velocity usually dies down (along with auto traffic) after sunset. Hopefully the wind will cooperate, but in any case the brevet coincides with a full moon and the nocturnal cycling should be sublime. There isn't much climbing of note on this gentle route, but a couple of short, steep pitches will make riders happy they brought low gears nonetheless. Obviously good lights and reflective gear are required since many hours will be spent cycling at night. (Google Map, Google Earth Image, and GPX File)
  
  
• Pinnacles 300k: This brevet has a mix of flat farmland, rolling hills and several long climbs. The out-and-back route goes from the shores of the Monterey Bay to the hilly inland area south of Hollister on Highway 25. The April wildflowers on every hillside should provide a welcome distraction for weary randonneurs. None of the climbs are overly steep except Carr/Anzar Road, but strong spring winds on the return leg will likely increase the difficulty of the ride. Here is a Route Profile (1.5MB) recorded using the Garmin Edge 305. It is missing the last 16 miles, but shows ~7,500 feet of climbing.
  
  
• San Ardo 400k: This brevet travels south from Santa Cruz in similar fashion to the Santa Cruz Randonneurs 300k. From the the Pinnacles, it continues southward along lonely Highway 25 through one of California's last unspoiled regions, and then climbs Bitterwater Summit before dropping into the Salinas Valley. Riders travel southward to San Ardo and loop back to King City. From there the route travels northward along Metz and River Roads to the shores of the Monterey Bay at Marina. This ride does not have an excessive amount of climbing but it will likely have strong headwinds in the second half of the event. Cycling north in the Salinas Valley will require a lot of determination until several hours after sundown when the wind typically dies down. Smart randonneurs will bunch up in order to work together. (Route Profile) (Google Earth Route File)