Spring 2018
California Central Coast Ride
Spend six days cycling through Southern California’s beautiful desert landscapes
About the Ride
This gorgeous charitable cycling tour begins in Santa Cruz and travels along California’s magnificent Central Coast visiting Monterey, Big Sur, San Simeon, and Morro Bay
Join the interest list for next time!
Santa Cruz, California (Shuttle available from San Francisco)
With miles of world-renown cycling, crashing surf, endless vistas, and friendly towns along the way, this ride is unforgettable. After miles of the best coastal views of your life, we end in the verdant wine country of the Edna Valley near San Luis Obispo. There are various mileage options each day to suit all types of cyclists.
Event Details
Positive Planet Impact
Full Event Story
Climate Ride California is a charitable bike tour that begins in the bike-friendly and spirited town of Santa Cruz and travels along California’s magnificent Central Coast visiting Santa Cruz, Monterey, Big Sur, San Simeon and Morro Bay. With miles of world-renown cycling, crashing surf, endless vistas, and friendly towns along the way, this ride is unforgettable. After miles of the best coastal views of your life, we end in the verdant wine country of the Edna Valley near San Luis Obispo. This is more than a bike trip – it’s an inspiring journey with like-minded people who are united by their passion for sustainability and adventure. Participants may select their beneficiaries from our list of more than 100 extraordinary non-profit organizations.
On the California bike ride, you’ll experience epic cycling, amazing scenery, and dynamic speakers that all combine to make this charitable event exciting, informative, and fun. There are five days of bike riding and each one is a new adventure. You’ll cycle past sea lions and surfers along Santa Cruz’s vibrant promenade; ride the coast of Monterey Bay; see Big Sur’s redwoods and rugged coastline; cruise through San Simeon and Cambria on our way to the remnant ancient volcano, Morro Rock, before we spin to our final destination, the wine country of Edna Valley. Each evening, our speaker series will provide information, opinion, and discussion on topics such as renewable energy, climate science, and bike advocacy.
Our professional Climate Ride staff takes care of all the details, so you can focus on riding your bike on carefully planned routes on scenic back roads. It’s challenging yet doable, and you have all day to make it to the next rest stop. On the road, the Climate Ride support team is always nearby to assist you, keep you happy and healthy, and make your ride worry-free and memorable.
We provide daily cycling mileages to suit all types of cyclists, including shorter options as needed. We welcome every level of athlete – what’s most important to us is to welcome you into the Climate Ride community and provide a cycling experience that will inspire you to bike for the rest of your life. This is a fully supported ride which means you can focus on the pedaling and making connections with your new friends while we take care of everything from overnight details, meals, snacks, luggage transport, and much more to make your trip as enjoyable as possible. Learn more in the FAQ.
Photo Gallery
Itinerary Overview
Itinerary subject to change, your Ride Guide will include full details.
Bike 39 or 58 Miles | Elevation Gain for 59 miles: 2,801 ft
Climate Ride’s Central Coast adventure begins in the bike-friendly and spirited town of Santa Cruz. After passing through town, we’ll pedal south along the coast past famous surfing beaches and fields of strawberries. After a quick water stop in Rio Del Mar, our route brings us to a lunch stop at the scenic Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, one of 28 reserves established as field laboratories for research and estuarine education. After a hearty lunch, our afternoon route takes us through massive sand dunes to the Monterey Peninsula, the location for our first night’s camp. After setting up our camp, we’ll enjoy our first dinner and hear from informative speakers before turning in for the night.
Bike 47 Miles | Elevation Gain: 2,946 ft
One of our shorter days, our pace will be more relaxed today. Following a hearty hot breakfast, our southward journey takes us along the scenic Monterey Bay and the beautiful town of Carmel. After lunch, the journey continues as we leave civilization behind and head into the Carmel Highlands on our way south to Big Sur – the coastal dreamscape that has ignited imaginations for centuries. This afternoon we’ll get a taste of this rugged, remote ribbon of roadway high above the deep blue waters of the Pacific Ocean. After a quick water stop on the coast, we’ll pedal into Big Sur where we’ll camp for the night nestled under the redwoods next to the Big Sur River.
Bike 42, 58, or 72 Miles | Elevation Gain for 72 miles: 5,883 ft
Today is a big day! The road south of Big Sur is one of the most iconic stretches of highway anywhere in the world and we’ll get to explore every inch of it on our bikes! Riding south from Big Sur, we’ll take in mile after mile of coastal views and pedal through tiny towns situated high above the crashing waves. We’ll enjoy a packed lunch along the water before continuing our remote, but well-supported ride. After passing the communities of Lucia, Gorda and Ragged Point, we’ll pass the Piedras Blancas State Marine Reserve and its historic lighthouse before visiting thousands of elephant seals that live on the beach nearby. Our final stop for the night is near Cambria, at a beautiful summer camp overlooking the ocean.
Bike 42 or 53 Miles | Elevation Gain for 53 miles: 3,269 ft
This morning, we’ll head out and pedal south on Highway 1 once more, enjoying the undulating hills along this classic stretch of California coast. We’ll have a water stop near the quirky town of Cayucos – a colorful resort city known as one of the “last California beach towns” attesting to the many coffee and surf shops lining the main drag. Then we’ll ride past the famous Morro Rock — the last remnant of an ancient volcano. Then after lunch at a park in Los Osos, we’ll continue inland to our camp for the night, or you can extend your ride out to Montaña del Oro State Park. After the ride today, we’ll celebrate with a special final dinner and evening program.
Bike 31 or 39 Miles | Elevation Gain for 39 miles: 2,705 ft
It’s the final day! Today we’ll enjoy our final ride of the week as we pedal south to Pismo Beach for a famous cinnamon roll, then we’ll ride inland to the spectacular Edna Valley. Tucked between the Coast Range, the Pacific Ocean and the edge of the Central Coast Wine County, Edna Valley is the home of epic cycling, wineries and classic California living. Here, halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles, we’ll enjoy our final picnic before retrieving our gear, boarding bus shuttles, and saying goodbye until the next Climate Ride.
Ready to get started?
FAQs and More Info
The Ride Start and End
The trip begins just outside of Santa Cruz. If you’re traveling to Santa Cruz for the ride, you’ll probably want to arrive the night before on our pre-ride shuttle from San Francisco. More detailed information about the ride start is available in the Ride Guide which you’ll receive once you register.
At the trip end near San Luis Obispo, we’ll have bus shuttles available (additional charge) destined for the SF Bay Area. The ride will end near San Luis Obispo after a picnic lunch. The bus shuttles will depart at approximately 3 pm (SF shuttle is about 4 hours). In San Luis Obispo there is an Amtrak station in addition to an airport with daily flights that connect to anywhere in the country. The code is SBP.
The Climate Ride Shuttle from the Ride End to San Francisco Bay Area
A special Climate Ride Shuttle will be available at the conclusion of the event to San Francisco. The shuttle is a safe and efficient way to transport you, your luggage, and your bicycle home. You will be able to book your seat on the shuttle on the Climate Ride website. Information on booking the shuttle at an additional cost will be made available to you once registered. If you need a shuttle to L.A., we can connect you with a team that is arranging a shuttle to L.A.
After the Bike Ride in the Edna Valley
More information about the Ride End is coming soon. Stay tuned!
Transporting Your Bike
If you are traveling to the bike ride with Amtrak, you may be able to bring your bike onboard! Learn more here.
More information on traveling with your bike or where to rent a bike for this charitable event will be made available once registered.
Accommodations & Meals
This charitable biking trip is primarily a camping trip but hotel options are available for every night at an additional cost. We have selected hotels that are near our camps and will provide shuttles. If you would like the hotel option, please email us for the list.
Amenities in camp include hot showers, a first-aid station with 24/7 ice, charging station for your phones/cameras/etc, a merchandise table, clean restrooms, massage (extra charge), and a great spot to set up your tent.
All dietary restrictions will be accommodated on this cycling trip by our staff and caterers. There will be a variety of hot breakfasts, picnic lunches, hearty dinners and plenty of snacks in between to fuel you for multiple days of riding.
On Climate Ride California, camp becomes a traveling village and dynamic community. Each evening after dinner, we’ll gather for our Evening Program which features speakers, roundtable discussions, and other events. Cycling in California doesn’t get better than on Climate Ride!
Fundraising Beneficiaries
Cyclists can choose from the more than 100 incredible beneficiary organizations in our network! One of the things that make Climate Ride such an effective charitable event is that you can select the organization(s) you wish to benefit through the Climate Ride grants program. Our beneficiaries were selected for their work on the environment, conservation, sustainability, climate education, and active transportation advocacy. At the end of the year, Climate Ride grants the proceeds from our events to these hard-working organizations.
Fundraising and Transfer Deadlines | Important Dates
Fundraising Deadlines:
TBD
Transfer Deadline:
Learn more about deadlines and transfers on our Policies page.
Note: If you’d like to register after or near a fundraising deadline, don’t worry, we’re here to help you get up to speed!
More Questions?
Be sure to review our general FAQ and policies or contact us!