Friday, October 10, 2014
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This out & back urban route goes along the Contra Costa Canal & Iron Horse Trails into Walnut Creek and continues south through San Ramon Valley to Danville, San Ramon and Dublin. The flat rolling terrain on Foothill Rd goes through Pleasanton to the destination stop in Sunol.
We exit the park and meander along the city streets in Martinez to the Contra Costa Canal Trail at Las Juntas Park in Pleasant Hill.
The Canal Trail leads us south through Pleasant Hill to the Iron Horse Trail in Walnut Creek. We exit the Iron Horse Trail onto Newell Ave at S Broadway.
We cross under I-680 on Rudgear Rd to Danville Blvd; this wide flat boulevard runs south along San Ramon Valley from Walnut Creek to the business and commercial districts in Alamo and Danville.
San Ramon Valley Rd continues south through the busy shopping plazas and commercial businesses in Danville to San Ramon. Watch for the huge seasonal pumpkin patch and inflatable animal slides at the corner of Pine Valley Rd; it’ll put a smile on your face!
At Alcosta Blvd, the road name changes to San Ramon Rd as it crosses into Alameda County to the city of Dublin. The section of road leading to the busy freeway interchange to Foothill Rd is a bit dicey; use caution as you make your way over I-580 onto the bike lane!
We continue south on Foothill Rd through the city of Pleasanton. The amount of car traffic dramatically decreases after crossing Stoneridge Dr. The rolling terrain goes along the outskirts of the residential subdivisions around Amador Valley from Stoneridge to Las Positas and Castlewood.
The road narrows and the shoulder disappear as you enter through the covered canopy of oak woodlands around the country estate homes in the Castlewood Country Club area.
Foothill Rd continues on flat terrain towards the entrance into Pleasanton Ridge Park.
At the 25 mph zone sign, the road tilts up for a short climb followed by a few rollers.
Foothill Rd drops down towards Sunol Valley to Sunol.
Our stop in Sunol: Sunol Train Depot and the Sunol Market
For the return north, we reverse our way out of Sunol on Foothill Blvd back through San Ramon Valley to Walnut Creek.
We stay on the Canal Trail all the way to Center Ave in Martinez and cross Hwy 4 on Glacier Dr to Arnold and Fig Tree Ln.
This route is simply about putting in miles-it’s a fairly easy way to roll out a metric century. Urban riding means having to contend with lots of traffic but then again it also helps hone your city riding skills-it’s not all bad!
Garmin Stats:
68.78 Miles with 2156′ of elevation gain
Max elevation: 463′
Max grade: 8%
Terrain: Mostly flat with a few rolling climbs
Weather: Sunny and warm with temps ranging from the high 50’s to the low 80’s. SW > NW winds with 77% humidity
Click here to view the interactive route map & elevation profile
Follow this route for today’s ride:
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