Roads to Ride: Best Cycling Roads on the Central Coast
When it comes to cycling, the Central Coast is where toughness meets tranquility. With an array of challenging climbs, breathtaking descents, and sweet scenic panoramas, why would you ride anywhere else? And with miles and miles of paved paradise, what are the must-shred roads to ride? Read on for our recommendations!
Highway 1
The iconic Highway 1 spans the Central Coast, hugging the oceanside and offering the spectacular backdrop of the sea for your pedaling prowess.
If you’re riding out of Cambria, you’ll be able to explore the area along our Gorda, Montaña de Oro, and Highway 1 Adventure routes. Or, head to San Simeon to tackle the Ragged Point Route, challenging the highway’s hills while also getting a taste of the area’s most-loved landmarks. You’re not just tackling the terrain of the Central Coast—that’s history you’re hurtling through.
Note: Make sure that you check road closures on Highway 1 before you plan your ride. While closures may make it tougher to get to the Central Coast, they also mean less vehicle traffic for you on one of the most beautiful stretches of pavement in the world!
Santa Rosa Creek Road & Old Creek Road
Split by Highway 46, this pair of local roads sees each one pack its own share of challenges and sights to check out. Santa Rosa Creek Road heads out from Cambria toward the highway, but this is no simple scenic tour—past Jackson Gate you’ll hit the local legend known as “The Wall,” a punishing ascent that can take at least 15 straight minutes of climbing.
Contrasting that challenge is Old Creek Road connecting the highway to Cayucos. This favorite regional ride offers a lengthy, winding trip through the scenic inland, while also tempting cyclists with its own high-grade challenges.
Experience Factor: Ascending an intense grade is always a thrill, but it hits a whole other level when sheltered from the sun under brilliant canopies of trees. Plan your ride around the day’s sun so you can have the shade shield you during the most grueling part of the climb.
Santa Rita Road
The smooth surface of paved roads is but just one way to challenge the Central Coast on-bike; you can also grind your way up gravel on one of the Central Coast’s best-kept cycling secrets: Santa Rita Road.
The climb up the gravel grade on this road demands persistence, but the ascent isn’t too extreme for newer riders. Tackle the trip at your own pace until you reach a satisfying stop at the top, then take on a just-as-challenging descent peppered with switchbacks and swerves you’ll remember.
Experience Factor: Don’t let the relatively mild grade fool you—this gravel road will test your endurance, whether you take it slow or invoke the thrill of going down the descents at exhilarating speeds.
See Canyon & Prefumo Canyon
To get the true “country road” experience on the Central Coast, try earning your watts on See Canyon—a narrow, decently patched road with no shoulder. This popular path just out of San Luis Obispo is a featured segment of our Sea to Summit Route, taking you past a host of coastal attractions, including remarkable Central Coast vineyards and the Gopher Glen Apple Farm.
Don’t get too caught up in the sightseeing, though—See Canyon features climbs with steeper patches that will demand you put more watts into each push. Following that climb, the route meets up with Prefumo Canyon Road, which offers its own awesome backdrops of rolling hills for you to finish strong.
Experience Factor: From San Luis Obispo, the testing ascent up to the Prefumo summit is the defining feature of this countryside cycling experience. Smooth pavement the rest of the ride makes the peak and descent simply epic.
