I’ve been meaning to visit China Camp for some time. I’ve read that the park is a great place for cycling and now that I’ve worked up my mileage I can add it to the list of available routes.

On a bright Spring Saturday morning Justin and I rode out at 8am with the goal of riding China Camp and Lucas Valley Road. The LifeCycle training route sheet said this would be about 69 miles but I’ve learned to add 10 miles to this figure as the distance to and from my apartment. It was still cold at this hour but as soon as we reach Sausalito it warmed up significantly and we recognized it would be a beautiful day.

At San Anselmo the route turns East to San Rafael. This section involves riding with some busy traffic until you pass under 101. I haven’t spent any time here but Justin used to visit our friend Kiki when she lived there and pointed out both where she lived and where her son Simon and his father lived. The latter sat directly across the street from the water and I suspect the view from the large windows is impressive, but I couldn’t bear the thought of living there as the stench along this section of road reeked of low tide.

A short while later we reached China Camp State Park and took a couple of snapshots. The beach in the first photo could be the end of McNear’s Beach (I enjoyed the write up by Lainie L. on Yelp).

The road through the park really is great for cycling. It’s a quiet and peaceful place; very few cars and a smooth road that follows the winding coastline over rolling hills. Riding roads like this is such a joy not for what it adds but what it removes. It filters out thoughts of your bike, sensations from the road, threats from cars or people, and you’re left relaxed to enjoy the sensations of nature. We saw many cyclists out, all tucked on their aero bars. Alas the road isn’t long (just a few miles) and after passing back under 101 we turned right on Los Ranchitos Road and headed north for a few miles via Las Gallinas Ave to Lucas Valley Rd.

Just as we passed Big Rock Deli, a popular stop for cyclists, I got a flat; a long rusty staple in the rear. I ride tubulars so I can ride on a flat if I have to (slowly but easier than walking in cycling shoes!) but I carry a spare and remembered seeing some tables and chairs outside the deli so we went back and sat down while I changed the tire. It was also a good opportunity to top off our water bottles because there wouldn’t be anywhere to stop for an hour or more.

Contrary to popular belief, Lucas Valley Road was not named for George Lucas, whose Skywalker Ranch can be found on the West side of the one hill you’ll climb on the way to Nicasio.

Lucas Valley Road is another spectacular section of road through orchards and horse ranches. This time of year everything is lush and green and wild flowers abound. After climbing the hill halfway between 101 and Nicasio in the open sun, the shade of a redwood forest comes as a real treat.

At Nicasio Valley Road we turned left, heading homeward. We’d ridden 50 miles by this time and I was feeling tired. I gobbled a pack of Shot Bloks and struggled up the little hill out of the valley that always seems to be there when I hit a wall. We took it easy along Sir Francis Drake and over White’s Hill and stopped in Fairfax for bananas and a Recharge.

I like to think that once you’re back to Fairfax the ride home is a promenade. But it’s still 25 miles and involves two more climbs. We took it easy on the first and by the time we got to Sausalito I had my legs back and found the climb to the bridge and through the Presidio easier than ever. It’s a pretty cool feeling when you get over the wall; despite the pain of fatigue the muscles are willing to give nearly as much as when they’re fresh.

Since we did ride through some water and the bikes needed a hose-down, I stopped at my place for the chain lube and we rode to Justin’s (he’s got a back yard). The GPS clocked the ride at 80.75 miles. That’s longer than I’ve ridden since high school and we were both very pleased.

Unfortunately I didn’t think to put on sunscreen and got burned on my forearms and tops of my knees. After a winter of not using it I have to work that into the routine again! Of course my girlfriend the skin-care professional was concerned; we broke out the Aloe Juice and now I’m in good shape.

I was ravenous and Justin wanted beer so we grabbed some delicious cheese-steaks from a new place in the neighborhood, Phat Philly (I got the Phat Chile Philly, a 12″ cheese-steak with cheddar beer sauce and topped with chile; it was amazing). Then we picked up a couple of Belgians, including the Three Philosophers by Ommegang; so good. Perfect end to the ride.

The following Tuesday Addy and I rode back to China camp. She had never been and I thought she’d enjoy it. There are several charming spots for a picnic there, complete with bathrooms, picnic tables, and BBQ grills. We stopped at one and enjoyed a peaceful respite. On the way home Addy’s left knee started to really bother her and so we took the 6:00pm ferry home from Sausalito. It was interesting to see all the people getting off the boat on their commute home.