Free Cycle

To the bicyclist of average skill and fitness, there are those elusive routes that are enticing but seem just out of reach – maybe a bit too steep of a climb, or too much traffic. So there’s magic when cars are cut off from such a road, but bicyclists are still allowed. With repairs underway, Nacimiento-Fergusson Road in Big Sur remains closed from Highway 1 to the summit for cars.

It’s a serious climb – more than 2,500 feet in a little more than seven miles – but without cars to share the road, the non-existent nature of the shoulder becomes irrelevant. Follow the curves to minimize climbing, and create switchbacks where you need them. Biking (uphill, especially) forces you to slow down as you go, maybe even take a break in the shade of a magnificent redwood grove that you might zoom past if driving.

But of course, it’s not the slow uphill that attracts most bicyclists to this route – it’s the downhill, no pedaling required while looking out at the Pacific.

For an added challenge and more rugged riding (fat tires advised), from the summit head south for 15 miles on South Coast Ridge Road then take Los Burros Road to return to Highway 1. Other options from the ridge down are gated – this is your only option to make a loop. Whatever route you take, be careful not to burn out your brakes on the long and steep descent. [SR]

Start at Highway 1 and Nacimiento-Fergusson Road, Big Sur. Check road closure information and conditions before planning your ride at bit.ly/LosPadresRoadUpdates