Road Cycling this time of the year can be cold.  It can be inconsistent.  It can be incredibly beautiful!  Usually around this time of the year cyclists pack away their road bike for the winter and pull out its counterpart - the mountain bike.  However, before you put your road bike in hiding, pull out your warm clothing and consider this ride.

My favorite ride right now is one that takes you along frontage roads and back roads where you will experience some amazing colors, scents, and wildlife; not to mention a great workout.  On this 30+ mile ride you will smell the pine trees without driving there in your car.  The ride that I’m infatuated with is the loop from Auburn to Colfax and back. This is not a new route and there are many variations but the one I will share below is approximately 32 miles, adds 2900 ft of climbing to your resume, and is well worth the time!

The Route: 
From Auburn head out Auburn Ravine Road to Bowman Road and go left, follow this through Bell Road and at Dry Creek Road/Christian Valley Road turn Right onto Lake Arthur Road.  Stay on Lake Arthur and at the Placer Hills Road intersection turn to the right remaining along side I-80.  Continue into Applegate and at the log cabins at Hazel Road turn right and cross over the freeway.  At the stop sign go left onto Applegate Road.  Continue straight on Applegate Road and it will eventually take you back over the freeway.  Stay right onto Geisendorfer Road and prepare for a nice climb (some call it a wall!).  At the top follow the road left and then back over the freeway.  After you cross over, go left at the first stop and left at the second stop (watch for cars here).  This road becomes Canyon Way.  Follow this road until the next freeway over crossing and cross over.  Go left and now you are on Placer Hills Road.  (If you want three extra climbs, do not cross over here but go straight into Colfax and come down Placer Hills from town).  You will stay on Placer Hills Road all the way through Meadow Vista and the outskirts of Christian Valley until it meets up with Lake Arthur Road again.  Here go right and continue back to Bowman Road and then Auburn Ravine. 

This is a great ride!  Before you head out be sure to dress in layers, wear toe/shoe covers and long finger gloves.  Water is essential and carry food if you are not used to this distance or the climbing.  The County of Placer publishes a Bike Map that has this route outlined… not a bad idea to pick one up.

Hope you get a chance to try this out.  There are a couple hills that you may be cursing me as you crest the top but you can do it!  Keep your eyes peeled because in addition to nature’s scenery, you may see a critter or two.  Enjoy and be well.

###

Michelle Marengo is a local cyclist and founder of the Bella Fiore Ladies Cycling Club.  She and her husband own and operate the Bicycle Emporium in Auburn.   Michelle can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it