Cycling Route Blog

Bayshore Bikeway

Distance: 23.4 mi

Elevation: 189 ft

Moving Time: 2:01

The Bayshore Bikeway is one of the best cycling routes in San Diego. What makes this route so great is that it’s clearly marked and only travels on defined bike infrastructure. It also offers riders a peek into the diversity of cityscapes in San Diego. Be advised, this cycling route is not a perfect loop. Your start and end points are separated by the San Diego Bay. To get back to where you started you’ll have to pay $8 to cross the bay by ferry since there are no bikes allowed on the bridge.

You’ll notice that in the Strava link I started this route in downtown San Diego and ended in Coronado however, you can start this loop on either side. When I went, I was blessed with a tailwind for the first half but was brutally hindered by a strong headwind on the second half. My hunch tells me that if I had gone in reverse (Coronado to downtown San Diego), I would have been sheltered from the headwind by the buildings along the east side of the harbor. That said, if it’s a particularly still day, I would recommend going from downtown to Coronado because that way, your final portion is along the scenic Silver Strand on a Class I bikeway. When you’re nearing the end of a ride, it’s nice to be able to tune out and ride in a straight line. Now, it’s time for the breakdown.

I started at the Convention Center Ferry Landing. The parking there is paid however, you’re on a bike. It’s worth it to find somewhere free to park and ride to the start rather than shell out $20 to leave your car there. Once you’re settled, make your way to E Harbor Blvd. From there, head south east for about 1 mile in the bike lane before crossing over to the Class I bike path at Sampson Street. Continue along that bike path for another 4 miles. Go left on 32nd Street for a short distance and the bike path will resume at the end of the street and go right.

I got a bit turned around here because I initially missed the ramp to get on the bridge over the water. There’s a bit of a ramp on your left that’s easy to miss so just keep your eye out. Once you’re over the bridge, continue along the bike path for another 4.2 miles until you hit Palomar Street. Here the bike path ends. Just continue down Bay Blvd. and you will meet back up with the path on Frontage Road.

From there you stay on the bike path for another 9.7 miles until you reach Coronado. Once the bike path ends you’ll take the bake lane past the golf course on Glorietta Blvd. until you reach the bridge. You will encounter another bike path that takes you under the bridge and spits you out at Tidelands Park. Once you’re there, just hug the water until you reach the string of shops where the ferry landing is.

Once you reach the ferry landing pier, there’s a little machine where you can buy your ticket at the base of the pier. Make sure that when you get on the ferry, you get on the correct one as there are two ferries that take you to different locations about a mile away from each other. In all honesty, I got on the wrong ferry but it was a good move since the ferries come in half hour increments and I didnt feel like waiting an extra half hour to go to the right stop. Instead I just road the extra mile back to where I started.

The Bayshore bikeway is perfect anyone who doesn’t want to plan a route or share the road with cars because you will do neither of those things on this route. 10/10 would recommend, 5 stars, a great little afternoon ride.

Uptown Downtown

Distance: 26 mi

Elevation: 791 ft

Moving Time: 2:24

Come enjoy the metropolitan wonders of downtown San Diego and the charm of its old neighborhoods on this cycling route.

We start our ride at the south east corner of Snapdragon Stadium’s complex on Rancho Mission Road. Go under Interstate 15 and make a right on Ward Road then left on Camino Del Rio North until you reach Fairmount Ave.

From here, there is a bike lane which I recommend you use. Fairmount Ave is very wide and busy resembling a highway more than a street. Be extra cautious when cycling past the onramps and assume the motorists don’t see you. This 1.8 mile stretch with 300ft of climb can be a bit sketchy so I recommend taking the offramp for Camino Del Rio South and continuing south on that street instead of Fairmount Ave. Eventually, Camino Del Rio South will connect back with Fairmount Ave but you avoid a giant interchange with Montezuma Road which is the last of the sketchy bit. From there you continue up the hill along a bike lane until you reach the top at Meade Avenue in Kensington.

Congratulations, from here the rid becomes much flatter and smoother. You will continue down Meade Ave which has recently (since the time of writing) been outfitted as a bike boulevard. Even though there is cycling infrastructure here, be cautious. You will encounter a series of roundabouts which are unfamiliar to american motorists. However, the rest of Meade Ave is very nice to ride on for the next 2.4 miles before you turn left on Georgia Street towards downtown.

Take Georgia Street for about a mile until you reach Robinson Ave then make a right. Continue west on Robinson Ave for about a mile and then turn left on 4th Ave. Here you can enjoy a nice 2.8 mile stretch of downhill along a separated bikeway through the older parts of San Diego before reaching downtown.

Now that you’re in downtown San Diego take the time to freestyle a bit and create your own cycling route. See the USS Midway, stop for some food and drink, or check out whats going on at The Shell.

To continue on our loop find your way back to Harbor Drive and head north. You have a few options here. If you want to go fast, there is a bike lane on the street. However, once you reach the airport you will have to compete with airport traffic which is dangerous even in a car. Instead there is a Class I multi-use path called the Bayshore Bikeway off the south side of Harbor Drive It’s essentially a wide sidewalk with pedestrians so be sure to go slowly and be courteous. After traveling west on the Bayshore Bikeway you’ll encounter some water where the bikeway will go under Harbor Drive and and up onto another pedestrian bridge. Go over the bridge and hug the water past Liberty Station and to the Loma Club where you will be let out onto Lytton Street. Go left on Lytton, then take a quick right onto Rosecrans Street and ride for a mile before making a left on Pacific Highway. Rosecrans and Pacific Highway are somewhat busier streets, and a portion of Rosecrans does not have any bike infrastructure so be careful.

After a short jaunt on Pacific Highway you will encounter the San Diego River Trail, a Class I multi-use path. You’ll Only be on there for about a mile before it dead-ends into Hotel Circle. Take the bike lane past Riverwalk Golf Course until you hit Fashion Valley Road and go right till you hit Riverwalk Drive. Here is the start of the San Diego River Bikeway which, just as the name suggests, follows the San Diego River. Take this Class I bike path for 4 miles until you hit Qualcomm Way. You’ll notice there is no crosswalk here but there is a wheelchair ramp to your left. Go up the wheelchair ramp and continue along the tracks until you’re under Interstate 805. Make your way to Rio San Diego Drive and ride until you reach Fenton Parkway. Go right towards the trolly station where you will meet up with Snapdragon Stadium.

I love this cycling route for its diversity of scenery. There’s the quaint Northpark neighborhoods, the bustling downtown, the harbor, and the river. You really get to see a lot of San Diego that you wouldn’t normally see by car. Have fun with this one!

Highway 52 Pass to Mission Trails

Distance: 21.5 miles

Elevation: 1,530 ft

Moving Time: 1:55

This ride is a tough one where your first ten miles are all hill climbing. However, it’s worth it for the scenic ride back down. It’s also worth noting that this cycling route is on defined bikeways for 90% of the ride and, in the places where you are not on defined bikeways, the streets are wide and traffic is light.

You start at the northeast corner of the Snapdragon Stadium complex, where along the river bike path you’ll find the path either turns towards the stadium or continues along between a chain link fence and an overpass for Friars road. Follow that path under the overpass and past the gasoline storage depot on the left. The continuous hill climbing starts when you come off the path onto Murphy Canyon Road. You’ll ride for 5.3 miles before making a right on Clairemont Mesa Boulevard. Continue on Clairemont Mesa Blvd. for 1.1 miles and turn left on Santo Road. Once you reach the end of Santo Road you’ll find a crosswalk to a bike path that loops around the onramp to Highway 52.

On Highway 52 you’ll encounter the Mega Hill. It’s a roughly 2 mile stretch with 400ft of climb going the opposite direction on a busy highway. Now, that may sound intimidating but you are guarded from traffic by heavy concrete K-rails. Once you reach the top of the pass you are met with a continuous downhill stretch of about 2.5 miles.

At the end of the Highway 52 bike path you’ll make a quick left and the next right onto West Hills Parkway which dead ends into Mission Gorge Road. From here, you can continue on the Mission Gorge Road bike lane, however the far more scenic option is to stay right onto Father Junipero Serra Trail which takes you through Mission Trails Regional Park along a class I bikeway. Here, since it’s downhill and there are lots of pedestrians, you will have to go slowly, but you may want to already because the path follows the winding San Diego River through a steep mountain canyon. It’s at this point where I encourage you hop off your bike and take a break to sit by the river.

The Father Junipero Serra Trail will meet back up with Mission Gorge Road at its end and from there you continue down Mission Gorge for another 3.8 miles until you reach the light at Rancho Mission Road. Here I recommend that you use the crosswalk to go left. If you continue on Friars Road (which is what Mission Gorge road turns into) then you’ll be in the thick of it with cars trying to merge onto Interstate 15. The bike lane also ends here and starts up again past the onramps.

Take Rancho Mission Road until you reach the bottom of the hill and go right on San Diego Mission Road. Once you go over Interstate 15 you’ll be back in the SnapDragon Stadium Complex and you will have completed your bike ride.

I love this cycling route for when I want a rewarding challenge. Only half the ride is tough and uphill but once you conquer that, you have scenic and smooth sailing for the remainder. Enjoy!

Snapdragon Stadium to Mission Bay

Distance: 25 miles

Elevation: 531 ft

Moving Time: 2:00

This is a pretty straightforward ride. Instead of trying to eek out scenic or non-busy routes, I decided to try and get to Mission Bay as quickly as possible. That said, once I reached Mission Bay, I found so much to explore and meander through.

We start this cycling route on Friars Road near Snapdragon Stadium. West of Interstate 15, Friars Road actually has a pretty nice bike lane. There are a few Freeway style on and off ramps but the traffic is infrequent and visible enough to where it’s not that big a problem. From Snapdragon Stadium you’ll ride down Friars Road for about 4.3 miles until you reach the Morena/Linda Vista Trolley Station. Currently, the west end of Friars Road is under construction and closed to cars. However, they left the bike lane open. To get there, you’ll have to go through the trolley station and over a wheelchair ramp. Continue along for about a mile until you reach Sea World Drive.

From Seaworld Drive you can go either left or right and take on Mission Bay. I’m not going to give any specific directions here, they would be too hard to follow anyways. Mission Bay is littered with bike lanes and bike paths so creating your own cycling route through it is easy and fun. I call it freestyling.

As far as good places in Mission Bay to ride there’s Fiesta Island in the middle of the harbor that has a 4.3 mile flat road around its perimeter. Mission Bay itself also has a Class I path that circles it’s perimeter. You can also ride along the shore on a path that takes you into Pacific Beach. All of these are good options with many more left to explore.

To get home just head back to Friars Road and leave the way you came. New construction on Friars Road near Riverwalk Golf Course has opened up a segment of separated bikeway which is handy, but it stops once you reach Fashion Valley Road.

If you want to spice up your return, you can always reach the San Diego River Bikeway by turning right on Fashion Valley Road. However, Friars road provides a quicker route back.