Overview of the Guide
This guide, provided as a public service, was first published in 2009, with many subsequent updates.
For additional updates, or if you have questions, please contact us.
This Salinas couple enjoys cruising their town by bike. Click here for tips on biking Salinas, the Monterey County seat and its largest city.
Tips for Bicycling Monterey County
Tips for Bicycling Monterey County© is provided free for personal use. This guide and the information throughout this site provide over 800 web pages of bicycling information for the county’s residents, visitors, and others. Respect copyright.
Index
The index below, created in 2009-2010, is very limited. At this time, you will probably find it more helpful to use the search window and the following navigation tips:
- To access all pages about topics shown below this site’s banner, click that tab (e.g., leading to 20-section Tips guide).
- To access all posts about topics shown above the banner, use the Categories window in the sidebar.
Feel free to contact us with questions or comments.
If you wish to use the index, you will probably want to open a second window in your browser, and in that window, bring up the list of short links to the 20-section guide. In parentheses below is the number of the section where you’ll find that topic addressed in the Tips for Bicycling Monterey County 20-section guide.
- alcohol and BUIs (3)
- Amtrak (5)
- Andrew Molera (18)
- babies and infants (3)
- bells and horns (3)
- benefits of biking (1) Short link: http://bit.ly/WhyBike
- bicycle parts illustrations (8)
- Big Sur (18)
- big trucks and bike safety (biking near them) (3)
- bike advocacy (20)
- bike clubs (18)
- bike infrastructure (8)
- Bike Month activities (10)
- bike rack locations at shopping centers (12)
- bike shops and tips on purchases (7) – Local Bike Shops in Monterey County–plus Tips on New and Used Bike Purchases, relevant for anywhere Short link: http://bit.ly/BicycleShops
- bike valet (13)
- bike-and-ride (5) Bike-and-Ride Options: Bicycling Needn’t Be All or Nothing! (Inspiration and tips for anywhere, with a special focus on Monterey County tips) Short link:http://bit.ly/BikeAndRide
- biking in dress-up attire (13)
- BMX (18)
- bus-and-bike combo option (5, 16)
- buses and bike safety (biking near them) (3)
- buying a new or used bike (section 7)
- calendar of bicycling activities and events (section 10)
- California bicycle laws (section 4)
- California State University Monterey Bay/CSUMB (10)
- camping (18)
- cargo carriers and cargo bikes (3)
- carrying children and other passengers on bikes–equipment requirements by law (3)
- cell phones and biking/driving (3)
- Central Coast Cyclocross (CCCX) (18)
- changing a flat (8)
- children (3, 9, 10, 14)
- darkness/night riding (19)
- e-bikes /electric-assist bicycles / electric bicycles (9)
- earphones/earplugs (3)
- ecotourism (20, 1)
- en español – buen ajuste del casco (3)
- en español – compartiendo las calles de manera segura con camiones y autobuses (3)
- en español – en MST habalamos español (5)
- en español – INFORMACIÓN SOBRE LA SEGURIDAD DE LOS CICLISTAS
PARA LOS CONDUCTORES DE VEHÍCULOS COMERCIALES (3) - en español – MST – instrucciones para cargar bicicletas (5)
- environmental actions (20)
- environmental benefits (20) Bicycling and Ecotourism / Good Earthkeeping Right at Home Short link:http://bit.ly/BikeForMaEarth
- farmers Markets (17) Farmers Markets Short link: http://bit.ly/BikeToMkt
- fixies (18)
- Fort Ord Public Lands (2, 10, 18)
- Ghost Tree (18)
- Google Maps bicycling directions (2, 10)
- group bike rides (18)
- hand signalling (3)
- handcycle (10)
- headsets (3)
- helmets (3)
- HER Helmet Thursdays (14)
- high-visibility clothes and accessories (3, 15)
- historic sites – (11) Cycling to Monterey County’s History Spots Short link:http://bit.ly/BikeToHistory
- history tours, self-guided (11, 16)
- Hostelling International (14, 6)
- hotels, entertainment venues, and restaurants (14, 12)
- how to avoid getting hit by a car (3)
- how to make a turn safely (3)
- laws (3, 11, 14)
- laws, skills, safety (3) Bicycle Riding Skills, Bike Safety, and California Bicycle Laws–for Children, Teens, and Adults Short link: http://bit.ly/LawsSkillsSafety
- League of American Bicyclists Cycling Instructor / LCIs (18) – for most up-to-date listing of LCIs, see http://bit.ly/BikeMRYResources
- legally required equipment (3)
- libraries (11, 5)
- lighting on bike paths (19)
- loans/loaner bikes (9, 14)
- lodging, education and entertainment, dining, and more (14) Hotels, Entertainment, Educational Venues, Restaurants (a variety of places and tips, including about some HER Helmet Thursdays spots) Short link:http://bit.ly/MRYCountyTips
- Map My Ride (2, 10)
- maps (2) Bike Maps and Other Tools for Finding Your Way—in Monterey County and elsewhere in California Short link: http://bit.ly/BicycleMaps
- mirrors (3)
- Monterey Airbus (5)
- Monterey Bay Racing (18)
- Monterey County’s bicycling resources / bike community leaders (18); and also refer to 33-section directory (most up-to-date info), http://bit.ly/BikeMRYResources
- Monterey Jet Leasing (5)
- Monterey Off-Road Cycling Association/MORCA (18)
- Monterey Salinas Transit (MST) (5)
- mountain biking; mountain bike rentals (18, 10; 9)
- Naval Postgraduate School Cycling Club (18)
- night riding and low-visibility weather conditions, e.g., fog (19) Biking in the Dark Short link: http://bit.ly/nightriding
- organically grown produce (17)
- parking (13) Bike Valet and Other Bicycle Parking–including Etiquette and Laws Short link:http://bit.ly/BicycleParking
- personal safety, including high-visibility apparel (2,3, 15, 19)
- police (3)
- polystyrene/styrofoam bans for restaurants (14)
- potholes, broken glass, etc. in bikeway (8)
- public transportation (5)
- racing (18)
- reasons to bike (1, 8 )
- rentals (9)
- rentals and tours (9) Bike Rentals in Monterey County–plus Self-Led and Guided Tours. Also included are guidelines about e-bikes and other non people-powered bikes Short link:http://bit.ly/BicycleRentals
- repairs and maintenance (8) Repair and Maintenance for Bikes–and Bikeways–Including DIY tips for anywhere Short link: http://bit.ly/BicycleRepairs
- road/bikeway problems, where to report (8)
- routes/where to bike (10, 1, 2)
- safety (3)
- safety—visibility (15) More Bicycle Safety: High Visibility Short link: http://bit.ly/BeSeenBiking
- Salinas (16, 5, 8, 9, 11, 17)
- Salinas, Monterey County’s largest city (16) What to Do in Salinas, the Monterey County Seat Short link:http://bit.ly/bikesalinas
- San Benito County (Monterey Bay tri-county region) (2)
- Santa Cruz County (Monterey Bay tri-county region) (2)
- Sea Otter Classic (18)
- security (6, 13)
- serious cyclng—plus some not-so-serious! (18) Serious Cyclists: MTB, Road, BMX, Touring (Clubs, Group Rides, Camping, More) Short link: http://bit.ly/SeriousCyclists
- shopping (12, 14)
- shopping (12) Shopping by Bike (tips for anywhere, and a special focus on Monterey County) Short link: http://bit.ly/ShopByBike
- shower and change locations (4) Where to Shower and Change in Monterey County Short link:http://bit.ly/WhereToShower
- sidewalks (3)
- signs (3)
- state and county parks (10)
- stolen bike (tips for recovering) – (6)
- taking the lane (3)
- taxicabs (5)
- theft prevention; also, tips for recovering a stolen bike (6) Bicycle Security Tips for Anywhere— plus a unique list of Monterey County places to go where it’s easier to keep an eye on your bike Short link:http://bit.ly/BicycleSecurity
- touring by bike (18)
- tourism tips (11, 16, 20)
- tours, guided (9)
- trains (5)
- Transportation Agency of Monterey County (2, 3, 10)
- trucks–bicycling safely near them/how to avoid getting hit (3)
- used bikes (7)
- valet parking (13, 14)
- Velo Club Monterey Answer Man (18)
- Velo Club Monterey (18)
- volunteering (20)
- warm showers program (18)
- weather (5)
- Where to Bike (10) Where to Bike in Monterey County Short link: http://bit.ly/WhereToBike
- wineries (14)
- and much more!
Although you’re welcome to email me your questions, a phone call will usually get a quicker response. It’s fine to phone me (831/375-6278) anytime that’s convenient for you.
Questions and comments
Note: Pages (including the 20-section guide) differ from posts on this site, in that you can’t add a comment directly to the individual pages. Want to add something from your own experience? Contact me.
How the guide came to be
As mentioned in “About Bicycling Monterey,” biking—and helping our Monterey County visitors out on the bikeways—are two of my greatest pleasures, so Tips for Bicycling Monterey County evolved naturally.
I’ve lived and biked in Monterey County since 1981, and I originally compiled this mix of tips with tourists in mind. (That’s why the slug for section titles says “tips-for-tourists”; to avoid broken links, it hasn’t been changed.) The Tips guide, and entire website, soon expanded to also meet many needs of residents who like to bike.
Although the guide originally focused on the Monterey Peninsula, info on biking in Salinas and around North and South County were added to the site promptly. The guide and entire website are a living document, constantly being revised, so check back for ongoing updates on bicycling all over Monterey County.
Sampling of people you’ll meet here
In addition to the Monterey County bike community leaders found on this site’s directory of bicycling resources, there are many off-the-radar bike advocates and bike community leaders among us. There are people who bike representing a variety of ages, abilities, and interests out on the Monterey County bikeways. On this site, you’ll see people such as:
- touring cyclists, e.g., the Harrison family, Dieter and Nadja Binz, and musician Ben Sollee and crew;
- music lovers biking or doing bike-and-ride to Big Sur for one of the Miller’s hot concerts;
- more music lovers biking to shows, such as Lelia Broussard’s or Mike Beck’s, to the Reggae Fest or waterfront concerts;
- Sunday riders, perhaps showing some fashion flair, like Annabelle Bull and Laurel Thomsen;
- beach cruisers;
- ecotourists getting around to attractions with a lighter carbon footprint–while they have more fun!–like Chris and Alyce Broome of San Luis Obispo, Irene and Jeff Dibble of Sonoma, the Binz’s fellow German Daniel Grün, or many clients of Monterey Jet Leasing;
- commuters biking to work, like Rich Tanguay, Gabe Alvizo, and Diego Tapia;
- people biking at work, like these police officers, Carey Beebe, and Hans Auto staff;
- parents biking kids to school and just about everywhere, including Susan Ragsdale-Cronin and family;
- folks biking to the farmers market or other shopping;
- mountain bikers, like Aaron Magenheim;
- road racers, including those from the Naval Postgraduate School Cycling Club and Velo Club Monterey;
- a night rider, or any other lover of bicycling!
This beautiful planet…know it and love it!
Spending time in nature is a great motivation for safeguarding it. Through cycling, you come to love the Monterey Bay region of this precious Earth even more, and will be increasingly alert for additional ways to help keep it beautiful.
If you’re a visitor, please return to bike again soon. And let your friends know too that Monterey County is a bicycling friendly place–the signs are everywhere!
–Mari Lynch
This guide was revised and expanded from the previous edition published May 2009. Revisions are ongoing. All links were reconfirmed November 1, 2009; thereafter, please report any broken links.