20-Section Tips Guide

This portal page leads to all sections of the Tips for Bicycling Monterey County© 20-section guide. Many sections of the guide include tips relevant for biking anywhere. Since founded in 2009, and still the case as 2024 begins, this website and all other Bicycling Monterey projects have been provided by the founder as an unpaid volunteer. For FAQs and options for contributing to this work, click here.

Bicycling Monterey features nearly 800 web pages of original content, with many linked from the 20-section guide below. For an alphabetical list of the guide’s topics, plus short links, click here. You may also be interested in Introductions to some Monterey County communities.”

Tips for Bicycling Monterey County

a 20-Section Guide for Tourists and Locals

including tips for biking anywhere

 

Note: All Bicycling Monterey content has been provided free of charge, as a public service, for personal use only. For any other use, please refer to the copyright information page.

 

Access any of the 20 sections by clicking its title below.

Overview of the Guide

1. Why Bike: The Many Benefits of Bicycling
Santa Cruz family - 1-1-12 (8) cropped
2. Bike Maps and Other Tools for Finding Your Way—in Monterey County and elsewhere in CaliforniaValet claim checks and bike maps
3. Bicycle Riding Skills, Bike Safety, and CA Bicycle Laws–for Children, Teens, and AdultsBiker - little guy in Seaside cropped
4. Where to Shower and Change in Monterey CountyBeebe at Mry Sports Ctr 2506Shower area - Coast Guard pier - 1-1-12 (4)
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)MST - Cini longview
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
Surveillance - racks msctr - DSC00307
7. Local Bike Shops in Monterey County–plus Tips on New and Used Bike Purchases, relevant for anywhere.Aquarian - inside 115
8. Repair and Maintenance for Bikes–and Bikeways–Including DIY tips for anywhereThis woman with a flat and no needed innertube wasn't part of the Bike Week Intergenerational Ride, but that didn't stop Good Samaritan Robert Cepeda of SportsCenterBicycles.net of Seaside from stopping to help her--free of charge!
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.
Gilroy family 5-6-12
10. Where to Bike in Monterey CountyChildren biking Carmel - closeup - 017
11. Cycling to Monterey County’s History SpotsWarwicks and Friends at Custom House PlazaStevenson House - outside gate 076
12. Shopping by Bike (tips for anywhere, and a special focus on Monterey County)
Elena wks at Cypress Nursery cropped (7)Basket shopping at Custom House Plaza
13. Bike Valet and Other Bicycle Parking–including Etiquette and Laws
Nick - cheery valet and savvy cyclistNPS Bike Rack 002
14. Hotels, Entertainment, Educational Venues, Restaurants (a variety of places and tips, including about some HER Helmet Thursdays spots)
Monterey Museum of Art - HER Helmet Thursdays

 Photo provided courtesy of Monterey Museum of Art

15. More Bicycle Safety: High VisibilityKaki Cheung of TAMC in Salinas 10 May 2011 - 014 (4)
16. What to Do in Salinas, the Monterey County Seat
17. Farmers MarketsBasket of produce on my bike 004Ragsdale-Cronins at MPC Mktg 006
18. Serious Cyclists: MTB, Road, BMX, Touring (Clubs, Group Rides, Camping, More)Touring German cyclists in Moss Landing (5)
19. Biking in the DarkHi vis tape on bike trailer on Alisal St, East Salinas Oct 6 2013Hi Vis Granite vest (6)
20. Bicycling and Ecotourism / Good Earthkeeping Right at HomeLizard's Lick Cleanup Monterey

Photo at the top of this guide: Irene and Jeff of Sonoma County found that biking to the Aquarium was a great way to skip traffic and parking concerns, while having much more fun.

To explore this website’s content further: 

  • Above the banner—posts: Rest your cursor on any category topic, and a description of that category will pop up. Each category has drop-downs of subcategories. Since drop-downs may be challenging to navigate, note an alternative: use the Categories (including subcategories) window in this site’s sidebar.
  • Below the banner—pages: Click on any tab to bring up a portal page for that section of the website. Since drop-downs are sometimes tricky to navigate, every portal page includes links to that section’s drop-down pages.

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Individuals worldwide benefit from the Bicycling Monterey resources, as do Monterey County’s approximately 437,000 residents and the county’s millions of visitors (an estimated 4.6 million overnight visitors annually, along with millions of day visitors).

To support this work, FAQs and ways to contribute.