New year, new routes! In 2022, the Bay Area Epic moves a bit north into the lower Peninsula. Every route gets more gravel, more elevation, and more epic-ness!

All our routes climb through the Santa Cruz Mountains and wind along the Bay Area Ridge Trail for 15 miles before crossing Skyline towards Montebello Open Space and topping out on Black Mountain. The Ridge Trail offers beautiful singletrack with glimpses of the Pacific Ocean, and will present a few technical challenges - but nothing that can't be tackled on a gravel bike. Don't plan on making it through this part of the route on 2 water bottles - make a note of the water stops just off route or wear a hydration pack.

What kind of bike should you ride? Gravel with fast rolling tires, wide 650b's, or maybe a mountain bike? Well, that's kind of a personal decision... but whatever decision you make know that your bike will be perfect for some sections, and kind of sucky for others. That's half the fun :)

This year's start and end point is chock full of options for coffee, breakfast, and post-ride chow downs & brews! With three different courses to choose from, there's an epic ride here for everyone.

The Grand Epic // 107 miles • 14,443' elevation • 60% gravel

Grab a selfie at the top, point the bike downhill, and you'll lose almost 2000' of elevation before you hit Kennedy Road. Be careful on the descent because this trail popular with bikers and hikers and will be busy on a weekend.

From here you drop down into downtown Los Gatos. This is your last opportunity for a caffeine pit stop, and it's back onto the gravel at St. Joseph's Hill Open Space Preserve. Enjoy the beautiful road spin around Lexington Reservoir and begin the climb up Black Road. After climbing 1200' on pavement you'll hit John Nicholas Trail (you'll know you're close when you start to see a lot of cars parked along the road). From here you'll be back on the dirt for quite a while as you climb up to skyline. Keep your head up as you climb John Nicholas -- this is another popular trail and you'll probably encounter mountain bikes coming downhill.

Once you reach the peak you'll follow the Bay Area Ridge Trail for the next 15 miles. When you find yourself running low on water, there are a couple spots along the way where you can refill (see the course notes for more info). After you cross Skyline, you'll grab another selfie at Turtle Rock. On clear days, you'll be able to catch glimpses of the Pacific Ocean from here.

Eventually you'll hit Page Mill, cross into Montebello Open Space, and climb Bella Vista Trail to the peak of Black Mountain. This is a gorgeous and rugged spot with panoramic views of the Bay Area.

It's mostly downhill from here! Grab your selfie and head back down and pick up Canyon Trail which is a beautiful shaded fire road that turns into singletrack and eventually drops you out on Stevens Canyon Road for a nice long paved decent. At the corner of Stevens Canyon and Pierce Road & Mt Eden there will be bathrooms and water.

From here you'll ride around Stevens Creek Reservoir and begin your last gravel climb up to Fremont Older Open Space Preserve. There's more water available at the ranger station before you start your climb. This climb only gains about 600', but it's probably going to feel like the longest. Enjoy the smooth singletrack in Fremont Older and then it's a short road spin back to the car and your well deserved cold one. (Don't forget your last selfie!)

This ride will challenge your legs and your resolve, but you'll be rewarded with some of the best gravel riding the Bay Area has to offer.

The Big Epic // 85 miles • 11,117' elevation • 56% gravel

The Mini Epic // 52 miles • 6,987' elevation • 60% gravel