Price
$165 per adult
$105 per child (ages 6-15)
Price includes lunch. For the children, we have child bikes or trail-a-bikes.
Operation
7 days a week, year round. Arrival to the shop at 9am and return by 5pm.
Please note: This tour requires a minimum of 6 guests. When fewer than 6 guests are booked, you will have the option to re-book on another date or transfer to our Ride, Wine & Dine Tour.
Bike Over the Golden Gate Bridge!
Escape to San Francisco with us for a fun-filled outing that combines two quintessential Northern California biking experiences: over the Golden Gate Bridge and off-road on the trails of Mt. Tamalpais, where many say the sport of mountain biking originated. You can also call it Mt. Tam, as the locals do!
The cycling on this tour is perfect for beginners, making this a family-friendly adventure. At a minimum, children should be able to handle themselves on a "trail-a-bike", which attaches to the seatpost of an adult bike to create a "tandem" bike.
Sample Itinerary
9am
You'll arrive at our shop* and meet your bike and van guide for the trip. Your guides will load up the bikes onto the van in time for a 10am departure for San Francisco. Drive time is about 1 hour.
*If you are staying in San Francisco, you can meet us in Marin at the Larkspur Ferry Terminal. During checkout, you must indicate if you prefer to meet us in San Francisco or at our shop in Yountville.
11am to 12:30pm
We'll park at Crissy Field in San Francisco, just west of Fisherman's Wharf. As your guides unload the bikes, you'll have a chance to admire the surrounding scenery including the Golden Gate Bridge, the Marin Headlands, Angel Island, Alcatraz and the Palace of Fine Arts. Your guides will help you with your bike and helmet and go over the rules of the road. Before you know it, we'll be off and rolling at a casual pace through the historic Presidio and over the Golden Gate Bridge. By the time we arrive at the north end of the span, we will have completed 4 miles. And lucky for us, our van guide will be waiting to pick us up and transport us to our next location: Mt. Tamalpais.
1pm to 1:30pm
We'll leave the "hill climbing" to our van driver as we head up Mt. Tamalpais to a serene picnic area that offers up stunning panoramic views of the entire San Francisco Bay. We'll enjoy our picnic lunch here, with plenty of photo opportunities.
1:30pm to 3:30pm
After lunch, we'll hop back on the bikes for the off-road portion of the tour. We've purposely selected a route that sticks to wide, gentle fireroads, making this activity suited for novice mountain bikers. In fact, the entire mountain bike ride is a gently graded downhill. But wait... Won't we have to ride back up? Not when we have a van driver waiting at the bottom of the hill to pick us up!
3:30pm to 5pm
After the mountain bike portion of this tour, your guides will load the van back up for the 50-minute trek back to our Yountville shop. All told, we will make it back by 5pm.
DifficultyEasy: This is a beginner and family-friendly excursion favoring wide dirt trails with gentle grades.
Guests ride full-suspension mountain bikes for all biking on this tour. Biking includes about 4 paved miles over the Golden Gate and 8-12 miles of easy off-road biking (all downhill).
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I don't want to ride anymore?A passenger van follows every tour we offer for three very good reasons: 1) To offer transportation for guests who do not want to cycle anymore (our van drivers love company!) ; 2) To pick up your wine purchases along the way ; and 3) To carry any of your personal belongings (i.e. extra layers of clothing) that you don't want to carry with you on the bicycle.
What's the lunch like?This tour includes a gourmet picnic-style lunch served at a serene picnic area atop Mt. Tamalpais. You'll enjoy a selection of deli sandwiches, fresh salad and a fruit and cheese platter.
How much should we tip the guide?Gratuities are welcome, but never expected. You may give gratuity to your guide at your discretion. If you need a guideline, we recommend $10 per person.
What type of bike will we ride on this tour?
All guests will ride full-suspension mountain bikes for the entire length of the tour.
Can I bring my own bike?You are welcome to bring your own bike, however we assume no responsibility for the safety of nor any damage to your bike while on tour with us. Also while riding your own bike with us, you will be responsible for any required maintenance as well as any parts or tubes as needed.
Should I bring my cycling shoes?If anything, cycling shoes are a bit "overkill" for our leisurely bike tours.
What should I wear on the bike tour?Cool mornings make "layering" the best choice for most activities in the Napa Valley and San Francisco Bay. Remember, our tour van will be following your tour along the way, making it easy to abandon unneeded pullovers as it warms up. Beyond that, your main focus should be comfort. If you'll be wearing long pants, keep in mind that the right pant leg will need to be cinched or rolled up to avoid getting caught (we have Velcro bands for rental or purchase). We have cycling-specific shorts (with strategic padding) available in our retail shop, but these aren't a necessity. Upon request, your guide can provide you with a gel seat for additional padding. We also highly recommend wearing closed-toe shoes.
What happens if it's raining?We tour rain or shine. In the rare occurence that the weather doesn't cooperate, our guides will ride in the rain if you want, but they will turn into your chaffeur for the day just as quickly!
Can I bring my children?Children are welcome on our bike tours. We have two options available based on your child's age and cycling experience: 1) Trail-a-bikes, or 2) Children's bikes.
