If you want to get to know what the Monterey locals love, trade in your car for a bike. With miles upon miles of bike lanes, waterfront trails and off-road tracks, you can go exactly where you want to go, while getting some exercise at the same time! Hop on the popular Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail, stretching 18 miles from Castroville to Pacific Grove. Along the way, you can stop for a bite to eat at Fisherman's Wharf or visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium. On weekdays, bicyclists can enter Del Monte Forest free of charge. Considered one of the top 100 places to ride a bike in America, a cruise along 17-Mile Drive takes you by dozens of glamorous mansions and manicured golf courses of Pebble Beach. Toro Park in Salinas also offers mountain bikers hundreds of off-road options for tearing it up.
While it may not be as fast, getting around on two wheels is often easier than four. Whether you bring your own or rent once you arrive, cruising around the county on two wheels offers a whole new perspective, you'll enjoy your dessert all that much more!
Bike and E-Bike Tours
If you're the type of traveler who likes to take guided or self-guided tours, Monterey County tours help make a memorable trip with unique opportunities to explore the destination and learn fun tidbits of history and culture from local experts. VineCycle Tours offers a guided eBike tour of Fort Ord National Monument, an exclusive opportunity to experience the stunning terrain of native plant and animal life, plus the history of this former military base.
Mad Dogs & Englishmen Bike Shop (locations in Carmel-by-the-Sea and Monterey) also offers dozens of stylish electric bikes., including dog-friendly sidecars. They offer several guided E-bike tours, including the famous 17-Mile Drive Tour in Pebble Beach, Downtown Carmel-By-The-Sea Tour and Old Coast Road Tour in Big Sur.
What is a Surrey?
Surreys are four-wheeled, canopy-covered cycles that are perfect for friends and families who want to ride together, as riders sit side-by-side. They are outfitted with a steering wheel and two sets of bicycle pedals. Easy to handle, surreys are the answer for families with small children who want to enjoy the waterfront area together. Two-, four- and six-person surreys for use along the Recreation Trail can be rented at Adventures by the Sea on Cannery Row.
National Bike Month in Monterey County
May is National Bike Month and there’s no better place to experience the relaxing pace of riding a bike than in Monterey County. Whether you are interested in exploring the 18-mile Monterey Bay Coastal Trail or checking out the Ford Ord National Monument or perusing the quaint streets of Carmel-by-the-Sea, visitors and locals alike enjoy miles and miles of bike-friendly lanes and a community that welcomes cyclists with literally hundreds of bike-friendly businesses and organizations. You can ride your own bike or rent one from places like Adventures by Sea.
Bike Month Events in Monterey County
During the month of May, you can enjoy a plethora of bike-friendly activities. For a full list of Bike Month events click here.
There’s a lot more of the world to see when you travel at an average speed of 10 miles an hour. There’s far less stress traveling by bicycling, plus you get exercise in the fresh open air and the kindness of community becomes more available, especially in Monterey County.
For a list of epic trails and bike rides in the area or bikemonterey.org for other tips.