[sanjuro]

I was riding the Demo Forest today, and I was thinking that I have ridden every county around the Bay Area, most of them in the last two months.

This is how I rank them, based on trails (XC and DH), access, commute, scenery, and crowdedness:

1. Santa Cruz
2. Marin
3. San Mateo
4. Alameda
5. Napa
6. Sonoma
7. Santa Clara
8. Contra Costa
9. San Francisco

 

[East Bay Rich]

I'm surprised to see Alameda higher than Contra Costa. Maybe I'm just biased ;p

I haven't ridden enough in the South Bay and SC to qualify my vote. SF is definitely last, though.
-ebRich

 

[H8R]

I was riding the Demo Forest today, and I was thinking that I have ridden every county around the Bay Area, most of them in the last two months.

This is how I rank them, based on trails (XC and DH), access, commute, scenery, and crowdedness:

1. Santa Cruz
2. Marin
3. San Mateo
4. Alameda
5. Napa
6. Sonoma
7. Santa Clara
8. Contra Costa
9. San Francisco

I'd put Sonoma above Alameda. I moved up here a few years ago, and the trails are far superior and less crowded than anything in Alameda county that I've ridden. (and I rode and poached pretty much everything in the east bay hills and beyond)

 

[sanjuro]

I'd put Sonoma above Alameda. I moved up here a few years ago, and the trails are far superior and less crowded than anything in Alameda county that I've ridden. (and I rode and poached pretty much everything in the east bay hills and beyond)

I don't disagree, but I am basing the slightly higher ranking on a drive from San Francisco. I could be in the Oakland hills in 10 minutes, and I have ridden there many times and taken the train home.

 

[H8R]

I don't disagree, but I am basing the slightly higher ranking on a drive from San Francisco. I could be in the Oakland hills in 10 minutes, and I have ridden there many times and taken the train home.

I would have put Sonoma higher even when I lived in Oakland, mostly for the fact that singletrack in Oakland nets you a ticket if your caught. Sonoma has way more high quality trails, and they are much longer, and many are legal for bikes.

Oakland does have Joaquin Miller, (which is a city park, not an East Bay regional park), but at only 500 acres it simply lacks the real estate to make for epic rides. Looping around the same trails over and over only goes so far.

The rest of the east bay trails - too many dogs and kids and old people hiking.