The Hole in the Head Gang Returns!

The Hole in the Head Gang has returned from our tour of Oregon and northeastern California. Meet the gang and stay tuned for a full accounting of our adventures.

I met Scott Duffy the ER Doctor and MY FRIENDS SAVED MY ASS

Our adventure began at Katie’s house in the Mission. I have next to no memory of any of this, because 12 hrs later, I’ll be on my way to the ER with a dented helmet and amnesia. Ride with me as I ask the question, What the hell happened?

Golden Gateway to Adventure

This Sunday, the Golden Gate Bridge celebrates its 75th anniversary with a fête and fireworks. To help celebrate, I dug through the Flaming Bike Blog archives for bicycle adventures that began by crossing this gateway to the north.

Grrrl gets off the Internet. Rides mountain bike.

While I wasn’t doing anything radically political this weekend (like smashing the right wing, the 1%, and patriarchy in one swell foop), I did meet a dozen guys, and one gal, for a mountain biking hammerfest at Skeggs Point.

Mt. Vision Quest

What better subject of a vision quest than the Mt. Vision Ceanothus? The type locality for Ceanothus gloriosus var. porrectus (the Mt. Vision Ceanothus) hails from the “summit of Pierce Point Hill,” at the tip of the Pt. Reyes Peninsula. Armed with a road bike and a handful of notes scrawled from the herbarium database, I embarked on a botanical quest north.

Tandem Mountain Biking (and Hiking) in Tilden Park

“That is not a mountain tandem.” The bike in question had been recently donated to BORP’s Adaptive Cycling Center at Berkeley’s Aquatic Park. The shiny blue Trek had flat bars and 26 inch wheels, like you would find on a typical mountain bike. On the other hand, it lacked suspension and sported a set of […]

Legend of Zelda: Quest for El Diablo

A round trip summit ride to Mt. Diablo from Pleasant Hill BART puts you 36 miles and 3800 feet of elevation gain closer to leveling up. Better yet, you can’t get Legend of Zelda: Quest for El Diablo at Gamestop or Barnes and Nobles. That’s because Flaming Bikers ride Open Access. Route: My route here ascends […]

Get Steamy at Steep Ravine Hot Springs

Fancy a hot soak after your spin around Marin? Try the hidden hot springs at this wave-washed cove, located just north of San Francisco along coast Hwy 1. During minus tides, a rocky pool at Steep Ravine fills with a salty, sulfury elixir … and long haired locals getting their hot spring fix. Most locals […]

Taking the High Road to Half Moon Bay

Ever heard of Devil’s Slide? This narrow stretch of Hwy 1 is dreaded by local and long-distance bike tourers alike. Don’t let it deter you! For adventures south of San Francisco, local bikers take Old Pedro’s Mountain Road instead. This overgrown fire road climbs the chaparraled slopes of Montara Mountain. Upon reaching the saddle, the […]

Bike to Hike: Pinnacles National Monument

The stunning rock formations at Pinnacles National Monument once formed part of a volcano the size of Mt. St. Helens. This ancient volcano loomed over Southern California and, in the past 22 million years, it has migrated at a rate of ~1 inch per year north along the San Andreas Fault. Today, its eroded flanks lie […]