Mendocino, CA Gravel
July 5-9, 2025
Location: Mendocino, California
Airport: San Francisco International or San Francisco Bay Oakland International
Price: $4,950
*Mendocino is 3 hours north of SF, so we do recommend flying in one day early to make sure there is no stress to arrive in Mendocino by noon on arrival day. Upon booking this trip, we’ll email a list of suggested hotels for guests planning to arrive early to San Francisco or Mendocino.
Coastal forest delight
Mendocino, California is a destination steeped in coastal logging and fishing history. Black and white photographs cover the walls of local bars, hotels, and restaurants, telling the stories of early settlers, loggers, and salty fisherman. For 4 nights and 5 days, we will ride our bikes through the forests and by the waters where these historical stories took place. If you’ve been interested in riding your bike through the mighty Redwoods, Mendocino Gravel is a perfect balance of active travel and oceanside relaxation. Salmon or halibut one night and grass-fed tri tip from moments down the road the next; ‘Princess Seafood’ and ‘FEED Sonoma’ lead our food purveyors list, providing hands down some of the best ingredients we serve during the year. Join us at the McCallum House, where we are 1 mile from outstanding adventure in any direction.
Highlights:
30+ daily miles amongst the Redwood trees inside the Jackson Demonstration State Forest
Pole-caught Pacific Halibut from Princess Seafood
Cold water plunges at Mendocino Beach
Edible flowers and microgreens from Earthworker Farms
Food
Mendocino is arguably a staff favorite when it comes to food served at The Cyclist’s Menu. FEED Sonoma, Princess Seafood, Sonoma County Meats, Hardhead Bread to name a few of our food partners during this trip; it's tough to beat! Mendo is one of those places where all the best ingredients show up in one spot.
Accommodations
Our Mendocino homebase is the MacCallum House, located a few blocks from downtown. Beautifully set amongst manicured gardens, we are within walking distance to everything the town has to offer, and a minute away from our staff house, where we will enjoy dinner each night. The town of Mendocino is perched on a bluff overlooking the ocean, giving MacCallum House outstanding views of the area.
Itinerary
Day 1 - Arrival Day
20 miles, 1,500 feet
Welcome to the McCallum House in Mendocino! We will meet you at the Mccallum House at noon and help you settle into your rooms for the week. Chef Z will serve a light lunch while our mechanic builds guest bikes and/or fits people to their rentals. As soon as the bikes are dialed, we’ll head out for our 20 mile shakedown spin. Enjoy views of the Pacific Ocean during happy hour with dinner under the stars by Chef Z to follow.
Day 2 - The Mendocino Classic
30–50 miles, 2,000–4,000 feet
Enjoy a beautiful breakfast at The McCallum House before we head out into the Jackson Demonstration Forest for the day. We’ll adventure up into the Woodlands and finish our day along the ‘Big River’ before we end back at the coastline. You’ll have an open afternoon with massages or a cold jump in the Ocean. Happy hour will be overlooking the ocean, followed by a dinner prepared by Chef Z.
Day 3 - The Skunk Train
30–54 miles, 2,000–4,400 feet
After breakfast we’ll hop on our bikes and cruise straight out toward a network of less-used roads that will take us to the old route that the ‘Skunk Train’ traveled in the 1920’s. We’ll enjoy breathtaking Redwoods as we descend down to the coastal town of Fort Bragg for lunch on the beach. Open afternoon for massage and relaxation. There will be happy hour at the old Patterson’s Pub followed by another beautiful meal by Chef Z.
Day 4 - Casper the Ghost
25–40 miles, 1,500–3,000 feet
We’ll go deep into the Russian Gulch State Park today and weave around our most favorite network of roads in these woods. (what will they see and experience?) After, the afternoon is open for you to relax as you prefer, with massages available. For those of you who are departing early tomorrow, our mechanic will box your bikes up tonight. We’ll enjoy our last happy hour followed by our final dinner by Chef Z.
Day 5 - Departure Day
This is our last morning all together. We’ll all enjoy a wonderful breakfast at The McCallum House and then those who are able can take part in a one-hour recovery spin. Your bikes will be packed up after the ride in time for the 11AM checkout
What people are saying…
“We have had the pleasure of riding several gravel camps with Heidi and Zander. They always challenge us with routes that improve our fitness and our skills while taking in breathtaking scenery. From the first trip, you feel like you have joined a new family that is always welcoming, supportive, and positive. The trip to Mendocino was no exception.” – Cari Q
What’s included
4 nights/5 days accommodations
All meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
Mechanical support, including bike build and breakdown
Professional cycling guides
Daily support vehicle
Ride nutrition
A gallery of professional photographs of the trip
What’s not included
Airfare
Airport transport
Bike rentals
Gratuity for guides
Personal shopping
Massage therapy
Ready to have an adventure of a lifetime?
Bike Options
Rent a bike:
If you don’t have a bike that you love at home, we highly recommend renting a bike from us! We have Giant Gravel Bikes for rent ($350), and Specialized Gravel E-Bikes ($420).
Bring your own:
It’s so comfortable to arrive on your bike adventure and hop onto your own bike and feel at home. We highly recommend getting a good bike tune at your local bike shop before using it on this trip. Please make sure you have 35c or bigger tires (with thick sidewalls) with sealant that have low miles on them.
Flying with your bike: This is a great way to travel with your bike these days because a lot of airlines charge a low rate (sometimes as low as only $30!), which is much more affordable than shipping your bike. Our mechanic will build your bike up upon arrival, take care of it throughout the week, and box it up for your to fly back home with.
Ship your bike: You can ship your bike straight to us via BikeFlights. If you are new to this we recommend dropping your bike off at your local shop and have them box it and ship it to us. At the end of our trip, our mechanic will ship it straight back to your shop for them to build back up for you.