I find riding in the California Delta especially fun in the late winter and spring, before higher Sierra elevations are suitable for bicycling and before the valley gets really hot.
The course offers multiple distance options, and it is easy to improvise variations on these routes.
The 37 mile ride visits Randall, Sutter, and Grand Islands.
The 49 mile ride visits Randall, Sutter, Grand, Tyler, and Andrus Islands.
The 95 mile ride visits Randall, Sutter, Grand, Sherman, Twitchell, Brannan, and Tyler Islands.
Flat, quiet levee roads of the California Delta, passing by orchards, vineyards, farmlands, rivers, and sloughs.
Most roads are picturesque, typically with a waterway on one side and an "island" on the other.
These historic Delta waterways, now hosting recreation boats and windsurfers, once were visited by paddle wheeler steamboats shuttling between the Bay Area and Sacramento.
Franklin School, Franklin
Take I-5 south from Sacramento to Hood-Franklin Road exit. Turn left (east) onto Hood-Franklin Road and proceed 1.2 miles to Franklin School (on the left). If school parking lot is used, park on unpaved area east of firehouse adjacent to the Franklin Blvd. entrance to the school.
Climbing: negligible. There are few regions where one can bike 95 miles and encounter such consistently flat terrain.
Difficulty: If not windy, difficulty relates to total mileage. "Delta breezes" frequent this area; it often is more windy here than elsewhere in the valley, which can increase ride difficulty.
Maximum elevation: 30 feet.
