MTB Marin

Marin County is purportedly where mountain biking started. Gary Fisher with friends converted ancient Schwinns to bomb down the steep trails of Mount Tamalpais. Unfortunately, Marin County has done nothing to cultivate mountain biking. The simple truth is that good singletrack in Marin is as distant and lost in the past as the summer of love in Haights Ashbury. Virtually all singletrack is banned, and as soon as one sees a nice invitingly winding trail there is also one of these signs:

Quintessence of mountainbiking in Marin

Nevertheless, we biked in Marin county, there are a number of fire roads just across the Golden Gate bridge, just to get some time in the saddles. Crossing the Golden Gate bridge is tremendously beautiful. So are the views on the other side of the straits.

San Francisco	Crossing to Marin County
Rodeo Valley Trail	As much fire road as trail

Miwok Trail	Gnarly ascent on Miwok Trail
Miwok Trail	Bobcat Trail
Bombing down the Bobcat Trail	Sausolito from above

Gnarly fire roads is the best on offer. If one lives in San Francisco a car is necessary to ride singletrack. There is a trail at the Tamarancho boy scouts area, where some singletrack is found. To use it one has to pay a fee. So don't go to San Francisco for the singletrack. There simply is not any. It is like going to Saudi Arabia to get drunk.