With the current, welcome nice weather we have been having, I have been riding my bike around again.  So I took the opportunity to try out the new Lincoln Hill Bike (and walking) path to ride up to the Civic Center.
The wet late winter weather we have had for the past month or so has really been getting to D and I, so with the sky clear and the temps in the low 80s it was easy to sneak out for a ride to see one of my favorite buildings in the world.  But before I start glowing about the Marin Civic Center I am going to point out where to go to find the path, and talk about the goods and not dso goods of this bike super highway.
The Entrance
Since I live just south of downtown San Rafael, I tend to take C street up to 4th from home.  4th is a well recognized bike route through downtown, and it is kind of fun to see the people milling about and enjoying the shops, restaurants, and common spaces.  There are always characters, good for people watching.  But on a bike people watching is done while moving, so you don’t have time to reflect too long otherwise you might get doored or honked back into attention.  Generally 4th street is a decent street to ride on.  Most of the drivers understand that bikes also use the road, and there is a fair sized bike lane.  Now we need to find the bike path.  Once you get through the main downtown zone, you need to look for Tamalpais Ave. and turn north (left in the case of my ride here).  Tamalpais Ave. is just before the unused railroad tracks.  Take Tamalpais north 2 blocks to Mission.  Hang a right onto Mission and just before the corner of Mission and Hetherton, to the left is a sign that notifies the entrance to the bike path.  Note: it might be hairy to turn across the traffic coming off Hetherton onto Mission, so you can always break the law and cross over at Tam&Mission and take the sidewalk over, but that may be illegal so be careful.
The Path
The first stretch of the path is also a cul-du-sac street/bike path for a block.  Traffic is for residents mainly so it’s easy.  After that first block the path turns into the Fahrrad Schnellstraße.  The north bound route is primarily up hill from this point, but fairly easy cranking until you reach the Lincoln Ave exit (yes this bicycle expressway has some exit ramps).  I ride a single speed most of the time with a 46×17 gearing and I had no problem with this route, in the north direction.  Once you enter the tunnel under the 101 exit ramp to Lincoln Ave, you get a bit of a respite before the last push that will bring you to the highest elevation of the path.

This corridor is quite a bit steeper than all other parts of the path.  So much that they built in a stepped style of paving.  Not actual steps, but up a bit, small bump, flatten out, up a bit, bump, flatten…  This may serve more to slow down the downhill south bound traffic than anything, but I did see some bikers coming down, hitting the little bumps and getting some air.  So there is a bit for everyone in this chute.  It really is a chute with walls all around.
Before I forget, I would like to say that the vast majority of the path is directly along side the 101 with a concrete barricade and cyclone fence keeping bikes off the highway and cars off the bike path.  On the west side of the path is a series of sound dampening walls that keep the tire noise from annoying the people who live just on the other side.  Good for the residents, not so hot for bikers or walkers going north.  What I mean is that on a hot day, with all of the car exhaust from the 101, the wall sort of keeps the exhaust fumes in the path.  Bikers and walkers need to breathe, and I did notice that I had a hard time inhaling a bit.  Car and truck exhaust is kind of gross.  Overall this is the main (and possibly only) negative of the path.

So back to the steep chute.  Once I got up to the top, I took a quick break, drank some much needed water and took in the view north toward Lucas Valley.  The path at this point is near its end, just a quick downhill section that dumps you out onto Merrydale Rd. another cul-du-sac.  Once off the path and on Merrydale, the hill drops off quite drastically, so you can really get some easy speed and coast down.  It is worthy to note here that Merrydale is a rough road, and skinny tires aren’t very welcome.  Merrydale dumps you out onto N. San Pedro rd, where I turned right and headed east toward the Marin Civic Center.
Marin Civic Center

Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, the Marin Civic Center was his last commission.  In fact the groundbreaking didn’t happen until after his death.  The design of the buildings and site really hold true to this quote from Mr. Wright.

“We know that the good building is not the one that hurts the landscape, but is one that makes the landscape more beautiful than it was before that building was built. In Marin County you have one of the most beautiful landscapes I have seen, and I am proud to make the buildings of this County characteristic of the beauty of the County.”

- Frank Lloyd Wright

His vision for not distracting from the beauty of the County but in fact enriching it with a collection of beautiful buildings that sit into the hillside and take advantage of the overall site location.

I am in awe every time I get to walk around the Civic Center, or even speed by on the 101.  It is a true Civic Center with County government, courthouse, entertainment, fire department and sheriff, even a post office.  With approachable grounds that include a pond, bocce courts, and some nice hidden gems like the public scenic viewing area I visited.
As a Star Wars fan I also enjoy that George Lucas was inspired by the lines of the Civic Center and featured them in buildings found in Episodes I, II, and III.  With Skywalker Ranch just a few miles away, it is easy to imagine Mr. Lucas driving past the Civic Center on his way into SF or somewhere else.  Anyway, I took some pictures, left the Civic Center and headed back to the path.

South Bound and Down
With the remembrance of the uphill climb heading north still fresh in my brain, I openly welcomed an easy coast back toward downtown San Rafael.  The only thing between that and me was Merrydale Rd.  As I mentioned earlier, this rough dried road isn’t too skinny tire friendly.  It also isn’t too single speed friendly either, at least headed south.  Sure the street starts off easy enough, mild incline.  But then it pitches up at an alarming rate for about a quarter mile.  I almost hate to admit, but I walked my bike up to the entrance of the bike path (where the incline lessens quite a bit).  Before I hit the path again, I sat on some welcome rocks at the entrance and drank a little water, took a few deep breaths and got back on the bike, and pedaled the rest of the way to the top.  Once at the top I looked down the chute and started cranking.  I wanted to hit those little humps and catch some air too, and I did, albeit tiny air.  I don’t like the prospect of getting a flat tire while racing downhill in a concrete chute.  So I got content with what air I did get and kept pedaling.  Ahhh, this is why I rode up this mother in the first place.  My gearing is alright in flats, and up mild hills, but downhill (and in flats) at high speed it isn’t really worth cranking too much.  My legs just go so fast.  I know, someone is going to read this and tell me to get some gears.  But I like the simplicity of my single speed bike, and I do have some bikes with gears, I just use the Crystal as my beater bike, and I have no regrets at all for the single gearing I have on it.
So through the tunnel, up a short hill and it’s a mild downhill run for the next 1.6 miles when the bike path ends, and thus does this post.  But here are a few more pictures I took.