If you are visiting California and looking to get some local knowledge, then a bicycle tour is a great option. Santa Barbara is the perfect travel destination for your bicycle tour. Santa Barbara’s unique topography offers a wide variety of riding options, and our guides are knowledgeable locals who know the ins and outs. The Santa Ynez Mountains to the North of Santa Barbara boast peaks that rise to nearly 4000 feet. With the mountains this close to the sea, we have elevation and more technical riding for more advanced riders, as well as mellow rolling trails for more introductory riders. You are bound to get an incredible view during any bicycle tour in Santa Barbara.
Who Are We?
Cal Coast Adventures is your one-stop-shop for all things outdoors. We offer bicycle rentals and tours, surfing lessons and rentals, SUP and kayak tours and rentals, among other adventures. We specialize in fun outdoor adventures that make your vacation memorable. Our company is all about showing locals and visitors alike a great time; so we’ve hired the best guides in town! We’re also proud to offer you unparalleled top-notch equipment for your tour or rental. You won’t be able to find better bike rentals in Santa Barbara or more experienced surf instructors. We’d love to help you with your adventure needs and ensure you have a great time! Our bicycle tours will give you a taste of everything that Santa Barbara has to offer you.
Bicycle Tours
Santa Barbara City Bicycle Tour
Our City Bicycle Tour of Santa Barbara offers a great introduction to the area. This leisurely tour will take you through downtown and along the waterfront. Our guide will offer interesting facts and information along the way! Our tour guides have extensive knowledge and passion for Santa Barbara, and it shows in our enthusiasm along the tour.
You will be given the option of riding a beach cruiser, hybrid, or mountain bike. Whichever bike works best for you! We want your experience to start with the right bike for your needs and riding style. I personally like the hybrid bikes; they are a little faster than a cruiser or mountain bike, and I like taking my tours further to see more!
Sue and Jim and this to say about their Santa Barbara City Bicycle Tour with Sergio;
Fantastic bicycle tour of Santa Barbara with a great guide
“We booked a private two hour bike tour of Santa Barbara. Great welcome on arrival, everyone was super welcoming and friendly. We were able to leave our car on their lot. Our guide Sergio could not have done a better job. Friendly, full of enthusiasm, very knowledgeable and very easy to hear and understand. Santa Barbara is a cycle friendly town, so lots of the tour was on cycle routes, some on the roads, but Sergio made sure we were safe at all times. The tour was easy riding, with just a couple of very gentle hills, the rest was flat. The tour gave you a great overview of this beautiful city, we learnt about its history, modern day Santa Barbara and buildings. Highly recommended.”
Electric Bicycle Tour Of Santa Barbara
This is hands down my favorite tour to give. I have been doing Santa Barbara bicycle tours at Cal Coast Adventures for over 3 years and this is consistently my most enjoyable. The electric bikes allow the whole group to maintain a similar speed and travel nearly 15 miles in 3 hours! We make numerous stops along the way offering information about the rich history of Santa Barbara.
Each tour guide has a different style and a slightly different route. If you want to know more about certain aspects of Santa Barbara or California please let us know so we can try and find a guide that will provide you with the most relevant information! We are always happy to cater our tour to what you would like to see! If you have no idea what to see, then just leave it to us to lead the way. This tour will show you the most of Santa Barbara because of how far we can go!
We will leave from our bike shop and begin by heading straight towards the beach and towards Montecito. On our way, we will pass the Santa Barbara Zoo, where we often see Giraffes through the trees. We will then take you towards Butterfly Beach and the Coral Casino where we will get stunning views looking towards the Channel Islands.
On our way back into Santa Barbara proper, this bicycle tour will show you everything from the Funk Zone to Stearns Wharf, the oldest working wood wharf in California! We will then take a ride through downtown and eventually make our way to the courthouse which will offer stunning 360 views of the town from the belltower when open. Time permitting, we may be able to zip all the way up to the mission as well, and perhaps make a stop at the Natural History Museum and take a look at Chad, the magnificent Blue whale skeleton that is on display outside. Chad is now also the new name for a local restaurant (previously known as Sambos).
Martha E had this to say about her Electric Bicycle Tour:
“We loved our bike tour with Nate. The bikes were easy to operate and is was a fun way to see a bit of Santa Barabara. Nate is great guide- knowledgeable, friendly and interesting. We would absolutely recommend this to anyone.”
Bike and Beverage Tour
The bike and beverage tour of Santa Barbara is one of our most unique tours! This is a casual tour that will take you and your group to two local breweries and two local wineries. On the tour, we will introduce you to the tasting room and provide a little history about the tasting room. While we know a lot about Santa Barbara, we will leave most of the beverage knowledge to the experts!
You will have the option of riding a hybrid, beach cruiser, or mountain bike, whichever feels most comfortable. At the end of the tour, free complimentary tasting cards are provided for each of the tasting rooms we visited along the tour. Our current partners for this tour are Pure Order Brewing Company, Telegraph Brewing Company, Grassini Family Vineyards, and DV8 Cellars Wine Tasting. We will most likely offer more recommendations for food and other tasting rooms in Santa Barbara as well.
*COVID-19 Update*
Due to the nature of this tour being an intimate indoors tour of these tasting rooms, we are unable to offer this tour at the moment because the tour would not be nearly as much fun if we can’t go into the different establishments and learn more about their process. As soon as we are able to offer this tour safely we will make it live on our website again!
Mountain Bicycle Tour
We offer mountain bicycle tours for all ages and ability levels. If you are just learning, then our beginner tour at Ellwood Preserve is perfect; where you will ride along the bluffs and through eucalyptus trees that are home to Monarch Butterflies during their migration. If you want more of a workout, then our intermediate mountain biking tour at Elings Park is a great option; a few jumps, switchbacks, and some elevation change make this tour a great option for everyone.
If you are looking to get an incredible view overlooking Santa Barbara, then I would recommend our Downhill Epic View Shuttle Tour. This route starts at almost 4000 feet of elevation and you will descend about 2500 feet. This is more intermediate, but there are some more technical and alternate routes that can be taken if you want to get your adrenaline pumping. We ask that riders on this tour be comfortable on mountain bikes and riding offroad as there are a few steep drops along the trail.
We also offer tours that will include a lot of climbing if you are looking for a more intense workout on the bicycle tour. Santa Barbara has a plethora of riding options and we will find a mountain bicycle tour that suits you perfectly! The Jesusita Tour is by far my favorite advanced-level tour. The climb more challenging and technical in some spots, but the downhill is my favorite ride in Santa Barbara.
Road Bicycle Tour
Our Road bicycle tours are an excellent way to explore Santa Barbara. They typically last from 2-4 hours, depending on the one you select. They can be more of a gentle ride with fewer climbs, or you can choose the Epic View Road Bicycle Tour. The Epic View is a high intensity climb up into the Santa Ynez Mountains and will give you the best view that Santa Barbara has to offer.
Our Road Bicycle tours always include a high-end Carbon road bike, helmet, and saddlebag in case of a flat. We will give you everything you need! When you bring your own shoes, we can provide Shimano SPD-MTB or Road Bike (SL) pedals, Look KEO’s, Speedplay Zero’s/X’s/Light Action, and standard platform pedals as well. If you want to bring your own pedals just let us know and we can install them when you arrive!
The carbon fiber road bikes are of high quality and manufactured by trusted international brands like Specialized and Trek. When you rent our bikes, then you get a helmet, water bottle, and spare tire kit. We are able to offer bike fittings as well, however, we need a heads up to allocate time to set your measurements.
It’s Time To Take Santa Barbara Bicycle Tour!
The tours are quite safe and the management ensures that the riders have a great time and enjoy the exhilarating views along the way. The tracks are selected based on the rider’s experience and preferences. You can also request a customized plan to select the areas which you want to visit and include in your guided trip. It is a great experience for the entire family and people who have not visited Santa Barbara before, or for people that keep coming back for more!
You can make reservations by phone or book online. If you want to make a last-minute reservation, then calling Cal Coast Adventures would be the best way to check availability. Give us a ring at 805-628-2444 if you have any questions or would like some help setting up the reservation online!
We went on the E-bike tour, with Brody as our tour guide. We had so much fun going around beautiful Santa Barbara on the e-bikes. The e-bikes are so fun to ride, makes going up the hill so easy! 🙂 Brody is a great tour guide, fun, and made us feel safe riding out on the streets of SB. I highly recommend taking this tour… you will love it!
Thank you so much for your feedback! Brody is a great tour guide and very knowledgeable. Glad you enjoyed your time!