Swami’s Rides

Swami's has several regular training rides. Although the rides are open to all comers, they are not beginner rides. Safety is paramount so we ask that all riders be proficient in group ride technique and etiquette before joining the rides. For more on group riding visit the riding tips.

Saturday Ride

Start Time: 8:00am
Start Location: Nytro Bike Shop 940 south Coast Highway 101, Encinitas, CA 92024

Link to Map of Route

This is the signature Swami's club ride. Although it sometimes will take a different route, more often than not, the ride follows the traditional route through the Elfin Forest to Escondido then back along Del Dios and through Rancho Santa Fe to the coast and coffee at Starbucks in the Encinitas Lumberyard (total distance 33 miles). 

The Swami’s ride rolls out at a casual pace from Nytro rolling north to La Costa Ave then to south on El Camino Real to Levante Street where the pace will ratchet up a notch until the ride is on Rancho Santa Fe road en route to San Elijo.  But once on San Elijo the pace ratchets up again until the front group is racing through Elfin Forest and Harmony Grove, past the chicken ranch and toward the sprint at the church in Escondido.  Behind the front group several other groups form and ride at more comfortable speeds and eventually everyone regroups at the church to swap stories of the sprint and top off their water bottles.  From the church some may go through Escondido to Wolford or Jesmon Deen to put in some longer miles, but most head out along Del Dios towards Rancho Santa Fe.  There are a couple more sprints as the ride heads through The Ranch along Paseo Delicias and up Linea del Cielo.  But the hammerheads usually slow up after the sprints and the group reforms for the ride through Solana Beach and north up the coast to coffee at Nytro in the Lumberyard (Encinitas).

Typical Mileage:
Nytro – Elfin – Del Dios – Nytro: 45 miles- Link to Map of Route
Nytro – Elfin – Jesmon Deen – La Costa Coffee – 45 miles - Link to Map of Route
Nytro – Elfin – Wolford – Nytro – 70 miles - Link to Map of Route

Sunday Ride

Start Time: 8:00am
Start Location: Panera Bread in the Forum shopping center, 1935 Calle Barcelona, Carlsbad

The Sunday ride is the more casual of the two weekend rides and has no set route.  The ride starts at Panera where the group will decide on the route for the day.  It is a social group so the ride will typically include a café stop so everyone can refuel with more coffee.

Typical Mileage : 40-50 miles

Tuesday/Thursday Morning Ride

Start Time:  6:30am
Start Location:  NW corner of La Costa and El Camino Real, Carlsbad

Link to Map of Route

This pre-work leg burner is also known as the Gene Kelley ride for its founder who in the early days was hard pressed to find many to join him for dawn patrol.  Now Gene has plenty of company as word has spread about this short (22 miles) but intense workout.

The ride leaves the NW corner of La Costa and El Camino promptly at 6:30am Verizon time* (at this hour no one is in the mood to wait around in the morning chill).  The tempo is brisk out La Costa and then north up the coast highway to downtown Carlsbad.  There is a brief respite as the ride snakes its way east through Carlsbad and alongside the Buena Vista Lagoon.  But after the lagoon, the ride turns south and the fun begins.  There are several hills and four uphill sprints packed into the last eight miles of the ride as it winds south along El Camino, Cannon, Faraday, College, Aviara and Poinsetia.  Mercifully the last mile is down hill along El Camino and into the Vons shopping center for coffee at La Costa Coffee.

If you get dropped or miss the start by a few minutes, there are several short cuts that will get you back on the ride, cutting across and heading east at Tamarack Drive, or Carlsbad Village Drive will get you back in touch with the group. Other route cutoffs are heading due east on Faraday to El Camino Real which cuts out the uphills of Aviara, and Poinsettia.

Note that in the cold dark winter mornings a blinky taillight is recommended for improved visibility.  Also note that for the first couple weeks of daylight savings the start time will shift to 6:45 so we are not starting in total darkness.

*Verizon time is based on the time that Roger G or Gene has on their Verizon cell phones

Typical Mileage:
25 Miles

Tuesday Night El Camino Bike Ride (held from March to October)

Start Time: 5:00pm
Start Location: El Camino Bike Store 121 N. El Camino Real #A Encinitas, CA 92024

Link to Map of Route

This ride is only active during daylight saving. It’s typically fast and furious and hammers through Olivenhain, Rancho Santa Fe, Fairbanks Ranch, Solana Beach and finally back to Encinitas. The loop is 28 miles and there are several sprint points along the route.

Typical Mileage:
28 miles

Wednesday Morning Ride

Start Time: 8:15am
Start Location: Starbucks in downtown Carlsbad, 2924 Carlsbad Blvd Carlsbad, CA

Link to Map of Route

One of Bicycling Magazines top ranked group rides, the Camp Pendleton ride rolls north through Pendleton to San Clemente where it turns around and heads back to Carlsbad. Out and back is 49 miles. The Pendleton ride has been described as one of the hardest flat rides you can do. So bring your A game and bring your ID - you must have a valid drivers license or state-issued ID to get onto the base. 

Typical Mileage:
50 miles

Wednesday Evening MTB ride:

6pm @ La Costa Hills

Semi Regular ride in nearby La Costa Hills.  In the winter you need to bring lights.  In summer we usually have a small party after the ride.  This is generally not a beginner ride, but we welcome all levels.  

Link to Starting points and points of interest
Contact: Dave Callender

Rain Ride:

Special ride usually on rainy weekend mornings

Although it does not rain a lot around here but when it does, Swamis does a special ride called "W5".  No amount of rain will cancel the ride.

What is the W5?, it stands for Wiley presents - Wild Will's Wicked Wednesday Workout.  It is not on usually on Wednesdays, it is not a technical Mtn Bike ride, but allows you to see some great views, vistas, and back country in our own back yard here in North County.  It travels on both dirt trials and paved roads.  Mostly we explore the fire road and trails of San Elijo and Elfin Forest.  Basic Mtn Bikes and Cross bikes work for this ride.  This is not a technically challenging ride if you are not a mtn biker, but we do go up and down the hills a lot.  The W5 management usually announces the ride and location on Swamis@yahoogroups.com & Swamis_getdirty@yahoogroups.com a fews days before the day of the ride. 

Typical W5 route - Point #15 is the starting point.
Contact: Dave Callender