Cycling Routes: Berkeley, CA to Medford, OR

I'm newly converted to riding (from running) so I don't have any idea how many miles you can log in a day. I live a little north of Medford and am familiar with the terrain. The coastal route is much cooler. You can decide if that is a good thing or a bad thing. The inland route will be very, very difficult. If you are on I-5, there are many very steep climbs. they start after Reading, CA and don't let up until after Ashland, OR. The coast route has it's climbs but no where near as steep or long. The coast route also has a lot of cyclists so most drivers know they will be sharing the road. I-5 has shoulders but traffic is fast and constant. Both are very scenic but in my opinion (everyone's got one) the coast route is far more scenic. Especially once you get into the Redwoods on the California/Oregon border. Hotels shouldn't be an issue, there are a lot of small towns both ways. Hope that helps.

I live in Berkeley, and I am totally awed by your quest. I can tell you how to get to the coast from Berkeley.

You will have to cross the Carquinez bridge in Crockett/Vallejo. The best way to get there is to take the Ohlone Greenway from Berkeley to El Cerrito del Norte BART station. Then you can hop east (right) a few streets to Key Blvd. From here you will follow the I-80 Bike Trail (really just a designated set of streets), which is kind of confusing in Richmond but straightforward through El Sobrante, Pinole, and Hercules, and takes you all the way to the Cummings Skyway which leads onto the bridge. This takes probably 1.5 hours.

Once in Vallejo, I am not sure of the best way to get to the coast, but I would recommend riding Highway 29 North to Highway 121 West. This is a pretty route through vineyards and such, and mostly flat. When 121 ends at a stop sign and gas station (or, rather, turns left), you go right onto Highway 116 to Petaluma. From Petaluma, you can either take Bodega Hwy to Bodega Bay (25 miles, rolling hills) or follow the Old Redwood Highway / US-101 North as far as you want, and then cut over (warning: it gets increasingly hard to get to the coast north of River Road). The Sonoma Coast near Jenner has some cliffs resembling Big Sur, so it's really scenic but has a steep upgrade in places. 101 meets the coast at Eureka, which is about 4 hours by car from Vallejo.

To get back from the coast to Medford, you'd probably take US-199. I have never taken this road, and don't know how steep it is. Check it out for yourself. It does go through Redwood National Forest, which may be enough incentive to take it!

Good luck with the trip! I want to hear about it in a subsequent post!!

If you want to ride the coast, go the other direction (north to south).  The shoulders on the coastal side (southbound) are wider than on the northbound side.   Another thing that anyone who has ridden along the coast of California and Oregon can attest to is that there really is no such thing as a 'true' tailwind.  You'll get it from all sides within feet.

Otherwise the Google map suggestion might be your best bet.    There are tons of little side roads that will get you from Berkeley north.  Just be prepared to climb a lot.  It is not flat at all.

Most of all enjoy your trip!