Great Beginner/Intermediate Loop on Mount Tam

Unless you're looking for an entirely flat ride, the Shaver-Laguinitas-Eldridge Loop offers probably the best loop on Mount Tam for beginning riders. While there are still a couple of short tough climbs, this ride takes you past Lake Phoenix and up Shaver Grade, which is fairly dry right now, and then up to Sky Oaks Road. Sky Oaks takes you past Bon Tempe Lake and dead ends at the trail head up to Lagunitas Dam. You can then circle Lake Lagunitas and after a short climb up to Eldridge, have a fun ride down Eldridge Grade back to Phoenix Lake. If the climb up Shaver is too taxing, then you can turn around for a fun out and back ride; if you make it to Sky Oaks but don't want any more climbing, then you can head down Fish Gulch back to Lake Phoenix. Check out the posts from yesterday for some of the great views along the way.