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Santa Cruz Bike Getaway

How to have an awesome road bike or mountain bike getaway adventure in Santa Cruz:

1. Book a room in the newest, coolest, most recreation-friendly hotel in Santa Cruz, Hotel Paradox—AND receive the special Hilltromper bike adventure discount.

2. Rent a state-of-the-art road bike or mountain bike from Bicycle Trip, the friendliest bike shop in Santa Cruz—AND receive the special Hilltromper bike adventure discount. COOLEST THING: Your bikes will be delivered to Hotel Paradox at your convenience.

3. Get the inside track on Santa Cruz's famous trails from The Ride Guides—friendly, accredited and insured locals who can match your bike adventure to your mood and skill level. AND: receive the special Hilltromper bike adventure discount.

Note: If you can manage a midweek getaway (any time between Sunday and Thursday) you will receive a STEEP discount on your room at Hotel Paradox!

Sound like fun? It'll sound better when you get the details:

(Already convinced? Click here to get rolling.)

The Digs
Like a luxury base camp for daily adventures, the redwood-themed Hotel Paradox features all the amenities: rustic-yet-stylish rooms, swimming and hot-soaking in a sleek pool area, gourmet edibles and cocktails, Keurig coffeemakers in-room. And it's located blocks from both downtown Santa Cruz and the Emma McCrary Trail, gateway to a vast network of singletrack.

Solaire Bar and Restaurant, the heart of Hotel Paradox, features organic farm-to-table comfort food and seasonal cocktails, and opens onto the sheltered pool area with its cabanas and table service. If you want to know more, we go on and on about the hippest hotel in Santa Cruz here.

The Wheels
For visitors to Santa Cruz, two wheels are the way to go, whether the goal is to tool around on West Cliff Drive, zoom up scenic Highway 1 or explore the trails of Wilder Ranch or Upper UCSC. Our friends at Bicycle Trip have bikes for every scenario, and as proof that they want to keep you rolling, they throw in every third day for free. And they’ll give you a week’s rental for the price of four days.

For casual exploration of Santa Cruz streets, there are comfy Electra cruisers and Townies. Giant Revel hardtails keep it real—and fun—on the trails for a modest price, while the full-suspension Giant Lust (for women, pictured above) and Anthem (for men) offer high performance on trails.

Bicycle Trip rentals include fit adjustments for optimum comfort, as well as a helmet, handlebar bag, lock and a Santa Cruz County bikeways map.

Follow this link to learn more about Bicycle Trip’s expanded rental department.

The 411
The Ride Guides are longtime local cyclists, active members of Santa Cruz's thriving cycling community and just about the nicest bunch of hardcore riders you could want to meet. They will bring you to your sweet spot whether you're a semi-experienced rider looking for some berms and rollers, a semi-pro looking for some extreme fun or a beginner looking to cruise West Cliff Drive.

All TRG personnel are certified by the International Mountain Biking Association as Level 2 guides or higher. Each is Wilderness First Aid and CPR certified. Learn more about their guide service and book a session by visiting The Ride Guides website.

And: If you want a long downhill thrill but hate to pedal uphill, they'll hook you up with Dave Smith of Shuttlesmith Adventures, and Dave's first name is "shuttle."

Bottom Line: You've heard that Santa Cruz is a mountain biking and road biking paradise? Come see for yourself.


The three easy steps to the Santa Cruz Bike Adventure Getaway.

(All deals are available separately.)

1.Click here to book a room at Hotel Paradox and automatically get the Bike Getaway discount.

2. Call Bicycle Trip at 831-427-2580, and tell the nice person who picks up the phone: "I want that sweet Hotel Paradox Hilltromper free-delivery deal," or something to that effect. Or book your bike right now by clicking here to access the online reservation system . Important: AFTER you select your date(s) and bike(s) and reach the check-out page, click the "Add to Booking" button; select "Delivery" and "Delivery and Pick-Up;" THEN apply the promo code "Hilltromper"— the cost of delivery will be reduced to $0.)

3. Click here to book your own custom tour of the best bike rides in Santa Cruz with The Ride Guides and get the sweetest deals they have available anywhere.

Sunset cyclist photo by Bruce Dorman.