Insider’s tour of Marin, on two wheels

WAITING for my latte at Tiburon’s Cafe Acri, I was surrounded by a dozen men in powder-blue spandex. Their legs were closely shaved, and they walked in the slightly bowlegged way one does when there’s too much padding in your shorts. In hearty voices, they ordered plates of energy-producing carbohydrates (in the form of Italian pastries) and compared morning mileage -- nothing short of 15.

Dressed in my own pair of butt-padded Lycra shorts, I felt one with the boys in powder blue. Even if my morning bicycle ride was only the half-block from my hotel.

Tiburon sits squarely in Marin County, the place where mountain biking was invented, where hordes of cyclists take to the fire roads and bike paths every weekend, where residents seem to spend 75% of their waking hours in stretch fabric. So it seemed only logical for my husband, Ken, and me to explore this aerobically inclined county by bicycle.

Marin has plenty of rides that would make even Lance Armstrong breathe heavily. But our two-day trek was less than 27 miles, most of them flat.

We began our outing at the San Francisco Ferry Building, a magnet for foodies craving sturgeon roe or designer chocolates. On Saturday mornings, the surrounding plaza is a crowded farmers market with stands selling just-picked baby greens, organic chicken and six kinds of peaches. All of it looked appealing, but we needed coffee.

Arguably, the best coffee at the market -- perhaps in all of the Bay Area -- is sold by the Blue Bottle Coffee Co. We could have picked up a cup at the stand, if we had 30 minutes to spare. But we had a ferry to catch, and the tattooed guys working the machine won’t rush their cappuccinos.

Instead, we went inside to Boulettes Larder, a cafe and takeout restaurant, and ordered a French-press pot of Blue Bottle’s Three Africans blend -- which arrived in three minutes. That gave us plenty of time to buy Champagne grapes to eat on the ferry to Sausalito.

The ferry ride to Sausalito takes about 30 minutes, just long enough to admire the San Francisco skyline, check out Alcatraz and wonder how those houses cling to the hills.

Sausalito may have far too many galleries hawking paintings of flower-covered cottages, but it also has a couple of cool stores. We stopped in at the Sausalito Ferry Co. -- easily located by the giant rubber duckies spinning in the window -- where we were tempted by dashboard hula girls, monkey-shaped salt-and-pepper shakers and plastic figures of every character on “The Simpsons.” We were kept in check only by the knowledge that anything we bought had to fit into our already overstuffed bike bags.

We were less restrained at Venice Gourmet, which is a bit like walking into a cave of salami stalactites. It sells six varieties of salami (as well as sandwiches), and we could not resist a few slices of each.

“Protein builds muscle,” Ken assured me.

Then, we got on our bikes and headed north out of town, past the stone elephants that guard Sausalito’s pocket-sized town park and along Bridgeway Avenue to the Gate 6 Road turnoff and into the Waldo Point Harbor parking lot.

Waldo Point Harbor -- and specifically Issaquah Dock -- is where some of the best examples of Sausalito houseboats tie up. Ken and I once lived aboard No. 8, so we walked out on the dock, ignoring the “Private” sign. (Many do; one time we discovered several German tourists eating lunch on the bench outside our bedroom window.)

Strolling among giant pots of flowers and odd-shaped cactuses, we poked around the houseboats -- a Japanese-style one made of teak, another with a red-eyed dragon carved into its door -- stopping to make sure our former home still boasted its sexy nude etched in glass on the front door.

Back on the road, we pedaled north toward Mill Valley on the dedicated bike path, traveling through marshland dotted with startlingly white egrets. Every 90 seconds, we were passed by someone in one of those aerodynamic helmets that make cyclists look like aliens with enormous brains.

Fortunately, there also were enough little kids with training wheels on the path to keep our egos from feeling too bruised.

Smith & Hawken’s first upscale garden store was in Mill Valley, which pretty well sums up this village of prosperous New Agers. The best place to check out the Mill Valley scene is from a patio table at the Depot. Part bookstore, part cafe, the Depot serves up pretty good food and very good people-watching. We took a seat near a pack of chain-grease-covered mountain bikers just down from their 2,500-foot climb of Mt. Tamalpais and pretended our six-mile ride had been as strenuous.

After lunch, we browsed the town’s rustic-yet-pricey shops, stopped in at Bonavita Coffee & Tea for chocolate truffles and baby cannoli, then pedaled out on Miller Avenue toward Tiburon.

This part of the trek includes the daunting ride across the U.S. 101 overpass, but the second half skirts the bay and rewards even mediocre cyclists with views of the San Francisco skyline.

Tiburon is a seaside community that apparently can support a pet boutique selling a $275 dog cabana -- made in Italy, of course. Main Street is lined with trendy restaurants, pricey shops and now, a very fashionable hotel, the Waters Edge. Its brochure touts an “ambience that both energizes and soothes the soul.”

I can say that after I’d checked into my modernly cozy room, shampooed away my helmet hair with the complimentary Aveda products in the oversized tub and settled myself in front of the fireplace -- within sight of my water view -- I did feel pretty fabulous.

I was still feeling fabulous the next morning at Cafe Acri, surrounded by the boys in powder blue. Which was good, because that day’s leg, 10 miles between Tiburon and Larkspur, was the longest and hilliest of the loop.

Suitably named Paradise Drive, the ride skirts some of Tiburon’s prime real estate: pretty houses with front yards of blooming bougainvillea and backyards that drop off into sweeping views of Richardson Bay. And the payoff for all this scenic cycling? Brunch at Larkspur’s Lark Creek Inn.

The Lark Creek Inn is a yellow-and-white Victorian tucked into a redwood grove, and eating on its heated patio is like being lost in the forest -- but with a really good picnic. I recouped my strength with a buckwheat crepe topped with heirloom tomatoes and squash blossoms. Ken restored himself with a duck egg frittata. Then, it was off to Larkspur Landing and the ferry back to San Francisco.

Before heading home, we stopped again at the San Francisco Ferry Building for a glass of Champagne. Ken offered a toast. “To doing Marin like the Marin-ites,” he said. “In spandex.”

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Freewheeling in the flatlands

GETTING THERE:

From Southern California airports, Southwest, United, Jet Blue, American and Alaska have nonstop flights to San Francisco and Oakland. Restricted round-trip fares begin at $162.

Driving from Los Angeles, it’s about 385 miles to San Francisco. Garages near the Embarcadero cost about $25 a day, and not all allow overnight parking. Best to arrive at the San Francisco Ferry Building car-less. MUNI and BART are bike-friendly.

Golden Gate Ferry Service, (415) 455-2000, www.goldengate.org, operates ferries between Sausalito and Larkspur and the San Francisco Ferry Building. One-way fares, $6.45 for adults, $4.85 for youths 6-12; 5 and younger ride free (with an adult). Weekends and holidays, kids 12 and younger ride free (two per fare-paying adult).

Rental bikes are available at Blazing Saddles, Pier 41 at the Embarcadero, (415) 202-8888, blazingsaddles.com. $28 for 24 hours; or $23 a day for multiday rentals. Bikes are equipped with a small bag on the front and a luggage rack on the back.

WHERE TO EAT:

San Francisco Ferry Building, the Embarcadero at Market Street. Plenty of options here, from Vietnamese (the Slanted Door and Out the Door) to hamburgers (Taylor’s Refresher). For quick Blue Bottle coffee (and breakfast during the week) visit Boulettes Larder. On Saturday mornings, try the chocolate croissants at the Noe Valley Bakery stand.

The Depot Bookstore & Cafe, 87 Throckmorton Ave., Mill Valley; (415) 383-2665, www.depotbookstore.com. Sandwiches and salads $9.

Bonavita Coffee & Tea, 2 Miller Ave., Mill Valley; (415) 383-2912. You know you want one of their truffles.

Guaymas, 5 Main St., Tiburon; (415) 435-6300, www.guaymas.com. Authentic Mexican food, a heated patio on the water with views of San Francisco. Entrees $20.

The Caprice, 2000 Paradise Drive, Tiburon; (415) 435-3400. In a town where every restaurant has a view, the Caprice has the best. An old-fashioned, romantic restaurant. Entrees $30.

Cafe Acri, 1 Main St., Tiburon; (415) 435-8515. Where the spandexed meet to brag and carbo load.

The Lark Creek Inn, 234 Magnolia Ave., Larkspur; (415) 924-7766, www.larkcreek.com. Brunch entrees, $16. Note: Sunday brunch is served 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

WHERE TO STAY:

Waters Edge, 25 Main St., Tiburon; (415) 789-5999, www.marinhotels.com. When booking, be specific about where you want your room located: Some have water views, two have unobstructed San Francisco views, but one opens onto the walkway to the Angel Island ferry. The staff is accommodating about storing your bike. Doubles $175-$335.

TO LEARN MORE:

The Marin Bicycle Map published by the Marin Bicycle Coalition ($9) can be ordered at (800) 282-2453.

-- Janis Cooke Newman