Sonoma cycling offers an impressive range of rides, including multiple hundo options. A “hundo” is shorthand for a hundred mile ride. And yet it’s more than a century ride. Not in distance, but in adventure. Unlike a century, which is usually undertaken by most cyclists as an organized and supported event, we’d like to think of a hundo as an informal and self-supported 100-mile effort. Sort of in the spirit of what we call The Comova Century.
In December 2016, Gemma Bachmann began what has become a ritual of sorts–the monthly hundo. And since then she’s been remarkably consistent, missing only one monthly hundo but doubling up the next month. While she may not have introduced the term (just Google “cycling hundo” and you’ll find events like the Dead Swede Hundo and Lu Lacka Wyco Hundo), she has certainly popularized it through her YouTube videos (see Life’s a Gem) and Instagram (@gemmavegan).
You can read Gemma’s own account of the monthly hundo journey, accompanied by some great photography, on The Ride Report:
I wasn’t sure if this was something I was going to be able to maintain, but seeing the list of hundos…grow longer with each passing month became a boost of motivation…Month after month my mind and body became more capable.
Impressed with the grit, determination, and sense of venturing into the unknown captured in Gemma’s documentation of her monthly hundos, we decided to invite Gemma and her husband (and film crew), Joe, up to Sonoma for a West County hundo.
Sonoma Cycling at its best
And what a hundo it was. From Armstrong Woods and Sweetwater Springs, to the challenging climbs heading west on Skaggs Springs-Stewarts Point Rd., we hit it all (see route details below). And Gemma and Joe captured it all while I was, ostensibly at least, guiding them around the counterclockwise loop. In reality I was struggling to keep up as they juggled cameras and selfie sticks–often mid-climb–and did it all with constant smiles.
It was a joy to ride with them on the hundo, but it turned out we were just getting started. Our second day of riding included a climb of Fort Ross Rd., some Russian folk dancing at Fort Ross State Historic Park, and the most spectacular stretch of Highway 1 on the entire California coast (ok, admittedly we might be a bit biased).
On our final day of riding we tackled a couple of West County’s best gravel segments. We hope you like the content that resulted from an amazing weekend of riding. Gemma’s first video, chronicling the Hundo, is live now at the link above. Be sure to check back later for videos on the rest of the rides.
Route Details
All of Comova’s routes are public. If you are looking for some great rides feel free to reach out with route questions. We’re happy to help.
But Sonoma cycling can get pretty rugged, remote, and logistically and physically challenging, so if you’d like some support in the form of a guide or on-call SAG contact us and we can discuss the options.
All Comova trips–whether self-supported or guided–include information-rich versions of the routes so you’ll know exactly where every restroom or water stop is, when to control your speed for cattle guards and other obstacles, and custom cues will give you the details on every climb and other route features.
- Route Name: Sweet Dry Skaggs
- Distance: 100.5 miles
- Elevation: 10,220’
- Services: Once you pass through Guerneville at mile 8 you won’t see a single traffic light or any services for the next 84 miles. Camp Liahona (mile 68) has a porta-potty and water. The Cazadero General Store (mile 94) is open 8:30am-8pm daily.
