Riding the rails gets personal with railbike tour in North Bay
CLOVERDALE -- As people search for eco-friendly ways to get around, cycling has grown in popularity. Now, a group in the North Bay has combined the love for cycling with a love of trains. The result is Russian River Railbikes.
Someday, the SMART commuter train service hopes to extend to an already existing depot in Cloverdale. But, just beyond it, lies a golden opportunity for a group of railroad enthusiasts.
"We've kind of carved out a niche north of their operation but also a section that probably won't be used again," said Jason Davis, president of the Golden Gate Railroad Museum.
With Russian River Railbikes, a group of volunteers from the museum is operating a fleet of four-seat, pedal-powered rail cars that take adventurers like the Singar family from San Jose about three miles along the tracks for a unique rail experience.
"I thought it was pretty cool," said 15-year-old Nate Singar. "I found it online, actually, and I sent it to my parents. I thought it was a good idea for a vacation."
The trip takes about 40 minutes each way, a ten-mile-per hour journey past vineyards, under an overgrown tree canopy, through a tunnel beneath a cemetery (that may or may not be haunted) and eventually along the Russian River, which can look pretty inviting on a hot day like Sunday. Not too much farther, the journey ends -- for good reason.
"You can see why we stopped where we did because the track is a little unusable here," said volunteer Scott Bowdish, pointing to a twisted bramble of steel rails and broken railroad ties.
The track was ripped up in that spot in the early 2000s because of a fire in a nearby tunnel. Officials had to plug it up with dirt to extinguish the blaze, effectively creating a dead end for the rail line. That left the remaining three mile stretch of track as good fortune for the railbikes.
"Usually somebody owns them or they're abandoned and they're torn up. So, to find rail tracks like this -- it's a nice distance, not too far" said Railbikes co-founder Manly Hyde. "I've never felt overtired from doing it. Usually I do one or two trips a day when I come out here."
The operation began in April and they're still getting the word out. The whole thing is run by volunteers to benefit the museum but the group's president admitted he didn't quite get it at first.
"Honestly, the first time I thought about it, I was not that impressed. but they brought it out and we took it for a test ride and I instantly fell in love with it," Davis said. "I think just being this low to the rail, I've always loved bike riding and to just get out here cruising along and just seeing this scenery, it's just kind of a nice little natural, relaxing experience. And you don't normally get this quiet surrounding when you're on a train. So, I was sold. I was not an early believer, let me tell you. But now I am."
The rail bikes operate weekends, weather permitting, until sometime in October. It costs $45 for a single seat, or $140 for an entire car. There are up to four guided tours per day but they only have ten cars, so it's best to reserve a spot online.
For more information, or to book a trip, visit the group's website at www.russianriverrailbikes.org