Ride Summary

The AFA Loop is a 17 mile road loop around the Academy. It is a classic ride that almost everyone who rides regularly has done. I like it because of the wide shoulders and the Academy's rules against driver harassment. The climb is a challenge but the downside is a fast descent. Be sure your tires are good. A crash at the speeds that you might hit on the descents could be big time road rash or worse. 35-40 mph is not unusual even without trying.

Trailhead / Access

The starting point for this ride is the southgate entrance however, the northgate is also a good starting point. There is parking to the right just before the entrance gate. The same kind of parking also exists at the northgate entrance also but at this lot, you share with the SF Trail users so parking is somewhat less available. Be sure to carry a drivers license or photo id as it will be required to enter the Acacemy. Go to the Academy website to be sure that there are no restrictions in place such as during football games before attempting to do this ride.

Course - 17 miles

My map is a bit short. I forgot to turn on the GPS until I was about half way along Stadium Blvd. Next time I ride, I will update the maps. Starting at southgate, you have a nice wide shoulder to use and you follow along Southgate Blvd. At about 2 miles, you cross a long bridge that spans the RR tracks and the SF Trail. Here things are a bit tight. There is no shoulder and attention is need to avoid issues with the grates for water drainage. There are also expansion joint to be aware of but should not be a problem.

At this point, the road turns north and is called Stadium Blvd. You will follow Stadium Blvd until it ends at Northgate Blvd. This is where the B52 bomber exhibit can be found. There is sometime a pora-potty in this area. The ride along Stadium is a nice gentle but gradual uphill pull to Northgate Blvd.

After turning left at Northgate Blvd, the road will start some more serious climbing until it tops out near the Cadet Area athletic fields. It will then descent for a short distance then climb again. There are a couple short descents and climbs here before you reach Pine Drive. Here you will turn right and begin the long descent back to Stadium Blvd. This long descent brings you back to Stadium Drive at the bridge. From here, it is back to the gate via the route you entered.