Bicycle Sunday San Mateo 2026 | A Lakeside Ride Along Cañada Road

Overview

This was a Sunday morning family ride at San Mateo County Parks Foundation's Bicycle Sunday. On event days, Cañada Road between Highway 92 and Edgewood Road closes to cars and opens only to bikes and pedestrians, giving us a stretch to ride right along Crystal Springs Reservoir.

The whole family of five came out — three kids and two adults — starting near the Pulgas Water Temple and riding to a rest stop by the reservoir. The weather cooperated completely: blue sky, open water, and rolling hills in the distance made the ride feel effortless.

Before Riding | A Stop at the Pulgas Water Temple

Before warming up, we stopped for a group photo at the Pulgas Water Temple. The domed, colonnaded temple sits at the end of a long reflecting pool, flanked by rows of cypress trees — one of the most photogenic landmarks near the start of the route.

The three kids each wore a different helmet color — white, red, neon yellow — and lining up in front of the pool with the colonnade and greenery behind them made for a great shot.

On the Road | A Lakeside Break on Cañada Road

Once we got riding, we covered a stretch of Cañada Road closed to cars for bikes only — reassuring to ride with kids. Partway through, we stopped at a rest point by the reservoir, where San Mateo County Parks had set up a "Bicycle Sunday" event sign with a QR code linking to event details and ways to support the parks foundation.

The spot looked straight out over Crystal Springs Reservoir, calm water with rolling hills on the far shore. All five of us posed with our bikes there — the favorite shot from the ride.

Here's the Strava record from the ride.

Takeaways

1. San Mateo County's Bicycle Sunday periodically closes a stretch of Cañada Road to cars, making it a safe, kid-friendly place to ride.
2. The Pulgas Water Temple near the start is free to visit and a great warm-up stop.
3. The reservoir stretch has open views and clean air — a good spot to pause and take photos partway through.
4. Check the San Mateo County Parks website ahead of time for the event schedule and closure dates so you don't show up on the wrong Sunday.