Cantelow Rd, Vacaville, CA

Cantelow Rd is likely a road you’ve never heard of unless you ride a bicycle. Found due north of Vacaville, CA, it parallels the I-80 corridor to the south and Highway 128 to the north. Most of this road is single-lane, but paved, bumping over the low English Hills and connecting the I-505 freeway with Pleasants Valley Rd. Not long—a mere 6 miles—but if you have a penchant for backroads and the road less traveled, you may enjoy this alternative to the much faster and hurried Highway 128 to the north.

Best ridden in spring before the summer heat arrives, this region is that familiar glowing emerald green color in our short-lived California springtime. Not for everyone, this is a place to go slow, smell the daisies, and enjoy a relaxed ride before heading for Lake Berryessa, Napa, and beyond.

Cantelow Road is anchored in the English Hills, a region that served as the backbone of Vacaville’s 19th-century agricultural boom. While the valley floor was for transit, these hills were for the pioneers. The road is named for the Cantelow family, prominent early settlers who established successful orchards in an era when Solano County was the "Fresh Fruit Capital of the World."

As you navigate the narrow, paved "goat trail," you are crossing land once defined by the Bradanini Ranch, where Swiss-Italian immigrants carved a living out of the rugged terrain. These hills were famous for "dry farming," producing intensely flavored fruit that thrived in the unique microclimate.

Today, the historic ranching atmosphere remains, though tempered by the scars of the 2020 LNU Lightning Complex fire, which swept through these ridges. Riding Cantelow isn't just a detour; it’s a slow-motion relaxed ride alternative to the much more hurried routes to the north and south of the English Hills.