I’m going to organize some periodic (1-2 a month) bike rides with friends in the Bay Area for fun. Some will be very low-traffic and flat, some will be more challenging. Possible rides include:
- Sections of the Iron Horse trails in the East Bay (BART-accessible): off-road, paved, smooth, railroad-to-bike/jogging-trail conversions, flexible distance (pick a direction on the trails, bike, turn around whenever). A good set of starter rides.
- Sections of the Bay Trail– I haven’t done much here, but you can bike from Millbrae (BART/Caltrain) for miles and miles South right along the bay, mainly on a dedicated paved path. Maybe the first ride is Millbrae->Foster City->Belmont with a picnic stop.
- The classic bicycling to Ocean Beach via Golden Gate Park, “the wiggle” through the Haight, and so on. Maybe with a stop at Trouble Coffee in the outer sunset for cinnamon toast & coconut, or the Riptide for a beer, depending on the time of day.
- Biking to Golden Gate Park via the wiggle, but then back via Portola / Twin Peaks
- Biking all around the Presidio.
- Biking along the Embarcadero, across the golden gate bridge, to Sausalito (or maybe Tiburon), and back either by bike or on the ferry
Other more ambitious rides and suggestions by people: (periodically edited as I get more suggestions)
- Walnut Creek -> Port Costa (about a 35-40 mile loop? More info to be posted here.)
- Biking down along the coast / Highway 1 to the Montara lighthouse, staying in a hostel there.
- Biking around in the port of Oakland some weekend when it is deserted
- Inland rides on the peninsula
- Planet of the Apes Road, down near Pacifica/Montara?
- Other sections of the Bay Trail (I bought all 6 Bay Trail maps)
- Biking to Marin county, camping for a night, biking back.