Quick cycling trip from Oakland
January 27, 2023 9:40 PM Subscribe
Quick overnight trip from Oakland with cycling - how do I do this.
I'll be at a conference in downtown Oakland March 1st-3rd. Then, I will have the weekend free before flying home Sunday evening from Oakland airport. I'm interested in going somewhere out of the city for the weekend and very likely cycling, just for the day, if the weather is at all cooperative - I will ride in some rain and down to cold temperatures. I don't know the area at all so I'm trying to figure out how I can do this. Should I stay in Sausalito for Friday and Saturday nights and rent a road bike there for a day long tour? Is there a different better town I should home base in? I won't have a car so will be relying on public transit or rideshare.
I'll be at a conference in downtown Oakland March 1st-3rd. Then, I will have the weekend free before flying home Sunday evening from Oakland airport. I'm interested in going somewhere out of the city for the weekend and very likely cycling, just for the day, if the weather is at all cooperative - I will ride in some rain and down to cold temperatures. I don't know the area at all so I'm trying to figure out how I can do this. Should I stay in Sausalito for Friday and Saturday nights and rent a road bike there for a day long tour? Is there a different better town I should home base in? I won't have a car so will be relying on public transit or rideshare.
You can bike directly from Oakland across the Richmond Bridge (the bike/ped/etc path is separated from motor vehicles with a concrete barrier) and out to China Camp, camp there for a night, then bike back. Under 30 miles each way. If that's not enough for you, you can hike and mountain bike around China Camp, too. Lots of car-free paths to get there and back. My favorite part is the diving pelicans along the path in the bay by San Rafael.
Bay area has good transit availability/connectivity. I haven't used it too extensively but it has never failed me any time I've tried.
posted by aniola at 10:37 PM on January 27, 2023 [1 favorite]
Bay area has good transit availability/connectivity. I haven't used it too extensively but it has never failed me any time I've tried.
posted by aniola at 10:37 PM on January 27, 2023 [1 favorite]
Can you give a better sense of what kind of cycling you're looking for? Do you have a distance/elevation range in mind? Are you looking for big climbs or more inclined toward peaceful bayside trails? I can recommend a few ideas, but a few more parameters would help get something closer to what you're looking for.
posted by zachlipton at 10:40 PM on January 27, 2023
posted by zachlipton at 10:40 PM on January 27, 2023
The East Bay Bike Camping FB group used to be great for questions like this -- and may still be for all I know, but if it's no longer active, poke through the archives. Personally I'd recommend China Camp or Samuel P Taylor, both great spots for bike camping via ferry (SPT has a mile or two of fairly steep climbing (if you're outta shape), but a great small store & deli right outside the park.
posted by knucklebones at 11:10 PM on January 27, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by knucklebones at 11:10 PM on January 27, 2023 [1 favorite]
To throw one idea out there that would be a pretty fun tour of the Bay largely-ish on decent bike routes and car-free paths: look at something approximately like this loop (there are a bunch of decisions made here that are debatable—and I'm happy to talk through them in more detail, but take it as a schematic rather than a perfect route). Bike from Oakland across the Bay Bridge path to Treasure Island, enjoy the city view and maybe get a snack or drink on the island, take the newish Treasure Island Ferry across the bay to San Francisco, bike through the heart of San Francisco and get a taste of the lovely new car-free space in Golden Gate Park (alternatively, follow the standard tourist bike route along the northern waterfront), head north through the Presidio to the Golden Gate Bridge, cross the bridge, descend down into Sausalito, head north through Marin County, cross the Richmand-San Rafael Bridge back to the East Bay, take the Bay Trail down the shoreline, and return to Oakland.
That would give you a long loop (with many ways to shorten it using public transit) with pretty glorious 360º views of the Bay and three pretty iconic bridge crossings. Let us know if that's the kind of thing you're looking for or something different.
I'll second the recommendations for China Camp or Samuel P Taylor for bike camping.
posted by zachlipton at 11:17 PM on January 27, 2023 [2 favorites]
That would give you a long loop (with many ways to shorten it using public transit) with pretty glorious 360º views of the Bay and three pretty iconic bridge crossings. Let us know if that's the kind of thing you're looking for or something different.
I'll second the recommendations for China Camp or Samuel P Taylor for bike camping.
posted by zachlipton at 11:17 PM on January 27, 2023 [2 favorites]
If it were me, I'd call the folks at Rivendell in Walnut Creek. It seems like they know a lot of day and overnight routes routes around the area, including Mt. Diablo. They're more of a specialty retailer than a bike shop (they have a showroom that's open by appointment only, e.g., and don't offer repair service), but I think they'd be willing to make suggestions.
posted by pullayup at 4:31 AM on January 28, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by pullayup at 4:31 AM on January 28, 2023 [1 favorite]
There are nice rides in the Oakland and Berkeley Hills (a few mentioned here —Redwood Road off Skyline Boulevard in Oakland is a gorgeous route through a redwood forest, though it was damaged in the recent storms and I don't know if it's been reopened yet. But the Marin Headlands are hard to beat. (This road at the beginning is especially spectacular). I agree that it might be easiest to stay over in Sausalito so you can get an early start without worrying about getting over there. I personally don't like the ride over the Richmond Bridge and would rather just take BART and the ferry to Sausalito.
posted by pinochiette at 6:56 AM on January 28, 2023
posted by pinochiette at 6:56 AM on January 28, 2023
Response by poster: Some clarifications: I'm not planning on overnighting on the bike. I'm looking for a town to stay in to do a long all-day ride on that Saturday and possibly, if I have time, a shorter ride on that Sunday. I'm a semi-serious cyclist having ridden centuries and thousands of feet in elevation (I live in Denver, there are both hills and flats to ride, though less options in winter). I'm more interested in getting out of the cities and toodling along a highway, backroad, or multi-use path preferably along water of some sort, the bay or coast, etc.
posted by fieldtrip at 9:07 AM on January 28, 2023
posted by fieldtrip at 9:07 AM on January 28, 2023
Oakland is not exactly bike-friendly, except maybe around Lake Merritt. No riding across the Bay Bridge though. They want you to take BART into SF. I guess you can take BART, get off at Embarcadero, ride along the waterfront, all the way to Golden Gate bridge, ride inside the presidio, all the way up to Fort Point (ref: Hitchcock's Vertigo?) then back up to bridge level and across to Marin.
posted by kschang at 1:17 PM on January 28, 2023
posted by kschang at 1:17 PM on January 28, 2023
My husband pretty much exclusively rides his bike around Oakland, and has done many rides in the East Bay Hills. There are a ton of various rides in the East Bay Regional Parks. You can download the Oakland Bike Map here (updated 2022).
You could also hop on BART from Downtown Oakland to Lafayette station and do the 3 Bears Loop.
There's also the Skyline Loop, starting in Berkeley or Orinda (both also on BART lines).
Both of these rides have gorgeous scenery, especially when it's green like it is now.
posted by oneirodynia at 2:59 PM on January 28, 2023 [2 favorites]
You could also hop on BART from Downtown Oakland to Lafayette station and do the 3 Bears Loop.
There's also the Skyline Loop, starting in Berkeley or Orinda (both also on BART lines).
Both of these rides have gorgeous scenery, especially when it's green like it is now.
posted by oneirodynia at 2:59 PM on January 28, 2023 [2 favorites]
This is a great idea!
You have a lot of good options near Oakland. I'm thinking best bet for simple/not confusing for a newbie/close to places you can rent a bike would be Outer East Bay or North Bay. If you are able to get a cheap copy of Bay Area Biking quickly, (there are probably other similar books too), might be a worthy expense.
Some stuff to google: Nicasio Reservoir Loop, Fairfax-Mount Tamalpais loop, or more challenging which seems fine for your skill level - Marin Headlands loop from the Golden Gate Bridge. Problem with North Bay locations is not on BART so will take you longer to get there. But you can BART to SF and bike across the Golden Gate Bridge (crowded but scenic) to your starting point. For outer East Bay look at Livermore, Carquinez Straight loop (maybe partially washed out next to the Bay right now though??)
Closer to Oakland if you end up staying in town: Three Bears Loop is the classic one folks do from out their front door here (you can jump on at the Orinda BART station). On that score, BART has some tips for places you get get to easily from a BART station here. Maybe ask some of the friendly folks at Bike East Bay?
posted by latkes at 3:58 PM on January 28, 2023 [1 favorite]
You have a lot of good options near Oakland. I'm thinking best bet for simple/not confusing for a newbie/close to places you can rent a bike would be Outer East Bay or North Bay. If you are able to get a cheap copy of Bay Area Biking quickly, (there are probably other similar books too), might be a worthy expense.
Some stuff to google: Nicasio Reservoir Loop, Fairfax-Mount Tamalpais loop, or more challenging which seems fine for your skill level - Marin Headlands loop from the Golden Gate Bridge. Problem with North Bay locations is not on BART so will take you longer to get there. But you can BART to SF and bike across the Golden Gate Bridge (crowded but scenic) to your starting point. For outer East Bay look at Livermore, Carquinez Straight loop (maybe partially washed out next to the Bay right now though??)
Closer to Oakland if you end up staying in town: Three Bears Loop is the classic one folks do from out their front door here (you can jump on at the Orinda BART station). On that score, BART has some tips for places you get get to easily from a BART station here. Maybe ask some of the friendly folks at Bike East Bay?
posted by latkes at 3:58 PM on January 28, 2023 [1 favorite]
Whoa, look what I found: Bay Area Bike Rides on BART line. Sonol Palomares might be a nice one..you could probably combine with another route if desired to make more of a loop.
posted by latkes at 4:04 PM on January 28, 2023
posted by latkes at 4:04 PM on January 28, 2023
Ok given more information, here are two more (schematic, not road-perfect) route ideas to look at. Both emphasize water and views and have a very strong bias for car-free trails or at least car-light routes wherever possible.
North loop: this is an extension of the bay loop I posted earlier, adding a couple of peaks (some of which could—and frankly almost certianly should—be removed to create your ideal mix of distance/elevation). The route includes three bridge crossings and some iconic Bay and Ocean views (weather permitting) where you'll spend most of your time looking back at everywhere you've just been.
This starts in Oakland (or choose another home base) and takes you across the Bay Bridge path to Treasure Island. From there, catch the ferry across to San Francisco (the ferry's more fun, but if the schedule doesn't work out or it's not running, put your bike on the front of Muni's 25—Treasure Island bus; there's no bike connection on the western half of the bridge). Work your way across the center of San Francisco, climbing Twin Peaks for a postcard view (or skip the climb and go straight for the park). Cruise through the park on the glorious new car-free route to the ocean and along Ocean Beach on the car-free on weekends Great Walkway. Turn back and climb along the ocean up to the Golden Gate Bridge, cross the bridge, and keep climbing up to the iconic Hawk Hill viewpoint (easily skipable by heading straight down to Sausalito instead). Descend the extremely steep backside of the hill along a majestic ocean view, loop around, pass through a tunnel, and cruise through Sausalito and Marin County. Reach Fairfax—arguably the birthplace of mountain biking—and do the extraordinarily scenic Alpine Dam loop, ascending Mt. Tam where incredible ocean, bay, and city views await at the top (again, weather permitting). This route assumes you're gavel capable and takes you down the (pretty rocky) Old Railroad Grade fire road; if you're on a road bike, use Pantoll Road and Highway 1 to descend instead. Once you're down, round Tiburon's Paradise Loop for more Bay views (or cut the corner and skip it; probably the easiest way to shorten this route), and set your sights north for the Richmond-San Rafael bridge. Cross your third and final bridge and enjoy the (nearly completely flat) Bay Trail before returning to your starting point in downtown Oakland.
Big Bay loop: Starting in Oakland, you'll head for the Bay and enjoy a peaceful flat ride north along the Bay Trail, crossing the Richmond—San Rafael Bridge and touring south through Marin County to Sausalito. Ascend up to the Golden Gate Bridge and cross your second bridge into San Francisco. Hug the ocean and enjoy the car-free-on-weekends Great Walkway along Ocean Beach. Climb up to the ridge and work your way through some less than inspiring suburbs to reach the San Andreas Trail. Enjoy this trail system along the Crystal Springs reservoir and stop for a quick rest at the Pulgas Water Temple. Another 200' of climbing gets you up and over the ridge, and then you can coast much of the way to the Bay on the long descent. Reach the Bay Trail, round the backside of Meta's Headquarters, and cross the Dumbarton Bridge (sorry, it's loud). Go under the bridge and enjoy the dirt/gravel (but not usually too rough) Shoreline Trail, which will leave you out on a levee basically in the middle of the Bay wondering how this spot exists. If it's clear enough to see downtown San Francisco, it will be about postage stamp sized from here. From there, you'll work your way north along the much less developed, quite industrial, bits of the Bay Trail, before returning to civilization via the Oakland Airport and Alameda. Now, either return to your starting point and finish, or for a totally gratuitous ending and an extra bridge crossing, cross the Bay Bridge path and take the ferry or bus to San Francisco (or if you're short on time, put your bike on BART), cross the city through the park, and finish—hopefully at a picturesque sunset—at the ocean.
Both routes keep you on the Bay Trail on the East Bay side, but more picturesque views (albeit with more cars) are available if you go up into the East Bay hills via Grizzly Peak/Skyline.
Anyway I hope these are useful starting points/inspiration. Happy to try to answer any specific questions or find someone who can better answer them.
posted by zachlipton at 11:36 AM on January 30, 2023 [1 favorite]
North loop: this is an extension of the bay loop I posted earlier, adding a couple of peaks (some of which could—and frankly almost certianly should—be removed to create your ideal mix of distance/elevation). The route includes three bridge crossings and some iconic Bay and Ocean views (weather permitting) where you'll spend most of your time looking back at everywhere you've just been.
This starts in Oakland (or choose another home base) and takes you across the Bay Bridge path to Treasure Island. From there, catch the ferry across to San Francisco (the ferry's more fun, but if the schedule doesn't work out or it's not running, put your bike on the front of Muni's 25—Treasure Island bus; there's no bike connection on the western half of the bridge). Work your way across the center of San Francisco, climbing Twin Peaks for a postcard view (or skip the climb and go straight for the park). Cruise through the park on the glorious new car-free route to the ocean and along Ocean Beach on the car-free on weekends Great Walkway. Turn back and climb along the ocean up to the Golden Gate Bridge, cross the bridge, and keep climbing up to the iconic Hawk Hill viewpoint (easily skipable by heading straight down to Sausalito instead). Descend the extremely steep backside of the hill along a majestic ocean view, loop around, pass through a tunnel, and cruise through Sausalito and Marin County. Reach Fairfax—arguably the birthplace of mountain biking—and do the extraordinarily scenic Alpine Dam loop, ascending Mt. Tam where incredible ocean, bay, and city views await at the top (again, weather permitting). This route assumes you're gavel capable and takes you down the (pretty rocky) Old Railroad Grade fire road; if you're on a road bike, use Pantoll Road and Highway 1 to descend instead. Once you're down, round Tiburon's Paradise Loop for more Bay views (or cut the corner and skip it; probably the easiest way to shorten this route), and set your sights north for the Richmond-San Rafael bridge. Cross your third and final bridge and enjoy the (nearly completely flat) Bay Trail before returning to your starting point in downtown Oakland.
Big Bay loop: Starting in Oakland, you'll head for the Bay and enjoy a peaceful flat ride north along the Bay Trail, crossing the Richmond—San Rafael Bridge and touring south through Marin County to Sausalito. Ascend up to the Golden Gate Bridge and cross your second bridge into San Francisco. Hug the ocean and enjoy the car-free-on-weekends Great Walkway along Ocean Beach. Climb up to the ridge and work your way through some less than inspiring suburbs to reach the San Andreas Trail. Enjoy this trail system along the Crystal Springs reservoir and stop for a quick rest at the Pulgas Water Temple. Another 200' of climbing gets you up and over the ridge, and then you can coast much of the way to the Bay on the long descent. Reach the Bay Trail, round the backside of Meta's Headquarters, and cross the Dumbarton Bridge (sorry, it's loud). Go under the bridge and enjoy the dirt/gravel (but not usually too rough) Shoreline Trail, which will leave you out on a levee basically in the middle of the Bay wondering how this spot exists. If it's clear enough to see downtown San Francisco, it will be about postage stamp sized from here. From there, you'll work your way north along the much less developed, quite industrial, bits of the Bay Trail, before returning to civilization via the Oakland Airport and Alameda. Now, either return to your starting point and finish, or for a totally gratuitous ending and an extra bridge crossing, cross the Bay Bridge path and take the ferry or bus to San Francisco (or if you're short on time, put your bike on BART), cross the city through the park, and finish—hopefully at a picturesque sunset—at the ocean.
Both routes keep you on the Bay Trail on the East Bay side, but more picturesque views (albeit with more cars) are available if you go up into the East Bay hills via Grizzly Peak/Skyline.
Anyway I hope these are useful starting points/inspiration. Happy to try to answer any specific questions or find someone who can better answer them.
posted by zachlipton at 11:36 AM on January 30, 2023 [1 favorite]
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If mountain biking, maybe go to Mt. Tamalpais, where mountain biking was invented.
If road biking, take BART to Dublin or Antioch station and ride from there.
Or maybe ride across the Golden Gate Bridge.
posted by at at 10:08 PM on January 27, 2023