Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - bay area folks: fun rides?

hey bay area heads- what're some good routes around this area? i'm in sf but want to do as many fun/scenic rides as possible this summer. Im thinking about berkeley to oakland- whats a good route?

also heard some things about san fran--->santa cruz and san fran--->san jose.

any other suggestions would be appreciated- thanks all

i like san fran ro san jose and up and down the coast in either direction that is fun best to bring a brake though

What route are you taking from SF to SJ?

Mission/El Camino Real will take you all the way to San Jose.
Skyline will take you there as well but the cars get going pretty fast
and there are some pretty big climbs.

SF to Berkeley is only doable if you go up and around (Marin) or down and around (Dumbarton bridge).

hey bay area heads- what're some good routes around this area? i'm in sf but want to do as many fun/scenic rides as possible this summer. Im thinking about berkeley to oakland- whats a good route?

also heard some things about san fran--->santa cruz and san fran--->san jose.

any other suggestions would be appreciated- thanks all

i pm'd you this link as well-

http://bikemapper.mtc.ca.gov/BikeMapper/index.jsp

but it can get you everywhere...

whosthis in the buddies section?

Mission/El Camino Real will take you all the way to San Jose.
Skyline will take you there as well but the cars get going pretty fast
and there are some pretty big climbs.


Yeah, Mission/ElCamino is horrible, Skyline is the way to go. Except for that section early on crossing the merging traffic, it's all good. I wanted to know how fixedstep was doing the SF-->SJ ride.

Damn! BikeMapper stole my first million dollar idea! Glad to see it in operation though =)

http://calcycling.org has some pretty good routes around the east bay for road rides. super scenic. i've done a bunch of them and so far have only been disappointed by the fruit stand ride. A) no fruit stand, and B) not very scenic as it's mostly winding through residential neighborhoods...but it's still a good 60ish miler.

There's a book called Short Bike Rides San Francisco that has some cool-looking rides (i've never tried any of them though). The best thing about it is that all the rides are designed for bicyclists without cars--i.e. no directions of how to drive to the beginning of the route. Instead, many of the rides begin and end at BART stations, or are actually useful transportation routes, like a decent way to get from downtown SF to the SF airport (!!). The book's dedication reads "To cyclists without cars."

Even though it's called "Short Bike Rides" some of them are 30+ miles. it covers SF, East Bay, and Marin County. Also some rides down the Pacific coast from SF.

The author is Henry Kingman and the publisher is Globe Pequot. They have it at the Oakland Public Library.

There's a book called Short Bike Rides San Francisco that has some cool-looking rides (i've never tried any of them though). The best thing about it is that all the rides are designed for bicyclists without cars--i.e. no directions of how to drive to the beginning of the route. Instead, many of the rides begin and end at BART stations, or are actually useful transportation routes, like a decent way to get from downtown SF to the SF airport (!!). The book's dedication reads "To cyclists without cars."

Even though it's called "Short Bike Rides" some of them are 30+ miles. it covers SF, East Bay, and Marin County. Also some rides down the Pacific coast from SF.

The author is Henry Kingman and the publisher is Globe Pequot. They have it at the Oakland Public Library.

Thanks for the suggestion. It looks like a great book, so I just bought a used one from Amazon for < $6 (including shipping).

I just picked one up too.
Let's plan on doing each described ride on successive weekends.

I just picked one up too.
Let's plan on doing each described ride on successive weekends.

post back and let us know how the rides are!

I think i have that book at home too - I will check and choose a ride!!

post back and let us know how the rides are!

Come along and experience the ride first hand.

sounds super cool.

I like the looks of #16 (my east bay prejudice showing) and the marin rides. also #12, 'planet of the apes road' but i am probably too new to fixed riding (and my tires are too skinny) to be tackling that one. i dunno though...it looks like a great ride.

check out the fixed gear rider on p. 136

see you sunday!

see you sunday!

OH No! this is this weekend! I want to come but i'm in LA, maybe i should leave here tomorrow to get there in time...

OH No! this is this weekend! I want to come but i'm in LA, maybe i should leave here tomorrow to get there in time...


5 short hours in the car for 6 long hours of cycle bliss. la has nothing on this fu*$ing bay! holla!

ok so i did kingmans' #16 yesterday..

i didn't leave early enough and ended up getting cooked on the way home...but thats one beautiful ride...

highlights....

seeing places i haven't seen since i used to go fishing with my dad...
seeing lots of mullets...not the fish either :D but seriously mullets are all bad, especially on tweekers, cause you know its only a matter of time before the trailerpark in them will be unleashed...

getting that "hey honey...he's black" look from the people in that rural spot near canyon lake rd...between that and all the bullet casings i kept seeing in the roadway.....i picked up the pace a bit..

i noticed an abundance of used condoms on the shoulders of the roadway....good to see those "postcard views of the Carquinez Straits" are not going to waste.....i just couldn't bring myself to take a picture of a used condom....taking a picture of a mullet wearing tweaker, is about as low as i sink...

Haha! isnt it strange how short of a trip it is to middle america?

www.mulletsgalore.com

Fear the mullet!

hey karmical: i think you blew past me going up tunnel road about a month ago. i grunted "alright, fixed gear" to a tall dude riding an iro. i was on a geared in full superhero disguise.

... more fun pics from port costa loop:

hey karmical: i think you blew past me going up tunnel road about a month ago. i grunted "alright, fixed gear" to a tall dude riding an iro. i was on a geared in full superhero disguise.

... more fun pics from port costa loop:

i kind of remember that, though i was a bit on the winded side.....that sign with the holes in it, when i was by there friday there were fresh casings nearby....

but a great ride none the less, i just will leave way earlier next time, not to get caught out in the open while the sun is at its highest point...and wear a light colored hat...

like a jackass i wore a black cover that i had to take off when my head reached med/well :D

hi all, my partner and i did a nice easy little loop today that is worth trying out if only to witness the bizarre heavily-landscaped/light-industrial/abandoned-neighborhood cognitive dissonance of the all-new Mandela Parkway.

I call it the Mandela/Grand loop. 10 mi, not many stops, and generally excellent road surface. Most of the route has bike lanes but at 8am on a Sunday there were hardly any cars so we just took one of the gracious-living-sized lanes for ourselves.

It's traced at http://tinyurl.com/7gst2

We stopped at Gaylord's on the way back for tea and crumpets.

We might've just missed you - we stopped at gaylord's for coffee and pastry before heading out to joaquin miller trail to go get dusty.

I'm glad I put the freewheelin' wheel back on the cherrybomb, some of those rooty singletrack trails would've really sucked with a fixed wheel.

hi all, my partner and i did a nice easy little loop today that is worth trying out if only to witness the bizarre heavily-landscaped/light-industrial/abandoned-neighborhood cognitive dissonance of the all-new Mandela Parkway.

I call it the Mandela/Grand loop. 10 mi, not many stops, and generally excellent road surface. Most of the route has bike lanes but at 8am on a Sunday there were hardly any cars so we just took one of the gracious-living-sized lanes for ourselves.


i was amazed a few months back when i first started looping out there with what they have done with the area. they are also working up the other side of the embarcadero near jack london sq heading out towards the park st bridge heading over into alameda, i'll plot my alameda loop that i've done a couple of times since finding out there is a natural marketplace on park st in alameda, so i can pick up groceries on the way in.

http://tinyurl.com/amht4



- we stopped at gaylord's for coffee


gaylords :rolleyes:

you guys should stop by our coffeeshop on 17th & Franklin, though we don't have crumpets, if you're lucky i may get the chance to hop behind the coffeebar and show my barista skills :D not open at 8am, but we're open sundays 10a-6p with live jazz @ 1-4p...

i was amazed a few months back when i first started looping out there with what they have done with the area. they are also working up the other side of the embarcadero near jack london sq heading out towards the park st bridge heading over into alameda, i'll plot my alameda loop that i've done a couple of times since finding out there is a natural marketplace on park st in alameda, so i can pick up groceries on the way in.

http://tinyurl.com/amht4

you guys should stop by our coffeeshop on 17th & Franklin, though we don't have crumpets, if you're lucky i may get the chance to hop behind the coffeebar and show my barista skills :D not open at 8am, but we're open sundays 10a-6p with live jazz @ 1-4p...

Thanks Karmical, that loop looks fun. I like the ride out on the beach at alameda too. I get a little lost at a couple of points in your route--between mile markers 2 and 4, and then after about 9.5. are there some bike trails/paths I don't know about? I have heard about one that goes from Jack London down to Park St. This looks worth a try.

Wednesday I think we're going to do the Mandela/Grand thing again, and then I will ride up to work with the missus, for about 15 mi total. Or maybe we'll incorporate some of this. that'd be fun

We'll have to check out your coffeeshop. d'you guys have tea? I mean green tea--the camilla sinensis kind, not the jack kerouac kind. anyway, we'll say hi. what are your weekday hours?

Thanks Karmical, that loop looks fun. I like the ride out on the beach at alameda too. I get a little lost at a couple of points in your route--between mile markers 2 and 4, and then after about 9.5. are there some bike trails/paths I don't know about? I have heard about one that goes from Jack London down to Park St. This looks worth a try.


there is a bike trail that takes you over behind the hotel over near the docking area which leads over to the coast guard area...sometimes i take the path, sometimes i do not it all depends..

in looking at that again it looks as if i clicked a wrong point somewhere around 9, but you simply follow park back out the same way you came in from park st-->embarc > to either broadway or take oak st to take you to lake merrit, where laps can be rode to pad miles plus i kind of like it down there these days...


we have various non jack k kinds, fresh pasteries, cookies, and a different favor organic pie each week, with tuesday being pie day :D M-F 9am - 8p

gaylords :rolleyes:

you guys should stop by our coffeeshop on 17th & Franklin, though we don't have crumpets, if you're lucky i may get the chance to hop behind the coffeebar and show my barista skills :D not open at 8am, but we're open sundays 10a-6p with live jazz @ 1-4p...

Hell, I'm always looking for more places to get caffeinated. Lately I've been fond of mama buzz, but gaylord's was more on the way.

17th/franklin? That's close to home, too.

a different flavor organic pie each week, with tuesday being pie day :D M-F 9am - 8p

organic pie! :) you guys open too late for a pre-work visit, but i will have to drop in for afternoon tea sometime.

are you close to Ital Calabash? ever go there?

are you close to Ital Calabash? ever go there?

?

do tell..

. Lately I've been fond of mama buzz, but gaylord's was more on the way.



I go to both all the time.

I go to both all the time.

Which are worse, 24" wheels or 26" wheels?

?

do tell..

ital veggie food...on franklin, i think around 13th or 15th, i guess it's not at 17th, so probably a few blks further south. it's a little tiny place, good cheap organic salads, lotsa smoothies (incl. sorrel smoothies, a jamaican thing) and a sort of homemade veggie burger. blasting reggae and nice folks. i havent' been in a couple years, but it's worth a visit...if it's still open.

Are you high? We went to the coffee mill on Grand before the ride.

Did anyone get yelled out by a grumpy guy this past Friday night in front of Mama Buzz or the auto gallery. If so, you met Jim-Bob.

Good times.

ben adrian

i was amazed a few months back when i first started looping out there with what they have done with the area. they are also working up the other side of the embarcadero near jack london sq heading out towards the park st bridge heading over into alameda, i'll plot my alameda loop that i've done a couple of times since finding out there is a natural marketplace on park st in alameda, so i can pick up groceries on the way in.


I have a nice Alameda loop. From lake merritt to embarcadero to park, down park to the shore, down to the old base, through the tunnel, up to 12th or 14th, back to lake merritt.

Some potential stops, park st bike and antique stores, beach, thin man guitars, alameda skatepark, golden lotus, radio, golden bull, ruby room, etc.

woot.

ben

I have a nice Alameda loop. From lake merritt to embarcadero to park, down park to the shore, down to the old base, through the tunnel, up to 12th or 14th, back to lake merritt.

Some potential stops, park st bike and antique stores, beach, thin man guitars, alameda skatepark, golden lotus, radio, golden bull, ruby room, etc.

woot.

ben

you ride through the posey tunnel? is that easy or do you have to hop a fence? i'm intrigued...

Are you high? We went to the coffee mill on Grand before the ride.

Did anyone get yelled out by a grumpy guy this past Friday night in front of Mama Buzz or the auto gallery. If so, you met Jim-Bob.

Good times.

ben adrian

Holy crap, you're right. I need to start sleeping more.

you ride through the posey tunnel? is that easy or do you have to hop a fence? i'm intrigued...


every ride through that tunnel takes years off your life, the amount of exhaust in there, right about the halfway point it gets kind of hard breathing, though it is fun riding through especially that feeling that there may not be enough space on the path through, and that your bars may hit the side causing you to be thrown over the fence into traffic.....


everyone should experince it once however...

good lord. everyone except for me, maybe.

the hilarious thing is that according to my Walk Oakland map, that tunnel is, or will someday be, part of the Bay Trail (along with the sidewalk that runs down the median of Mandela Parkway).

you ride through the posey tunnel? is that easy or do you have to hop a fence? i'm intrigued...

There's a sidewalk.

Actually a lot of the times I just ride back to Park St.

And this is just a light fun ride. All the rides I do are light, fun rides. I'm a smoker, I can't have it any other way.

Ben