Berkeley-East Bay - riding in the flats?
 

I'm visiting Berkeley for two weeks, and don't get me wrong, I'm loving riding the Berkeley and Oakland hills, but every ride begins with a 1000' climb. I'd really like to mix in a couple of easy recovery rides on flat ground, but I can't seem to find anything suitable - the bike boulevards are full of stop signs. Are their routes along the bay? Should I jump on Bart and start from someplace else?

The Bay Trail from Berkeley to Pt. Richmond; Along the water, great views and FLAT (of course with flat comes the "gentle" ocean breezes, but enjoy the ride.)

You could also head south and do a loop around Alameda/Bay Farm - decent bike lanes and good vistas, plus the ride through Oakland has pretty well travelled bike routes that make it easy to avoid traffic.

Thanks for the tips. The Bay Trail doesn't look continuous on the maps, but I'm sure I can figure it out.

I got *RAINED* on whilst descending Old Tunnel Rd. this afternoon. That was pretty unexpected.

You can also take Bart to Orinda/Lafayette and ride all the way to Pleasanton on flat roads or head north from there to ride the rolling hills of Bear Creek/Alhambra. Many options on the other side of the Berkeley/Oakland Hills.

You can ride from Pinole/Rodeo/Port Costa all the way to Martinez along the RR tracks and Sacramento River and not encounter any motor vehicles.