Breezy rides for Bike to Wherever Day
All Trails Lead to Ice Cream
From the Dublin/Pleasanton BART station, ride the Iron Horse Trail and quiet neighborhood streets to downtown Pleasanton. (Zoomable map available here).
Celebrate your arrival with a cone at Meadowlark Dairy. There you’ll find soft serve, slushies, and a small grocery to stock up on breakfast classics. This low-key ride is great for families and kids comfortable biking about 10 miles round trip.
Tour de Fremont
As you roll out of the Fremont BART station, enjoy the East Bay’s first partially raised bikeway, connecting to Civic Center Drive. Take a spin along Walnut Avenue, up to Mission Boulevard and back down to Paseo Padre Parkway. Snap a selfie when you’re counted on the automatic bike counter! If you are coming from points north, you can also access Walnut Avenue via the Alameda Creek Trail and Mission Boulevard.
Take a pause from bike lane admiration to have a rest at Lake Elizabeth, a family-friendly and bike-friendly destination. Then the bike love continues on Fremont’s trail system. You can either roll further east on the Mission Creek Trail to Mission San Jose Park and back, or head straight south on the East Bay Greenway. This section of the East Bay Greenway is nice and wide, perfect for new learners to practice their pedaling.
Point Pinole Regional Shoreline, Richmond
Start in downtown Richmond for a seven-mile ride north via city streets and trails. Take a slight detour near BART and say hi to the folks at Rich City Rides on MacDonald Ave. and 15th St. before heading on your way. New Bay Trail connections along Goodrick Avenue make for breezy biking north of the Richmond Parkway.
The Dotson Family Marsh Staging Area at the start of Point Pinole Regional Park is a great alternative for a totally car-free trail ride. Almost all the trails at Point Pinole are open to bikes; most are unpaved but bikeable fire roads. Pack a picnic and tuck in under any of the shady eucalyptus groves.
This article is part of RideOn, Bike East Bay’s member magazine. Want to join the movement? Become a member or donate today!