When: Sunday, March 20, 2022
Meet at 11:30am, ride from 12 noon until ???
Where: Start at the Lake Merritt BART plaza
9th Street and Oak Street, Oakland
Route (clockwise): https://ridewithgps.com/routes/38305764
Bike East Bay (formerly the East Bay Bicycle Coaltion) is turning 50 years old in 2022! Our very first meeting was held on March 20, 1972, at Westlake Middle School just north of Lake Merritt (see the original invitation letter below), and one of the group's very first advocacy actions which was a protest ride around Lake Merritt.
To celebrate the occasion we invite you to ride loops around the lake with us, enjoying the progress made for better biking over the past 50 years and looking forward to more in the near future. Help us get there even sooner by setting up your own Personal Campaign Page at the link below, then ask your friends and neighbors to donate $50 dollars (or $5, or $500, or $5000!) in honor of 50 years of advocacy:
Click here to create a Personal Campaign Fundraising Page
Bike East Bay will have a tent set up near the Pergola along El Embarcadero for anyone who wants to stop by and say "hi", or hang out and cheer on other riders.
Can't make this event? Don't worry, there will be more ways for you to celebrate Bike East Bay's 50th anniversary with us throughout 2022. Click here to sign up for our email newsletter list for updates.
(Shown below is the original letter announcing the formation of the East Bay Bicycle Coalition)
Details
This is not a guided or supported ride, so participants can proceed at their own pace and start/stop whenever they choose. Most of the route involves paint-only bike lanes, with some sections of protected bikeway. Each loop around the lake is 3.3 miles, so that's 15 loops for anyone who wants to ride 50 miles, or 9 loops for 50 kilometers.
Water and bathrooms are available at the Lake Merritt Boating Center. Additional bathrooms are available in Snow Park and next to the Lakeshore Library.
Secure BikeLink lockers are available at the Lake Merritt BART station on Oak Street, or under 580 at Lake Park Ave and Lakeshore Ave, if you want to stow your bike while getting something to eat or drink.
The Oakland Running Festival is scheduled this same day, but road closures around the lake will only affect car traffic and not bikes (map with locations and times here). There may be a few runners still on the section of Lakeside Drive from 14th to 19th Streets until 2pm, so please give them plenty of space and feel free to cheer them on!
Oakland, CA 94607