Take to the road on these Bay Area bike adventures

Photo courtesy of Bike East Bay.

Now's the perfect time to go for a bike ride. Join us as we celebrate one of the greatest inventions of all time – the bicycle. Whether you want to find the best shop to have your bike worked on, embark on an adventurous ride all the way to the top of Mt. Diablo, or take a casual cruise around your neighborhood, we have you covered.

Bike rides

We currently have nine BARTable by bike rides (with more coming soon!) with options in the East Bay and San Francisco.

Golden Gate Bridge

From BART's Embarcadero Station to the Golden Gate Bridge, you'll see some of San Francisco's top landmarks: Coit Tower, the Sea Lions of Pier 39, Ghirardelli Square and Aquatic Park, Fort Mason, The Palace of Fine Arts, Fort Point, plus much more.

Lake Chabot

The 315-acre Lake Chabot reservoir opened to recreation in the 1960s and families have been coming to enjoy the beautiful surroundings ever since. Enjoy this ride along undulating trails circling the lake.

Delta de Anza Trail

Follow the route taken by Spanish explorer Juan Bautista de Anza during his 18th-century expedition through the Delta region where the present-day cities of Pittsburg and Antioch are located. Our ride takes you to the serene reservoir of Contra Loma Regional Park, and if your legs are feeling up for it, tackle the steep climb into Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve to experience even more natural beauty along with the former sites of thriving coal mining towns.

Ocean Beach

There’s now an exciting mostly car-free route between the Ferry Building and Ocean Beach. It’s ideal for cyclists and part of SFMTA’s Slow Streets Program, which is designed to limit through traffic on certain streets and allow them to be used as a shared space for people traveling by foot and by bicycle. Enjoy plenty of space to spread out along this mostly flat, very scenic route from the Bay to the Beach.

Mt. Diablo

At 3,849 feet, Mount Diablo is the tallest mountain in the East Bay. The summit is high enough to receive snow in the winter months, and on a very clear day you can see almost 200 miles, including the Sierra Nevada mountain range.

Bay Trail, Alameda

A project conceived in 1986 by State Senator Bill Lockyer, the Bay Trail is a vision for a connected set of pathways and roads ringing the Bay, providing access to shorelines and waterside parks for walkers and cyclists. Over 350 miles have been created so far, and most of it is BARTable by bike. One of the more accessible segments is along the shoreline of Alameda.

Richmond Bridge and the Iron Triangle

After 20 years of work by advocates, in 2019 Caltrans opened a lane on the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge for bikes and pedestrians; more than 1,000 people crossed the span at the huge opening party. Cyclists now have a 24/7 route to get to Marin County from Contra Costa and the rest of the East Bay.

The Wiggle

Probably the most important bike route in San Francisco, The Wiggle connects Market Street with the west side of San Francisco via a series of quick turns on residential streets. The Wiggle follows the path of a historic stream bed which mostly avoids San Francisco’s central hills, allowing easy access to the Panhandle, Golden Gate Park, and the western neighborhoods.

Niles Canyon

One of the most dramatic gorges in the Bay Area, Niles Canyon is a beautiful place to ride. A natural water gap which drains the Livermore Valley, the deep canyon was carved by Alameda Creek as seismic activity uplifted the coast range over millions of years.

Bike shops

Chances are your local bike shop is open and eager for your business. We've confirmed the following shops are open. Before heading out, call and try to make an appointment before visiting a shop; most shops have limited hours and busy schedules.

East Bay

Missing Link Bicycle Coop is located at 1988 Shattuck Ave in Berkeley, a 3-minute walk from Downtown Berkeley Station. Photo courtesy of Missing Link Bicycle Cooperative.

King Kog

King Kog specializes in selling track bikes and offering full service repairs, and they also stock vintage road bikes and cycling apparel. If you're working on a classic build, check out this shop for those hard-to-find parts.

Archer Bicycle is located at 431 13th St in Oakland, a 1-minute walk from 12th St/Oakland City Center Station. Photo by Maurice J./Yelp.

Archer Bicycle

A newer full-service shop that started aiding local bicyclists in 2014, Archer Bicycle is a no-frills repair shop whose owner, Greg, has a solid reputation for getting the job done at fair prices with a friendly attitude. While it’s generally a straightforward operation in a more bare open space, Archer also doubles as an art gallery and hosts First Friday exhibits. 

San Francisco

Box Dog Bikes is located at 494 14th St, a 5-minute ride from 16th St Mission Station. Photo courtesy of Box Dog Bikes. 

Box Dog Bikes

When you shop at Box Dog Bikes, you’re supporting a worker-owned coop. It’s also a certified SF Green Business. This friendly Mission spot between Guerrero and Valencia is a hub for much more than retail sales and on-site fixes.

Valencia Cyclery is located at 1077 Valencia St, a 7-minute walk from 24th St Mission Station. Photo courtesy of Valencia Cyclery. 

Valencia Cyclery

This neighborhood favorite has been around with owner Paul Olszewski at the helm since pre-hipster 1985. Another longtimer alongside Olszewski has been Valencia Cyclery manager/mechanic Peter Shao, who’s been keeping local wheels turning for 30 years. These familiar faces continue to make available (and maintain) a slew of bike styles that run the gamut, including BMX, foldable, electric, kids and road bikes. 

Mike's Bikes, San Francisco is located at 1233 Howard St, a 3-minute ride from Civic Center/UN Plaza. Photo courtesy of Mike's Bikes.

Mike's Bikes

Mike's Bikes was founded in 1964 as one of Marin County's very first Schwinn shops. Today, Mike's Bikes is a growing family of local bike shops, all with a singular purpose -- to get as many people on bikes as possible. Mike's has three BARTable locations in San Francisco, Berkeley, and Walnut Creek.

May is Bike Month. Photo courtesy of Bike East Bay.

We're trying to catch you ridin'.

Where will you ride? Show us how you're rollin' @SFBARTable #SFBARTable. Keep up with us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to see all of the best BARTable events, places to ride and have fun around the Bay.