Recomended paths to ride around RBWHQ and surrounding areas?

[Ediblestarfish]

Got my bike a few months ago, now wondering where I can go, and if any RBWHQ locals here have some recommendations.

I'm currently running around on the canal MUP and the Ironhorse Trail, but that's just about all I know.  I live just a couple miles from RBWHQ, but I'm a veritable newbie to this bike riding thing.  Taking the road when there's no bike lane feels really unnatural, so I'm kind of hesitant to just pedal out there on some random street.  I'm on an A.H.H., so my off-road capabilities are limited.  Not adverse to sticking my bike on a car rack and heading out somewhere though.

If you've got any tips, thanks in advance (sometimes I can't seem to post a reply).

Now that I think about it, I probably should use it as an excuse to buzz by RBW and ask, but that will have to wait for another weekend.

If you see a black metallic A.H.H. with a perma-on dyno headlamp, maroon bartape, carrying a slightly confused, strangely dressed rider, it's me.  :)

- Michael

[Joe Bunik]

I was thinking about this while out riding this weekend. When I get
some free time this week I hope to mark up a google map with some
paths/trails/routes...

Where about are you at? I'm over in the neighborhood near the hospital.
=- Joe Bunik
Walnut Creek, CA

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[Ediblestarfish]

I'm on the hills, near the BART station.  Actually nearly at the top of the tallest hill, which often necessitates a trip in the car to bring the bike to more suitable riding areas.

I've been confined to the neighborhood previously, but have now ventured out with a short trip with the bike rack.

- Michael

[EastBayGuy]

I Highly Suggest doing some riding in the Lafayette/Moraga Area. You have some trails and big bike lanes everywhere. Lafayette has done a great job marking all of the routes with Mileage markers and directional arrows. Anywhere up in the Castle Rock/Shell ridge area is allot of fun too if you want to do some trails. Beautiful Area Too. If you are ever passing by the Jaguar Dealership in Walnut Creek give me a wave.

Dustin Goodwin

Walnut Creek Ca

[Joe Bunik]

Imagonna start mapping some of my favorite rides/routes around the
area, and eventually take some photos along the way too.

Besides what Dustin said, there are a good number of classic road
routes that loop around here, e.g. 'Three Bears' out beyond Briones
and Orinda, 'Carquinez/McEwen' via Martinez, 'Redwood' via
Moraga/Canyon/Pinehurst, and 'The Country Clubs' route which traverses
several fairways down towards Danville.

For dirt and fire trails, you can't beat Shell Ridge open space, and
adjacent Diablo Foothills regional and Mt. Diablo s.p.s. Not to be
overlooked are all the convenient, off-street connector bike/MUP
paths. The Iron Horse, CC and YV canals, and the sleeper
Sugarloaf-Shell Ridge trail.

There are many nice quiet, older roads that align with the topography
(see latest BQ) and "secret" (i.e. non-auto) connector paths bridging
disparate cul-de-sac neighborhoods. For a start, here's the trunk of
one of my favorite "in town" rambles. Begins at the landmark Heather
Farms area which is easy to get to via BART/trail, follows the edge of
the hills/open space on some of the more interesting streets, and
yields plenty of good opportunities for branching back home via dirt
or asphalt:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/joe_bunik/6001114040/sizes/l/

=- Joe Bunik
Walnut Creek, CA

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[Jim M.]

Ediblestarfish wrote:
>
> I'm a veritable newbie to this bike riding thing. Taking the road when
> there's no bike lane feels really unnatural, so I'm kind of hesitant to just
> pedal out there on some random street.

You should consider taking the safety classes offered by the East Bay
Bike Coalition:
www.ebbc.org/safety

Then get a copy of "Roads to Ride" by Grant Peterson. You'll have to
look in used books for that.

[Joe Bunik]

On 8/2/11, Jim M. <math...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Then get a copy of "Roads to Ride" by Grant Peterson. You'll have to
> look in used books for that.

By who now? Who is this 'Petersen' [sic] ??? ;-)

R2R is a good gazetteer of Contra Costa and Marin country rural roads,
which can be stitched together into any number of loops. It doesn't
seem like much has changed them in 20 years (except maybe in the
farmlands out east of Diablo). Vol. 2 covers the peninsula, I need to
get that one someday.

[Anne Paulson]

On Tue, Aug 2, 2011 at 10:04 AM, Joe Bunik <jbu...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Imagonna start mapping some of my favorite rides/routes around the
> area, and eventually take some photos along the way too.
>
> Besides what Dustin said, there are a good number of classic road
> routes that loop around here, e.g. 'Three Bears' out beyond Briones
> and Orinda, 'Carquinez/McEwen' via Martinez, 'Redwood' via
> Moraga/Canyon/Pinehurst, and 'The Country Clubs' route which traverses
> several fairways down towards Danville.
>
> For dirt and fire trails, you can't beat Shell Ridge open space, and
> adjacent Diablo Foothills regional and Mt. Diablo s.p.s. Not to be
> overlooked are all the convenient, off-street connector bike/MUP
> paths. The Iron Horse, CC and YV canals, and the sleeper
> Sugarloaf-Shell Ridge trail.

These sound great. But I'm guessing that Michael, who thinks that if
he's in the hills he needs to drive to "more suitable riding areas,"
is not going to want to ride up the Three Bears or Painhurst, I mean
Pinehurst. (Me, I think that if I'm in the hills I've gotten to the
suitable riding areas and should ride. But to each his own.)

--
-- Anne Paulson

My hovercraft is full of eels

[Horace]

Also, the Krebs cycle maps available in local bike shops are a good resource.

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[Joe Bunik]

;-) I am confident Michael can do it. It's just up to him to decide
what *it* is!

Just figured many folks were interested/intrigued by the riding out
here in "Rivendell Country!"

fwiw, here is the rwg account where I'll be adding my maps- 'WC loop'
is a good quick 'un with a little of everything:
http://ridewithgps.com/users/49278

[Steve Ardrey]

Here are some links that may be helpful. http://www.ebbc2.ebbc.org/maps.html   http://511contracosta.org/bike/ -------------- sacyclepath -------------- *************** S.Ardrey ********************************************** --- On Tue, 8/2/11, Joe Bunik <jbu...@gmail.com> wrote:

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[Ediblestarfish]

Thanks for all the tips, I'll take some time out and try something new this weekend.  :)

- Michael

[Tony]

Hi Michael,

You might be interested in some of the Grizzly Peak Cyclists rides.
Here's one:
Sun Aug 21 2/L/22 Ride #3 -- OrLaMor
Meet 10:00 a.m. at Orinda BART. The ride will be easy paced and cover
some gentle hills. We will ride from downtown Orinda to downtown
Lafayette to downtown Moraga and return, using the St. Stephens bike
trail, the Lafayette-Moraga bike trail, and also regular roads. Finish
at Orinda Theatre Square for optional lunch -- bring your own or $ to
buy. No drop. Helmets required. Rain cancels; if weather is dubious
contact a ride leader.

Tony

[Aaron Thomas]

+1 on the Pinehurst loop, Redwood Road, etc. It's really beautiful.

Oh, and the Three Bears really aren't that bearish. Don't be deterred; their bark is worse than their bite.

[grant]

We are working on local riding maps that are super easy to follow and
fit into a map case. Two so far---one to the Iron Horse trail, which
is a good flattish test ride bike path, and the other to Shell Ridge
(trails) and Mt. Diablo (the road entrance). They're in 'velopes in
#18 now, and...there will be others, including a close super hilly
course (my morning "water tower or open space trail ride"), and
then...maybe a way to get to Berkeley from HQ, and maybe two more
trail destinations on the Mtn...places you will never see in a million
decades otherwise. Anyway, we'll be more helpful from now on, I hope.

On Jul 31, 5:55 pm, Ediblestarfish <ediblestarf...@gmail.com> wrote:

[Rex Kerr]

On Sat, Aug 6, 2011 at 8:14 AM, grant <gran...@gmail.com> wrote:

maybe a way to get to Berkeley from HQ

I'd like to see this.  I was thinking of "riding by" to pick up a few small parts that didn't warrant the shipping costs the next time I'm in Berkeley...  would anybody like to suggest a route?

[Anne Paulson]

BART?

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