Anyone have more info on Middle East Bay Way?

[RR]

I'm commuting from Oakland to Menlo/Palo and would love to learn this route to try an occasional commute.  I've seen a few tidbits around:

http://sf2g.com/other-routes.html (see the top one for Middle East Bay Way from San Leandro
http://blog.sf2g.com/2010/07/beginners-middle-east-bay-way-ride.html
http://blog.sf2g.com/2010/07/middle-east-bay-way-starting-at-west.html
http://blog.sf2g.com/2009/05/ride-report-east-bay-way-scouting-way.html

There are also a few Strava tracks with similar routes.  But it's hard to tell if there is a latest and greatest route, either all pavement or with the dirt/pavement combo.

Anyone know if there is a canonical route for this ride?  Anyone do this regularly or semi-regularly?  I can find an old route I've ridden from Oakland to Castro Valley, and I know a way from the Alameda Creek Trail to the Dumbarton Bridge, but I'd love to hear advice and tips on this.

I'd also love to ride this with others sometime next week if anyone is interested!

[Eric Altendorf]

We usually opt for as much dirt as possible when we do this, but an
all-pavement route would be feasible too.

Strava tracks are probably your best bet here. There are not a whole
lot of options/variants and they aren't that significantly different.
The main question is if you'd be riding all the way from Oakland; most
of our rides involved BART to San Leandro. But there are a few tracks
and a maillist archive note about a ride from Oakland -- I can dig
that up if you want.

This isn't a common route since most of us live in SF, but you might
get some takers if you call a ride...

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[RR]

Thanks!  This is the route I'd take from Oakland to Castro Valley:  http://www.oaklandyellowjackets.org/rides/route-maps/327-calaveras-h

[Nathan Dushman]

On Fri, Sep 07, 2012 at 12:16:40PM -0700, RR wrote:
> Anyone know if there is a canonical route for this ride? Anyone do this
> regularly or semi-regularly? I can find an old route I've ridden from
> Oakland to Castro Valley, and I know a way from the Alameda Creek Trail to
> the Dumbarton Bridge, but I'd love to hear advice and tips on this.

I've only done this from San Leandro, not from Oakland. I've done it enough
that I'm comfortable leading it, and could probably do it one day next week.
I'm not sure there's a "canonical" version but there aren't many variations.

I'd look at these two Strava tracks from Trung:
http://app.strava.com/runs/sf2g-middle-east-bayway-bonus-epa-dirt-1967559
http://app.strava.com/runs/sf2g-middle-east-bayway-485226
Immediately after the San Mateo Bridge, I prefer to follow the track shown
in the first one (more dirt, less road through an industrial area). Follow
the track shown in the second one for the area around Coyote Hills - the
first one shows a detour because the Alameda Creek Trail was closed at the
time. It's easier than it looks. Once you're onto the dirt, make sure to
take the right turn after crossing the creek (on the map, looks like the
continuation of Lewelling Blvd). After that, take every right turn that
isn't blocked off until you get to the San Mateo Bridge.

Nathan

[RR]

Also, this route started in West Oakland and went through the tube and across/down Alameda:  http://blog.sf2g.com/2010/07/middle-east-bay-way-starting-at-west.html

[RR]

Do you guys do this on mountain bikes or cross bikes or what?

[Nathan Dushman]

On Fri, Sep 07, 2012 at 01:34:53PM -0700, RR wrote:
> Do you guys do this on mountain bikes or cross bikes or what?

Usually road or cross bikes, although a mountain bike is fine too.

[Peter Colijn]

Most folks on this list do it on road bikes (generally with 23 or
wider tires) but of course a mountain bike or cross bike would be good
too. The dirt is pretty well packed so even for a total n00b dirt
rider (myself) doing it on a road bike isn't that bad. Though I would
probably find it easier with fatter tires (I ride 25s).

Peter

On Fri, Sep 7, 2012 at 1:34 PM, RR <roja...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Do you guys do this on mountain bikes or cross bikes or what?
>

[RR]

Thanks Nathan- this is very helpful.  I've taken a different route through the Coyote Hills (Alameda Creek to the DUST Trail to Dumbarton).

BTW, you mean Dumbarton at the end there, right?

Any interest in making a go of this next week?

[Patrick Kitto]

I've been itching to do this ride, but next week is a no-go for me.

--

[Nathan Dushman]

On Fri, Sep 07, 2012 at 01:42:57PM -0700, RR wrote:
> On Friday, September 7, 2012 1:13:55 PM UTC-7, Nathan Dushman wrote:
> > continuation of Lewelling Blvd). After that, take every right turn that
> > isn't blocked off until you get to the San Mateo Bridge.
>

> BTW, you mean Dumbarton at the end there, right?

No, actually, I did mean San Mateo. South of the San Mateo Bridge, there's
only one path until you get to Eden Shores, where you need to go through a
gate. From there you're on roads for a while - easy to follow on a map -
and then back onto trails once you cross Alameda Creek. The turn for the
Alameda Creek Trail is immediately after crossing the creek.

> Any interest in making a go of this next week?

Let me get back to you Monday - I'm currently scheduled for training
starting at 9am every day next week, but my boss says I do not need to
attend every hour of it and I should know Monday which parts are important.

Nathan

[RR]

Thanks Nathan. That makes sense- that part looks a bit tricky to follow.

[RR]

I'm going to try a shorter version of this tomorrow from Union City BART to Menlo/Palo in case anyone is interested.

[Brett Lider]

It was me that rode through the Posey Tube. Entertaining? Yes. Recommended? No. 

Instead, you can ride parallel to Alameda on the Oakland side of the channel (I forgot the street name) and cross over to Alameda on the first bridge. I'm sure I have a Strava track of that route if you want to hunt for it.

- Brett

Sent from my iPhone

On Sep 7, 2012, at 10:32 AM, RR <roja...@gmail.com> wrote:

Also, this route started in West Oakland and went through the tube and across/down Alameda:  http://blog.sf2g.com/2010/07/middle-east-bay-way-starting-at-west.html

--

[RR]

Thanks Brett. Does it look like this route: http://www.oaklandyellowjackets.org/rides/route-maps/327-calaveras-h ? Thanks!

[Brett Lider]

I'm on my phone. Can't tell.

Sent from my iPhone

On Sep 9, 2012, at 2:11 PM, RR <roja...@gmail.com> wrote:

> Thanks Brett. Does it look like this route: http://www.oaklandyellowjackets.org/rides/route-maps/327-calaveras-h ? Thanks!
>

[Beckett Madden-Woods]

Here was a tube-less Middle East Bayway, starting from West Oakland BART:

http://app.strava.com/rides/135825

Looks similar.

[Brett Lider]

That's the one. Thanks, Beckett.

[RR]

So I took the modified version of this today from Union City to PA. Following the creek trail and the levee all the way around adds about 1.5 miles versus riding the interior trails I usually take through Coyote Hills (incl. the DUST trail) but it avoids the boring stretch of terrible pavement leading up to the bridge.

[Nathan Dushman]

Not sure what your normal route is, but you can cut through Coyote Hills and
get on the same trail that takes you out to the bridge as shown here:
http://app.strava.com/runs/sf2g-middle-east-bayway-bonus-epa-dirt-1967559

[RR]

Cool. I usually take Apay trail and end up on the small ped overpass that goes over the toll plaza, then I take Marshlands all the way to the bike/ access ramp to the Dumbarton.

[RR]

Something like this: http://app.strava.com/runs/mtb-commute-union-city-to-palo-alto-7694181