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Biking in and around Berkeley

Berkeley is a great place to get around by bike. It is fairly flat and compact, has a lot of bike routes, and with a combination of bike and AC Transit buses (free for UC students) it's often easier to get wherever you want to go in the East Bay or SF without a car -- and always cheaper! Bikes are great transportation, but they can be oh so much more -- here's some ideas.

I Wanna Ride!

Perhaps the single best bike ride in Berkeley that practically anyone can manage is to go up into the hills and enjoy the spectacular scenery and views across the bay. The climb up may be a challenge depending on your fitness levels, but if you give yourself plenty of time then you'll manage it without too many problems -- just stop frequently, bring water, and if it gets too much, you can sail downhill all the way home!

The flattest way up is Tunnel Rd - once you get on it there's almost no traffic, and the climb is very gentle and gradual. Once you're to the top, you can follow Grizzly Peak Rd along the spectacular ridgetop, with views in both directions. There are ways both windey and speedy back down -- Centennial Drive (behind the Stadium), Euclid, or Spruce are all popular routes. Taking Spruce down, the ride is about 17 miles long -- give yourself 3 hours the first time.

You can get a map of this easy but rewarding ride here, or browse bikely.com for other adventuresome local rides.

Critical Mass

A vibrant part of local bike culture is Critical Mass, a rolling expression of bicycle excitement that happens every month in cities around the world. It is both celebration and demonstration, but mostly whatever you want it to be. In Berkeley it happens every second Friday of the month at 5.30pm-ish outside downtown Berkeley BART, and attracts between 30 to 300 cyclists -- and usually some fun, loud music. The group rides leisurely around Berkeley on no predefined route, having fun. Check out berkeleycriticalmass.org for more info. Their are several other local Masses: in particular, the last friday of every month in San Francisco there are between 300 and 2,000 cyclists -- sometimes in costume!

Fix your Bike for Free!

Even the best-loved bike will occasionally break. Fortunately, the most common bike problems are fairly easy to fix yourself with the right tools and some knowledge. In the Bay Area, there are places to provide you with both of these at no cost. Fixing your own bike will save you money, teach you some useful skills, and can be great fun! Here's some resources that will keep your wheels turning.

Street Level Cycles

SLC offers "Open Lab Hours" when you can use their tools and get help from their volunteer mechanics to fix your bike for free. If parts on your bike need to be replaced, you have the option of buying affordable used parts from them, or if money is tight, doing a little volunteer work in return for these parts. Check out the website, http://www.watersideworkshops.org/ , for lab hours. They're at: 84 Bolivar St, West Berkeley map).

The Bike Kitchen

Across the Bay, The Bike Kitchen is a cooperative bike repair shop, with an amazing collection of tools and parts, and extremely knowledgeable mechanics. Here, membership is $30 a year (or alternatively, six hours volunteer time), but this will give you access to almost all of their used spare parts at no cost. Their open hours are on weekday evening hours and weekend - convenient for students. Check the website, http://bikekitchen.org , for more info. They're at: 1256 Mission at 9th, San Francisco (map)

The Missing Link

The Missing Link is a worker-owned co-op that sells and repairs bikes, but also offers a free repair space where you can use their tools to fix your own bike. It's the closest to the Berkeley campus and has the longest hours, but the only help is a bike repair book for reference. If the staff aren't too busy you might get some help, but don't count on it. They're at: 1988 Shattuck Ave, Berkeley (map), or see http://missinglink.org .

Box Dog Bikes

Box Dog Bikes is another, much younger, worker-owned collective in San Francisco, in the Mission District. Like the Missing Link, they also have a bench with tools you can use. They're at: 495 14th Street, San Francisco (map), or see http://boxdogbikes.com .

Need a Bike?

If you don't already have a fine metal steed, there are several options. If you are ambitious and committed, you could build your own at the Bike Kitchen for very little money -- and learn how to fix it in the process! Otherwise, there are many places locally to get fine used bikes -- which are often better quality, and half as expensive, as new ones. (but if flashy carbon fiber is what turns you on, follow your heart!) Besides Street Level Cycles and The Missing Link mentioned above, some good local shops to browse for used bikes are: the Bent Spoke (on Telegraph), Recycles Bicycles (on Sacramento, great for used parts) Bay Area Bikes (near downtown Oakland), and, of course, craigslist. Try to bring a bike-y friend with you for advice, but find one that suits your style!