Bay Bridge
Route Review
We biked from the IKEA location in Emeryville to Treasure Island and back. The trail from IKEA to Treasure Island was a two-lane bike trail that was beautifully maintained (the roads were just about perfect). The trail then ran on the south side of the Bay Bridge which was protected by a concrete wall. Once on Treasure Island, we either biked on dedicated bike lanes or shared the car lanes on the downhills.
There were other cyclists on the road but not too many of them. It was a windy day and I think that warded off those less adventurous.
There was a bathroom at the Judge John Sutter Regional Shoreline area, which was nice and clean. There were no other public restrooms, but it was a short ride, so it wasn’t a problem.
The traffic on the Bay Bridge was loud, but after a while, the exertion of cycling made me forget about the cars. Still, it made me wonder what it would have been like to bike on the bridge when it opened and they only allowed cyclists and pedestrians on the bridge.
What I Learned
The incline on the Bay Bridge is gradual and easy, but it’s a marathon where it just does not stop. On the plus side, on the way back, it is a pedal-free experience for miles, where I could not stop grinning for this and other reasons.
There is an incline (due to construction) at Treasure Island that is a thigh buster. The incline at Macalla Road is a 24% grade and it took every ounce of my mental focus to make it to the top without stopping. At the top, while catching my breath and waiting for Cassie, I had a conversation with a fellow cyclist who was also waiting for his friends and he complimented my fitness level stating that I was doing it with a “heavy bike”. While I brushed off the compliment because I have personal issues to still work through, it did make me give proper credit to myself for doing something very hard and pretty close to my physical limit.
What Happened?
24.8 miles, 2 hr 56 min, 343 ft of ascent
Cassie and I had lunch with Ben and Joyce in Downtown San Jose. Because of this appointment, we were unable to go on a more remote adventure than we usually find ourselves in. But, being around the Bay Area allowed us to do something I had wanted to do for a long time, which was to bike to Treasure Island and take in the view of the San Francisco skyline.
To do so, we parked at IKEA and biked towards the Bay Bridge. We could have parked at Judge John Sutter Regional Shoreline, but we started a bit further back to see what the trail had to offer on the way to the park. What we found wasn’t very much, so if I were to go back, I’d start at Judge John Sutter Regional Shoreline.
The biking got “serious” once we hit the bridge, but the incline was gentle—it was just one of those gradual fights where you can only lose if you give up. A slow and steady progression made the ride a good one and I was proud that Cassie was handling the first drawn-out incline of her cycling journey with gusto.
When we arrived at Treasure Island, we dealt with Cassie’s first incline of over 10% grade and went down a steep hill to the flat roads of Treasure Island. I didn’t know exactly where I was going, but I eventually found a way through all the construction to a park overlooking the San Francisco skyline. We took a few minutes to catch our breath before we headed back to IKEA (we would have chilled out longer, but we had a dinner appointment with Gene).
The ride back had an incredibly difficult incline (on Mallaca Road), which I was able to go up without stopping. Cassie gave it a great effort, but after about 10 seconds of powerful riding, her legs gave out. Still, she jogged up the hill with her bike, which told me everything about who she is as a person.
The rest of the way back was either flat or a decline, so it was easy and relaxing. At IKEA, we stowed our bikes into Ramona and headed off to Downtown Oakland for what we were hoping to be delicious Korean food.
