45 miles + ferry. We woke at 6:30am and back to the bikes. Thank goodness nothing was lost from Jay's bike box and I was able to fix the bikes in an hour. The bike shipping gods have been good to us.
We are ready to leave by 7:45. Amy and Rune drink their green juice and laugh at our attire. They see us off and wish us a great trip. We'll see them again at then end of the road.
We rush to the ferry from SF to Oakland. What strikes me is the immense momentum of our weighted bikes going down the SF hills. I get a blister just from squeezing the brakes. It's cold and foggy, but everyone says it'll be hot and sunny on the other side of the hill because of the microclimates.
We get to the ferry on time and Jay buys our tickets. We notice the people coming to the city look more cool and comfortable than people in NYC. We see it in their faces, clothes, and walking speed. Only 4 of us take the ferry to Oakland, and we're all bikers. Danny, an engineer, tells us of his own bike adventures and work at a start-up company now under Google. He makes windmills that fly on kites, harnessing the wind's energy. Another great SF story. We're impressed by his openness -- he gives us his contact info in case we need anything. Fellow bikers are comrades.
We bike through Oakland to Berkeley, stopping at a used bookshop to buy Tom Wolfe's The Electric Koolaid Acid Test, and we pass dad's favorite record stores. We bike through UC Berkeley campus and see Asian families taking photos with their middle and high school children. This is what they do during vacation, as opposed to the parties, sleepovers, and television dramas that ruled my formative years. A little social commentary.
Biking North we pass Chez Panisse. They were doing construction but invited us in to take a peak while they watched our bikes. Jay went straight through the kitchen to the head chef.
I then had the best bread and cheese across the street at Cheeseboard, which has been there for 40+ years. There was a line at 11am waiting for the pizza place to open at 11:30.
Next we headed over the hill on Wildcat Canyon Rd. Jay's lesson today -- the front ring has a smaller gear. My lesson -- riding with your partner can be a lot of fun.
Over the hill we pass through Tilden Park. Jay took the mountain like a pro.
Into Danville there are bike paths connecting the suburbs. We pick up flowers for Auntie Chris. Dinner with Chris and Mike, who turns out is a delightful, extrovert Republican, then pass out early. Jay had a long day.
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