21 Best Places to Learn to Ride a Bike in the East Bay - 510 Families
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21 Best Places to Learn to Ride a Bike in the East Bay

Note: During the hard rains, be cautious that the recommended path is still safe before you set out with a new rider. 

Teaching a child to ride a bike is challenging enough, and for those of us who live on busy streets, those first rides can’t be out in front of our houses. Live in the hills? Streets and sidewalks full of cracks and potholes? Here’s a list of safe, paved areas where other East Bay parents have taken their children to learn to ride their bikes.

photo: Heather Flett

Places to Teach your Kid to Ride

Here’s a list of places that 510Families.com readers have had success in teaching their kids to ride their bikes.

Berkeley and North places to test out your new bike

  • Barbara and Jay Vincent Park (Richmond) – nice paved routes and small beach for sand and water play.
  • Bay Trail behind Costco – the surface is flat and there is generally grass on the side – the entire trail connects Crockett to Emeryville passing through the Richmond and Berkeley marinas along the way. Clear days reward you with spectacular views of San Francisco, Alcatraz, and Angel Island. Avoid weekends with new riders
  • Berkeley Marina/Cesar Chavez Park – paved path heading North (bring a kite!)
  • Cedar Rose Park – grass as a soft landing place during the falling phase
  • Cerrito Vista Park – paved paths and soft grassy landings
  • El Cerrito DMV Parking Lot – nice large parking lot, great for new riders on weekends
  • Dirt World, Richmond – to practice balance, new striders will love the little loop and watching the other cool riders. More about Dirt World.
  • Golden Gate Fields – the parking lot is huge and empty when there’s no event
  • King Middle School – look for the flat paved area.
  • Miller Knox Park – this Richmond park has a flat pathway
  • Ohlone Trail – The stretch between North Berkeley BART and University is wide and not very populated
  • San Pablo Park (Berkeley) – paved paths and soft grassy landings — head away from the playground construction!
Kid bikes El Cerrito
Learn to ride bikes at El Cerrito Vista Park | Photo: Kat Choi

Oakland and South parks and paths for learning to ride a bike

  • Alameda Creek Trail (Fremont)
  • Alameda Navy Base
  • Alameda Shoreline
  • The Gardens at Lake Merritt – surrounded by paths in the Lake Merritt-adjacent area
  • Jean Sweeney Park in Alameda has an amazing bike path, wide and totally flat./
  • Joaquin Miller Park around the lower oval pool
  • Lake Temescal – path between two ends of the park
  • Martin Luther King Jr. Regional Shoreline Park – tons of great, flat trails and is never crowded
  • San Leandro Marina
  • 3 favorite spots to ride bikes with kids in Alameda >>

East of the Caldecott Tunnel where we like to bike with kids

  • Moraga Commons – a lovely park with a path
  • Iron Horse Trail

Where else do you like to teach a kid to ride a bike? Share in the comments!


[photos by 510families team, all rights reserved]

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3 thoughts on “21 Best Places to Learn to Ride a Bike in the East Bay”

  1. Hi, I have a few more good spots to add:
    North Berkeley: The North Berkeley BART parking lot is usually empty on weekends, and there is ample space for kids to roll around. We see lots of kids learning to bike and roller skate.
    Oakland, Rockridge BART: On weekends, the parking lot on the west side of College Ave is mostly free of cars. There is plenty of space for skateboarders, kids learning to ride, and the occasional adult cycling class.
    Oakland, Brooklyn Basin: A nice public space with a lot of flat area for rolling – roller skating, skateboarding in addition to learning to ride a bike.
    thanks,
    Phil

  2. Thanks for this list! Both my kids learned to ride in the Mills College campus. Behind Mills Hall there’s a big flat grassy student union area that has nice wide paved paths. Usually very quiet on weekends and holidays. And once they are more skilled, you can explore the rest of the campus.

  3. We found any good quality basketball court was perfect for first efforts, with both bikes and rollerblades. The material is really really flat, and just a little bit softer than asphalt, which helps for the inevitable. There’s a nice big set of courts at San Pablo Park, at Strawberry Creek Park, and one on the Ohlone trail near the N Berkeley Bart station.

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