Explore the bay with the Gals! These monthly scenic rides are geared for women aged 50-plus-years young, but all riders are welcome.

Join the Gals for a leisurely sight-seeing ride around beautiful Downtown Oakland! The ride will start and end at Frank Ogawa Plaza and will tour by some of Oakland’s urban landmarks.

Ride by Preservation Park, Swan’s Market, Chinatown, Jack London Square, the Oakland Museum, passing by Lake Merritt’s Amphitheater and Pergola on our ride around the Lake. We’ll swing into Belvedere Street to see the Boat House, Bonsai Garden and Children’s Fairyland. Then we will ride to Grand Lake Theater and continue up Grand Avenue, for a stop at the Morcom Rose Garden on our way to Chapel of the Chimes and Millionaire’s Row at Mountain View Cemetery, a stand of remarkable mausoleums to visit either up close (optional) or view them from the turnaround below. From here we will ride down the length of Piedmont Avenue. We may find ourselves arguing about where to stop for our break – there are so many great places to get coffee, snacks, lunch, ice cream…you name it, you can eat it in Oakland!

When we get to the new Kaiser hospital, we’ll jag over to Broadway for the final leg of our tour, passing Pill Hill, the Paramount Theater, and turn one block over to Telegraph Ave to the Fox Theater, the Cathedral Building (the band Green Day owns the top floor) and newly revived Latham Square before returning to Frank Ogawa Plaza to end our ride.

Details: 

• Start time: Please arrive by 10:00 for a 10:15 start.
• Distance: 12.5 miles with minor uphill moments (~500 ft climb overall)
• Start/Finish Frank Ogawa Plaza, corner of Broadway and 14th Street. Meet at the BART elevator there. Look for our green & white Gals With Gears banner.
• This link shows the approximate route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/27224525
• BE PREPARED — Bring water it gets warm in Oakland’s sunshine. Plenty of bathrooms and refreshment options all along the route. Sunscreen recommended.
• We ride a relaxed pace, have regroups and no one gets left behind.
• Rain cancels. We will send a message via Meetup if we cancel to those who RSVP for the ride.