An event posted to the EbikeTreks Meetup caught my eye. The proposed route went from the south end of the Golden Gate Bridge, north through Marin, then across the new bike path across the Richmond San Rafael Bridge, then south mostly on the Bay Trail along the east bay shoreline. I hadn't ridden across the bridge, nor had I ridden most of the Bay Trail north of the Newark area. My plan was to leave home at 0700, ride to San Francisco to meet the Meetup that gathers at 1000, then join the Meetup before peeling off at some point to head home. Upon rising I discovered that my battery wasn't fully-charged. This was a miscalculation on my part. Fortunately, I had an hour to shove the rest of the charge into the battery at 15 Amps, something I try to avoid doing as charging at a constant high amperage near the top of a battery's charge tends to stress it. But, this was a special occasion, and I didn't want to miss the event. I had told the organizer, Stephen, I would be joining. I was finally able to get going at 0715. My rough estimate had me taking about three hours total to ride to the south end of the Bridge. RideWithGPS estimated somewhat optimistically, I thought, 2:38. My route took the most direct way I could envision, starting northwest on Evelyn Avenue, then Central Expressway/Alma to El Camino Real. I cruised at 25 mph most of the way. Once I got to Daly City I shifted over to Lake Merced Blvd. and Sunset Blvd., then through Golden Gate Park to 25th Avenue, where I got caught every other block at timed signals whose green cycle was too long for perpendicular streets. I couldn't have timed my arrival time better if I had tried when I pulled up to the plaza in front of the visitor's center at 1000 where I met Stephen, the organizer from Mill Valley, and John from San Francisco. After introductions and waiting a bit for late-comers, the three of us set off across the Bridge into Marin. The western walkway for bikes only was open, but traffic was heavy in both directions. At the north end of the Bridge we took the road through Fort Baker, then continued north on the main bike route through Sausalito and onto the Mill Valley Bike Path. We stopped at Sycamore Ave. to use the restrooms conveniently located adjacent to the sewage plant before continuing through Mill Valley and over Horse Hill on the Lomita/Casa Bueno bike path adjacent to US-101 into Corte Madera. We remained west of US-101 on the crossing of Corte Madera Creek, taking a narrow path connected to the southbound US-101 ramp from Sir Francis Drake Blvd. The western path is only slightly wider than the eastern, still too narrow to allow cyclists riding opposite each other to pass at speed. We stopped briefly in Larkspur at The New Wheel to admire some of the e-cargo bikes parked out front before pressing on to San Quentin and out onto the western approach of the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge. The Bridge is unusual in that there are two climbs and a dip in the middle. The path itself is about the width of one auto lane, leaving a comfortable margin for passing or stopping to enjoy the view along the way. At the eastern end of the bridge we stopped again so that Stephen could swap the battery on his bike and take a few photos. We rode through Point Richmond, the western end of Richmond on Cutting Blvd., then picked up the Bay Trail at Marina Park before curving southward along the eastern shore of the Bay. At Golden Gate Fields we discovered that the Bay Trail was still under construction, so we had to detour through the parking lot before rejoining the trail. We stopped at Seabreeze for lunch. Unfortunately, I was unable to stay as I could see that I might have trouble getting home before dark if I did. I picked up a couple of snacks and said my goodbyes. It was fun to meet and ride with some fellow e-bikers for the prior 30 miles, but the group's pace was quite a bit slower than what I would need to maintain and finish in day light. I continued south along the Bay Trail into Emeryville, then continued through downtown Oakland, touching Lake Merritt, then down East 12th Street to Fruitvale Ave. If the days had been longer I would have detoured on the half-finished Bay Bridge Bike Path to Treasure Island and back before continuing south. I made a mental note to return this way, perhaps in the opposite direction, when the days are longer. Along the Tidal Canal separating Alameda from Oakland I picked up the Bay Trail again. My phone's navigation directions helped keep me on course at all but one turn off Doolittle Drive near 98th Avenue where the Bay Trail entrance is easy to miss. The Bay Trail south through Oakland, San Leandro, and Hayward was pleasant if indirect and meandering. A moderately strong breeze was blowing off the bay, creating a rear-quartering cross-wind. This created no problems until the trail became unpaved south of San Leandro. The thick layer of rock that had been laid down on the trail made side-traction difficult with the cross-wind. On the map the Bay Trail south of San Leandro appears to be rather isolated, but at no point did I feel lonely. I was surprised how many people were using the trail. At CA92 I left the Bay Trail and continued south on Hesperian Blvd. into Union City and Newark. From there I thought of taking the Alameda Creek Trail out to its westernmost end, then continuing south on the levee trail to the eastern end of the Dumbarton Bridge. But, with limited daylight and not being as certain of trail conditions out on the bay--the surface could have been muddy--I choose to take my usual route on Paseo Padre to Thornton and Marshlands Roads. From East Palo Alto I took the Bay Trail as much as I could through the Palo Alto Baylands, Shoreline Park, and behind Moffett Field before heading straight toward home on Borregas Ave., arriving a few minutes past 1800. In spite of the slower than usual speeds due to group and trail riding, I found the day to be an enjoyable change from the usual roads in the local hills. The novelty of riding some new routes kept me from daydreaming or "sleep-riding" too much. Weather started cold at about 8C, warmed to around 20C in some of the sunny, sheltered areas, but never became warm enough to prompt me to remove my long bottoms. Winds were light headwinds in the morning, shifting to light northeast winds while crossing the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge, then shifting to the usual northwest winds as I rode south along the eastern Bay Trail and across the Dumbarton Bridge. 9.4 wh/mi R% = 14.6