I have plans to do a 300 mile tour in Oregon at the end of July, so the inspiration for this ride was to get in a good amount of fully loaded miles mostly on low grade bike paths in the east bay. I started by packing my bike with everything that I'd need for a full week on the road. Better to discover any issues early on and ensure everything fits while I have the ability to BART home relatively easily. My bike, with all it's gear, clocked in at 73lbs for today's ride. Start off this ride from Orinda Bart, and head out onto to St. Stephens trail. This is a nice greenway that bypasses a much steeper hill to the right. Next we roll thru the streets of Orinda and down Hidden Valley Road. I'm rolling with traffic here and using downtown bypasses until I stop at Whole Foods in Walnut Creek for a quick bike to eat. If I'm in need of a sweet treat there's a Dunkin' Donuts directly across the street - ahh temptation! After the lunch break, it's on to the Iron Horse Trail. If you've never ridden it before, it's an especially nice, protected bicycle and walking paved trail. A great place to get in a nice long ride - especially for those weary of riding in traffic! There's plenty of benches and nice little places to stop and explore, like Hemme Station Park, where you can find out a little history about the area. I won't have to ride with traffic again till I'm almost at Pleasanton Bart. Overall a quiet scenic ride, but a bit of a workout with a 70lbs bike. Hope to see you out on the road somewhere.