A Recumbent Trike Tour of the San Francisco Bay Trail: Point Isabel to Point Richmond

Rich and I high-tail it out of California's central valley to escape the heat and wildfire smoke and head down to the San Francisco Bay Trail. The ride is short (ten miles) but the scenery is unmatched!
Music: Parisian Café, English Country Garden, In The Temple Garden, Beneath The Moonlight and Seaside Piazza all by the brilliant Aaron Kenny.

[@Lhaffinatu]

I haven't received my trike yet, so I'm doing the next best thing by watching you guys tour around! Thanks for the wonderful videos!

[@bikestrikesrazors]

Glad to help! :) Have fun on your new trike!

[@sylvain65]

I watched this originally when you made it but it was worth a rewatch. Thanks

[@bikestrikesrazors]

I like going back and watching videos shot in the summer when it's cold, foggy and raining outside. :)

[@garyseckel295]

"Standard" for optimizing all other recumbent videos! Not so much as even a trace of ego. Excellent visual content and relevant narrative. Best, tasteful, low-volume artistic background music. No clanky, bangy, homemade background music. Video is scenery, and not the rear of a bicycle helmet. You will actually feel like you are there for the ride! BT&R Videos are far & away the most worth watching!

[@bikestrikesrazors]

Thanks very much for the kind words, Gary! And thanks very much for watching!

[@HunterChristianDarkman]

Great videos - narration, points of interest, asides, music, and actual trikes rolling :-)

[@bikestrikesrazors]

Thanks very much, and thanks for watching!

[@Olyphoto7]

Great trail and video, this trail has been added to the list of must do’s. Thanks for sharing!

[@bikestrikesrazors]

If you get a chance to ride the coast out here, I'd highly recommend this one along with the Monterey Bay Trail, Dan.

[@JaladhiPujara]

Beautiful filming and music! I did this ride on my trike just a few days ago. Your video brought back memories.

[@bikestrikesrazors]

Glad you enjoyed it, Jaladhi! You've got a beautiful trail down there!

[@jamesbarker4752]

Awesome video. Thank you!

[@bikestrikesrazors]

Thanks very much for watching, James!

[@electricstrider2665]

Beautiful! We often take Amtrak Davis (home) 2 Emeryville then Amtrak bus 2 Mission st (dwntn SF) then ride to the Golden Gate,,,spending several nights dntwn. We also take the ferry 2 Tiburon and ride the loop...that mayB a vlog 4 u 2 do. Just a suggestion when videoing have the person n front keep the (distracting) blinkie off Thanks 4 the beautiful video!! Yes i ride a stand up!

[@bikestrikesrazors]

Thanks, Strider! You’re a mind reader! We’re doing the Paradise Loop very soon! Some of those roads look a little hairy for recumbent trikes, so we’ll be riding road bikes for that one.

[@electricstrider2665]

@@bikestrikesrazors My standUp trike did fine! If u start in Tiburon its flat until it goes up...steeply! turn left on trestle glen or continue straight 2 mill valley then loop back. Stunning views

[@bikestrikesrazors]

@@electricstrider2665 Thanks! I'm looking forward to it! :)

[@Brian3680]

I like your trike, you're correct much better than my speed, higher off the ground. Also thanks for subscribing to my channel. I have the 06 catrike speed recumbent trike. Also great video

[@bikestrikesrazors]

Hey, Northwoods! The Catrike Speed is a great trike, and I think that due to its light weight and rear wheel size, it's likely the best accelerating trike ever designed. Certainly could be argued that it's one of the fastest trikes ever built. That's a great trike you have there!

[@linb.3495]

That's one of my regular rides (from Abany) up to Kaleidoscope Cafe in Pt. Richmond (a few mies more from the Ford bldg.). I'm thinking of moving from 2 wheeler to recumbent trike so it was really nice to see a trike taking the route. Didn't see you go over the wooden slat section, which is always unpleasant on my 16" Bike Friday wheels, so maybe the trike will have less vibration. Nice vid!

[@bikestrikesrazors]

Thanks for watching, Lin! Most of the time, the trikes are worse on the wooden bridges then 2-wheelers. I think it's because there's so much more body contact with the trike. It is a great trail for trikes though! I'll have to check out Kaleidoscope Cafe!

[@jasonnealey8325]

Good video, I like to take leisure rides too , when I do I dress more casual and drop the cycling clothes , it puts me in a more relaxed mind set . I wanted to share about a wheel cover I made and installed recently, previously, I has some covers on the front wheels and they worked and made a difference in pedeling effort and top speed , I took them off to use my seasucker rack , and when I'm out in a wind miss them , but this time I decided to make a cover for the rear , I thought it wouldn't make much difference since the wheel is behind my mesh seat it felt like no direct wind would hit it except down low , I was truly amazed at how much difference the rear disc cover alone helped , Im riding 1 to 2 gears higher and keeping a higher average speed , it helps way more than the front covers did . Keep your content coming , your getting a pretty good following 👍

[@bikestrikesrazors]

Thanks, Jason! I've been seriously considering trying wheel covers. Interesting that you found the cover on the rear wheel made a bigger difference than the covers on the fronts. Do you have covers on all three wheels now, and if so, how much of a total difference do you think it made to your top speed?

[@jasonnealey8325]

@@bikestrikesrazors it's raining today , so I'm thinking to cover the front wheels again today . So I've never had all 3 wheels covered . I would highly recommend it especially for your 700 c wheel . They have some very good covers for about 90 dollars that look professional and clean , I used abs plastic and it took quit a bit of fitting to get a decent outcome , I've taken 4 rides now with the rear disc, and it help so much more , had a great compliment yesterday a full on Roady with aero wheel , caught me and said he had been chasing for a couple of miles and was amazed how fast I was going , lol we had a stiff headwind and I was scrunched up low as I could go , my speed just over 20 but we had a pretty stiff headwind steady 8 or 9 miles per hour so the wind speed was significant. I did post a short video of the cover after I got it installed on the trike , Im kind of excited to put the fronts on and have 3 faired wheels , I would say from the front I got around a 10 percent easier effort but the rear gave about a 30 percent decrease in effort, Im riding a 44x 11 or 56 x 11 on the big ring and now I'm mostly in the 44 x11 and maxing it out on flats, Im looking at getting a tiny granny ring up front to run more of a close ratio gear cluster , with the speed increase Im only using 3 gears in the middle ring, but still have to climb some steep hills when I come home so I need a good granny gear smallest gear is a one to one 36 up front and 36 in the rear . On the covers I would say go man go , get on or make one , try looking at velocityvelos for a wheel cover , that uses the clips that used to come on the now discontinued Unidisc wheel covers . Uses spandex for the cover , fiber glass rod for the hoop and plastic clips that attach to the spokes , If Im able to finish up the front covers today I will post a short vid .

[@markfeldman6509]

Great info. Thanks. I just got my new Catrike 700 this week. It is awesome and obvioulsy built for speed. What type of wheel cover for the rear wheel would you recommend and can you also recommend a good merchant to purchase one from?

[@jasonnealey8325]

Oh buy the way , Im jealous, the 700 is a sweet trike. Your going to love it

[@jasonnealey8325]

Just looked try typing velocity velos 2 words . He has some interesting fairings too , I almost bit but he sent me the PDF for the mounting system and it was made out of steel I-beam and looked to weigh around 25 pounds not including the body so I didn't bite

[@markrobinson891]

So interesting you can ride in clear air. Utah is too smoky the past few days. I have a good filter mask I’ve considered to keep up my rides but it’s hot and I hate lifting it to take fluids. I may have to resort to that as no relief is in sight. (pun intended) On clear days I can see the top of Snowbird’s tram from my street. I’m depressed looking at and breathing brown sludge.

[@bikestrikesrazors]

Hi Mark, Unfortunately, I need to take a 90 minute car ride to get to the clean air. :( Where I live is horrible. We're close to one of the fires and the smoke is thick here. It's even getting in the house. I'm going to have to start wearing a mask in the house if it doesn't get better soon. No riding for me in this sludge.

[@taiwan1895]

Nicely done! The music conjures up images of a Studio Ghibli film...

[@bikestrikesrazors]

Hey, Jim! Just stumbled across the composer's stuff on KZbin Studio (they supply music you can use free of charge). The composer, Aaron Kenny, has actually done film soundtracks.

[@denniskowskie6748]

Hello, which tires do you run or recommend?

[@bikestrikesrazors]

Hi Dennis! I've used just about every kind of tire at this point, and I usually look for a sale on the higher line Schwalbes or Continentals.

[@denniskowskie6748]

I am wondering about Schwalbe Marathon Plus.

[@bikestrikesrazors]

@@denniskowskie6748 Those are a good tire. They are long lasting and roll pretty well.

[@juselinoamorim8401]

Hi brother I want to Alaska of tricicle I am Brazilian Hanks for hoy program

[@bikestrikesrazors]

Greetings, Juselino! Triking in Alaska would be epic!