A Local Guide to E-Biking in Alameda and San Joaquin Counties
Why E-Bike Here?
Imagine your morning commute taking you past traffic jams instead of through them. Or picture running an errand without circling blocks looking for parking, nor paying for it. In Alameda and San Joaquin Counties, that’s possible with an electric bicycle (e-bike). Using an e-bike to get around is often faster, cheaper, and way more enjoyable than driving.
E-bikes can unlock a different relationship with your community. Suddenly, that farmer’s market three miles away becomes a fun Saturday morning ride. Hills that once seemed impossible? Now they’re just gentle climbs with a little electric boost.
Whether you’re curious about your first e-bike or you’ve been riding for years, this guide connects you to the local resources, routes, and communities that make e-biking in our area truly unique.
Learn to Ride Confidently
New to biking or nervous about the roads? You’re not alone, and there’s help.
Start With Classes
Bike East Bay offers free classes for all skill levels:
- Learn to ride (yes, adults too!)
- Urban cycling skills
- Traffic safety workshops
- Flat tire repair clinics
Practice Before You Buy
Test the waters and get comfortable on an e-bike with these local programs:
- Bay Wheels: In Oakland, Berkeley, and Emeryville, you can rent an e-bike via the Lyft app or your Clipper card. You can rent by the ride, or get a day, month, or annual pass. There are discounted passes for income-qualified residents.
- Bike Stockton: This bikeshare network is currently only available to University of Pacific students, faculty, and staff; Visionary Homebuilders residents; and Calaveras Quarters residents. If you’re not a member of any of these groups, they also offer a Long Term Lending Subscription program.
- BORP Adaptive Cycling Program: The BORP Adaptive Cycling Center in Berkeley has one of the largest collections of adaptive bikes in the world. Plan a visit for help finding the right bike and fit for you.
- Bike shop test rides: Many participating Ava Bike Electric shops offer test rides on the models you’re considering. Find one near you to see if they offer this service.
Connect with Other Riders
E-biking is more fun with friends. Whether you’re looking for weekend adventure partners and commute buddies or just want to support bike-friendly policies in your city, there’s a community waiting for you.
Find a group ride
In Alameda County, Bike East Bay organizes a monthly group ride series.
If you’re in San Joaquin, find a group ride with the San Joaquin Bike Coalition or the Stockton Bicycle Club. Or, head to Robby’s Bicycles in Stockton every Tuesday for a relaxed ride through town.
Join a local bike coalition or advocacy group
Almost all cities in Ava service area have their own local coalition of biking enthusiasts and activists. Find your people:
You can also connect with one of our other community partners working to move the needle on clean transportation and mobility justice:
- The Berkeley E-bike Equity Coalition is a grassroots volunteer effort working to build community, support local workforce programming to help train young people for careers in the bike industry, and ensure that Berkeleyans of all income levels and abilities have e-bike access.
- GRID Alternatives is a nonprofit installer of clean energy technologies helping to make clean mobility options more accessible to the communities they serve.
- Ride and Drive Clean is a nonprofit collaboration to advance the adoption of electric vehicles in a fair and just marketplace.
- Scraper Bikes supports youth entrepreneurship and cultural innovation through its bike programs in East Oakland.
- Transform works to reshape transportation and housing using community-driven solutions and policy advocacy.
- Waterside Workshops engages Bay Area youth with hands-on vocational training in bicycle mechanics, wooden boatbuilding, and outdoor education.
Community events
Bike to Wherever Day is the Bay Area’s biggest day for cycling. Organized by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, this annual event brings over 12,000 cyclists out every May to ride to, well, wherever. You can score discounts and free goodies, win prizes, and connect with thousands of other cyclists at energizer stations throughout Alameda County.
East Bay Bike Party organizes themed rides on the second Friday of each month for all ages, experience levels, and bike types to meet, ride, and play together in the streets. It’s 100% volunteer-led, with party stops at public spaces along a different route every month. Trust us: this is the most fun you’ll have on an e-bike.
Essential Route-Mapping Tools
Google Maps has helpful bike route features for wherever you are. Click the bicycle icon to get directions that utilize bike lanes, paths, and bike-friendly streets. You’ll also see elevation changes, but those hills matter less with an e-bike! Here’s a helpful tutorial for using these features on your browser vs. in a mobile app.
Another essential tool? The buddy system. Ask a friend, neighbor, or coworker about their regular routes and see if you can ride along. There’s no substitute for local knowledge, and riding with someone experienced helps you get comfortable with traffic patterns and road quirks that don’t show up on any app.
Alameda County Maps
- 511 Contra Costa Bike Mapper: Set your start and end points, select a route type, and choose your hill tolerance on this interactive map covering the majority of the Bay Area.
- Bike East Bay has more route planning tips.
- The East Bay Regional Parks District allows class 1 e-bikes on all trails where bikes are allowed, and class 2 e-bikes on all paved trails. Great news if you’re looking for a weekend ride on one of the area’s beautiful nature trails!
San Joaquin County Maps
- Bikemap.net features a huge collection of user-generated bike maps. Find crowd-sourced route recommendations for Stockton, Tracy, and Lathrop.
Connect with Public Transit
Make your e-bike range infinite by combining it with public transit.
Train:
- Altamont Commuter Express (ACE): You can bring an e-bike onto any bike car. To know which train has a bike rack, look for the BIKE CAR sign affixed to the door.
- Amtrak: E-bikes with a 2.5″ maximum tire width are allowed as carry-ons on the Capitol Corridor and San Joaquins routes. Here’s all you need to know about bringing your e-bike on Amtrak.
- BART: Although e-bikes are allowed on all trains at all times, there are some important exceptions: Bikes are never allowed on crowded cars, and bikes are never allowed on the first car of any train. Find a full guide for taking your bike on BART here.
Bus:
- AC Transit and San Joaquin RTD: Buses in both transit systems are equipped with bike racks. One thing to keep in mind, though: e-bikes are heavier than traditional bicycles. If you want to bring your e-bike on the bus, make sure you’re able to lift your bike onto the rack yourself, and check for any weight limits.
Ferry:
- San Francisco Bay Ferry: E-bikes can be stored in the bike stowage area onboard any San Francisco Bay Ferry vessel, but charging onboard is prohibited.
Get a Safe Ride Home
Worried about being stranded by a flat tire or needing to get home quickly in an emergency?
In the East Bay, the Alameda County Guaranteed Ride Home program guarantees you a reimbursable ride home in the case of a qualifying unexpected circumstance that disrupts your commute. The San Joaquin County Emergency Ride Home program provides the same service for the Central Valley.
These programs are like insurance for your commute—register once, and use if needed.
Protecting Your Investment:
Protect Your Investment
E-bikes are a significant purchase. A few simple steps can dramatically reduce your risk of theft or damage and give you peace of mind.
- Register your e-bike immediately after purchasing it. It’s free, and can help you track your e-bike down if it gets stolen.
- A lock is your bike’s best friend. We recommend using a high-quality U-lock to secure your frame and rear wheel to a bike rack, then adding a cable or chain lock for your front wheel. Most importantly, don’t leave the bike shop without a lock!
- Check your insurance options. Find out if bike theft is covered in your homeowners or renters insurance. If it is, make sure you know how the coverage is applied—especially coverage away from home and during commuting. Some policies now offer specific e-bike coverage that might be worth adding.
Take these tips on the go! Download Bike East Bay‘s postcard on bicycle locking strategies to prevent theft:
Safety Note! Fires from e-bike batteries are rare and mostly caused by batteries purchased online that are not UL or EN certified. Read this Consumer Reports on how to prevent e-bike battery fires.
Whether you’re test-riding your first e-bike this weekend or you’ve been pedaling around California for years, you’re part of a growing movement that’s transforming how we get around.
Every e-bike trip—whether it’s a grocery run, a commute, or an adventure ride—helps build the demand for better bike infrastructure and proves that there’s a better way to move through our communities.
Ready for Your Next Step?
Future E-Bikers
- Apply for an instant rebate: Ava Bike Electric makes new e‑bikes more affordable. Apply today for $400-$1,500 off qualifying e‑bikes.
- Find your perfect ride: Our comprehensive buyer’s guide walks you through how to choose the best e-bike for you.
Current E-Bikers
- Share your story: Help us inspire others by sharing your e‑bike journey at BikeElectric@AvaEnergy.org.
- Become an advocate: Support bike-friendly policies in your city by joining your local bike coalition or connecting with a community group.