Remember when you finally got to ditch the training wheels and go it alone on two wheels? Recapture that old-time freedom by putting your pedal to the metal at these three biking gems.

April biking is brilliant on Angel Island. The ferry schedule has expanded, but the summer crowds haven't arrived yet—and the weather's usually calm, warm, and fog-free. So hop on the ferry, then ditch the Disneyland-style tram tour in favor of exploring the island on your own. Bring your two-wheeler or rent one at Ayala Cove ($10/hour or $35/day). For an easy and impressively scenic tour, pedal the mostly paved Perimeter Road (some patches are a bit gravelly). The five-mile route roams past historic old military buildings and sweet-scented eucalyptus forests. Some of the best viewpoints are on the southern end of the road by Battery Ledyard. From there you can score a double-bridge view of the Golden Gate and the Bay Bridge in full form. Pack a good lunch, stake out a bench, and indulge in some heavenly lounge time. More information.

Ferry from San Francisco: $14.50.

Ferry from Tiburon: $11.25 with the bike, $10.25 without.

Bring a windbreaker for the ferry ride over and a bike lock for the island if you anticipate exploring on foot.

Whether you're a newbie or a fat-tire veteran, China Camp State Park has a trail for you. Named after an 1880s shrimp-fishing village settled by Chinese immigrants, this popular place offers a variety of well-maintained trails, including a real Marin rarity: legal singletrack. Shoreline Trail is smooth and never gets too steep, making it ideal for beginners. Intermediate and advanced riders can tackle the steeper, faster, and bumpier Bay View and Peacock Gap Trails leading down from the Nike radar base and weaving through grassy woodlands. Tasty!

Directions: Take Highway 101 to the North San Pedro exit and drive east 3.5 miles to the park. Park along the road near Back Ranch Meadows. Follow the trail to the Shoreline Trail to the right of the kiosk. Beginners should stay on Shoreline and link it with Village Trail all the way to China Camp Village. Intermediates turn right on Bay View Trail and follow this uphill connecting with Echo Trail to Bay Hills Drive, turn left, and go even further (and steeper) uphill to the Nike radar base. Continue on Ridge Fire Rd., and left at Back Ranch Fire Trail for a steep downhill. Turn right on Bay View Trail, and left at the junction with Ridge Fire Rd. Turn right on Oak Ridge Trail, which links up with Peacock Gap Trail. This takes you to Shoreline Trail which takes you back to your car.

Forget Moab. Dump Durango. Some of the best mountain biking we've found is only two hours from Market Street in a rugged patch of woods called Boggs Mountain in southern Lake County. Packed with ponderosa pine and black fir, the forest is gloriously empty even on weekends. And the bikers who are there are apt to be old-school locals riding fully rigid mountain bikes and sporting neon Oakley Blades. They're ridin' for the pure love of it. And oh, those trails—toothpick-tight singletrack rolling up and down through the forest. You'll have your pick, so get a map at the kiosk located below the parking area near the fire station. Our favorites were "John's" and "Karen's" (almost all the trails are on a first-name basis here) but we're pretty sure you'll find your own sweet sections. The terrain never gets super technical; it's just swooping singletrack that one local described as "like low-level flying through a forest." Buckle up! More information.

TIP: After your flight, grab a brew and some comfort food at the newly opened Saw Mill Café & Bistro. Try the fried chicken (all dishes are garnished with an exotic flower) and check out the historic newspaper headlines, from Nixon's resignation to the German surrender in WWII.

Saw Mill Café & Bistro, 16555 Highway 175, Cobb; 707-928-4086.

Directions to Boggs Mountain Demonstration State Forest: Take 101 North. In Santa Rosa, exit Highway 12 going east. Go about 4 miles. Turn left on Calistoga Road and take it about 7 miles until Petrified Forest Road. Turn right and take it a few miles until you hit Highway 128, turn left and take it one mile. Turn right on Tubbs Lane, and then left on Highway 29. Take this all the way to Middletown. Once there, go north on Highway 175 toward Boggs Mountain. Just past Cobb, turn right where the sign says "CDF Fire Station" and park. Camping is available in the park.