For bikers seeking pure simplicity on a paved, car-free path, the Alameda Creek Regional Trail in Fremont is a family-friendly route. The trail rolls along the southern side of Alameda Creek, from the bay's marshlands to the beginning of the foothills near Niles. Coyote Hills Regional Park, near the trail's western terminus, is a good staging area; but bikers can start anywhere along the 12-mile stretch (there are plenty of mile markers along the trail). Don't worry about crossing busy streets: in an example of well-executed urban planning, the Alameda Creek Regional Trail dips underneath busy intersections, sparing traffic-light waits. The path also passes behind residential neighborhoods and parallels some streets, so it's not exactly a nature ride, but it's a sweet roll all the same.
To reach the staging area at Coyote Hills Regional Park: from I-880 in Fremont, go west on Highway 84 toward the Dumbarton Bridge. Exit Newark Blvd./Ardenwood and go right onto Ardenwood. Turn left onto Commerce and follow the signs into the park. Park at the visitor center. Start on the unmarked gravel trail, about 100 feet before the visitor center; this is the Chochenyo Trail. Follow it .2 mile; then continue to the right on it. It becomes the Dust Trail, which takes you to the paved Alameda Creek Regional Trail. Non-mountain bikes should ride out Patterson Ranch Rd., make a left onto Paseo Padre Parkway, and a left again onto Ardenwood. This leads right to the Alameda Creek Regional Trail.