11-mile ride in Oakland this Friday, February 11th! Starts at 8pm and ends with enough time to hop onto BART for those commuting in pro-bike. Beginning near Laney College, riding Lakeside Dr by Lake Merritt, up Broadway towards Piedmont Ave. (and past Montano Velo), across Moraga Ave. back through Crocker Highlands and Dimond district, before looping south on Fruitvale Ave., under MacArthur 580 freeway, and back to Lake Merritt on Foothill Blvd.

For complete directions, go to the East Bay Bike Party website.

Lots of breweries and pubs on board for the “SF Beer Week” February 11 thru 20th. Everywhere from Richmond to Fremont and Livermore and in between, there’s bound to be a point you can join. East Bay highlights include:

• 12% imports night: The Trappist 460 8th St Old Oakland. If you’ve ever had a beer over 7%, you know the bouncy and lively buzz you net after one pint. Located in Old Oakland, around the corner from Starbucks on Broadway across from Chinatown.
• Beer-Chef Bruce’s Brunch: Barclay’s 5940 College Ave. The fish ‘n chips are signature here, all the food is of a high level and here, Bruce Paton pairs up a beer-themed brunch menu. The restaurant is a) bike friendly and b) dog friendly! They are also doing a Battle of the Bay night featuring 6 breweries from 21st Amendment, Speakeasy, Magnolia, Linden St. and Triple Rock.
• West Bay meets East Bay: Beer Revolution, 464 3rd St. Oakland. 7 breweries do battle in the arena. Beer Revolution is also hosting Terrence Sullivan, the Brewmaster for Sierra Nevada, and Adam Linden, the brewer-owner of Linden St. brewery in the Jack London Square area.
• Anderson Valley Brewing: Bobby G’s Pizzeria, 2072 University Ave., Berkeley, featuring a half dozen varieties from Anderson Valley. Not a fan of Berkeley, but this event may be worth the visit. All that matters is the Boont Amber Ale, one of the top 10 beers in my hall of fame! Morever, Bobby G’s is tapping Pliny the Younger (11% ABV!), an A+ rated Imperial IPA, on February 18th at 3pm.

For complete schedule and locations, check out the official San Francisco Brewers Build SF Beer Week site.