All routes:

From the Hayward BART station, go east on 'A' Street for about 1 mile.
Turn right on Grove Way.  Grove Way becomes Crow Canyon Road after about
1 mile.  Continue along Crow Canyon Road.  Crow Canyon is a gradual climb,
use a low gear.  It's recently been repaved and widened, but the shoulder
was kind of tacked on and is rough in places.  Stay on Crow Canyon until
Norris Canyon Road (about 3 miles).

Turn right on Norris Canyon Road.  Norris Canyon is a winding road through
farmland with practically no traffic.  It slopes up gradually (with 
occasional steep pitches) for about a mile, then climbs fairly steeply
for a mile.  This is the hardest hill you'll find on a beginner's route,
and we'll probably stop 2 or 3 times on the way up.

After a total of 2 miles, we reach the county line and the descent, which
is fun and fast, with pretty good pavement and little braking required.
The descent lasts for about 2 miles, then Norris Canyon crosses
Bollinger Canyon Road and heads into a residential area.  Soon after
that, we hit San Ramon Valley Road.

Turn left on San Ramon Valley Road.  Take San Ramon Valley Road about
4 miles to Diablo Road in Danville (it's not well-marked, but it's soon
after entering downtown Danville).


Easy route:

Continue along San Ramon Valley Road (becomes Danville Boulevard).  This
road gradually declines all the way into Walnut Creek; enjoy it.  Take it
about 6 more miles into Walnut Creek.  After you go under the freeway,
it's about one more mile to Ygnatio Valley Road.  Turn left, the
Walnut Creek BART station is on your right 2 blocks up.  Total riding
about 20 miles.

Intermediate+Advanced routes:

Turn right on Diablo Road.  They've recently repaved much of this road
and changed the signs from last year; it used to go through some name
changes but now it's Diablo Road the whole way.  After about 2 miles
it comes to an intersection with El Cerro Road; Diablo Road turns right,
and so do we.  After another mile or two, and some short, somewhat steep
climbs, we hit South Gate Road.

Turn left on South Gate Road.  South Gate Road averages about a 5% grade for 
about 6 miles.  It's a really nice ride, especially if the weather is clear, 
but don't blow yourself out too early.  The road surface below the entrance
to the state part is horrible; the road in the state park has just been
repaved.  Most of this climb is gradual but there are some steep pitches.
We'll probably stop fairly often; there are some nice south and east views
if it's clear.

After about 4 miles we hit the actual gate; there's a water fountain there
if anyone needs it.  After the gate there's about a mile of relatively
flat road with campsites and picnic areas off to the side; most have
water fountains and restrooms.  The road in this area is shaded and cooler.
About a mile later the climb resumes in earnest, again around 5% with
steeper pitches.  Another mile later we pass through to the other side
of the mountain, around the 2000 foot marker; there, the climb becomes
somewhat steeper.  A mile after that we hit the ranger station.


Intermediate route:

Go through the intersection and descend on North Gate Road.  There are
some sharp turns which require braking on North Gate Road; be prepared.
The descent seems to last forever and it's easy to get distracted; 
don't be.  There are portions of the road where there's gravel in the
turns, and when I rode it earlier this week there was a lot of
squirrel activity, including one that nearly ran out under my wheel.

Turn right when North Gate Road ends, then make an immediate left on Walnut 
Avenue.  Take Walnut Avenue about 4 miles to Treat Boulevard.  Turn
left on Treat.  After about a mile the Pleasant Hill BART station will
be on your right.  Total riding is 40 miles.


Advanced route:

Turn right on Summit Road.  Summit Road averages about a 7% grade for 5
miles, but it's a very rewarding climb.  The last bit is a footpath that
I usually find too steep to ride up, but someone on a lighter bike might
want to; it's only about 100 feet.  Hang out at the top, have a drink and
a snack while your pulse calms down a little.  On a clear day you can
see south to Yosemite, east to the Sierra Nevada, and north to Red Bluff
from the summit.

After you cool down, descend Summit Road back to the ranger station;
turn right on North Gate Road.  Follow the intermediate route from there.  
Total riding is 50 miles.