Race Weekend · Explore Berkeley
Before and after the Berkeley Streets Criterium: eat, explore and experience Berkeley
Race Berkeley. Then experience Berkeley.
You came for the bike race. Stay for the coffee, food, campus, shops, music, art and everything else that makes Berkeley Berkeley. Whether you're racing Berkeley Streets, watching from the barriers, volunteering, or traveling with someone who's racing, there's plenty to do before and after the criterium.
Race day in Berkeley at a glance
- Before the race
- Coffee and breakfast downtown, a short walk from the course
- Between races
- Downtown Berkeley, the UC Berkeley campus, BAMPFA and Telegraph Avenue
- Kids
- Free skills clinic at 11:00 a.m., kids race at 11:45 a.m.Kids clinic and kids race
- After the race
- Dinner downtown, from pizza on a patio to Louisiana cooking
The short answer
Visitors at the Berkeley Streets Criterium can explore Downtown Berkeley, the UC Berkeley campus and Telegraph Avenue, with local restaurants, coffee shops, bookstores, record stores and museums, before and after the racing. Downtown Berkeley and the campus are a short walk from the course, so the criterium can be a full day in Berkeley rather than a single race.
A race that's part of the community
Berkeley Streets isn't a race happening next to a community. It's a race that's part of the community. The race brings visitors to Berkeley's businesses, and those businesses are a big part of what makes Berkeley worth traveling to race.
Before Berkeley Streets
Start with coffee
Bike racers and coffee aren't exactly strangers. Two good places to start, close to the course and the campus:
SIGNAL Coffee Roasters
Downtown Berkeley · 2130 Center Street
- Why go
- A downtown cafe from an East Bay roaster, a short walk from the course.
- Good for
- Coffee before the racing, or a break between races
1951 Coffee Company
Near campus and Telegraph · 2410 Channing Way
- Why go
- A cafe on the south side of campus, on the way to Telegraph Avenue.
- Good for
- A stop on a campus or Telegraph walk
Racing today? Stick with your usual caffeine and pre-race food. Race morning isn't the time to try a new routine.
Racing later? Grab breakfast.
La Note
Shattuck Avenue · 2377 Shattuck Avenue
- Why go
- A breakfast and brunch restaurant on Shattuck Avenue.
- Good for
- Spectators and families with time before the racing
If you're racing, eat what you know. If you're spectating, Berkeley gives you a lot more freedom.
Come watch Berkeley Streets
Coffee finished? Come to the race. A criterium is easy to watch because the racers come past again and again: you can see attacks, primes, breakaways and the final lap from different spots around the course.
How to watch Berkeley Streets →
Heard the announcer call a prime? Here's what it means:
Got time between races?
Criterium racing runs from morning to late afternoon, field after field. Don't sit by the barriers staring at your phone for three hours: go see some of Berkeley. Just keep an eye on the time for your race, or the one you want to watch.
Have 30 to 60 minutes? Walk around Downtown Berkeley
Visit Berkeley calls downtown the city's urban hub for arts, dining, shopping and lodging, with restaurants steps from Downtown Berkeley BART. Get a coffee, a quick meal or dessert, take a short walk, browse the shops, and stay close.
Have 1 to 2 hours? Walk through UC Berkeley
You're racing in one of America's best-known university towns. You don't need a campus tour: just go for a walk past Sather Gate, Sather Tower (the Campanile) and Sproul Plaza. Racing later? This is sightseeing, not a recovery hike. Check the university's visitor services for current campus information.
UC Berkeley visitor services →
Visit BAMPFA
Perfect for "my partner is racing for 45 minutes and I have several hours in Berkeley."
BAMPFA
Downtown Berkeley · 2155 Center Street
- Why go
- The Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, near campus and Downtown Berkeley BART.
- Good for
- Family members with a few hours while someone races
Experience Telegraph Avenue
Telegraph is one of Berkeley's best-known streets: Visit Berkeley describes it as the place where the counterculture came to Berkeley, filled with restaurants, bookstores, shops and street vendors.
Visit Berkeley: Telegraph Avenue →
Amoeba Music
Telegraph Avenue · 2455 Telegraph Avenue
- Why go
- Records and music on Telegraph since 1990.
- Good for
- Browsing on a Telegraph walk
Moe's Books
Telegraph Avenue · 2476 Telegraph Avenue
- Why go
- Visit Berkeley calls it arguably Berkeley's most storied bookseller.
- Good for
- An hour of browsing
You finished. Don't leave Berkeley yet.
You crossed the finish. Your heart rate eventually came back down. The bike is intact. Now eat something. A few different options downtown and by campus:
Jupiter
Downtown Berkeley · 2181 Shattuck Avenue
- Why go
- Pizza and beer downtown, with a big outdoor patio.
- Good for
- Teams and groups after the racing
Gather
Downtown, by campus · 2200 Oxford Street
- Why go
- An organic East Bay restaurant across from campus.
- Good for
- A sit-down dinner after racing
Comal
Downtown Berkeley · 2020 Shattuck Avenue
- Why go
- Mexican food downtown, with a patio.
- Good for
- Dinner and celebrating
Great China
Downtown, by campus · 2190 Bancroft Way
- Why go
- Chinese food a block from campus.
- Good for
- Sharing plates with a group
Angeline's Louisiana Kitchen
Downtown Berkeley · 2261 Shattuck Avenue
- Why go
- Louisiana cooking on Shattuck Avenue.
- Good for
- Something different after the race
Check each restaurant's current hours before you go; we don't list hours or prices because they change.
Bring the team
After racing, teams want somewhere to eat, sit together, talk about the race and celebrate. Call ahead about seating a group: availability isn't guaranteed on a busy weekend.
You can talk about that attack for the next two hours
Everyone saw you get caught. That's okay. Get some food and talk about it anyway. Bike racing is partly racing bikes and partly explaining afterward why the move definitely would have worked if everyone else had just cooperated.
Need something for the bike?
A tube, a tire, a chain, CO2, a pump, race food or a repair: Berkeley has bike shops close to the course. Call ahead for service availability.
Trek Bicycle Berkeley
South Berkeley · 1045 Ashby Avenue
- Why go
- Hosted the Berkeley Streets kids clinic.
- Good for
- Parts, repairs and race-weekend essentials
Mike's Bikes of Berkeley
University Avenue · 1824 University Avenue
- Why go
- A full bike shop near downtown and the campus.
- Good for
- Parts, repairs and race-weekend essentials
Stay True Cycles
North Berkeley · 2116 Vine Street
- Why go
- A bike shop in North Berkeley.
- Good for
- Parts, repairs and race-weekend essentials
Sports Basement Berkeley
South of downtown · 2727 Milvia Street
- Why go
- An outdoor and sporting goods store with a bike department.
- Good for
- Tubes, nutrition, clothing and other basics
Your family doesn't have to watch every lap
We love bike racing. We also know your partner or kids may not want to watch every field for eight hours. Give them options:
- Watch your race
- Then
- Explore downtown or the campus
- Back for
- Kids skills clinic and kids raceClinic at 11:00 a.m.; kids race at 11:45 a.m.
- Then
- Food
Everything families need for the kids clinic and race:
Make a day of Berkeley Streets
| When | What |
|---|---|
| Morning | Coffee downtown, watch the early races, then walk through campus or downtown. |
| Midday | Back for the kids skills clinic at 11:00 a.m. and the kids race at 11:45 a.m., then lunch and more racing. |
| Afternoon | The day's later races, then a walk on Telegraph or downtown. |
| Evening | Team or family dinner, and celebrating. |
An example, not a schedule: check the race schedule for the fields you want to see.
Support the community that supports the race
The Berkeley Omnium exists because bike racing is a community effort. While you're here, grab coffee from a local cafe, eat at a Berkeley restaurant, browse a local shop, or visit one of the city's cultural destinations. Your race weekend can support the community that hosts it, too.
Explore Berkeley with Visit Berkeley →
Staying over? Where to stay, and getting here:
Are you a Berkeley business?
The Berkeley Omnium brings racers, teams, families, volunteers and spectators to the East Bay for race weekend, and we want them to experience the businesses that make Berkeley special. If you're a cafe, restaurant, hotel, retailer, bike shop or local organization interested in connecting with the cycling community, we'd love to talk.
Questions
Before and after the Berkeley Streets Criterium: eat, explore and experience Berkeley: FAQ
What can I do before the Berkeley Streets Criterium?
Get coffee or breakfast downtown, a short walk from the course, then come watch the early races. Racing yourself? Stick to your usual pre-race food.
Where can I eat after Berkeley Streets?
Downtown Berkeley and the streets by campus have plenty of options, from Jupiter's pizza and patio to Gather, Comal, Great China and Angeline's Louisiana Kitchen. Check current hours before you go.
What can families do while someone is racing?
Explore downtown or the UC Berkeley campus, visit BAMPFA, walk Telegraph Avenue, and come back for the free kids skills clinic at 11:00 a.m. and kids race at 11:45 a.m.
Kids clinic and kids race →What is near Downtown Berkeley?
The UC Berkeley campus, BAMPFA, Telegraph Avenue's bookstores and record stores, and many restaurants and cafes, most within walking distance of Downtown Berkeley BART.
Can I visit UC Berkeley during race weekend?
Yes, you can walk the campus, past Sather Gate, Sather Tower and Sproul Plaza. Check UC Berkeley's visitor services for current campus information.
UC Berkeley visitor services →Where can a cycling team eat after racing?
Downtown restaurants with outdoor space, like Jupiter or Comal, can suit a team, but call ahead about seating a group: availability isn't guaranteed.