Calling it a breakthrough, man pedals across bay

Judah Schiller pedals his way across the bay from Oakland to San Francisco on his specially outfitted bicycle. Judah Schiller pedals his way across the bay from Oakland to San Francisco on his specially outfitted bicycle. Photo: Mathew Sumner, Special To The Chronicle Photo: Mathew Sumner, Special To The Chronicle Image 1 of / 4 Caption Close Calling it a breakthrough, man pedals across bay 1 / 4 Back to Gallery

His name is Judah, and on Friday morning, across the glassy surface of the San Francisco Bay, he performed what bicycling evangelicals might call a miracle.

He rode on water.

Judah Schiller, 41, pedaled a water bike - a bicycle fixed atop a raft and geared to convert pedaling into power - from Oakland to San Francisco in a little more than an hour.

He may not have forever altered the commute from the East Bay.

But the roughly 4-mile trip, which took Schiller under the western span of the Bay Bridge as thousands of gas-churning cars rumbled above, was the first of its kind, he said.

"No buses, no cars, no taxis, no pedestrians," Schiller said as he floated into Pier 1 on the San Francisco side, winded but dry. "Next year, we'll have 500 bikers riding across a virtual bike lane on the bay with me."

The idea to go shore-to-shore came to Schiller four months ago while on a boat beneath the new eastern span of the Bay Bridge.

Like a lot of bicycling enthusiasts, Schiller was thrilled to see the bridge's bike path that will one day take riders to Treasure Island.

But he was less excited when he learned about the prospect of extending the path to San Francisco, which could take a decade and cost tens of millions of dollars.

"I thought, 'Why wait?' " Schiller said. "So I started using my nights to research."

Schiller, a designer by trade, found a few small manufacturers that made floating kits that would allow any bicycle to snap in. He said the inflatable attachments he used Friday, which can be carried in a small bag, came from Italy and cost about $1,000.

On the Oakland side of the bay, it took Schiller less than 10 minutes to transform his road bike into a water bike. He wore a T-shirt, board shorts and a flotation device around his waist, but no helmet.

He said the pursuit took practice, recalling his first attempt to cruise across the water in Bolinas.

"Everyone on the beach was watching me because they'd never seen such a thing," Schiller said. "So of course, I pedaled out and went right over the handlebars."

On Friday, he said his craft was more stable before he pedaled out from Port View Park in Oakland in ideal conditions - warm weather and calm water. The only commute hazard he feared was a cell phone call from a client.

"I'll be a little busy out there today," he said.

Schiller described riding the bay waters as a mix between road and mountain biking. At times, he glided along the surface. Then a ferry would cross in front of his path and create a wake he could see coming at him from a mile away.

"Then it was dipping up and down, more like mountain biking," he said.

He saw fish jump from the water and caught strange glances from passing sailors.

Ultimately, Schiller said, he would like to see more bicyclists take to the water. He's raising money for a group called the BayCycle Project and intends to promote water biking through events, group rides and possibly competitions.

"Mountain biking started in Marin County," Schiller said. "There's no reason, with this community, that water biking can't take off here too."

Schiller finally came ashore after his historic ride. As he was greeted by friends and family, he spoke like a man with a prophecy.

"This is the next evolution in biking," Schiller said. "Two-thirds of the planet is covered in water. In an iconic city that's literally surrounded by water, why not open a new frontier?"