Riding in San Francisco/Bay Area?

[FlashUNC]

Figured I'd come to you guys for some insight on this one.

Long story short, I was laid off at the end of the year, and have been looking for new work since. An opportunity has come up working in San Francisco (job would be downtown in the financial district).

So curious about the riding in the area? Lots of choices for routes? Traffic a nightmare? Places I might look to live where I could get to the decent road riding fairly easily?

Appreciate the lowdown from you locals.

[akelman]

Feel free to PM me, Flash, if you want details. But the short story is we live about an hour from the city and have lots and lots of friends who are in the Bay Area. It's a wonderful place, filled with truly fantastic (epic?) riding. That said, yeah, traffic can be tough, so it's important to make sure that your commute will suit you. It's also ridiculously expensive, though we feel like we get pretty good value for our money.

Anyway, I'm sorry that you were laid off. The number of incredibly talented people I know -- no, not you; why would you think that? -- who have lost their jobs in the last few years is really staggering.

[rspecker]

But glad you found a new gig.

Road riding in the SF Bay Area is amazing.

Google search "Alpine Dam Ride San Francisco"

That is one of the best rides. So many others . . .

Have fun!

[DRietz]

But glad you found a new gig.

Road riding in the SF Bay Area is amazing.

Google search "Alpine Dam Ride San Francisco"

That is one of the best rides. So many others . . .

Have fun!

Not to mention mountain biking...

[beeatnik]

The city called The City is quite a great city for intermodal commuting.

[roguedog]

As everyone says great varied riding all over bay area.

Traffic depends on where you'll live. If you're going to live in "The City" you're riding ..well in the city. Expect congested urban commuting conditions.

If you live outside the city, it'll depend where you settle but if you're in the financial district might want to look for a place close to Bart station.

But wherever you end up, there's really great riding everywhere, north bay, south bay, east bay..all great and varied. And really it's all close enough to just make day trips to the various areas.

Today was gorgeous. High 60s and sunny. (We really need some rain tho)

Congratz.

[eddief]

and live in Fairfax. Given a choice that would be my choice. Right on the edge of incredible open space for road or trail. Mt Tam, Pt Reyes Station, Inverness, Nicasio, The Cheese Factory, Bolinas on and on and on. Or come to Berkeley and Bart to SF. Then Mt Diablo can be your oyster.

[forrestw]

I spent a week in SF last winter and quite enjoyed the riding, plan to stash a bike there w/ friends for future visits. Being habituated to riding in Boston I found SF similar but bigger. I loved the steepness of the town.

I was also surprised to see not so many fixed gear rigs.

[54ny77]

here's my $0.02: depends on budget but if you can swing it, live somewhere close to golden gate so you can get over to marin county, a.k.a. really, really good riding for as long as you basically want. neighborhoods could include the marina, cow hollow, russian hill, richmond, and so forth. it's a 20-30 min. (+/-) schlep to get over the gg bridge for the most part from most of those neighborhoods, so factor that into your riding schedule.

importantly, if your work life is going to suck in terms of hours/demands, then you def. want easy access to downtown since that's the vast majority of weekly time commitment, and you don't want that to be a source of frustration. make sure it's near a muni bus line (trackless trolly or regular bus). in ancient times, i was in russian hill and could take either mode downtown for work (or hop a cab if i was lucky--san fran is a joke when it comes to cab availability). for riding, it was a fairly quick downhill jaunt through marina green and onto the bridge. coming back kinda sucked: the down hill out became uphill back....which was an agonizing march home if the "real" part of the ride was itself hard. :crap:

[54ny77]

Eddief: Fairfax has some STEEP roads!

That's a fun little town, been there many, many times (good family friends lived there for some time).

and live in Fairfax. Given a choice that would be my choice. Right on the edge of incredible open space for road or trail. Mt Tam, Pt Reyes Station, Inverness, Nicasio, The Cheese Factory, Bolinas on and on and on. Or come to Berkeley and Bart to SF. Then Mt Diablo can be your oyster.

[bagochips3]

I live in Marin. Awesome riding in Marin for sure, but the riding in the east bay is great too and there's some awesome riding down around Woodside as well.

I used to commute to downtown and it was a :20 ride/drive to the Larkspur Ferry and a :40 ride to the Sausalito Ferry for me. Those are great commute options if you don't want to ride all the way in (1:30 or so). As others have mentioned, BART is a good option, but don't rule out the ferries for commuting to downtown; especially if your office is near the ferry building.

[alexstar]

The City is the epicenter for truly great riding. Live in the inner Richmond district if you want easy access to Marin via the Golden Gate Bridge.

[jimsantos]

Wow, I hardly know where to begin.

Of course, I'm probably a little biased having been raised in the Bay Area most of my life, and being a San Francisco resident as of earlier this year, but I LOVE the riding out here, and it's a fantastic place to live and develop/explore career opportunities.

As some have said, cost-of-living can be a little high IN the actual city of SF, so definitely expect to spend a good chunk of time hunting around if you want a good deal on housing/rental. The rental market is particularly cutthroat these days, so be ready for ridiculous situations like on-the-spot 1yr commitments, 30min open houses with 25+ people, and potential renters upping the ante with homemade baked goods.

Traffic can be quite hectic if you're commuting along major freeways (101, 280) or intra-city arteries (Market, Van Ness, etc.). That said, working downtown and living anywhere north of 18th St. and East of 19th Ave. would be ideal. Since most of the easily-accessible riding is north of the GG bridge, someplace within that Northeast region of the city would be a great balance between work and play. Only can be a major lack of parking unless you have a dedicated spot or garage (same story downtown).

We live near Corona Heights Park/Randall Museum and I can get downtown in about 10-15 min via bike, over the GG bridge in about 25-30.

Hope this helps - Good luck!

[jimsantos]

I definitely second the east bay, south bay and peninsula riding as well. Amazing scenery/roads up and down the Santa Cruz mountains, and plenty of routes along and out to the ocean as well!

You won't regret the move!

[pavel]

Bay Area #1

[slowpoke]

If you work in the city, live in the city. If you work in the East Bay (Oakland, Berkeley, Emeryville), live out there. Even though there are BART lines connecting the two sides of the Bay, the commute on BART isn't that great, especially with the bicycle restrictions during rush hour.

That being said, if you're looking for housing in the city, the "best" neighborhoods for biking would be the Panhandle or Inner Richmond. Panhandle has access to plenty of grocery stores, and a handful of buses to take you downtown. And there's also Freewheel Hayes, which has a workshop you can pay a membership for (so you don't need to own tools).

Inner Richmond has more of a neighborhood feel with lots of Asian eateries and grocery stores, a great bookstore, coffeeshops, and barrs. It's slightly further away from downtown, but there are rush hour buses, and it's closer to Golden Gate Bridge for riding.

And of course there's the Mission, but I'll let all the sw8 NJS fixie riders talk about how it's losing its flavor with the influx of dot-commers.

[Charles M]

One word...


Compact.



Two more...

eleven, twenty eight.

[tiretrax]

Really, there's great riding in every direction and every type you could want.

[mvrider]

I'll echo everything that has already been said, but would like to add that the most iconic ride for me in the Bay Area is Conzelman Road in the Marin Headlands. After crossing the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco, you climb up past WWII fortifications to amazing views of the Gate, the Bridge, the Pacific, and the City. At the top of the climb is Hawk Hill, where in the Fall, raptors gather before making the water crossing. On a clear day, I can't imagine a more spectacular combination of vistas.

Recently, construction on Conzelman Road has resulted in wide and smooth bike lanes. On the other side, the road (still under construction) drops quickly back to sea level, passing more fortifications, stopping by Pt Bonita lighthouse. The view from this lighthouse is unusual in that it looks back at the Golden Gate Bridge from the ocean side. Continuing on, there are rolling hills through the Golden Gate National Recreational Area. Eventually you'll find yourself riding through a tunnel (with a bike lane!), and on to Sausalito. Once you dodge the tourists, many great paths remain. Or, you can just take the ferry back to the City.

Enjoy your new job and adventure!

[FlashUNC]

One word...


Compact.



Two more...

eleven, twenty eight.

That's one of my bigger concerns, since I'd be moving from a relatively flat area. Charlotte's just got rollers that you can punch over more than long, sustained climbing.

Any thoughts on gearing from folks out there?

[eddief]

i rode 50 miles yesterday with 4300 feet of climbing. oh god.

i ride with a road triple with a 26 tooth granny. and a mt long cage in the rear, with yes, an 11-34 cassette.

for the 50 miles yesterday, i only visited my granny for one short steep pitch at the top of Pinehurst. but was all over my middle ring and the full range of my cassette all day long.

as i said...old and slow twitch. and i think my moustache slows me down a lot.

how strong are ya?


That's one of my bigger concerns, since I'd be moving from a relatively flat area. Charlotte's just got rollers that you can punch over more than long, sustained climbing.

Any thoughts on gearing from folks out there?

[norcalbiker]

I live outside San Francisco but I do work in Financial District. If you're going to live in SF, then you can ride between 10-11 months of the year from home to work. Unless you don't mind riding in the rain, then you can commute all year long. As for riding a road bike, you can cross the Golden Gate Bridge and explore the whole Marin CO and beyond. You can also go the other way which is South bound and explore the Peninsula riding area.

[mvrider]

Boy-racers around here will fly up the 9% grades using corn-cob cassettes. Me, I've been pretty content with 50-34 up front, 13-29 out back. That gives me a lower ratio than the 52-42-30 and 12-25 that I used to ride. My wife rides 50-34 x 11-34.

This link has great descriptions of the routes in the Peninsula area, and slightly beyond:
http://cycling.stanford.edu/

We have a number of very active clubs and LBSs of various stripes (racing/recreational/touring/etc.). They organize weekly rides and have huge databases of routes as well. You won't be alone.

For urban cyclists, San Francisco has an active Critical Mass (http://www.sfcriticalmass.org/) movement. It's a hoot to observe, as long as you're not stuck behind them in a car.

[oldpotatoe]

i rode 50 miles yesterday with 4300 feet of climbing. oh god.

i ride with a road triple with a 26 tooth granny. and a mt long cage in the rear, with yes, an 11-34 cassette.

for the 50 miles yesterday, i only visited my granny for one short steep pitch at the top of Pinehurst. but was all over my middle ring and the full range of my cassette all day long.

as i said...old and slow twitch. and i think my moustache slows me down a lot.



That's it!!

http://www.vecchios.com/who.html

[bobswire]

If you are in bike shape (I'll be going on 67 next month and get by) you can ride most anyplace with 53/39 crank and 12-27 cassette within the city, but if you head out for some extended climbs having a compact or triple x11-28 will be most welcomed.
Feel free to contact me if you end up in the city proper. Born, raised and still live here.
There are some nice rides within cirty limits with little traffic once you know your way around. :beer:

Twin Peaks, within 3 miles from my house. I ride it when I want a quick climb but don't have much time.
http://i51.tinypic.com/dn205y.jpg

Fort Funston off of Skyline Nice ride from my place in the outer mission.
http://i55.tinypic.com/5fnjeq.jpg

Cliff House, above GG park and Ocean.
http://i55.tinypic.com/282osqg.jpg

Skyline Dr.
http://i53.tinypic.com/2aht7wp.jpg

Lands End above Cliff House on way to GG Bridge
http://i56.tinypic.com/156emwp.jpg

Down the road apiece you have Woodside Ca.has some of this best climbs and road riding you could ever want and situated within 35mi from S.F.

http://i56.tinypic.com/1o4ltv.jpg
http://i53.tinypic.com/2a77ejp.jpg
http://i53.tinypic.com/wumljr.jpg

I could go on but you get the idea.

[John H.]

I live in Fairfax and can say that the riding is really good right out of my front door- however, you may want to consider if living in Fairfax is a good idea based on how you will be getting to work and what hours you work.
If you want to bike commute or do a combo of bike/ferry- Fairfax is pretty good.
If you are driving from Fairfax to SF and back daily- you will hate it. Traffic backs up in and around Fairfax. Problem is that none of the roads were made for that level of car traffic. Sir Francis Drake is main route- it is slow.
If car commuting daily maybe a location closer to freeway like San Rafael, Corte Madera, or Larkspur would be better.
But as I said- best riding is out of Fairfax. I can take a right turn and ride to Orgegon without unclipping a pedal. Pretty much same story for offroad.

[biker72]

I took a motorcycle trip from Texas through the bay area back in 1989. I wasn't thinking too much about bicycling back then.

This has been a very informative thread for me. Thanks to all the bay area posters.... :)

[rpm]

My son lives in Burlingame, and I'm building a bike to stash there. Advice for great rides on the peninsula?

[mvrider]

See my earlier link above to routes in the Peninsula. From Burlingame, you could head up into the hills and hook up with Skyline Blvd. Going south past the Crystal Springs reservoirs will take you down to Cañada Rd, which will hook you up with the fantastic loops (and hundreds of cyclists) out of Woodside.

Favorite loop, about 35 miles, 4000 ft of climbing (more if you go through Pescadero):
* Old La Honda Rd up to Skyline
* West Old La Honda down to highway 84
* Highway 84 to La Honda
* If you keep going straight from there, you'll reach San Gregorio, which is just a mile (if that) from the Pacific. Alternatively, find your way to Pescadero, and get back to San Gregorio over Stage Rd
* Continue on Stage Rd up to Highway 1
* Right turn on Tunitas Creek Rd up to Skyline
* Descend Kings Mountain Rd back down to Woodside and hook up with Cañada Rd

[rpm]

See my earlier link above to routes in the Peninsula.

Thanks! Missed your earlier link. I'm equipping the bike (a Serotta Attack from Liberace) with a 105 triple and 11-28, so I hope to be good for anything there!

[54ny77]

i lived in burlingame for awhile. are you up in hills or the flatlands? there are at least a half dozen ways to get there, but either way, eventually get yourself to the 92/280/ralson/canada rd. intersection (where canada rd. begins). all the action starts there, you'll see hundreds of cyclists, etc. i used to ride crystal springs to polhemus to ralson, which was most direct from where i lived (near trousdale). there's a bike path at top of ralston that drops down to canada rd once you cross over the pedestrain overpass on 280, fyi (or, it used to be there--it's been several years since i've ridden in that neck of woods).

from beginning of canada, it's game on to the best riding in the peninsula--woodside, palo alto, portola, etc. etc.

gearing: totally depends on fitness. back then, i was in much better shape. i doubt i had much more than 39x25-26. today, i'd be whimpering for a compact and not embarrassed to be pushing a 27-28 in the back.

is copenhagen bakery still around on burlingame ave? if so, post-ride pickled herring sandwich and cold beer is righteous.

My son lives in Burlingame, and I'm building a bike to stash there. Advice for great rides on the peninsula?

[eddief]

some of us are either in better shape or genetically more gifted than others.

all i got was a sense of humor.

That's it!!

http://www.vecchios.com/who.html

[rpm]

I figured out how to get to that intersection last summer. The bike path is still there, as is the Copenhagen, but I'd take a pastry over pickled herring! My son, who is a 130 lb climber, actually switched his Felt from a compact to a regular crank. I was on a steel Lemond rental and was glad for the triple on it. My only consolation was that I could drop him on long straight descents.

i lived in burlingame for awhile. are you up in hills or the flatlands? there are at least a half dozen ways to get there, but either way, eventually get yourself to the 92/280/ralson/canada rd. intersection (where canada rd. begins). all the action starts there, you'll see hundreds of cyclists, etc. i used to ride crystal springs to polhemus to ralson, which was most direct from where i lived (near trousdale). there's a bike path at top of ralston that drops down to canada rd once you cross over the pedestrain overpass on 280, fyi (or, it used to be there--it's been several years since i've ridden in that neck of woods).

from beginning of canada, it's game on to the best riding in the peninsula--woodside, palo alto, portola, etc. etc.

gearing: totally depends on fitness. back then, i was in much better shape. i doubt i had much more than 39x25-26. today, i'd be whimpering for a compact and not embarrassed to be pushing a 27-28 in the back.

is copenhagen bakery still around on burlingame ave? if so, post-ride pickled herring sandwich and cold beer is righteous.

[cnighbor1]

Just do a search for Grizzy Peak cyclists and you will get my club
click on cue sheets and you will every decent ride one can do in the bay area
If you need a place to stay in SF area for a few days my spare bedroom is emtpy now Yours free for a few days. Just buy some food to cook
Charles Nighbor Walnut Creek Next to B.A.R.T.
925 708-1295

[trangalang]

Conzelman:
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5127/5359754626_99f60b18ac_b.jpg

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5047/5359141493_df3684dd46_b.jpg

[bobswire]

i lived in burlingame for awhile. are you up in hills or the flatlands? there are at least a half dozen ways to get there, but either way, eventually get yourself to the 92/280/ralson/canada rd. intersection (where canada rd. begins). all the action starts there, you'll see hundreds of cyclists, etc. i used to ride crystal springs to polhemus to ralson, which was most direct from where i lived (near trousdale). there's a bike path at top of ralston that drops down to canada rd once you cross over the pedestrain overpass on 280, fyi (or, it used to be there--it's been several years since i've ridden in that neck of woods).

from beginning of canada, it's game on to the best riding in the peninsula--woodside, palo alto, portola, etc. etc.

gearing: totally depends on fitness. back then, i was in much better shape. i doubt i had much more than 39x25-26. today, i'd be whimpering for a compact and not embarrassed to be pushing a 27-28 in the back.

is copenhagen bakery still around on burlingame ave? if so, post-ride pickled herring sandwich and cold beer is righteous.


Small world, my brother lives in Burlingame (Easton Dr.) I often ride there and back from my place in San Francisco. Head out to the Ocean via Lake Merced then catch Skyline onto hwy35 pass San Andreas Lake then back on Skyline to Burlingame. http://g.co/maps/tshbn

Bike path along San Andreas Lake frontage road.

http://i39.tinypic.com/34t7lat.jpg

http://i42.tinypic.com/4tomwz.jpg

[benitosan1972]

I ride everything out here between SF-SJ.
Standard 53/39 & 12/25. Not a problem.
If anyone wants advice/help/suggestions
for rides, just ask. I'm even familiar with
Marin & East Bay/Oakland Hills. Basically,
there is something good to ride in every
part of the Bay Area. We have it all, and
good weather/active cycling culture to boot.

[fogrider]

as so many have posted there are great rides in the bay area...but there is a dark side. watch out for spoiled teenagers and just loud mouths that thing they and their suvs own the road. keep vigilant and keep those spidey senses on.

[benitosan1972]

Especially in the wealthier areas like Burlingame, Hillsborough, Foster City, Palo Alto, Los Gatos, etc. It seems that the richer you are, the more sense of entitlement to the road you have :(. Watchout for kids (and moms & dads) driving those Bimmers & Mini Crappers

[jimsantos]

As Bennet said, it always seems like the wealthier areas are teeming with high school students in brand-new SUVs.

That said, the more common bike routes tend to be a little more mellow.

A couple links to get you started:

http://www.penvelo.org/secondary/rides.html
http://bicycling.511.org/maps.htm
http://www.paloaltobicycles.com/resources/group-rides/