SF on Velodromedary

Biking the Crosstown Trail, San Francisco

Wed, 26 Nov 2025 06:00:07 +0000

I highly recommend the Crosstown Trail, a grassroots-developed 17-mile hiking route across San Francisco that strings together existing paths through parks, urban greenways, stairs, and the bits of road needed to connect them.

There’s an associated bike route that combines parts of that trail with parallel road routes where it would be impractical to ride (though even this route also includes some carry-your-bike staircases and narrow dirt paths). Just imagine, you can experience all of this within the city limits:

Cool Grey City ride

Thu, 19 Nov 2015 01:55:00 +0000

I’ve been enjoying Cool Gray City of Love and taking notes every time he mentions an interesting vista, path, or historical intersection in SF I haven’t been to.

So… it seems worth a periodic ride around the city to check out some of them.

This Saturday, a Mission / Glen Park / Sunset route, including:

Several notable staircases (we’ll lock bikes at the bottom and hike up for views), two of the very few remaining old unpaved road segments in SF, Billy Goat Hill, and some of the last remaining evidence of the great sand dunes that once blanketed the Sunset.

Early pre-work ride to the ocean and Andytown

Sun, 13 Sep 2015 01:55:37 +0000

Early pre-work ride to the ocean and Andytown

Dogpatch / Bayview ride

Mon, 08 Sep 2014 00:33:00 +0000

My third or fourth time doing a variant on a 10-15 mile Dogpatch / Bayview shoreline ride, including old industrial buildings, murals, urban goats, the former site of Pound SF, Tire Beach (where some sort of sci-fi-esque photo shoot was going on?), the Heron’s Head park spit out into the Bay, India Basin, Yosemite Slough, a surprise glittering UFO behind a roll-up garage door, and some more and less official dirt paths between all of these. With the excellent All Good Pizza as a post-ride stop.

Third Annual SF Bike Dumpling Tour: recap

Sun, 11 May 2014 21:31:00 +0000

Saturday I organized a third “SF Bicycle Dumpling Tour“ (year 1: friends, year 2: public) for about 50 people. Good food, weather, and a casual 15-mile bike ride around the city, with a few hills….

A few photos I took or people on the ride sent me:

Pork and chive dumplings arriving in the park by bike:

For the $10 registration fee (definitely a zero-profit endeavor) you got all the dumplings you could eat, a low-tech copy-and-paste ride booklet (map, directions, trivia, and a dumpling recipe), and some useful tools…

Double Trouble recap

Sun, 21 Jul 2013 18:30:00 +0000

I’m a long-time fan of Trouble Coffee and the espresso / cinnamon toast / coconut trifecta, so imagine my excitement when she opened a second cafe in Bayview, closer to home.

It was only a matter of time until I’d organize a “Double Trouble” ride: a butterlap-style ride along the water, through the Presidio, through eucalyptus groves past the Palace of the Legion of Honor, down along the ocean (on a clear see-for-miles day), and then across the city between both locations. The distance added up for an in-city coffee jaunt– 26 miles– but it was a great social ride with a friendly group and some new folks:

49 Mile Scenic Ride (scouting ride #1)

Sun, 02 Jun 2013 16:56:00 +0000

I’m newly obsessed with charting a 49-mile “San Francisco Scenic Ride” (inspired by the 49 Mile Scenic Drive). But how to keep nods to the original’s key landmarks, add in undervisited parts of the city and some not-possible-by-car offroad paths, make it an exactly 49-mile loop (constraints channel creativity), yet not get stuck stitching it together with too many traffic-heavy or stop-and-go connecting roads?

I sketched out six different ideas with feedback from some friends– but bike maps and browsing Google Street View only get you so far, and who wants to be inside on a beautiful day? Yesterday was the first scouting ride:

brand new, buffered, Oak St bike lane. this used to be parking.

Sun, 12 May 2013 19:34:37 +0000

brand new, buffered, Oak St bike lane. this used to be parking.

Dogpatch / Bayview Tour Recap

Thu, 09 May 2013 02:02:00 +0000

I always want to share the nooks and crannies of Southeast SF with people– and Sunday, 11 friends and strangers (nice to meet you!) converged on my neighborhood for a tour of Dogpatch and Bayview.

Here’s the route we took (click through for an interactive map with Point Of Interest descriptions):

Starting off in Dogpatch, some friends & neighbors set up a surprise table of muffins, fruit, and mimosas (thanks!)

Bayview Scouting #3

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 02:28:00 +0000

In preparation for next weekend’s ride: urban goats, murals, unlocked doors in fences, junkyards, dirt paths.

bayview ride scouting

Sat, 27 Apr 2013 21:03:17 +0000

bayview ride scouting

Western Lands Dumpling Tour: recap

Sun, 14 Apr 2013 02:27:00 +0000

This was the first public ride I’d organized (through the SF Bike Coalition calendar). When 48 people RSVP’d I got a little concerned about logistics, but it all worked out. Here are photos from a few of us:

First off, this is what 100 hot shumai on a bike rack looks like:

The route, with a specific 1 or 2 styles of dumplings planned for each stop:

new overlook, bridge, gorgeous sunny day for a ride

Sat, 03 Nov 2012 21:30:28 +0000

new overlook, bridge, gorgeous sunny day for a ride

San Bruno Mtn + Candlestick + Bayview scenic ride

Mon, 23 Jul 2012 07:00:32 +0000

Nine of us gathered Sunday to bike hilly back roads (avoiding Mission St, Bayshore Blvd, San Jose Ave, and some other common roads) to and through San Bruno Mountain park, along dirt paths, and up Radio Road to the summit covered with radio towers, with views of Sutro Tower, the Bay Bridge, Colma graveyards, SFO airport runways, and Mt Diablo.

This was followed by shedding 1500’ of elevation in minutes on twisty downhills, cutting through industrial corners of Brisbane, biking past the dump, Candlestick Park, and out to Candlestick point itself, before zig-zagging through Bayview to meet up with Sunday Streets.

San Bruno Mtn ride 7/22?

Mon, 02 Jul 2012 01:51:39 +0000

I’ve wanted to bike to (and up) San Bruno Mountain on the edge of SF for a while, so here’s a possible casual-pace, 22 mile (but hilly) ride in a few weeks (Sunday July 22nd).

The exact details and meet-up times might change so let me know if you’re interested, and I’ll send out a reminder the week before.

A tentative route: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/1381448

Mission Pie, San Bruno Mountain Park (via back roads and shared biker/hiker trails), up car-free Radio Road to near the windy, eerie, tower-covered summit. Take a break to eat and walk around. Head back and intercept Sunday Streets Bayview/Dogpatch that will have a chunk of 3rd St shut down to car traffic and may have food carts or other events going on.

Upcoming: Dumpling Tour

Thu, 31 May 2012 15:23:00 +0000

Inspired by the “fiets & frites” ride last summer, I’m thinking of an “SF dumpling tour by bike” (I need a catchy name) on June 9 [edit: Saturday June 30th].

Tentatively: an 11am -> mid-afternoon tour, with perhaps 10 miles of biking at a casual pace and a hill or two– nothing too serious. And 4+ stops at dumpling shops to get takeout and eat by the side of the road or in a nearby park. It will probably focus on the Western neighborhoods (Richmond, Sunset, West Portal, maybe Balboa Park).

Lands End

Tue, 22 May 2012 06:42:29 +0000

Lands End

Evening ride to the Pacific ocean

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 05:30:01 +0000

Evening ride to the Pacific ocean

Starting off, we are 15

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 16:10:00 +0000

Starting off, we are 15

New Bike Lanes, Infrastructure

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 16:02:58 +0000

On the ocean beach loop this weekend, I noticed two new cycling improvements: a bike lane on Portola (making the short section from Corbett to Sydney on this route less sketchy), and a full-width curb cut at Stanyan & Page.

Thanks everyone who was involved in making this happen, including the SFBC campaign.

Photo below: the new Stanyan @ Page curb cut– you used to have to ride to the right to that narrow opening (not easy, interferes with pedestrians), because going straight dropped you off a tall curb.

Sunny and warm at the ocean

Sun, 08 Jan 2012 20:00:00 +0000

Sunny and warm at the ocean

Pre-ride reading, coffee

Sun, 08 Jan 2012 17:19:00 +0000

Pre-ride reading, coffee

Holiday Lights recap

Thu, 22 Dec 2011 01:55:00 +0000

I joined the Holiday Lights Ride again– this year it was cool but dry, with a group of over 100 riders on a casual tour of holiday lights in the Pac Heights / Richmond / Seacliff / Inner Sunset neighborhoods.

A whole group of bikeit regulars and first-timers were there– good to see you Elliot, Becky, Zachary, Dina, Ted, Monique, Dave, Iris, Stephanie, Carrie, & Morgan! And special thanks to Robin, Barbara, Paul, Carla, and Martha.

Supermarket Street Sweep 2011

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 08:02:00 +0000

I rode the Supermarket Street Sweep (again) – a fundraiser / race to supermarkets around the city, with about 200 riders who collected a total of 8000 lbs of food for the SF Food Bank. I brought in 108 lbs in my recently-reinforced panniers, which held up well, though the bike was a bit unstable with that much weight. A few photos:

Three bike events this weekend (food bank, winterfest, bike party)

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 06:01:00 +0000

**Saturday:**You should come to the Supermarket Street Sweep, a ride around the city to collect groceries for the SF food bank. It’s nominally an alleycat-style race (a few hundred people show up, they give you a list of grocery stores to visit and things to buy, and you have to figure out a route), but I’m not going to try to “compete” this time– I just want to get some friends together to do it at whatever pace is comfortable.

Coffee jaunt, trail rides

Sun, 20 Nov 2011 06:22:00 +0000

A ride to the ocean for espresso, toast, and coconut with friends, taking some off-road trails through parks for variety:

Bamboo bike, bamboo

Sat, 19 Nov 2011 21:56:00 +0000

Bamboo bike, bamboo

Trouble coffee parklet (a quick morning ride to get coffee)

Sat, 29 Oct 2011 20:38:00 +0000

Trouble coffee parklet (a quick morning ride to get coffee)

Supermarket Street Sweep poster... who wants to join me this year?

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 18:01:00 +0000

Supermarket Street Sweep poster… who wants to join me this year?

Save the date: Supermarket Street Sweep Dec 3rd (recap from last year when I did it by myself, but it would be fun to do with...

Fri, 14 Oct 2011 14:00:00 +0000

Save the date: Supermarket Street Sweep Dec 3rd (recap from last year when I did it by myself, but it would be fun to do with friends).

Tour De Cupcake. Biking, cupcake checkpoints, plus extra points for (1) riding down and up the steepest part of 17th St carrying...

Mon, 10 Oct 2011 06:02:00 +0000

Bike Kitchen takes donations, but doesn't want your burning man bike

Mon, 10 Oct 2011 05:13:00 +0000

Bike Kitchen takes donations, but doesn’t want your burning man bike

Quick lunch BBQ in a park with a friend, by bike.

Sun, 18 Sep 2011 23:22:00 +0000

Quick lunch BBQ in a park with a friend, by bike.

Golden Gate Bridge bike rack

Sat, 17 Sep 2011 22:16:00 +0000

Golden Gate Bridge bike rack

7 Hells of SF recap

Sat, 13 Aug 2011 00:32:00 +0000

A few weeks ago I rode the “Seven Hells [Hills] of San Francisco” (typically 25-30% grade, some steep enough to have steps cut into the sidewalks).

It was harder than I expected, and I almost gave up at Russian Hill, on Jones between Filbert and Green – I was in my lowest gear, could barely turn the pedals, had to lean forward to keep my bike from tipping backwards (the front wheel came off the ground at one point), and my heart was pounding against my ribcage. But in the end I managed to make it up every hill without walking, standing up, or needing to ride a gradual side-to-side “switchback” pattern. Whew!

View from Twin Peaks

Sat, 23 Jul 2011 22:10:00 +0000

View from Twin Peaks

Seen outside Trouble Coffee on Sunday's ride.

Wed, 13 Jul 2011 06:02:00 +0000

Seen outside Trouble Coffee on Sunday’s ride.

Wind Harp (south SF, impromptu 17-mile ride with friend)

Sun, 01 May 2011 20:44:00 +0000

Wind Harp (south SF, impromptu 17-mile ride with friend)

bike many loops around the park 5/28?

Tue, 12 Apr 2011 04:17:00 +0000

Call me crazy– want to ride 8, 16, 24, 32, … or 100 miles on Saturday May 28th, in 6-8 mile loops?

I had The Fat Cyclist’s “100 Miles To Nowhere” mentioned to me recently. His idea is: chip in $80 towards Livestrong, and ride your own century indoors, or on some short course. Just because.

That lines up with my interest in riding a century at some point but my general ambivalence towards Organized Rides or anything that smacks of racing. For a while, I’ve thought it would be interesting to ride loop after loop around Golden Gate Park, with friends and strangers joining for as many loops as they want.

We took a casual clockwise route from beach to beach, and along a dirt path past Lands End.

Sun, 27 Mar 2011 22:05:30 +0000

We took a casual clockwise route from beach to beach, and along a dirt path past Lands End.

Dave called this style of architecture “Deluxe Shire”

Sun, 27 Mar 2011 19:30:00 +0000

Dave called this style of architecture “Deluxe Shire”

at China Beach (for the first time in 5 years?)

Sun, 27 Mar 2011 18:30:00 +0000

at China Beach (for the first time in 5 years?)

Impromptu city ride this morning

Sun, 27 Mar 2011 14:02:00 +0000

Departing 930AM, Tartine

Butter Lapis Lazuli

Thu, 10 Mar 2011 09:13:00 +0000

Butter Lapis Lazuli

Rides this week

Tue, 01 Mar 2011 08:38:00 +0000

Two social rides organized by others this week:

Wednesday: Butterlap (7pm at the Ferry Building, a friendly 17 miles around the city with a few dozen people, mostly flat but two notable hills, Bender’s afterwards for a bit). [edit: was raining at 6pm, didn’t go]
Friday: SF Bike Party (12-mile ultra-casual bike party with music, a few stops, and 400+ cyclists). This month, in Potrero/Dogpatch/Bayshore.

And this weekend, something more ambitious I’ve talked to a few of you about:

Doing recon for a bike scavenger hunt & picnic some coming weekend. Details TBA...

Sun, 27 Feb 2011 18:35:00 +0000

Doing recon for a bike scavenger hunt & picnic some coming weekend. Details TBA…

Soil Saloon cyclocross

Fri, 25 Feb 2011 18:36:00 +0000

I heard about Soil Saloon a while back – a renegade cyclocross race (held at a different secret location each time– this one involved 6 laps around a 1-2 mile “course” of narrow off-road dirt trails, with roots and rocks to dodge and mud and puddles to splash through … oh, and a local beer to drink after each lap). Some people have photos on flickr.

A few of us dropped by at the end of a morning city ride to watch it– and then impulsively decided to join, even with our non-ideal bikes (I at least had my heavy touring bike, unlike my friends who had narrow-tire road bikes).

6 of us biked to the beach and Trouble Coffee, as planned weeks ago. The weather cooperated!

Mon, 21 Feb 2011 00:40:23 +0000

6 of us biked to the beach and Trouble Coffee, as planned weeks ago. The weather cooperated!

Us cruising along the panhandle (cell phone video, unfortunately rotated)

Mon, 21 Feb 2011 00:38:43 +0000

Us cruising along the panhandle (cell phone video, unfortunately rotated)

Glowing heart for SFbikeparty

Sun, 06 Feb 2011 03:43:00 +0000

Friday was the second SF Bike Party – an evening of biking with 500+ people, a stop in Dolores Park for some live music (Odd Owl), a Michael Jackson (and other music) dance party courtesy of Trikeasaurus in Garfield Square Park, and running into a lot of people I knew.

I got home from work about an hour before the ride was supposed to start, and wanted to quickly throw something together related to the “Love Your Bike” theme.

Bender's bike pile, after a clear-skies butterlap. New names to remember: margo, alex, reese(?), adam, ian.

Thu, 03 Feb 2011 05:58:51 +0000

Bender’s bike pile, after a clear-skies butterlap. New names to remember: margo, alex, reese(?), adam, ian.

Three upcoming February rides

Wed, 02 Feb 2011 06:30:00 +0000

If it’s not rainy:

Friday 2/4: joining the SF Bike Party, a slow-rolling evening with hundreds of cyclists and several big bike-mounted stereos (photos of the last one). Just 9 miles. 7:30pm meetup at Civic Center.

Sunday 2/6: Alpine Dam. A beautiful and hilly 50-60 mile ride, meeting 9:30AM at Velo Rouge Cafe. No rider left behind, probably a stop in Fairfax for some food afterwards, no commitment to making it back in time to watch That Sporting Event (hey, at least the roads should be empty…).

on Butterlap last night, nice and easy, golden gate bridge in the background.

Thu, 13 Jan 2011 23:21:00 +0000

on Butterlap last night, nice and easy, golden gate bridge in the background.

SF Bike Party recap

Mon, 10 Jan 2011 06:44:00 +0000

Friday was the first SF Bike Party. A group of I’d guess 400 cyclists met up and rode a preset route around the city, bikes covered in lights and a few big stereo systems in tow. The group left the ballpark around 8:30pm, stopping to play music and dance at a beach past Fisherman’s Wharf, at Alta Plaza park (with a jungle gym and great views of the city), outside the De Young Museum in Golden Gate Park, and finally, after midnight, in the plaza outside City Hall.

SF Bike Party: 1st ride is tonight, 7:30pm

Fri, 07 Jan 2011 08:03:59 +0000

SF Bike Party: 1st ride is tonight, 7:30pm

“We start at Giants Stadium, ride 12 miles visiting beautiful sites throughout the city. It is a leisurely pace and we’ll stop 3 times to socialize and party. We end at at the Civic Center Bart so people can easily get home.”

Also: http://www.flickr.com/groups/sfbikeparty/

SFBC Holiday Lights Ride

Thu, 23 Dec 2010 07:16:31 +0000

On Sunday I went on the Holiday Lights Ride. A quick map (which, as usual, clicks through to a detailed route), followed by some blurry night cell phone photos…

About 40 people gathered on the panhandle. I’d somehow missed the note about festooning my bike with Christmas or other LED lights.

Our first few stops, after some hill climbing:

night ride about to start

Mon, 20 Dec 2010 02:20:30 +0000

night ride about to start

Butter Lap

Thu, 16 Dec 2010 07:48:00 +0000

Another fine Butterlap (Butter Lap?). Cold, clear, crisp, like butter on the tongue. Eric and rif joined for the first time, and I took the rack-mounted bike stereo on its first extended ride and managed not to crash while changing music.

It takes me a few rides to remember names, but I chatted with Greg, Matt, and Meli for a while: bikes! supermarket street sweep! the mills and general bay area experimental music scene! I also just realized that Meli is the force behind the Bikes And The City blog.

Another fine Butter Lap

Thu, 16 Dec 2010 07:20:00 +0000

Another fine Butter Lap

Two planned (shorter, evening) rides

Fri, 10 Dec 2010 18:09:00 +0000

(assuming it’s not raining):

Wednesday 12/15: Butterlap with a group of 20-40 friendly strangers. I may bring the bike stereo.

Sunday 12/19: SFBC-organized evening ride around San Francisco to tour the elaborate Christmas light displays. See http://www.sfbike.org/?chain and scroll down.

Roads are slick these days– ride safe.

bike race for food banks, SFBC winterfest

Thu, 02 Dec 2010 01:28:35 +0000

I plan to do the Supermarket Street Sweep, Saturday at noon. A race around town to pick up a collection of food (to be donated to the SF Food Bank). You get the checklist of stores to visit and things to buy at each one when the race starts, so you have to decide right then what set of routes to take to optimize your path…

The SF Bike Coalition throws a party (beer, auctions, DIY activities, raffle, food, art) every year. Winterfest is this Sunday evening. You can get in free if you volunteer– I’ll be pouring beer in one of the tents.

This Sunday: casual city ride

Wed, 20 Oct 2010 05:34:00 +0000

This Sunday: a casual late-morning ride, 20-25 miles, leaving from Four Barrel (Valencia/15th) at 10:30am*

To the ocean via Corbett, around Lake Merced, to Trouble Coffee for one of the best espressos in the city and/or inch-thick cinnamon toast, and maybe a drink at Zeitgeist afterwards. Here’s a similar ride we did a few months ago: http://ridewithgps.com/trips/117820

* weather permitting– there’s always a chance of a delay or change– you can text me day-of to check in or let me know you’re interested and I’ll keep you posted.

Recent ride: City Lap

Sun, 08 Aug 2010 04:01:00 +0000

I put together a last-minute city ride Saturday afternoon following the Butter Lap route (about 20 miles, through parks and along the ocean).

Unfortunately, I had bike issues (two flats and a damaged tire– all due to the edge of my brake pad rubbing against my tire and finally wearing through the side wall) which delayed us an hour and led to the group splitting up. It was also cold and foggy all day, which made the beach less exciting. A few of us finished the loop and then headed to Speakeasy Brewery for their 13th Anniversary party.

Butter Lap: it Hap

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 07:06:00 +0000

My 2nd butter lap. Cary joined for her first butter lap (and first bike ride in a while). Friendly unhurried group, as usual– everyone waited at the top of any major hill, even when someone had a flat tire and needed a while to change it.

It got a little chilly and dark at the end, but I still made it to Bender’s for a fish taco and IPA-in-a-can.

Photographic evidence below. Fun trivia: if you click through the map to the GPS trace and zoom in on the Palace of the Legion of Honor, you can see the GPS tracks from when I was biking around the fountain in circles to try to keep warm while waiting for someone.

Butter lap, this Wednesday, 7pm, ferry building

Sun, 18 Jul 2010 00:38:00 +0000

All are welcome.

My last pre-Iowa ride.

edit: Route summary and a few other notes about the butterlap: http://www.sf2g.com/butterlap.html (edit #2 10+ years later: updated site at https://butterlap.bike/)

Map: Ocean Beach & Back

Thu, 08 Jul 2010 23:19:10 +0000

This map is nothing special: I just took out the GPS (running in a higher-resolution mode than the previous maps) on a quick crosstown break for coffee and exercise, to record “the wiggle” and one way of getting from the Mission to the beach and back.

Butter Lap Map

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 07:00:00 +0000

I rode Butter Lap on Wednesday w/ Margo (most of the way)– it was fun. There were probably 20-30 people on the ride, almost all strangers.

People meet at 7pm at the Ferry Building every Wednesday and ride a set route, ending in the Mission for a beer (usually at Bender’s). This has been going on every week for many years– I’m not sure if there’s even an organizer/owner any more.

Weekday evening rides

Mon, 28 Jun 2010 17:08:42 +0000

Riding in the evenings while the weather / light / job situation permit:

Leaving work a little early Monday (today) to meet up at 5pm at the Presidio Sports Basement with a few people for a jaunt into Marin.
Butter Lap on Wednesday (7pm at the Ferry Building, low-key loop around the city and then a beer, see more notes in previous posts).

A few of us biked Paradise Loop yesterday afternoon, and it was a great day for it– sunny, warm, and fairly low-traffic so we could just zoom. We took the ferry back from Tiburon (and were considering stopping at Angel Island for a bike around it before catching the next ferry home, but that didn’t work out– next time?).

Wednesdays: Butter Lap

Sun, 20 Jun 2010 06:10:46 +0000

I just recently heard about “Butter Lap”, a laid-back 17-mile ride every Wednesday evening, ending with a beer at Bender’s, Zeitgeist, or so on. I have other plans this Wednesday, but I plan to check it out in the next few weeks. It sounds like it kicks off from the Ferry Building at 7pm.

Map: http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/ca/san+francisco/836271138504

Bike blog mentioning it: http://bikesandthecity.blogspot.com/2009/06/butter-june-it.html

City Ramble Recap

Sun, 06 Jun 2010 00:47:00 +0000

Four of us went on a roughly 25-30 mile ride (depending where you started). Here’s an approximate map. It was a neat route I’d never taken from the Mission to Ocean Beach via Corbett (a low-traffic, modest-slope street between Market and 17th) and Taraval.

We stopped at Trouble Coffee for the requisite excellent espresso (elbow grease blend) and cinnamon toast, then headed south to take a loop around Lake Merced (dragon boat racers were practicing in the fog), and returned via golden gate park and Page, with a stop for a bloody mary and a few beers at Zeitgeist. Another good day.

Post-ride, surprisingly-empty Zeitgeist (not shown: during-ride, surprisingly-packed Trouble Coffee)

Sat, 05 Jun 2010 23:54:00 +0000

Post-ride, surprisingly-empty Zeitgeist (not shown: during-ride, surprisingly-packed Trouble Coffee)

Great Highway was closed to cars in places.

Sat, 05 Jun 2010 23:53:00 +0000

Great Highway was closed to cars in places.

Giant Tire

Sat, 05 Jun 2010 23:51:40 +0000

Giant Tire

Sunday, 10AM, Ferry Building, 15-mile ride

Fri, 28 May 2010 19:23:00 +0000

This weekend Saturday: long ride, details TBD.

This weekend Sunday: 15ish-mile casual-pace ride, Ferry building -> Ocean Beach and back, with the requisite Trouble Coffee stop for caffeine / cinnamon toast / coconuts. Meet in front of the main center entrance of the Ferry building, 10AM.

Bike route from SF to San Bruno

Sun, 02 May 2010 05:23:56 +0000

(continuing my expansion of this site from not only documenting group rides, but also interesting or long rides I take):

Here’s a route I took today between San Francisco and the Westborough/Skyline part of San Bruno: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=3691599

The 2 miles of uphill on Westborough Blvd was brutal and took me a while, but going back down was fun.

Two plans for upcoming rides (if there's good weather). Both are of the somewhat leisurely exploration-with-stops, 15-20 mile...

Sun, 07 Mar 2010 21:37:57 +0000

Two plans for upcoming rides (if there’s good weather). Both are of the somewhat leisurely exploration-with-stops, 15-20 mile type.

Sunday 3/14: A detailed exploration of the Presidio by bike. Starting at the Ferry Building, biking along the water to say hello to the Golden Gate bridge, and then exploring a network of twisty roads, lookout points, old buildings, hills, and Yoda statues in the Presidio.
Sunday 3/21 or 3/28: Wine tasting and picnic by bike in the Livermore area (continuing my “where can you bike to from a far-out BART station?” theme). Starting from Dublin/Pleasanton BART, about a 9-mile ride to where the vineyards start (see photo above), then hopping from vineyard to vineyard. Stopping at one of them for a picnic of bread, cheese, and cured meats. The exact route is TBD. Be aware that while the ride is fairly flat, part of it is on somewhat busy streets without bike lanes– traffic wasn’t bad when I explored part of this area on a weekday, but I don’t know if it will be less or more busy on weekends.

SF ride this Saturday

Fri, 28 Aug 2009 06:32:00 +0000

It’s been a while— how about an SF ride?

Meet outside the SW corner of the Ferry Bldg, 10:30AM Saturday. (or get there earlier and eat delicious Primavera breakfast chilaquiles/tostadas with me).

Route idea: Embarcadero up and around to Presidio, along ridges w/ views there, down into the park, to the ocean, trouble coffee, back over Portola to the Mission. Probably 20-25 miles. Option for a loop around lake Merced.

a nice day for a ride

Sun, 10 May 2009 23:04:00 +0000

Four people came out today, two for the first part of the ride (from the ballpark South, through empty industrial back streets of Bayshore, then along the bay around Candlestick Park, and back to SF). Two of us continued South along Tunnel Ave and along the Brisbane Lagoon on Sierra Point Pkwy (a road that always feels like it’s about to force you onto the 101), along the Bay Trail, through the airport, and then back via the BART from Millbrae. See some photos below. Wildflowers were blooming along the path, and the sun was shining, though there was an intense headwind along much of the bay. Here’s a rough map, 20-25ish miles total depending on starting and ending points (I’m not sure I correctly traced all the Bay Trail, much of which was on paths).

ride this sunday: 2-part (1 easy, 1 long)

Fri, 08 May 2009 01:43:00 +0000

Part 1: Sunday Streets (http://sundaystreetssf.com/?page_id=470) route from the ballpark at 4th and King (meet there at 10:30am) down to the Bayview Opera House. Part 2: A ride as far south as we can along the Bay Trail (a separate bike path or lane some places, but also riding on the street many places). Maybe to the airport or farther to Foster City/Belmont (once we pass the airport it’s an amazing section of swampy marshes and mostly paved, car-free riding). I’m thinking an abridged version of this general route: http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/San-Francisco-to-Sunnyvale

Lake Merced ride map

Tue, 07 Apr 2009 04:06:00 +0000

It was just two of us on the ride yesterday, we ended up taking approximately this route (about 24 miles including Great Highway, a loop around Lake Merced, a stop at Trouble Coffee, and heading back along Sloat/Monterey):

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2704757

Upcoming 4/5 and 4/12 rides

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 21:06:00 +0000

Some quick notes before I run out the door: Well, the rain seems to be in retreat. I’ll be out of town for the next week and a half, returning 4/4, but when I get back, I’m thinking: A shorter warm-up ride Sunday 4/5, likely: 10:30 AM @ 16th & Mission, bike to Ocean Beach again (via Trouble Coffee w/ their cinnamon toast). TBD. A longer East Bay ride on Sunday 4/12 – maybe Walnut Creek->Martinez/Porta Costa if people are up for it, or something else on the Iron Horse trains from Walnut Creek. Generally involving meeting around 10:30 or 11 at one of the East Bay BART stops, details TBD. Also, several people have expressed interest in some day doing the Planet Of The Apes / Montara lighthouse ride (Pacifica area, fairly long/steep? likely involving staying overnight in a hostel down there, biking back the next day). I’m thinking in July some time…

(near the beach, good espresso and nearly-inch-thick toast slathered with butter and cinnamon sugar, courtesy of Trouble Coffee)

Mon, 02 Feb 2009 04:20:00 +0000

(near the beach, good espresso and nearly-inch-thick toast slathered with butter and cinnamon sugar, courtesy of Trouble Coffee)

It was a nice 8-person ride today to Ocean Beach, where it was sunny, clear, and play-frisbee-in-t-shirts weather. Crazy. About...

Mon, 02 Feb 2009 04:18:00 +0000

It was a nice 8-person ride today to Ocean Beach, where it was sunny, clear, and play-frisbee-in-t-shirts weather. Crazy. About 15-20 miles round trip depending where people started and ended, see a sample route

Upcoming Rides

Fri, 30 Jan 2009 19:51:00 +0000

Everything is weather-dependent, but I’m up for trying to do this about twice a month. My tentative plans for upcoming rides:

This Sunday, Feb 1: the classic ride to golden gate park and ocean beach, via the wiggle. Lunch on the beach. With a stop at Trouble Coffee?