| Author | Message | ||
     Mnscrounger |
I'm going to be in UCSF Mission Bay Campus next week for a conference. The weather is forecast is to be beautiful, and my flight home leaves me almost all day Friday to see sights. I was debating renting a bike from a company just a couple blocks from the conference center and putting around the bay area. My real question is what's typical traffic like, and would I see much from the roads? Is it worth it, or would I spend most of my set time looking at tail lights and traffic signals? Also, if you have any suggestions for must see. I'm interested in that too. I'm staying in the Union Square area so evening spots are also of interest. | ||
| Hacksaw |
Go to bayarearidersforum.com aka barf. Lots of riders in San Francisco and they will fill you in on riding there. You may have to join to post but it doesn't cost. Have fun. | ||
| S2t_bama |
In my limited experience (a few conferences in the SF area): If I want to see the sights in the city, I would plan to walk and use mass transit e.g. trolley, cable car, and BART trains. If I want to see beautiful scenery up the coast line, I would rent a bike and go that route. Both were great fun! | ||
| Zac4mac |
Fisherman's Wharf, Ghirardelli Square(chocolate!!!), Coit Tower, Embarcadero Park by The Gate and don't pass up a trip along Hwy 1 to Mt. Tamalpais, you can see the WHOLE Bay. Mt. Tam is about a half hour north of the GG bridge, take the exit to Sausalito. | ||
| Teeps |
For natural scenery rent a bike, find your way to Highway 1. Get out of the city, head north or south. Oh yeah, plan on missing your flight if you do rent a bike. 'Cause most of a day is not going to be enough time. | ||
| H0gwash |
If you must travel in San Francisco a bike is better than mass transit.... unless it is raining and it has been a record setting rainy winter for CA so far. I've followed a taxi driving friend oh his ancient BMW bike on the "49 mile Scenic Drive", which winds thru the pretty part of the city. Might be good to have GPS because there are a hundred turns. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/49-Mile_Scenic_Drive (Message edited by h0gwash on April 13, 2017) | ||
| Macbuell |
I don't live any where near SF but based on my visit I would say screw SF and take the bike south on the PCH and see Monterey and that area. | ||
| Airbozo |
I agree with walking or local transit to see the city. (I hate SF, so I am biased there) North on HWY 1 is absolutely gorgeous as is HWY 1 south. The Mt. Tam drive is pretty cool, but depending on the day can be pretty slow going. Lots of tourists. There is also HWY 35 that runs the ridge of the Santa Cruz Mountains all the way to HWY 17. Part of it is closed due to the mudslides so you can only go as far south as HWY9 (another great ride). From a spot on HWY35 you can see the bay area on one side of the road and the ocean on the other. Here is a shot of the bay from 35:  Be advised that although it may be clear, water is still running across the roads in certain places and will be for a couple of weeks after it stops raining. There are still some spots on HWY1 and 35 that have mud or debris on the road as well. I live in the Santa Cruz Mountains near HWY9 and Bear Creek. My commute has been utter hell this year due to all the mudslides and water. The ride south to Monterey is worth it, but long. (Message edited by airbozo on April 13, 2017) | ||
| Pwnzor |
Riding around San Francisco is an experience like no other. Traffic can be dense, and I'm not one to normally ride in downtown areas, but I have had FUN every time I've done it. I always hear the theme from The Streets of San Francisco in my head when I'm riding there... | ||
| Zac4mac |
If you rent a bike, gotta ride Lombard.... up AND down. It's like the Dragon.. in town. | ||
| Ducbsa |
I thought Lombard was one way, but that just makes going uphill more rewarding! | ||
| Pwnzor |
Yeah.... the curvy part is all brick... and it's one way. | ||
| Zac4mac |
Didn't remember that, but I was last in San Fran in 1979.... | ||
| Tootal |
,,,and if you lived in the 70's you're not going to remember it! | ||
| Airbozo |
They have been talking about closing Lombard. Or at least restricting traffic on it. It's become a nightmare for the residents and clogging roads around it as people wait in line to drive a curvy street... Never saw the attraction myself, but I admit to driving down it. A couple of years ago I had some friends visit and we made a point to ride over all the bridges in the bay area. Of course they picked one of the busiest days and it took us all day to cross all 8. | ||
| Tootal |
You probably already mentioned the road but I don't remember the name. I just remember crossing the Golden Gate bridge and taking the first exit North of the bay and making a left under the road and riding up the mountain. At the top we stopped and climbed up a path to a WWll pill box where there is a pad for a Howitzer. Great view from up there and a nice road getting there! | ||
| Zac4mac |
Greg - IIRC that's the Sausalito exit and it takes you to Hwy1, Stinson Beach(was nude when I was there) and Mt. Tam. Wonderful curvy coastline highway. | ||
| Tootal |
Ok, I have to go to google earth and look it up. Once you cross the GG bridge take the second exit for Alexander Ave. Go left back under 101. Before entering 101 again you can make a right on Conzelman Rd. At the round a bout remain on Conzelman. Stop at Marin Headlands and enjoy the view. Walk up the hill to Hawk Hill. There you will see the Nike Missile Control Site. There is a Pill Box there too. Nice road getting there! https://www.google.com/maps/place/San+Francisco,+C A/@37.8275989,-122.4995958,3a,75y,213.35h,71.11t/dat a=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1s-ViiBpoE9SRc%2FUfhrbafSiTI%2FAAAA AAAAay4%2FmZekMUGASCMW6-u_yd1m5z1RdiVxw3I_gCJkC!2e 4!3e11!6s%2F%2Flh3.googleusercontent.com%2F-ViiBpo E9SRc%2FUfhrbafSiTI%2FAAAAAAAAay4%2FmZekMUGASCMW6- u_yd1m5z1RdiVxw3I_gCJkC%2Fw203-h100-k-no-pi-0-ya27 6.76642-ro-0-fo100%2F!7i4300!8i1626!4m5!3m4!1s0x80 859a6d00690021:0x4a501367f076adff!8m2!3d37.7749295 !4d-122.4194155!6m1!1e1 | ||
| Zac4mac |
I talked a buddy at the crypto base in Livermoore, to let me drive his MG Midget to Mt Tam. He screamed about his tires all the way to the top... I was passing on blind curves and generally hauling ass when I finally butted up against a 260Z. Stuck behind a "Tourista" I finally passed him on another blind curve and he tried to catch me all the way to Mt Tam. One of the 5 best runs of my life.... Z | ||
| Nuts4mc |
a) dirt bike experience?...you'll use the training you learned from riding in the dirt on hills and valleys in the city. A fair amount of blind intersections, a bike with a long wheelbase is no fun. (a KLR or a "F" series beemer would be my choice) b) short on time?...go to the embarcadero across from the financial district and buy a ticket for a double decker tour bus...do it early in the AM, as they have get on/get off privileges....you may see some places you'll want to explore on foot...the tour drivers are pretty good guides and some have a pre-recorded "tours"...many ships are buried under the buildings near the emabarcadero.....abandon ship!...gold rush fever attracted many captains and crews in '49. c) If you want to see Alcatraz...try and book your tix ahead of time on line...it takes a good part of the day...the tours are usually sold out if you try and walk up and buy a ticket. d) Bridge crossings usually require a toll...have change (coins) ready e) Disney fan?...the Disney family (NOT the company) has a good museum in the Presido about Walt and his brother and the invention of animation and his kingdom....G.Lucas also has a office building there with some modern movie sci-fi stuff. (may want to rent/stream the movie "The Presido" before you visit) f) want to dine like Hollywood royalty?...go the the "Cliff House" on the west side of the "island" great views, great food...google it before you go. g) Parking is a nightmare and can be very costly...if you don't know how to use Uber or Lyft...learn how...or use a taxi...the ride is less costly than the rental of the car AND paying to park it. h) if you're into mechanical things, they do have a tour/museum for the cable car operation...the brake shoes for the cable cars are made out of wood! i) Shaken, not stirred...go to the "Top of the Mark" a fabled meeting place for soldiers returning from WWII...100 different flavored martinis. The "Fremont Hotel" is across the street...many presidents and famous people have stayed there. j) do your best to plan your day before you venture out...the city is costly...bring lots of $$$. | ||
| Reindog |
Lombard St. is for wankers. I lived in Frisco for seven years and Vermont St on Potrero Hill is more curvy in one aspect and ZERO tourists. Cruise down to The Ramp nearby and get a table on the water, drink a beer, and listen to a live jazz band or Salsa, if your timing is fortuitous. The Ramp is located in a boatyard and used to be a place for us Teamsters to go spend our paychecks but is now seeded with old timers, yuppies, and guppies. Still quite nice on a sunny day when the rest of The City is ensconced in fog. If the Ramp doesn't do it for you, go shoot some pool at "The Wild Side West" which is a lesbian bar on Cortland St nearby. After a few beers, make sure to ask where the men's room is located. Be respectful and have fun; the ladies won't bite (unfortunately). DAMHIK. The Ramp http://theramprestaurant.com/ I don't recommend taking a 1978 Yamaha 650 up a dirt walking trail to the tippy top of Twin Peaks at 3AM. Again,DAMHIK. Check out The Beach Chalet at the ocean end of Golden Gate Park. We used to get very, very drunk on Saturday afternoons shooting pool with WPA murals festooned around us, but now it is a yuppie/guppie, but nice, restaurant/bar. Beach Chalet. https://goldengatepark.com/beach-and-park-chalet.html Smack down some Excellent burritos in the Mission. I have been going to La Cumbre on 16th and Valencia since 1977. They grill the carne asada right in front of you. Phenomenal Pakistani/Indian food can be scored at Pakwan, 3182 16th St (near Valencia). Cheap, good, and rundown. No tourists but locals including the New Techies eat here. The 500 Club is just up the street at 17th and Guerrero. Used to be seedy bar full of really old alcoholics but now is a trendy bar with young burgeoning alcoholics. Give it a spin. (Message edited by reindog on April 15, 2017) (Message edited by reindog on April 15, 2017) | ||
| Reindog |
I haven't fully vetted this youtube but is seems to be on the money. | ||
| Ducley |
If you haven't been across the Golden Gate Bridge that is a given. Having lived most of my life near Sacramento and visited Bodega Bay till we got tired of it, I know north bay area better than south bay. I have heard of a "Sunday morning ride" but no details other than north. Across GGB up 101 then East on 37 up near 121 and the racetrack at Sears Point, North on 121/29 goes to Napa wine country. Point Reyes lighthouse, Tomales Bay, Drakes Estero if you're more coastally minded. Everything west of 101 and south of 116 is more open and all beautiful except the dairy farms when it gets warm. Ooo, that smell. North of 116 between the coast and 101 is more mountainous and forested. Stinson Beach is neat but going north of there on CA 1 can get you caught behind a motorhome. Haven't read City Bike in a long time. Not sure if it is relevant anymore with a bicycle on the cover of the latest issue. http://citybike.com/back-issues.html | ||
| Reindog |
Bump... so my old Buell friends might be enticed to read something the 'dog posted about San Franciso. San Francisco threads awaken very, very old dark but wonderful Frisco memories. I remain an expert. I was at a party at The Loma Club tonight, in a former San Diego Navy base, where two bands smoked some Allman Bros. and The Grateful Dead masterfully. | ||
| Court |
Dude . . . .I wanna party with you. Taco truck? Dive Bar? Hahahahaha . . . | ||
| Mnscrounger |
Thanks for all the advice, I finally got around to documenting my experience. I was in San Fransisco for a two day conference, and had one day free, (well seven hours), at the end of the week to see some sights. I could have done all the typical tourist things, but I wanted to look into renting a motorcycle and seeing some sights from something other than a bus window. My intent was to do the historic, 49 mile scenic drive around town. I had contacted Dubbelju Motorcycle Rental the week before to inquire about availability and rates. I brought my helmet and gear with me on the off chance weather and schedule would work out. Friday morning found me with perfect weather, I checked out of my hotel, and it was a short walk from my hotel to the BART station train to the Mission district. Once back on the surface, another block and a half walk to Dubbelju. The Shop: When I arrived at the shop, Wolfgang asked me where I wanted to go. I had already walked past many of the sights in my spare time during the conference, so I thought I might ride along the coast. I wasn't really sure I could squeeze in a decent amount of scenery in that short window of time. We made a little more small talk about riding, bikes, and scenery in the area, and it was brought up I was a Buell rider. He asked me when my flight left, and when I wanted to be back at the shop. After I told him he and James ( I think that was the other gentleman's name) rolled out a gorgeous yellow Triumph Scrambler. They didn't need to fire it up, I was hooked, and convinced if I only got to Telegraph Hill and back, it would still be a great experience. Everyone in the shop I spoke to was absolutely impassioned with the sheer experience of motorcycle riding. These people get it! Wolfgang laid a map on the counter while James took care of the rental paperwork. He showed me a route, highlighting and naming the streets and highways he suggested, and a few stops along the way. They let me stash my laptop and other personal effects in the back of the shop for safe keeping while I was out. After James gave me a brief introduction to the bike, we did a quick condition check, (a few scuffs and dings from previous rides were evident, but the bike still looked great), and a safety inspection of lights, brakes, tires, and signals, I fired the bike up and was on my way. The Ride: Who could have predicted a power outage that took out virtually every traffic light on my way out of town. There was also construction along the route with "no left" signs at virtually every intersection too. That, when combined with the stop and go traffic, caused me to miss the turn Wolfgang had pointed out on the map. Forty five minutes into the ride I was beginning to wonder if I had made the right decision to rent a bike at all. I made the most of my wrong turn, and ended up puttering through the Presidio and then turning east and south until I was able to stop at a scenic spot and get the obligatory shot of me, the bike, and the Golden Gate in the background. Continuing to try to find my way west to the coast, I meandered through city streets until I rounded a curve at the top of a hill, (a city of which there are plenty of both ), and suddenly a panoramic view of the Pacific was in front of me. It was absolutely beautiful. The waves, a bright blue in the spring sun, were rolling into white crests and crashing on the beach below me. I rode toward that sight like a moth to a lamp. When the road turned south, there was hardly a car on it. I instantly knew I had made the right decision for what to do today. Further down the coast people were swimming and surfing despite the cool breeze coming off the water. I rode along the coast for over an hour, seeing everything from sandy beaches with postcard curls to rocky breakers tossing mist. I stopped for lunch at a seaside taqueria for lunch and checked my map. I had lost more time in traffic than I thought, so I needed to turn back before the point Wolfgang had drawn, but the route was traveling northeast on the return leg, and by turning southeast I could catch most of my return route a few miles inland. Just minutes away from the coast I began riding on rural highways with rolling hills, grazing pastures, and ranches everywhere. After a time the uphill trend turned into a wooded forest ride. On some of the switchbacks I thought to myself this is the Black Hills, but with a beach view. Back on my route, I wound through forest roads, some of them single lane. It quickly became apparent why we talked about scenery and motorcycles before Wolfgang laid out my route. It was also apparent why the Scrambler was the bike he recommended. There were bigger and fancier bikes in the stable, and he could have charged more for the rental, but Wolfgang matched rider to the route, and the bike to the rider, so I could get the best experience I was looking for. I'm sure if I had wanted a big cruiser and a boulevard putt past historic landmarks he would have put me on something else. This Scrambler was the perfect choice for these roads, and in some of the tighter switchbacks I was in second and third gear for almost two miles.Even my Buell S3T would have been a bit big here, ( Actually for some stretches I wondered if a Honda Grom would have been a better choice). I had entered the shop address into my phone GPS for guidance back, and in the deepest of these woods I stopped, pulled out my phone, entered the destination to navigate back, and put it back in my pocket. I turned the volume up in my helmet communication to actually follow the turn by turn recommendations. I knew it would probably guide me back by the route drawn on the map so I wouldn't need to check the map for the rest of the day. I could just relax and enjoy the scenery. I rode along a ridge called Skyline Boulevard, past vineyards and more ranches. At one point I had the Pacific to my left, the bay to my right, and a smooth winding downhill road ahead. For a rider it doesn't get much better than that. The Scrambler: I had ridden dirt bikes as a kid, and my first bike was a midweight cruiser. My current bike is a Buell S3, and I have been on the heavy cruisers too. An all out sport bike is just to hard on me to enjoy for very long, so I prefer a sport touring bike for comfort, and performance. This bike is something different from all of them. I have to make most of my comparison to my Buell as that's the bike I'm most familiar with. The riding position is definitely upright with mid foot controls. The straight pull bars are wide and a bit of a reach for me, making a more aggressive lean in. It got a bit tiring after 100 miles but I didn't mind it at all until the very end. At 500 lbs and 65 horsepower, it is roughly the same weight, but about 30 percent less powerful than my current bike. I thought that would be a deficit, but the bike is geared lower so it felt plenty zippy until I got on the freeway. It felt like it was wound out doing 65-70 on the interstate.There may have been more, but with no tachometer, and no need to push it for speed, I didn't bother trying to see if it would go any faster. On the narrow switchbacks and rolling hills it had plenty of power, you just had to use the gearing to your advantage. Fortunately the two into one scrambler exhaust, dumping into a Supertrapp muffler, gave it a snarl that was higher in tone, but vey much like my Buell's (also running a Supertrapp). The mechanical music coming from that exhaust can encouraged lots of shifting anyway. The exhaust had one more thing common to my Buell. Both have the habit in stop and go traffic of cooking your right leg. The primary difference is Buells cook below the knee, this Scrambler cooks above. In both cases while riding at speed this goes away. In turning through corners this bike felt nimble and tight, but a bit stiff in suspension travel. The brakes were more than adequate and consistent in feel. Even after a long downhill there was no noticeable fade, but I didn't really push this bike to its limits anywhere. The dual sport tires were just fine in any of the corners on pavement. This isn't the kind of bike you lower your knee on anyway, and when stopping on the gravel sides, I was glad they had the modest knobbys to get me confidently back on the road. I didn't do any serious off roading, but I suspect the stiff suspension is for when the the trail gets rougher. It would be a bad thing to bottom out and break something in the middle of nowhere. Upon returning I found the mileage to be about 45 MPG. I think this bike is perfect for some, but not for everyone. It's not a bad bike, but it seems too heavy for banging on forest trails and could use another gear for the highway. It is however a great deal of fun for an afternoon, whatever road surface you encounter, or for a daily commute. Traffic: There were other cars on the road, but not crowded. Once I had turned off the coast, traffic was almost non existent until I entered I-280 for the last leg back. It was there I encountered the first signs of rush hour. Knowing I was a bit behind schedule and with a plane to catch, I finally summoned the courage to try lane splitting for the first time. Despite the horror stories I'd read about California drivers, they seem more aware of motorcycles than anywhere else I've ridden. They didn't seem to mind giving a little ground when idling in traffic to let me pass, and cleanly moved in behind me once I was by. I think done safely, ( minimum relative speeds and knowing drivers), it is an efficient way to move traffic. One less vehicle stopped eases congestion.( I would think the motorcycle lobby in Minnesota would love to have this in law, but I suspect if it ever happened, a mandatory helmet law would be included in the trade off. The MMRA has already made its choice on helmets. I don't have an opinion on that, but I believe in choice and I've made mine. I value my brain more than my image. I'd trade wind in my hair for a cleaner commute during rush hour) The GPS didn't steer me wrong. I stopped a few blocks away from the shop to fill the bike before I returned it. I had never used a pump with a vapor recovery system and spent a good five minutes figuring out why I wasn't getting fuel, the kind clerk explained I needed to actually seat the nozzle hood all the way onto the tank before fuel would flow. (I swear you learn something every day.) I arrived back at Dubbelju at 3:20, just a little past my 3:00 target. I thanked Wolfgang for the route and the bike, changed out of my riding gear, and packed it all back into my carry on bag. He thanked me for my business, told me that most people run out of time before they run out of scenery. He invited me to come back again, and he would happily provide me another route to explore. After saying goodbye he pointed me the way back to the BART station to catch my plane. I'll be back. I don't know when, but when I do I know Wolfgang will have another route and another bike for me. | ||
| Chauly |
Dubbelju is a class outfit. Wife and I rented a GS1200 from them in '05 for a couple of weeks, went up as far as Crater Lake, dropped the bike off toward the end, rented a car, and went to the USMGP at Laguna Seca. What a fantastic trip. Did James talk about shred guitar? He's quite the fan... | ||
| Firstbuell |
hey, Mnscrounger, great writeup! I reside on the Bay side of Skyline & could pretty much tell where Wolfgang routed you by the complete & excellent commentary you provided now you understand why we Bay Area Buellers are such a happy bunch! | ||
| Ratbuell |
Yesterday I did 10.06 miles (per FitBit) on foot walking around SF. Gorgeous weather - in the sun. Shade was CHILLY. But it's a beautiful town. Filled the better part of a 32GB card in the Nikon, shooting...STUFF. Random details, scenery, you name it. Marin Headlands were awesome, including the old military bits they're preserving at the knoll. The bridge, of course. Naval ship museums (diesel/electric sub, and a Liberty ship, both still in the water). ALL the piers. Wish we'd had time to tour Alcatraz. Lombard...yea, it's a nightmare, but her niece lives 2 blocks away so we drove down, and parked at her niece's place, and started our walk there. Return walk was through Chinatown. My calves STILL hurt...but then, we returned our rental car at SFO at 7pm last night (Pacific)...and I'm on my sofa in Maryland now at 2pm Eastern. No sleep since the walking, just a redeye flight and a handful of Tylenol. Fun town, nice trip...and glad I did it on foot as opposed to trying to do it on wheels. So many tiny details that I'd have missed on wheels...can't wait to go through my camera card to see how things came out. Oh, and Saturday was a day walking around Russian River and the redwoods there. Another 10+ mile day, and tons more photos. | ||
| 86129squids |
Wow, Joe! Glad to hear you had a good vacay! I'd LOVE to see pics from you guys! I've never been further west than Dallas- that'll change when I make it to Las Vegas in October. I'd sure love to spend a month or so on the west coast, fo sho... I guess that'd take money or something.  |
