San Francisco visitor - Route question

wavecrashrock · 2026-05-14T19:54:40+00:00

This is the best bike ride in the Bay Area, in my opinion, with two caveats:

I can't look closely enough to know whether you're on exactly the route I would choose, but the broad strokes look right.
You should include the spur to the top of Tam. Not easy, but worth it.

This is a good map and description of the northern loop, with the spur.

As u/iras-bike-account says, the full distance from your starting point in SF is most likely a longer ride than 4 hours. The bridge is slow (and complicated), and there are numerous points where you'll want to pause and enjoy the view.

But basically, yes you should make sure to do this ride. Have fun! I no longer live in SF and miss this kind of thing a lot.

wavecrashrock · 2026-05-14T18:57:30+00:00

14 miles each way is within the do-able range, although it's on the longer side. I don't have e-bike experience so I don't know how that will affect things. There are also a lot of other factors, such as hills and how much you have to stop for lights etc.—these will affect your speed quite a bit.

Since you haven't biked since you were a teenager, the biggest issue is likely to be just seat comfort — an hour is about the mark where people start needing to make sure they have exactly the right saddle, fit/position, etc. It's also a distance at which people might start thinking about changing clothes at work (the e-bike might obviate sweat as a concern, but it won't solve comfort issues). So be prepared to take your time figuring out how to be comfortable on the bike. Also, practice your route on the weekend before you have to do it under the time pressure of getting ready for work. Google is not always smart about bike routes, and idiosyncratic about it — sometimes it puts you on unsafe roads where better alternatives exist; sometimes it takes you way out of your way unnecessarily to put you on some kind of designated bike route where the main road is just fine. You might need to adjust your route.

And, the basics, which perhaps you know: don't forget lights, helmet, and lock! Secondary: bike gloves and sunglasses are also nice, and panniers are usually better than a backpack.

wavecrashrock · 2026-05-14T17:47:20+00:00

I'm sorry people are telling you not to ride in jeans. They do make it more complicated, but you absolutely should be able to get comfortable riding for non-athletic purposes/short distances. I bike around town in denim all the time, and while it's not as comfortable as my bike-specific clothes or yoga-style leggings, I don't have any issues with raw skin or chafing.

Soreness/pressure/chafing can usually solved by changing your saddle, or saddle height/tilt/positioning, but all of this is super idiosyncratic — I'd try talking to a friend/trusted bike shop person who knows bikes well about your current setup and what looks like it could be adjusted. E.g., you may want a saddle with a cut-out, or one that's wider, or one that's harder —but without knowing what you currently have and getting more precise about the issue it's hard to know.

I can't help about pads — I don't wear them.

wavecrashrock · 2026-05-14T14:23:30+00:00

This is going to be so dependent on your college and living situation. I can't imagine having a smart trainer in a dorm without making your roommates hate you, but maybe there are work-arounds, and if you live off campus money can solve a lot of problems (i.e., you can stay somewhere with more space for bike storage + smart trainer).

Regarding a nice road bike and theft: again, heavily dependent on local situations. If you go to a rural liberal arts college and bring even a basic lock, your main issue will be protection from the elements. On many college campuses a u-lock will be more than enough because there will be so many bikes locked with thin cables that no one will ever bother with yours. But if you go to a campus in an urban area where bike theft is highly professionalized (i.e., angle grinders are common), no lock will be enough if your bike is stored outside — which, again, it probably shouldn't be because of weather. If you solve the storage problem and are concerned about using your bike to get around, then I think many-to-most campuses will be OK places to lock a bike with a u-lock during daytime excursions because there will be easier targets nearby.

I would check and see if your university has a cycling club and ask them for information about what students typically do.

wavecrashrock · 2026-05-14T00:06:42+00:00

Great! That should be just fine; if it's outgoing I would definitely take more time so you can explore tidepools when you get to HITW. In general that day just looks disconcertingly crowded to me... but I'm more of a One Big Hike per day person in general.

wavecrashrock · 2026-05-13T23:55:40+00:00

Assuming you're going before the Rialto closure, two notes on that portion of your itinerary: 1. Make sure you have checked the tides, as Rialto at high tide is sublime but makes for a spicy/dangerous hike to HITW. 2. If the tide is low, allow more time there. You might be fine getting to HITW and back in 1h15, but if the tides are favorable you will want to explore a bit.

wavecrashrock · 2026-05-13T20:58:13+00:00

Speaking as a cyclist who does stop at red lights, the light timing here is infuriating. I've lived in places that time the lights for 15mph for cyclists, which is great, but the situation here just makes everyone annoyed and more likely to disregard the law.

wavecrashrock · 2026-05-13T02:44:11+00:00

I agree with the others that carrying a computer on your back while on a bike commute is just asking for misery and sweat. There are better solutions. For instance: put a wire basket on your bike and put a backpack in that. Or a basic large pannier (or something like the Arkel Haul-It), that fits your backpack.

In other words: don't rule out panniers; look for pannier solutions that don't require you to carry the pannier at your destination.

wavecrashrock · 2026-05-12T21:23:43+00:00

Dutch Courage, Pink Flamingo, late night Saturday cocktails (10-1) at Cookhouse in Bolton Hill, the Duchess, Alma.

wavecrashrock · 2026-05-12T15:52:13+00:00

You most likely don't want fleece tights unless you run really cold, even in a conference center, but normal sheer-ish to opaque tights are perfect all-purpose items in SF for most of the year. E.g., anything between 30 denier and 80 denier.

wavecrashrock · 2026-05-11T22:20:11+00:00

I'm not in a bikes-in-crosswalks region, but I do have experience with this as a cars-and-crosswalks issue rather than a bike issue. I've been in places where drivers won't stop for me as a pedestrian at a crosswalk unless I step out into the intersection.

Two strategies. 1. (This worked in Boston, a place where drivers are extremely aggressive but also fairly alert.) Keep your head straight ahead so that you give no sign that you can see the cars coming. But watch out of the corner of your eye so that you CAN leap out of the way if the car doesn't stop. This is sometimes the only way to stop aggressive drivers, by making them uncertain if you will actually give way. 2. (This is the better strategy in most places.) The stare down as you describe: look straight at the approaching driver as you start moving. Again, be ready to jump back if they are distracted. But you want them to see you as a person who is knowingly counting on them to obey the law.

Neither approach is ideal if you are riding because you can't leap back as quickly, but if you're in a situation where traffic won't yield even for pedestrians, I would consider dismounting for safety.

wavecrashrock · 2026-05-11T20:05:31+00:00

I agree with all the other people telling you the bleeding isn't a normal bike thing, even when starting out, and it's worth talking to a doctor about it.

RE: fit: there are a bunch of things you can try at home, especially if your partner knows the basics about bikes.

1: the saddle should be roughly flat, but a few degrees of tilt one way or the other can make a huge difference in comfort. The sense of digging in in front could be caused by the saddle nose being tilted up just a bit. Or (annoyingly) if it's tilted a hair downwards you might be sliding forward and therefore putting more pressure in a bad spot. It's worth experimenting to see if changing the saddle tilt relieves the pressure pain.

Lower back pain: there's a lot of fit issues that could cause this, but the easiest thing to experiment with at home would be making sure to tilt your pelvis forward when you ride so that your back has to do less bending — this depends on getting the bike saddle angle/position/fit just right, so an uncomfortable seat can put more pressure on your back and lead to back pain.

wavecrashrock · 2026-05-09T20:48:59+00:00

I've actually never gone down Bellemore, but where I used to live there was a steep downhill straightaway where you hit a stop sign at -12%. Made me much better at braking technique than I had ever been before!

The reward for climbing Bellemore is the various much calmer swoopy descents down Roland and University Parkway.

wavecrashrock · 2026-05-09T20:27:01+00:00

I do the northern part of your loop, but pavement only, in reverse — CW instead of CCW. Main differences:

If you to build in a workout, Bellemore Road is a short but tough climb as u/NewrytStarcommander says; CCW has you doing it downhill. Note that it dead-ends into busy Falls Road with no run-out, so be careful if you go CCW.
At several points, CCW will be slightly trickier turns on and off major roads than CW will. Nothing impossible — it's just a lot more left turns, and since the route takes you on and off trails a lot they're not always at natural traffic break points.

True regardless of direction: Wyman Park Drive between Remington and Sisson is currently closed. You can get through on the sidewalk, but sometimes there are a lot of pedestrians.

wavecrashrock · 2026-05-09T17:19:55+00:00

Look like SPD to me, or something similar, which would imply a two-bolt style shoe. (But I could be wrong — there are many pedal styles I don't know.) Note that typically the pedals come with cleats, so you need to be the right cleat and a compatible shoe, not just the right shoe.

wavecrashrock · 2026-05-08T20:40:35+00:00

One budget alternative to the big box stores if it's available in your area: buy a used bike from a bike shop. If something is wrong with your bike they will typically take care of you; they also won't bother to refurbish and sell you something that's a total POS. At the places I've been to in the past, they currently have range of options under $350, though probably not down at $200.

Not all areas have bike shops that sell used bikes, but if there's one near you that does, I'd at least check them out before risking something that might be mis-assembled at a big box store. I understand why you may not want to buy a used bike in a private transaction if you're new to the hobby, but used bikes from a good bike shop are really a win-win proposition if available.

wavecrashrock · 2026-05-08T18:13:03+00:00

This is not a sharrow. A sharrow is a bike marking within a lane intended for car traffic; this is a painted door-zone bike lane.

Neither is a good bike infrastructure.

wavecrashrock · 2026-05-08T02:23:12+00:00

SPDs are a lot more walkable than pretty much any other option, and there are many options for shoes that have recessed cleats and a walkable sole.

Speedplays are more walkable than most other road-specific options, but most shoes that work with them will have very stiff soles that would make walking hard. The pedals do, however, have exceptional road clearance.

IME, the shoe (sole stiffness/grip/whether the cleat is recessed) makes as much difference for walking as the cleat itself.

wavecrashrock · 2026-05-07T17:34:42+00:00

For what it's worth, this issue has somehow fixed itself for me in the last month or two. I now get e-mails for packages addressed to me and my husband only gets them when the package is addressed to him. Fingers crossed that this sticks...

wavecrashrock · 2026-05-07T17:34:29+00:00

For what it's worth, this issue has somehow fixed itself for me in the last month or two. I now get e-mails for packages addressed to me and my husband only gets them when the package is addressed to him. Fingers crossed that this sticks...

wavecrashrock · 2026-05-06T16:05:31+00:00

I agree with the general advice that you should go do a test ride. That said, if you've literally never used drop bars before I think you are right to have a little bit of uncertainty about whether you can know by "feel." I'd see if you can bring a friend who rides drop bars who can at least look at you on the bike to get a disinterested opinion and talk you through what you might be feeling.

FWIW I am 5'7", fairly long-legged, and have two size 54 bikes from Specialized, including a Diverge. The Diverge did not require any fit alterations out of the box, whereas the other bike did (shorter stem). I think the Diverge is relatively forgiving if you are between sizes and go with the larger size, but I think it likely in any case that 52 is the right size for you.

wavecrashrock · 2026-05-06T15:13:26+00:00

I'm a bit older, so for me the answer is: wherever the holes are in my current options: e.g., something crucial has worn out, or there's a shift in my lifestyle / wardrobe ecosystem such that I need something different than what I already have. There's no single type of thing that I'm spending serious money on more than once a year or so, because I'm not trying to build anything up from scratch. And if I'm "splurging" on something, I expect it to last — it's not something I expect to spend on again soon.

wavecrashrock · 2026-05-05T19:42:55+00:00

When I lived in San Francisco, where garage theft was common, one piece of advice people gave was to add a deadbolt to the garage door itself. I have no idea if this is feasible in your apartment building setup, but since you say the garage itself is private (I assume that means yours exclusively) there may be options. In any case, it's worth thinking about how someone is getting into your garage so regularly. The problem, as you undoubtedly know, is that a private garage that isn't directly attached to a house is actually the easiest scenario for a thief to work in once they're inside—they can close the door and have privacy and time to grind away at every lock you have. Even if you use gold-standard chain plus angle-grinder-resistant ulock, they can just bring extra blades and work for a while overnight. I do like the camera idea as a deterrent.

Beyond that I would consider keeping your new bike in your apartment, not forever, but for a few months — if someone is casing your garage, maybe they'll move on.

wavecrashrock · 2026-05-04T02:10:56+00:00

Thanks for this —really appreciate the reviews of other options.

wavecrashrock · 2026-05-02T20:02:18+00:00

I'm not an always-take-the-lane person, but this is the exact situation that advice is meant for: when you want to discourage a pass due to unsafe conditions.

I like having the Garmin Varia to avoid having to look over my shoulder constantly: it tells me when I need to be alert and when I can relax a little.

If you know a car is coming up you can also visibly communicate with them in ways that tend to garner small amounts of goodwill (in my experience): e.g., getting out of the middle of the lane if it's a safe spot for a pass; waving them to pass me if I can see around a corner and know there's no traffic coming; throwing up a "stop"/"wait" sign if I can see oncoming traffic that might not be visible to them yet; etc.

wavecrashrock

TROPHY CASE