Finding myself in the City by the Bay without a car, I found renting a high-quality, fully-rigged Specialized road bicycle was the way to go.
For less than the cost of flying out your own bike on a city trip, companies in many cities offer easy access to bikes and gear. Blazing Saddles Bike Rentals was my ticket to fun in San Fran. Although there are other companies, I found Blazing Saddles convenient and customer friendly. Plus I got to ride a fantastic bike, with all kinds of maps detailing where to go.
Blazing Saddles Bike Rentals has locations along the coast in California (San Fran - two locations, Santa Monica and San Diego) and in Colorado (Rocky Mountains), Seattle (Downtown Waterfront), Gettysburg (Lincoln Square) and Washinton D.C. (at the National Mall).Try the website for specific information: http://www.blazingsaddles.com/
I chose an Elite Hybrid with front shocks for city touring, with a day rental fee of $38. Other road bike options included a a higher-end Allez Sport Racer at $48, or the Crossroads hybrid for $28.
The bike guys set me up with a helmet, lock and key in a bike pack, water bottle cages, cyclocomputer, rear rack with bungie, toe clips and a map holder with colored maps. I set out to cross the Golden gate bridge and explore the villages across the bay.
Traffic from Colombus Street was a bit frightening at first. San Fran traffic reminded me of driving in Mexico. I took a shortcut through Fort Mason, a green park and my first steep hill. Cruising down the waterfront and the Presidio was a relief from the traffic, with wide bike paths and opportunities for great people watching at Crissy Field. I was biking into a San Francisco headwind, but the terrain was at least flat.
The Golden Gate Bridge is a misnomer, to my thinking. It's not golden at all: my local buddy and biking guru Scott Lappi tells the paint is called "International Orange". Either way, the imposing structure loomed overhead and grew more magnificent each mile.
I sat on the hybrid under the bridge and watched the breakers roll past. It's a darned beautiful sight. I couldn't wait to get up onto the bridge itself and bike across.
Getting up to the bridge involved a little traffic skirting, along a steep, short series of side roads. I was dumped out into the Bridge Visitor Center parking lot, a nightmare for cars needing to park, but a breeze for a girl on a bike to negotiate. The bridge is equipped with free bike and walk lanes that are separated from traffic. On weekends and holidays the bikers and walkers are also separated from each other!
