LindaSus

I have not seen any recent posts on this:
--do bike rental companies have locks available, or should I bring my own???
--what is the best place to rent bikes at Golden Gate Park??
--can you bike north along the Coastal trail from GGPark, or is that better suited for walkers??
--can you bike to the Cliff House from GGPark??
--if we bike through GGPark and down to the zoo, how much time shoudl I allow--all day, or is it an afternoon thing? I would spend an hour or so at the zoo.
--we are also biking across GGBridge to Sausalito, have lunch then ferry back. Is 4-5 hours adequate planning for this????
THANKS!!
Any other bike tips are appreciated!!

Grasshopper

Linda, Great bike rides you have listed! Yes, you can ride from GGPark to the Cliff House, and beyond. The hill by the cliffhouse is pretty darn steep, and the street narrow with lots of cars, but you can always walk up the sidewalk there. You can go all the way up to the Palace of Legion of Honor and then to the GG Bridge from there.

GGPark to the zoo is very close, less than an hour.

A favorite ride is Embarcadero to the bridge then into Sausalito and ferry back. You can go on to Tiburon if you like and ferry from there, or even all the way to Larkspur and take the ferry. The Embarcadero to Larkspur loop is only 25 miles so the other two are shorter. You can easily do the Embarcadero to Sausalito and back in 4 to 5 hours.

There are bike rentals just south of the Ferry building and more in the Fisherman's Wharf area. I don't know about locks because I always use my own bike.

Wear layers and try to get off early. It gets windy in the afternoon. (and possibly foggy)

jill_h

We rented bikes from Blazing Saddles. There are 2 locations, one on the wharf (which runs out of bikes early) and one just up from the wharf @ Columbus @ Francisco St. If you plan on catching the ferry back from Sausalito, check THAT schedule so you'll know when you have to be there. It is VERY windy on the bridge, so tie your hat down. Also, if you ride the bridge on the weekend, one side is for walkers, the other side for bikers. Make sure you get the correct side.

janis

Grasshopper has provided lots of good info - I'd just add a terrific day would be to ride across the GG bridge, over to Tiburon, then take the State Park ferry over to Angel Island. Angel Island is WONDERFUL and offers about the very best views of SF. You can then take the fryy back from Tiburon to SF.

suzanne

I took the ride Janis mentioned above - fantastic!!!

I rented my bike from this place near Pier 39 (or was it 41?? It's right near the ferries to Alcatraz). It may have been Blazing Saddles. They give you a decent map and tell you how to get to where you want to go. There is a lock on the bike and also a pack where you can store your travel book, windbreaker, food, etc. I stopped in Tiburon at a sandwich shop where there were 100s of bikes parked outside...none appeared to be locked up - gotta love that!

Yes, I think that 4-5 hours is adequate to get to Sausalito, have lunch, and catch the ferry.

Grasshopper

Only one thing to be careful of.... From Tiburon the ferry will take a specific number of bikes. Even as large as the number gets, if you're on the wrong side of the count it's a LONG uphill ride back! Don't wait til the last minute to get in line. Ferries from Sausalito and Larkspur are easier to get on with a bike. Much fewer cyclists.

janis

What Grasshopper says is true. If you do this trip on a nice weekend day the Tiburon ferry might reach max bike capacity. But if you do it on a weekday there shouldn't be much of a problem.