# San Francisco - MTB or Road



## MTBMaven (Dec 17, 2005)

My wife and I are heading up to SF from Pasadena for a long weekend in early December. She will be there for a conference the whole week and I will drive up to meet her on Thursday night. I will have all day Friday to do a bike ride. We will likely stay in the same place we always do in China Town near City Lights Bookstore. 

Should I bring the MTB or road bike?

I would like to get in a nice long ride whatever I do. 70-80 miles road or 20-30 dirt. One thought for road would be to leave the hotel and bike across the bridge and up to Point Reyes. Traffic doesn't bother me too much and I don't get lost easily (finishing my Masters in Geography and a cartographer by profession). I can ride most dirt trails so long as there are no jumps or anything I need to huck off. The more technical otherwise the better.

Thanks in advance for any assistance provided.


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## pacificaslim (Sep 10, 2008)

If it's raining or has been raining, I'm sure the locals would you prefer you leave the mountain bike home and stay off the trails. But if the trails are dry, then you could get some fun riding in. And of course on the road bike from Chinatown across the GG Bridge to Marin and beyond is always a popular ride.


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## keesue (Nov 11, 2004)

I second that advice. A road bike will let you see the sights which requires riding on the streets.


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## Tommy919 (Sep 29, 2009)

I live in SF and just recently got back into cycling after TOO many years. The bike across Golden Gate bridge is really nice and relaxing. Take it all the way to Mill Valley and back, great ride and great sights. Enjoy.


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## Squidward (Dec 18, 2005)

You can always ride past the GGB, down Lincoln, making your way to The Great Highway then onto Highway 35 and head down south. It's not as simple as saying that you take road A to road B but it isn't bad, neither. From Chinatown to Highway 92 is about 33 miles or so. You could then turn left onto Highway 92 then a right onto Canada Road and continue down that for another 8 miles to the town of Woodside. There are a lot of great roads to ride in that area, too.

Be warned that this area can get cold really fast, especially from about San Bruno north to The Marin Headlands, so bring some arm and knee warmers as well as a jacket. San Bruno is about 5 miles south of SF.


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## zott28 (May 8, 2007)

I say road bike. Check out Bikely or Mapmyride and chose from there. The point reyes idea is a good one, you'll get the bridge, some paved trials, and some rural hilly roads. 
December is nice in the bay. The last few years it's rain very little in December. 
Word of advice on the bridge, there are both tourist, that stop and swerve all over the place, and there are guys that think they are Eddy Merckx, sometimes it's not that relaxing of a ride if you are someone in between.


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## Squidward (Dec 18, 2005)

zott28 said:


> Word of advice on the bridge, there are both tourist, that stop and swerve all over the place, and there are guys that think they are Eddy Merckx, sometimes it's not that relaxing of a ride if you are someone in between.


Funny you should mention this. I rode the GGB yesterday with my buddy and we experienced this. Tourists who don't think that there is anyone coming up from behind and a few "racer" types who were blowing past everyone, including us, and I thought we were riding a bit fast for the situation as it was.


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## Tommy919 (Sep 29, 2009)

because of the tourist, don't ride too close behind anyone you don't know.


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## EBrider (Aug 9, 2009)

I vote for mountain bike. From San Francisco, ride it across the Golden Gate to the Marin Headland, Mt Tam and down into Larkspur and take the ferry back into the City.


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## cheddarlove (Oct 17, 2005)

I vote for road bike. Throw the bike in the car nice and early and out to the Sonoma area and ride part of the Gran Fondo.

http://www.google.com/search?q=sant...s=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a

Contact the Santa Rosa cycling club for some great rides. I believe they have shop rides on Thursday mornings.
Or PM Liz in L.A. on STR and maybe she can help out.  
Otherwise, ride across the GGB and in to Marin. 

Doesn't the GGB have a rule where you are supposed to ride on a particular side during certain times? I vaguely remember that.


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## Kevin_in_SB (Mar 7, 2009)

Bring a Road Bike and hope it doesn't rain.


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## Tommy919 (Sep 29, 2009)

one side for bicycles other side for people walking, but you get tourist with bikes that pull hard stops out of no where...



cheddarlove said:


> I vote for road bike. Throw the bike in the car nice and early and out to the Sonoma area and ride part of the Gran Fondo.
> 
> http://www.google.com/search?q=sant...s=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a
> 
> ...


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## zott28 (May 8, 2007)

cheddarlove said:


> Doesn't the GGB have a rule where you are supposed to ride on a particular side during certain times? I vaguely remember that.


It does on weekends and after 4pm on weekdays, but the north sidewalk is used for the maintenance workers on weekdays, making the south side crazy during these times. Even with the dedicated bike side, the tourist on their rented tandems are still swerving all over the place.


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