# Any Rides starting from SF - Potrero Hill area?



## digby (Jul 23, 2004)

Just wondering if there are any good rides that start from the Potrero hill Area in San Francisco that do not require traversing 20-30 city blocks first? Just moved there from the Marina area where I used to shoot over quickly to the GG bridge and go to Marin.


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## subframe (Aug 22, 2006)

Starts out with a good 30 blocks of city streets, but thereafter is a nice ride: http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/San-Francisco-to-Sunnyvale-via-Skyline

You can Caltrain back to SF after...

Go on a sunday, and Cañada road is closed to car traffic. Go on a weekday, and the multi-use path will have less foot traffic.


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## Squidward (Dec 18, 2005)

I looked at that route and it looks pretty good except that the transition from Mission Street to Alemany Blvd does not look right to me. I don't know if there are stairs you can take from Mission Street down to Alemany Blvd but, if there aren't any, you will have to know the streets to get you to Alemany (go down Mission another 1/4 mile to Silver, make a right then a left on Alemany).

I have driven all of the streets listed in the section for San Francisco but have only ridden my bike on a small portion of it (Alemany from Geneva to Acton Street).

I would suggest taking Alemany to Acton where you make a right and follow that down to Lake Merced via Brotherhood Way. Once you get to Lake Merced Bl, make a left then a right on John Miur Way to Highway 35 where you will make a left. This is a pretty good climb, not too steep (about 7 or 8% grade with flat sections to rest your legs as you climb). If you follow the route listed by subframe then you will have a few steep sections to climb but this may be a safer route with less traffic as Highway 35 is a highway and there are two places where there are offramps and onramps that you really need to watch for cars as they zoom past you trying to get onto Highway 1 or from Highway 1 while you are climbing (DO NOT TAKE HIGHWAY 1 SOUTHBOUND FROM HIGHWAY 35!!! It is not allowed and would be suicidal if you did).

My buddy and I are going to be riding parts of this route tomorrow, starting from his house in Daly City, winding our way to Highway 35 at College Drive in San Bruno and then taking the Sawyer Camp Trail (the trailhead is at the end of San Bruno Ave and the map shows that you take this, too). The map shows an error in Milbrae because you cannot take the Sawyer Camp Trail, by bicycle at least, past Larkspur Drive. Bikes are not allowed on this section of the trail. You have to take Skyline Blvd to Hillcrest where you make a right, go past the freeway onramp then hop back onto the trail. BTW, none of those 'side streets' shown on the Sawyer Camp Trail are accessible to the public so I don't know why they are shown. The route that we are taking will take us all the way to Sand Hill Road where we will be turning right (the trail map has you turning left - that overpass is kind of dangerous as a few cyclists have had close calls with cars there and I have seen reports here about at least one cyclist being hit and killed by a motorist there). Our route will take us over the hill to Portola Road then a right on Mountain Home back to Canada Road and back home.

Canada Road is closed every Sunday from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM to cyclists from about Highway 92 to Edgewood Road. Lately, they have been closing it at the entrance to Filoli Gardens, about a mile closer to Highway 92. This isn't a problem as there is very little automobile traffic through this section of road but you cannot ride your bike in the middle of the road through this section like you can in the closed off section. Also, you can stop by Robert's Market at the corner of Canada Road and Woodside Road for some food and/or water. There is very little opportunity to get any food or water after entering San Mateo County until you reach Robert's Market unless you know the neighborhoods you are riding through and know where you can stop to get something.

I have not ridden past Sand Hill Road in Woodside so I cannot offer any advice from that point forward. I have been told that Junipero Serra Blvd, which becomes Foothill Expressway, is a nice, wide road for cyclists to cruise on down to the Southbay but I have not personally ridden it myself. One of these days I will, though. It takes you all the way to Cupertino, I believe. Someone familiar with the Southbay should chime in here and fill the blanks...


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## subframe (Aug 22, 2006)

Thanks for the corrections squidward. You are correct.

The San Jose - Alemany switch is indeed incorrect as shown in that route. I will usually continue on Mission for a few blocks after crossing over the 280, then make a right when the stop lights dictate, and cut over to Alemany.

The climbs up Sullivan Ave. and Hickey Blvd. are brutal though short. Given that the rest of the route is so flat, I don't mind the climbing early on 

Also be aware that Alpine Rd is not marked as such where you need to make a right onto it from Sand Hill Rd. It's not marked as anything, if I recall correctly. You'll know it by the fact that it's the last major stoplight before you continue down and off the downgrade that Sandhill is on there. You will also probably see large groups of other riders making the right, 

Junipero Serra / Foothill Expwy is a nice ride indeed. Some very slight hills, but a nice well paved and beautiful road, and surprisingly little traffic on the weekends.

My own take on the route was to continue on Foothill past Arastradero, then turn onto Homestead. From Homestead, make a left onto S. Mary (widest bikelane in the area), then a right on Washington, and a left on S. Frances will take you directly to Sunnyvale Caltrain, or you can stop for a beer at Firehouse Brewery on Murphy Ave. before getting on the train


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## Squidward (Dec 18, 2005)

Just an update: my buddy and I rode from his home, near Serramonte Shopping Center, all the way to Robert's Market at the corner of Woodside Road and Mountain Home Road/Canada Road. We decided to not ride the loop that would have taken us to Sand Hill Road so we bought a sandwich at Robert's, ate it then turned around and headed home as we rode the first 22.5 miles at a fairly aggressive (for us) pace. It was still 45 miles and the weather was gorgeous! This weekend promises to be cooler on Sunday and Saturday should be a wet day.


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