San Francisco is a great city for cyclists. Sure, you’ll encounter hills, but San Francisco has more bike paths, multi-use paths and on-street lanes per square mile than any other large city in the country, according to a study by the Alliance for Walking and Biking. There are even organized “Sunday Streets” events throughout the city, when major thoroughfares are closed to car traffic so cyclists and pedestrians can rule the road.
San Francisco is also one of the safest cities in which to bike. The study noted above shows that San Francisco has 0.9 cycling fatalities per 10,000 bike commuters. Only Arlington, Texas and Wichita, Kansas scored better.
Whether biking is your primary mode of transportation or just a hobby, there are many local resources available to route-conscious cyclists. Bike Mapper is an online tool that provides turn-by-turn biking directions for the entire Bay Area. You can customize your options to find the shortest or the flattest route. If you prefer a standard map, the SF Bicycle Coalition has a great one that lays out the entire city, noting various types of bikeways and the steepness of the streets. Strava offers a heat map that provides “ground truth” on where people ride (and run) in the bay area.
While you can easily plot a ride to and from anywhere in the city, here are five of the most popular routes:
1. The Wiggle
Image courtesy of Nicholas Boo.
Avoid some of San Francisco’s notorious hills by biking the zig-zagging route known as The Wiggle. It’s the flattest east-west route to Golden Gate Park, Sunset, Richmond, NOPA (the north panhandle) and even beyond. Commuters and casual riders alike depend on this route.
2. Valencia Street
Vertical bike parking on Valencia Street. | Photo courtesy of Emily Mills.
Valencia Street in The Mission is one of the most action-packed arteries in the city. Great food, hip bars and coffee shops, stylish boutiques and down-to-earth stores line the street. Parking a car is next to impossible, but the flat, 1.5-mile-long street has plenty of bike racks to complement its well-established bike lanes and friendly bike shops.
3. Hawk Hill Loop
Sunrise over San Francisco seen from Hawk Hill. | Photo courtesy of Anirudh Rao.
Hawk Hill Loop proves that some hills just shouldn’t be avoided. From the Golden Gate Bridge, head left off Alexander Road and climb Conzelman Road to the Hawk Hill overlook. While you take a breather at the top, you’ll be rewarded with one of the best views of the city.
4. The Embarcadero
Cyclists heading north on the Embarcadero, with the Ferry Building on the right. | Image courtesy of Diane Yee.
There’s a bike lane all along the bay’s edge at the Embarcadero. If you’re heading to AT&T Park in SOMA, there’s free valet bike parking for games and other stadium events. You could also stop at the Ferry Building and Fisherman’s Wharf, or continue on to Crissy Field and the Golden Gate Bridge.
5. Butterlap
Half of Butterlap. | Photo courtesy of Bill Couch.
If you want to turn biking into a social event, the weekly Butterlap is an evening ride through the city that anyone can join. It starts Wednesdays at 7 p.m. in front of the Ferry Building, with stops at Fort Mason Green, the scenic overlook at Lincoln and Washington boulevards, the Legion of Honor Museum, Clement and 43rd streets, Ocean Beach and the Panhandle. The ride culminates with food and drink at Bender’s Bar and Grill.
Our Favorite San Francisco Bike Shops By Neighborhood:
Bernal Heights:
The New Wheel, 420 Courtland Avenue
The Castro:
MASH Transit, 284 Sanchez Street
Refried Cycles, 3804 17th Street
Cole Valley:
Avenue Cyclery, 756 Stanyan Street
The Dogpatch:
Rickshaw Bags, 904 22nd Street
The Financial District:
Huckleberry Bicycles, 1073 Market Street
Haight:
American Cyclery, 510 Frederick Street
Hayes Valley:
Public Bikes, 549 Hayes Street
Market Street Cycles, 1592 Market Street
The Marina:
City Cycle, 3001 Steiner Street
Contrada Bikes, 2078 Union Street
Rapha Cycle Club, 2198 Filbert Street
The Mission:
Treat Street Bicycle Works, 3150 18th Street
Mission Bicycle, 766 Valencia Street
Pedal Revolution, 3085 21st Street
Public Bikes, 599 Valencia Street
Box Dog Bikes, 494 14th Street
Valencia Cyclery, 1065 Valencia Street
Nob Hill:
High Trails Cyclery, 1825 Polk Street
Noe Valley:
Noe Valley Cyclery, 4193 24th Street
NOPA:
Freewheel Bike Shop, 914 Valencia Street
Mojo Bicycle Café, 639 Divisadero Street
North Beach:
Citizen Chain, 2064 Powell Street
Cykel, 548 Union Street
Pacific Heights:
Bespoke Cycles, 2843 Clay Street
The Presidio:
Roaring Mouse Cycles, 934 Old Mason Street
The Richmond:
DD Cycles, 4049 Balboa Street
San Francyclo, 746 Arguello Boulevard
SoMa:
Mikes Bikes, 1233 Howard Street
Pacific Bicycle, 345 4th Street
The Sunset:
Elevation Bike Co., 2648 Judah Street
Everybody Bikes, 1352 Irving Street
The Bike Nook, 3004 Taraval Street
The Tenderloin:
3D Bikefit, 1299 Bush Street
Warm Planet Bikes, 1098-A Market Street
Cover photo courtesy of Bhautik Joshi.
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