Quote: On our long weekend in San Francisco my wife and I (really just me) thought it would be great to bike across the Golden Gate Bridge. Sounds innocuous enough doesn't it? Well, when you haven't rode a bike in 10 plus years, and you do it on a weekend when all the other bike enthusiasts and runners are out in force, and you think it's a simple ride across the bridge, you find out it's not as enjoyable as you had hoped.

The adventure starts at Pier 41 and ends on the other side of the bridge in Sausalito. This is a LONG ride up steep hills and across a bridge with little clearance for passing. Be aware that it can be a little frightening when heavy trafficed - like on a weekend!

Overall, I will look back on this experience as a positive one and will remember the adventure. I think that my wife will kill me if I ever suggest another bike adventure again!

Blazing Saddles was excellent! If you're going to do this - go with them!
From journals San Francisco Whirlwind Tour

Quote: Biking across the bridge if the sun is shining or at least, no rain is falling, combines exercising off some of the calories everyone puts on as they enjoy the bounty of San Francisco cuisine, an opportunity for great views of the Bay, a close up of the Golden Gate Bridge, and a stroll around Sausalito.

Blazing Saddles is one of many companies offering bike rentals but they seem to have the most numerous locations. When we went to lock our bikes in the bike rack at Sausalito, it looked like a Blazing Saddles rental location. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

Renting a bike is quite painless. We went to one of the many locations at the piers. Fill out the form, pay and they outfit you with the right size bike, helmet and bike lock. You can either pay by the hour or for the day. We didn’t need to pre-book on the Friday we decided to cycle across the GG bridge.

The ride from the waterfront to the bridge is very picturesque with a few steep but mercifully short hills. Once on the bridge, the trick is to manage the crowds. Soo many people wandering along, three bodies wide, oblivious to those of us on bicycles coming from behind them or trying to squeeze past baby carriages and bikes that have stopped to enjoy the views.

The route that day was on the east side, so with the clear skies, the view was outstanding. We stopped along the way to watch dolphins. I don’t like heights so was not certain I would enjoy the bridge crossing but found it no problem at all as long as I didn’t stop next to the railings and look down, way down. We had another warm sunny day and were fortunate we had put on sunscreen before we set out.

The trip does not take long. We left Pier 41 about 10 a.m. and were in Sausalito by about 11:15 a.m. Once in Sausalito, there are a number of shops to explore and numerous restaurants on the waterfront. As mentioned earlier, there are bike racks to lock your bike to if you can find the room among all the other Blazing Saddles bikes. We had lunch in Sausalito at Horizons restaurant which is situated along the waterfront. We sat on the patio under an umbrella and cooled off while still enjoying a beautiful view of the water and San Francisco skyline in the distance. We all had salads which were fresh and tasty. Service was good and we were finished our meals before 12:30. We strolled into a few shops then caught the 1:20 p.m. ferry back to Pier 41. As we were waiting on the ferry, we could see the fog rolling down towards the GG Bridge and into the bay. It was a very dramatic sight for us who are landlocked in a dry climate and even more fascinating to ride the ferry through the fog which took us from very warm sunshine to cool damp air, then back out again to sunshine as we approached Pier 41.




From journals Family Weekend in San Francisco

Quote: If you have good weather and the better part of a day to spare, rent a bike and ride across the Golden Gate Bridge. Have lunch in Sausalito and take a ferry back to Fisherman’s Wharf.

There are a batch of bike-rental shops near Fisherman’s Wharf—Blazing Saddles and Bike and Roll have seven outlets between them. Looking at price and equipment, they’re pretty much interchangeable. Maps and written directions are provided for a variety of routes. Helmets and bike locks are included. A basic rental is $26 to $28 per day, but invest a couple of minutes in skimming through one of the free tourist guides; you should find a coupon good for $2 to $4 off.

Generally, the ride is flat and protected from traffic. After some chaos around Fisherman’s Wharf, it’s mostly a protected route through Aquatic Park, Crissy Field, and Fort Point. There’s an uphill to get onto the Golden Gate Bridge and begin the spectacular one-mile ride across on the bike/pedestrian sidewalk.

It’s interesting. Riding on the bike, the bridge seemed solid and steady, but when we got off the bikes halfway across to gawk at the view, everything rattled and shook as cars and trucks hurtled across. We actually felt more secure on the bikes than while walking or standing.

After crossing, it's a short downhill ride to Sausalito and lunch. Total distance to this point is 8 miles. Now, there are options: if you’ve had enough riding, it’s easy enough to catch a ferry back to San Francisco. Otherwise, you could retrace your steps to go back over the bridge or pedal on to Tiburon and grab the ferry to Fisherman’s Wharf there. Either way adds about 8 more miles.

We chose to continue on to Tiburon. It was less comfortable, with more riding on the side of the road while traffic whizzed by, but still, at least half the route was on well-protected bike paths along the bay.

The ferry back to San Francisco was amazingly fast—this wasn’t any tourist sightseeing trip but a functional part of the Bay Area transportation system. It’s got an unusual quirk, however. You buy a ticket upon boarding the ferry, then give it to the ticket-taker while getting off. Unfortunately for one cyclist, there’s a serious breeze on the ferry; his ticket blew out of his pocket and into the bay. As we left, he was still arguing/pleading with the ticket-taker that he shouldn’t have to pay a second time. You’ve been warned: hold onto your ticket!

The best thing about biking is freedom to explore odd bits of the city you encounter in passing: check out the Palace of Arts and Culture, ride out to the end of a marina wharf, spin down side-streets in Sausalito, or go wherever something looks interesting.

From journals Return to San Francisco

Quote: One of my favorite things to do in San Francisco. A great way to get some exercise while getting some great vistas of the most beautiful city in the United States. Bike across the Golden Gate Bridge into Sausalito and take the ferry back to San Francisco.

I have rented bikes from both Blazing Saddles and Start to Finish and recommend both (Note: Start to Finish ceased operations and filed for bankruptcy in May, 2001). However, one may be a better choice over the other depending on your situation. Blazing Saddles is a rental-only shop and takes reservations; Start-to-Finish is a full-service bike shop and does not accept reservations and will often run out of rentals by 12pm on weekends if there's nice weather. Location wise, Blazing Saddles is within walking distant of Fisherman's Wharf; Start-to-Finish (Marina) is w/in walking distance of many of the Hotels on the west end of Lombard. Blazing Saddles includes U-locks with their rentals.

If you are in good shape and make no stops to take in the sites along the way, you can make it into Sausalito in about an hour. But where's the fun in that? If you're renting from Blazzing Saddles, head towards the Bay and bike through Ft. Mason. Then proceed along Marina Blvd. towards the bridge. If you're renting from Start-to-Finish, head north on Divisadero or Broderick until you hit Marina Blvd. You may want to make a stop at the Palace of Fine Arts. Once you make up the bridge, it is literally all down hill to Sausalito.

Sausalito is an elegant Mediterranean-like community with a picturesque waterfront, galleries, shops, streetside cafes, and, most importantly, a waterfront restaurant (Horizons) with an outside deck where you can enjoy some well deserved microbrews and an awesome view of the Bay. Do some site seeing in Sausalito then catch the ferry back to San Francisco.
From journals Weekend Getaway to San Francisco