Cycle San Francisco with Self-Guided Routes

It’s no secret that San Francisco is a bicycle-friendly town. Numerous bike routes – ranging from flat coastal stretches to leg-trembling hills – wind through the city and out across the Golden Gate Bridge to Marin, offering riders a variety of scenic trips.

The good news is that if you didn’t roll into the city on your own two wheels you can rent a bicycle for a few hours, a whole day, or even the entire length of your stay. The even better news is a few rental companies offer discounts for guests at any of the HI San Francisco hostels, so there’s no excuse not to get peddling!

If the steep inclines make you nervous, fear not, because plotting an easy course through this famously hilly city can be done with a little preparation and planning. Google Maps is an easy and convenient go-to source when you’re looking for routes, especially now that the map also includes details about the hills and inclines. For a more local look, you can check out the San Francisco Bike Coalition, which features maps and guides for biking around as well as various events related to cycling happening around the city. You can even go old school and purchase a printed map from the site for $4 to take with you on your two-wheeled adventures.

All set? Grab a helmet and take to the streets for a pedal-powered tour in one of the greatest cities in the world.

DISCOUNTED BIKE RENTALS

First things first: you need to get the gear. There are multiple perks to staying with HI USA, and one of them is the discounted rates for bicycles with Blazing Saddles Bike Rentals and Bike and Roll San Francisco. Both have locations in Fisherman’s Wharf and downtown San Francisco.

Blazing Saddles Bike Rentals
HI San Francisco hostellers receive a discounted rate of $18 per day (the usual rate is $32 a day) for city ready mountain and hybrid bikes. The rental includes a helmet, lock, rear rack, camera bag, bungie cord, and a map. Performance, tandem and other specialty bikes are available.

Bike and Roll San Francisco
Guests receive a 50% discount if they choose to ride with Bike and Roll, which means that a rental for a day costs $18 instead of the usual $32 per day. A helmet, lock, rear rack, camera bag, bell, map and flat protection are included in the cost. Performance, tandem and other specialty bikes are available, as well as in-line skates.

POPULAR BIKE ROUTES

The Bay Trail
The Bay Trail is a network of bike- and pedestrian-friendly trails that threads its way through cities and towns in the San Francisco and San Pablo Bays. Currently, it’s about 345 miles, but the hope is that when it is completed, the Bay Trail will be a 500-mile continuous stretch along the shoreline of the region. Along San Francisco’s northern waterfront, the trail is a 4-mile, flat ribbon of path set aside just for cyclers, skaters and pedestrians. Riders can enjoy a seriously scenic peddle from Fisherman’s Wharf, along the waterfront, and all the way across the Golden Gate Bridge.

This portion of the trail is choc-a-block with stop-worthy monuments and San Francisco bucket list items. Once you’ve rented your two wheels, you can head towards Fishermans’ Wharf (which tends to be crowded on weekends, so you may have to walk your bike at some points), past all the restaurants and attractions, and through Fort Mason. It’s also worth taking a little detour to the Marina District so you can ogle at the marvel that is the Palace of Fine Arts or learn some cool stuff at the Exploratorium.

Back on the Bay Trail, you continue through Crissy Field in the Presidio, which is a converted army base that’s now home to historic buildings, a National Cemetery and several large, thickly wooded areas. From there it’s on to San Francisco’s most famous monument. At a little more than 1.5 miles across, the Golden Gate Bridge has a constant flow of traffic of pedestrians and cyclers making their way from one end to another. Cyclists must use the east sidewalk from 5am to 3:30pm and the west sidewalk from 3:30pm to 6pm during the week and on weekends the west sidewalk is open from 5am to 6pm. Be sure to check the Golden Gate Bridge website for details on closures and seasonal changes to the times.

For more information and maps, go to the Bay Trail website.

Sausalito
On the north side of the Golden Gate Bridge at the end of the Vista Point parking lot, a bike lane runs parallel to Highway 101, then turns off to Alexander Avenue. The road winds about two miles to the town of Sausalito, offering a beautiful view the bay.

When you’re ready to return, you can take the ferry back to San Francisco and enjoy the salty sea air and striking skyline views. One-way ferry tickets cost $11.25 for adults, $5.50 for seniors, youth (5-18 years) and disabled passengers, and children under the age of four ride for free.

Marin Headlands
To ride to the Marin Headlands, and HI Marin Headlands hostel, pedal across the Golden Gate Bridge and take the Alexander Avenue exit. Instead of veering east into Sausalito, go west into the Marin Headlands on Bunker Road. There are plenty of treats for the eyes here, whether you choose take one of the hiking trails, lounge on the beach or spy some of the wildlife that call this region home. Be prepared for some serious views of San Francisco and the Pacific Ocean.

Golden Gate Park
As the fifth most-visited city park in America, the Golden Gate Park is not just a gorgeous green space in San Francisco, but a complex of museums, art spaces and the oldest public Japanese garden in the country. You can cruise by the deYoung Museum, the California Academy of Sciences and the Conservatory of Flowers, or just find a quiet spot to contemplate life on Hippie Hill, the ground zero for the Summer of Love. From the west end of the park, you can continue along the Great Highway south to Lake Merced or north to the Sutro Bath Ruins.