Northern California - SF Riding at night?

Hello, just moved out from the east coast to San Francisco, and I was hoping on some suggestions for training rides I can do at night when I get off work (about 6pm). I live/work in SOMA, and although I ride my bike to work, I'm looking for a circuit of 25-30 miles I can do at night to start building endurance instead of riding indoors on the trainer. Is GGP open/safe to do at night? Any other suggestions? I have the bike maps for the longer stuff on the weekends, but unsure of what I can do at night. Thanks!

When I ride at night I usually stick to residential streets due to the lighting factor. I live in the Richmond (north of GGP) so I ride Cabrillo out to the beach, then climb up the hill to Geary and back down Clement to Arguello. I tend to focus my night rides on climbing hills. I will also cut through GGP and ride around the Sunset.
Parts of GGP are fine at night; JFK drive, west to the De Young museum/Academy of Sciences, for example. Many times the streetlights farther west are broken or turned off so you need some serious headlights, otherwise there is a very good chance you will crash. Some of those roads are poorly maintained and have huge potholes, roots pushing up, etc.; hazardous enough in the daytime, let alone at night.
The Great Highway is pretty well lit if I recall correctly, and a nice long straight stretch. There can be a crosswind from the beach though, and the west side (southbound lane) can have sand drifting across. That can be treacherous. I prefer to ride on the "old" Great Highway (on google maps it's called "lower great highway"), which is one block east of the Great Highway. I take that down to Sloat and head east to the West Portal area, then head north through the Sunset.

There are plenty of options though, I just tend to stay on the west side since it is closer to home and much quieter in terms of traffic. Hope this helps.

Hello, just moved out from the east coast to San Francisco, and I was hoping on some suggestions for training rides I can do at night when I get off work (about 6pm). I live/work in SOMA, and although I ride my bike to work, I'm looking for a circuit of 25-30 miles I can do at night to start building endurance instead of riding indoors on the trainer. Is GGP open/safe to do at night? Any other suggestions? I have the bike maps for the longer stuff on the weekends, but unsure of what I can do at night. Thanks!

I miight be a professor of SF Loops. I have 20, 30, 45 mile loops that I do every week. Most of them out of traffic. The Daley City loop is a great work out from downtown, presidio, Ocean beach Daley city turnaround.
On Tuesday's and Thursday's a large group usually heads for the polo fields in GGP. It's an amazing work out paceline, chatting, learning and lot's of bikes with lights.
Heres a link to some of my GPS ride links on Bicycling.com
Pete- let me know if you want to do one of those circuits with me and I'll introduce you to some of the riders down on the polo fields.
Pete aka Taxi777:thumb:

Thank you both for the help! I am in the process of having my frame refinished so when I get it put back together next week I will definitely try some of the routes suggested. Pete, I dont see the link, could you repost it? Thanks!

Pete's just teasing you by hinting at URL links ... He likes to play cruel jokes on us ... :roflmao2:

Oh Ginetta! Ron just likes to bust my chops cause he can!.........Heres to of my links Bicycling.com

http://bicycling.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip.aspx?tripId=273922

http://bicycling.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip.aspx?tripId=273922

If you like blood and accident stories...just read my blog...I just posted one for all you vampires!!! : )

If you like blood and accident stories...just read my blog...I just posted one for all you vampires!!! : )

Good to hear you made it back all right. Right after you left, we almost ran into a ninja walker and his unleashed ninja dog, walking in the middle of the track...

Pete,

I tried fixed on Ruth's SS/FG commuter bike (which she always leaves on SS). I just felt nervous the whole time.

I have been riding with a freewheel my whole life. Riding a bike is instinctive to me now, and fixed is not part of my instincts.

Although, I would love to ride fixed at the track.

I rode my road bike at Hellyer for the Beat the clock TT events. It was a blast, and I would love to use a fixed gear bike there. However, dealing with traffic, RR tracks, etc, etc... I'll take a freewheel.

Speaking of fixed... lookie what I just got :)

Speaking of fixed... lookie what I just got :)

Wow that's a beauty! What do you have going on it?

Well, at the moment just some campy track cracks, still trying to figure out the build. thanks for the links, ill hit you up soon!

That Vigorelli is begging for some arrospoks and risers. :P

Marco, riding fixed feels really odd at first, but give it more of a chance. It's a lot of fun once you get used to it.

There will be no risers! Drops only!:crash: