bigbenaugust 

Hellow fellow citizens of NorCal...
I'm normally a South Bay guy, but I have to make an extra-special errand run into SF next week (picking up visas at the Brazilian Consulate). One problem is I've never cycled in the city before. So I have some questions:

1) Can anyone recommend me a route from Caltrain to 300 Montgomery? Google maps says going right through the Financial District is the way to go, but I don't know.

2) Or would I just be better off taking Caltrain to Millbrae, locking the bike up there, then taking BART to Montgomery?

3) Convince my wife I won't get run over (either by a car or some hipster on a fixie). Just kidding!

My Nashbar-framed 1x8 is a piece of crap, so I am not so worried about theft, but I'll obviously lock it up to whatever's around like everyone else seems to do when I'm up there.

So anyway, a penny for your thoughts!

uspspro

That's probably your best way. Seriously, riding up 3rd would be fine.

If you want you can ride King -> Embarcadero -> Cut through the little plaza thingy to make a left on to Market St.

Definitely not worth switching to Bart

kellyjdrummer

I wouldn't leave my bike anywhere in Frisco.

uspspro

Park in a public spot with a good U-lock, and parking one's bike will probably* be fine.

I have left my 02 CAAD4 with Ultegra/105 mix parked in SF several times.


*= Of course anything could happen, but thieves tend to hit the easier targets. To bust that U-lock would require either a lot of power or a lot of time. I remove the front wheel and the U goes around the seat tube and rear wheel, then the loose front wheel and then the object I am locking to. There's no room for a jack, bolt cutters wont do, the key is the new style (can't be opened with a pen cap), so they'll probably move on.

bigbenaugust 

I'm used to a cable lock here in the suburbs, but I do have a U-lock (OnGuard something) laying around. I might use them both... because it'll be a long walk back to Stanford if my steed gets jacked.

redspoke

Marco you are always full of useful information.
I have been toying with the idea of getting a commuter and I always say to myself... "Well. At least I have one useful leftover from the old days (Kryptonite) One less thing to buy."

I would have cried like a baby if one of my rides got stolen by way of a Bic medium point.

murphstahoe

Frisco has a very low bike theft rate, though you are well advised to not leave your skis unattended.

San Francisco, a.k.a. "SF", a.k.a. "The City", you need to use some better judgement.

murphstahoe

Anyway, if you were worried about theft, take Caltrain to the end, walk your bike into Warm PlanetBicycles - next to the station, and valet park your bike. Then take the K/T or N lines from 4th/King St to Montgomery Station, and walk from there.

I'd prefer to just bike. Townsend to Embarcadero, left on Embarcadero (ride in the bike lane not on the sidewalk), left on Market (bike lane) right on Montgomery. I guess.

murphstahoe

If it's reasonable to do so, instead of locking your front wheel via the cable lock (after u-locking the frame), take the front wheel *inside* with you. This makes your bike slightly less attractive since it can't be ridden immediately...

slabby

montgomery is one-way in the wrong direction. .. if going down market, veer right on pine. ... if going into the belly via 3rd to kearny, be *very* careful crossing market. folks try to beat reds on market all the time, and the intersections are so wide, pedestrians are halfway through the crosswalk w/ cars (and bikes) speeding through.

Beaker

Never ridden my bike down there, but is there a better option to ride your bike from home to a BART station and then take BART into the city? Might get some more pleasant/challenging riding in that way, with perhaps less stress about your bike disappearing?

bigbenaugust 

BART won't make it within weekday-morning-need-to-go-to-work-afterwards distance of my house in my lifetime, and probably not ever. I live in Sunnyvale. I'll just man up and go straight to SF.

Now that I've warned you, don't take my bike, okay guys? Like I said, it's a piece of crap.

Beaker

Well that changes everything

taxi777

Hey I think some are too worried about traffic in the city. Once your in it you'll be fine. Everyone here is pretty skilled...You wouldn't be here otherwise.
Think of it as jumping into cold water. Scary for about 10 seconds. My older brother hadn't ridden a bike in 27 years. He went straight down Caifornia with me and we rode all day in the city! He had a blast and he's not crazy like me. Actually a normal guy!
Pete

bigbenaugust 

Once I have recieved said travel documents, I need to proceed to Stanford University, my place of employment. Sorry about that.

SJgunguy24

Whatever you do don't go just after a Giants game ends. Some guy came flying out of one of those peir parking lots and launched me into the middle of the Embarcedero. I flew around 40 ft, broke my left wrist,whacked my head pretty good,my back is now starting to feel better (got hit 7/19/08) and my right sholder is still buggin' me. So far 1 month without work.

kellyjdrummer

And you took him to the mat, right? Lawyer? Right?

SJgunguy24

I kinda remember most of what happened. I couldn't get any of the drivers info,there was a Trauma Dr.walking by and his wife was a nurse. I had about 10 people holding me down. He was worried about neck/back injuries. They piled me into the ambulance and were ready to leave BEFORE the cop showed up. I hope a sobrity test was done. I'm waiting for a copy of the police report. Thank god I was wearing my helmet if not............

bigbenaugust 

Piece of cake. Not sure I could/would do it every day, though.

And many thanks to the Brazilians, I was in and out of the consulate in 10 minutes.