sstorkel

I'd love to know which route gets you from the airport to Highway 1 in six miles! Looks to me like it's at least that far in a straight line, let alone all the twists and turns you have to take if you're on a bicycle...

JGaerlan

From the airport, I would take the free tram to the car rental area and start from there. Take San Bruno Ave west all the way to Skyline. Turn left south on hwy 35. Right before you hit the Freeway 280 merge, there is a gate on the right for walkers and bikes. Use the gate heading south and it will take you to Crystal Spring reservoir. It is a bike/walking path that crosses the San Andreas fault. A nice area to bike. At the end of the other gate, turn right and you will hit Hwy 92 all the way to Half Moon Bay. There is ample shoulder space on the road for bikes.

If need be, let me know if you need me to plot it on google maps. ALso, what time are u getting into SFO ? If it is too late, we may have to plan an alternate plan

Niles H.

A couple of other possibilities: Take one of the buses to Halfmoon Bay. Or ride 92 at a very off-hour, low-traffic time.

There are many variations and choices. Different people want to see, do, or experience different things.

Some want scenic, some low traffic, some directmost; some like architecture, some like riding near the ocean; some like the redwoods, some like views, some like the quiet back roads.

Niles H.

If you should end up taking Caltrain to Palo Alto, and want to see Stanford, the best views and the most intuitive self-guided tours are probably from the University Avenue entrance.

sstorkel

This is also the area where you're most likely to be run over by an inattentive driver trying to cut through campus to get to the Stanford Shopping Center. Better to exit CalTrain at California Ave, cross El Camino Real on California Ave (or the less-traveled Cambridge Ave), merge onto Page Mill Road via Hanover. Turn right onto Junipero Serra Blvd, then enter the "back" side of the Campus on Campus Drive East or Campus Drive West. Lots of construction/traffic problems near the Medical Center (Welch Rd in particular) so avoid that area if possible.

Niles H.

Not at all the most likely area to be run over.

Also, I've spent a lot of time on California, and wouldn't recommend that stop at all, nor El Camino (??), Page Mill, Junipero Serra Expressway, etc., all of which makes for an unnecessarily longer, much more heavily trafficked and traffic-exposed route. And it is rather non-scenic as well.

If there is a blighted road in the area, it's the El Camino Real with its strip malls and motels.

University bypasses it, and is not particularly dangerous for cyclists, who are separated from both University and El Camino. It's a very short ride to campus, and the paths leading into the chapel area provide a much better introduction and entrance to the campus for those who are touring it briefly.

Google Street Views can confirm the above.

mntbikedude

So far this one is making the most sense of all the recommendations.(Although all suggestions have merit and I am considering). We are flying in later at night and have a hotel close to the airport that also has a shuttle. We plan on leaving the next morning. We are from rural Utah and so the more straight forward the better. I'm ok with riding on a four lane highway as long as there is a shoulder.

Note: One thing that I did remember from out past two rides thru SF was how helpful and kind everyone was. Our first time thru we were on the outskirts of SF and a local cyclist told us we looked lost and led us thru the city over the golden gate bridge and pointed us to the hotel district. At the time I though he must be an angel, I've since learned that just how people are in SF.

Niles H.

Riding up Millbrae Avenue or Hillcrest might involve less traffic and be a bit shorter or more direct; you can ride through a quieter residential area; and you don't need to ride along 35. Near the top of Hillcrest is an entrance to the same bike path.

A couple of other points that haven't been covered much: The traffic on 92 is mainly beach traffic during the summer. It can be *very* heavy if you hit it at the wrong time. It's like a funnel for traffic. Most cyclists avoid it. If you are able hit it at a good, light-traffic time, it would be a better ride. The shoulder is not very wide in places.

Also, the weather is often warmer as you go farther south on the peninsula. So if you do end up riding Old La Honda Road, it might be a good idea to start early while the temperatures are cool.

It is typically cooler and foggier in Half Moon Bay and along the coast.

The views are spectacular in places along Skyline between Windy Hill and Russian Ridge.

If you want a better idea of what 92 is like, there are probably some good youtube.com videos, in addition to Google Street View.

The same would apply for some of the other options.

sstorkel

Junipero Serra between Page Mill and Alpine/Sand Hill has very little traffic, except maybe during rush hour. Page Mill from Hanover to Junipero Serra is heavily trafficked but you're on it for less than a mile and there are plenty of nearby alternatives if the sight of a passing car is going to frighten you. All of the roads in this area have very wide shoulders, so it's not like you're ever very close to cars anyway.

Yep! That's why none of the routes I've suggested include it!

Leaving from the University Ave. train station, you have two choices: share the street with aggressive car drivers (without the benefit of a shoulder or bike lane) or share the sidewalk with a train-load of clueless pedestrians and cyclists. Neither really appeals to me. Once you get past Arboretum Rd. car traffic drops off and the ride is generally more pleasant, though car drivers often seem more intent on finding parking than avoiding bicyclists.

As to whether the campus is worth a visit, that's up to the individual tourist. I, personally, wouldn't give it a second look given some of the other riding that's available in the area but I understand that opinions differ.

Niles H.

92 becmes narrower, with two lanes and poor shoulders. If you google ''How bad is Hwy 92 between Halfmoon Bay and Canada Road site:bikeforums.net'' you can find additional testimonials.

If you catch it at a low-traffic time, there is another catch: some drivers, especially young males, will take these sorts of roads at scary speeds when there is little traffic. They often cut corners while doing so. I used to do it myself, and scared passengers to the point where some of them actually jumped out of the car at the first stop. If you've got a fast car that corners well and are in a certain age range you can almost get high on this sort of driving.

That said, it's downhill and a fast descent that doesn't last all that long. Still, there are alternatives that most cyclists prefer.

staehpj1

FWIW, I found the descent on 92 to Half Moon Bay quite pleasant.

mntbikedude

Ok we have decided to take basically the most direct route to half moon bay. Using google maps bike route. If someone that knows the area could do the same route and just look it over as see that it's basically safe (no really bad neighborhoods etc would really appreciate it. I don't want a whole rewrite of it. Just is there is some small changes or just say it looks good. We are flying in Tues the 26 in the evening and plan on getting out on the road between 10 and 11 unless we have some problems assembling the bikes.

sstorkel

How do you get Google Maps to show a bike route? I told it to avoid highways, but that still included an extended section of riding on El Camino Real which is one of the least bike-friendly streets on the Peninsula. It also suggested riding on Highway 92, which I wouldn't be wild about given some of the other options. Highway 92 isn't dangerous, it just has lots of traffic and isn't terribly scenic.

raybo

Wouldn't that be to take some kind of public transportation there? You can assemble your bikes in Half Moon Bay (HMB) just as easily as the airport.

If you have decided to ride directly to HMB, which means skipping any scenic component in the ride, why not just get to HMB and start your ride from there? You are taking about riding through a very busy metropolitan area and over some reasonably steep hills. The "direct routes" (non-freeway) will be the ones the cars take.

If all you want to do is to get some place quickly where you can start your tour, I'd take transport there and then start riding.

mntbikedude

Just click the bike icon

mntbikedude

Ok about the route taking the road from San Bruno direct to the coast over to pacifica? And yeah I have already ridden devils slide and I can do that.

raybo

What, exactly, is your question? Are you concerned about getting mugged in a "bad" neighborhood? If so, that will not be a problem.

If Devil's Slide doesn't bother you, nothing on that route (or any other route you select) will.

mntbikedude

Probably asking both about going thru a bad neighborhood and also the danger issue. The reality is that I have cycled thru downtown San Francisco and also Devils Slide so we will probably be fine. Thanks for your help.

sstorkel

Found it. I see two options: one that goes over Highway 92 and one that uses Sneath Lane and Sharp Park Rd. For either route, you'll need to be prepared to ride on busy streets without the benefit of a bike lane or shoulder. Neither route is particularly scenic. Neither route takes you through any especially bad neighborhoods. If you decide on the Sneath Lane route, I'd take BART from the airport to the San Bruno station; none of the roads around the airport are particularly suitable for bicycles, IMHO.

mntbikedude

Just got finished with our tour. We ended up taking Westborough Blvsd? Sharp Park Rd, it was kinda crazy traffic and climb to start the trip but I always like the ride down the coast. A motorcyclist offered to block for us on the ride down Devils Slide. To me after just completing this ride, there are plenty of sections on highway 1 that is just as bad and wonderful as Devils Slide, and plenty of urban craziness after getting to LA.