I rode a bicycle today … yes … me

I think the second most popular thing to do in San Francisco is to bike across the Golden Gate Bridge.  I know what you are thinking, me on a bike.  I thought the same thing too but Karen said I would be fine.  She did the same ride 16 years ago when she was visiting San Francisco.

We got to Blazing Saddles which is down by the waterfront around 11:30am.  After getting outfitted with our bikes, we were sent on our way.  I know my limitations so I got the E-Blazer Electric Bike ($70.40 USD for the entire day) while everyone else went with the Deluxe Comfort Bike ($32 USD for adults, $20 USD for children for the entire day).

We walked the bikes down to Aquatic Park and began our pedalling adventure.  We did the Fisherman’s Wharf to Sausalito route which is about 13 kilometres and mostly flat except for a few places. We rode by Fort Mason, The Wave Organ, Crissy Fields and the Warming Hut Cafe.  From there, it is a 1.1 kilometre steep climb to get to the Golden Gate Bridge.  I ended up walking the bike even though I had the e-bike.

The ride across the Golden Gate Bridge is 2.7 kilometres.  What I did not realize is how many pedestrians there would be and also that the bike traffic was in both directions.  I think this was due to the other side of the bridge being closed.  This part for me was stressful because I was too busy focusing on not hitting anyone that I really did not get to enjoy the view except for when we stopped to take photos.  As we approached the end of the bridge, the Paisley Maloneys were there to cheer us on.

The final part of the ride into Sausalito was the scariest part for me.  It is completely downhill with many twists and turns and throw in some cars for added complexity.  We finally rolled into Sausalito around 4:00pm and had a late lunch at Napa Valley Burger Company.  We had time before the 6:05pm ferry so some of us went shopping while others just relaxed at the waterfront.  

The ride back to San Francisco was about 1/2 hour it was amazing to see how far we pedalled.  We landed at Pier 41 and it was either a 5 minute ride or a 15 minute walk back to Blazing Saddles to return the bikes.  It was a great day, challenging at times for me but I had fun.  After a long day of cycling, it was back to the hotel for a swim and rest.

Here are my takeaways from today:

1. I knew I was out of shape but I am really really out of shape
2. Make sure to bring lots of snacks and water
3. Maybe pick a day when it will not be so hot or make sure to put on lots and lots of sunscreen
4. Kids are fast