Tag Archives: San Francisco cycling
Not The Number
“31” replaces yesterday’s question mark. As the number of miles cycled in the course of two hours on another sunny, albeit cooler and windier, afternoon, the mostly flat and fast jaunt to Tiberon proved itself time well spent. Included in the relatively brief spin was even a quick moment for some creative photography.
For all this recent talk of numbers, it’s not always about the number, at least as far as distance itself is concerned. There IS always cadence, ascent, descent, time and average speed to consider. After all, a hard and attacking 20 miles certainly beats a relaxed and steady 50 miles most any day.
Today came the number 25, in 90 minutes, as this rather unpredictable sequence continues. But again, it’s really not the number of miles that most matters. The number of minutes, for better or worse, usually has more to say.
And that’s my well-cycled opinion.
A Quick Spin
For a relatively short yet satisfying bicycle workout, I highly recommend Canada Road, starting at the junction of Highways 280 and 92, next to the Upper Crystal Springs Reservoir.
This stretch has been a part of my longer treks on several occasions, most notably via a few Alto Velo club rides. Most recently, I’ve been making the easy jaunt down from San Francisco for a quick spin on what’s proven to be some satisfactory nearby open road. Following Canada Road into Woodside, then adding a short loop around Sand Hill Road before heading back to the start point, will give you a whopping total distance of 20 miles. Do it twice, or three times, if you have the energy and aren’t bored with scenic repetition. I have yet to add of few legs onto the route, which I hope to do on my next visit, possibly over into Belmont and back.
Perhaps the best, yet most crowded, time to cycle on Canada Road is on “Bicycle Sunday,” when a good stretch heading south from Hwy 92 is closed to all motor traffic from 9am to 3pm.
This is merely a small, very easy, yet relatively enjoyable cycling suggestion, if you’re unfamiliar with the area or just tired of pedaling through the city!
Thinking
Cycling through the narrow, winding roads of the Presidio is proving to be not just physically satisfying, but pleasingly educational as well.
While the park’s hilly terrain presents some decent climbing and descending, the relatively open space and lack of stop lights, compared to the majority of San Francisco city regions, allows for the accumulation of a bit of non-city-like mileage. Then come the variety of historical, artistic and geographic attractions of this national park, including the National Cemetery and the Legion of Honor, not to mention spectacular views.
The Thinker has me thinking...
It’s in the courtyard of the Legion of Honor that I discovered the presence of one of my favorite classic works of art, The Thinker. Overall, I’m happy to be learning of so many treasures within this wooded northwestern tip of the Peninsula, as no doubt I’ve only scratched the surface thus far.
Who says you can’t manage some decent cycling within San Francisco itself? The Presidio serves as further testimony that indeed you can, as long as you initially figure out some of the tricky routes and turns within the park itself. More awaits me on this front.
Suffice to say, such cycling seems to be working well for my body, if not my curious mind. I certainly recommend adding this area to your own path of exploration. A jaunt through the Presidio should certainly keep you, well… thinking!
Ryan R. Sanderson 