Great news for visitors who are staying at the Clift Hotel near San Francisco’s Union Square – the hotel is offering free use of hipper than thou Public bikes to get around the city.
These trendy two-wheelers are lightweight and will handle hellacious hills with grace and style (though I have yet to test out their seven-speed capability). This is your chance to channel your inner hipster whilst cruising up Market Street on a bright orange J7 (tight jeans and ‘80’s retro Ray-Bans optional). The Clift is the first hotel in the Morgans hotel group (they also run the posh Delano hotel in Miami, among others) to offer this amenity, and here’s hoping other San Francisco hotels take note and follow suit.
Photo courtesy of hotelchatter.com
If you’re not coughing up the cash to rest at the Clift, you do have other options. On the extreme other end of the spectrum, Hostelling International’s three San Francisco hostels offer guests sweet discounts on bike rentals from three companies, all start around $18/day (about 40% off the regular price). Check out Bay City Bike Rentals, Bike and Roll, and Blazing Saddles.
Where to take your biking beauty? The Wiggle is a classic ride from downtown out to Golden Gate Park. It’s special because it cruises through multiple, eclectic neighborhoods, and really gives visitors a true taste of the metropolis. The route heads up Market Street, cuts behind the Safeway in the Castro, then zig zags through Duboce Triangle and the Lower Haight before linking up with the Panhandle. From there, it’s a stunning journey into the park and out to the Pacific Ocean.
A second option is to pedal around the Embarcadero towards Fisherman’s Wharf, head up and over Fort Mason, continue along Crissy Field until you hit the Golden Gate Bridge (can’t miss it). Bike over the bridge, breathe in the salt air, photograph away, and drop down into the Italian Riviera’s cousin, Sausalito. If you’re tuckered out after all that, jump on a ferry back to the San Francisco piers.
Biking around San Francisco sure beats waiting endlessly for the MUNI train or bus (trust me, you will be waiting) and you’ll cover a lot more ground than with your own two feet.
Photo courtesy of Incase/Flickr
