I’ll admit I’ve been known to kinda geek out on maps. It started when I was a kid and somehow ended up with a ton of National Geographic maps. National Geographic Magazine used to include full maps in some of their magazine editions (do they still?) and I had a large cardboard box full of them. From topo maps to maps of the moon to a map of concentrations of religions across the world, I was introduced to the idea that maps could convey a lot more information than just place names, roads and boarders. That’s why, despite some of the comments to the post on See Through Maps, I think this is one of the neatest maps of bike routes in San Francisco yet. 

Created by Mat Kladney, the map represents bike routes the way city transit maps show bus and train routes. Routes are color-coded lines, and intersections are represented the way “stations” are on BART diagrams. This map (or chart, or diagram, if you want to get into semantic arguments about what actually constitutes a map) quickly and easily answers a fundamental question that cyclists face in the city: what is the best route to get from this location to that location. In Mat’s own words:

The current San Francisco bicycle map is difficult to approach, especially when answering the simple question, “how to I get from here to there?”  This map has everything you might possibly want in a bicycle map in a hilly city: the grade and name of every San Francisco street, four different types of bike lane, even contour lines for every hill from Twin Peaks to the slight elevation change found in the Mission.  Unfortunately by trying to be everything, it loses much of its usability.  Tracking the best way to get across the city becomes more difficult when confronted with so much data.  This new simplified map helps cyclists to quickly and easily find the shortest route through town.

— http://seethroughmaps.wordpress.com/2013/10/27/map-kladney-mat/

I for one will keep a copy of this on my portable devices for reference when I need to figure out the best way to get from where I am to where I need to go.  Thanks Mat!

In the culmination of a 20+ year project, the new eastern span of the San Francisco Bay Bridge opened up. And included on that new bridge was a separate bike and pedestrian lane. Those familiar with the area will quickly point out that this bridge only gets you half way across the bay, and that there is a second bridge that still lacks bicycle access that prevents a bike ride completely across. So for the short term at least this is a recreation trail only with no commute benefits.Now that it is open it has understandably added fuel to discussions about enabling bikes to make the full crossing.

And it didn’t take long for a cyclist to find his way onto the shoulder of the main traffic lanes away from the bike path. It is unclear if this was somehow a mistake or a deliberate act – perhaps to make a statement. But of course a local publication took the opportunity to somehow spin it as a “look at the stupid cyclist” story. On and they even threw in a “And helmetless to boot” comment. Sigh.

However, SFist did publish this story about an apparent bike thief caught with one of the bikes from the recently launch San Francisco Bike Share program.

I’ve tried out neither the bike share nor the new bike path personally – all of which I hope to remedy in the coming weeks.

I hadn’t really realized how much I had become used to riding on the same ol’ roads and paths around my family’s home in Sacramento.  I had several routes I already knew of, and was familiar enough with them to match them to whatever my particular goal was for the ride.  If I wanted to grind hills, I knew where to go.  Looking for a flat TT type ride?  That would be repeats on Captain’s Table road.  Long endurance ride?  Ride through Old Sacramento to the American River Bike Trail and just keep going.

However, now that I’ve got my self a new hometown (well, part time hometown at least) in San Mateo I’m kinda at a loss for where to ride.

I’d made a couple of cursory forays from my temporary hotel housing to scout around the immediate area, but nothing inspiring had been revealed.  However, walking the streets of San Mateo I can just make out some tantalizing wooded hills to the west.  I know from staring at google maps for way too long that there is an ocean not too far in that direction too.

So this morning I decided to give my self 30 minutes, pick a direction and go.  I had a tentative idea of where I was trying to get (again from staring at those maps too much) and a speculative route in mind.  The trouble was, I had absolutely no concept of what the streets I’d chosen would be like.  Would they be bike friendly routes, or roads full of semi-trucks carrying cargo and trying to run me over.  There were resources I could have used to help me figure some of this out, but I just needed to get out and ride.  I needed to start building that area familiarity that I had so taken for granted while riding around the Sacramento / Folsom area.

However, something funny happened.  I either was extremely lucky, or I’ve got some sort of city planners cycling route sixth sense.  I navigated my way through a couple of neighborhood streets until I came to my first “waypoint” street – Alameda De Las Pulgas.  It was a split boulevard (and I wanted to turn left) so I had to do a U-Turn, but I quickly discovered something.  This was a designated bike route.  I had somehow found myself on a pretty damn nice road to ride on my first time out.   I wasn’t the only guy pedaling that road either – always an encouraging sign.

My next waypoint was something called Tenderfoot Trail – and I was a little apprehensive about this one.  I had no idea if trail meant dirt or pavement.  After some initial wrong turns (and some damn steep – but short – climbs) I found my way to the trail entrance.  It was paved.  Dirty, but paved.  The entire area was kind of a canyon, and there was evidence of the hillsides being washed out in the recent rains.  However, as I made my way through the short trail I was distracted looking around.  It was actually quite beautiful.

The trail opened up into a park which I rolled on through to another street on the other side.  I was “off the map” now so to speak.  I had no idea where I was or exactly where I was going any longer, but I had more time so I decided to keep going.  I arbitrarily picked left and around the corner I went.

The road I was on started to pick up in incline, and I just kept spinning.  I could see the hill continuing to the next bend in the road, and it looked like it flattened out there.  Around the corner, more climbing to the next turn.  Repeat…  (Incidentally, why does every turn on a climb look like the top of the hill?)  That brought me back to the point I made earlier – I was riding completely unfamiliar territory.  I didn’t realize how much I relied on the fact that I knew my regular hills very well.  I knew every turn, every change in grade.  I knew where to save energy, and where to get up out of the saddle and just grind through.  Here, however, I had no idea how long the hill went on for.

I decided to turn back around without making it to the top.  Time was running out and I wanted to give myself some flexibility to try out some different roads on the return.  I still had to shower and get to work, after all.

The whole thing left me feeling pretty good about riding in this area, though.  The fact that I saw others out there spinning their pedals – some looking like commuters, some in full kit – inspired me as well.  I’m already looking over the maps, deciding where I’ll go tomorrow.  Pretty sure I’m gonna figure out how long that climb actually goes on for, and what’s on the other side.

Despite my best efforts in the past, looks like I’m back to working in the bay area, while living in Sacramento.  The dynamics this time around are a little different from my previous Palo Alto employment, so I’ll be spending some nights in the bay area and some nights in Sacramento.  So what does that mean for cycling?  Well a couple of things.

For one thing this will put me withing “striking distance” of one of the best fitness studios in the bay – Integrate Performance Fitness – run by the VeloReviews Fitness Editor Al Painter.  It also gives me access to an entirely new set of roads and terrain.  I’m very much looking forward to exploring some new roads.  Any of you bay area folks have any specific recommendations for me?