What to get in SF

[Pusher]

I'm of to San Francisco this week and want to get something for myself, something unique and bikeish of course. Got no idea whats on or whats really a good buy when in the States.

 

Any ideas?

Crab Chowder at the Wharf. The best!

[Imploder]

Watch out for those drivers in SF, they're INSANE!!!

 

[Imploder]

Not really in SF, but you are stateside:

http://www.alchemybicycles.com/

[GrumpyOldGuy]

Crab Chowder at the Wharf. The best!

 

Indeed, but Clam Chowder in a hollowed out sourdough bread is even better.! Eaten strolling along the Wharf.........!

[Vetseun]

Whiskey and a Prostitute?

[Lotus]

Take an extra suitcase and get:

 

1) Lots of coffee beans. The place is full of roasteries.

2) Craft beer. Look for Red Hook EBS.

3) A monster tattoo.

4) A collection of bicycle bells. The shops there have great ones. I'll even take a few off you. I'm after replacing my old flating eyeball bell.

5) Some funky jeans

6) Lots of Peace-sign T-shirts.

7) A bus trip to Yellowstone National Park where you can see people climbing up El-capitan. Take binocs.

8) Pearl Izumi bicycle clothing.

 

And if you're in the Mt Tam/Marin area then check out the Redwoods in Muir Woods National Monument. They're not the biggest in the USA, but they're still huge and old (one is about 1200 years old).

[Wyatt Earp]

First off.

Hire a bike, go towards Haight and turn off Haight just after Amoeba records and go to a shop called American Cyclery, you will soon see something you want

From there as JB said, go over the bridge and up to the lookout point and back .

 

Book the bike back, go in to the mall for a chowder and sour dough bread.

Book beforehand if anything the tickets for Alacatraz, from the tram walk along the market and catch the ferry.

 

From there back to land and head off to the wax museum and finish it off with a dinner at Hooters.

Edited August 12, 2013 by Wyatt Earp

[Paul Ruinaard]

Wow I am jealous. One of my favorite cities in the world, and a major cycling haven.

 

Been there a number of times and have brought whole bicycles back in bags. And whole wardrobes as well as new suitcases. Its a marvelous place and a marvelous time of year to be there. Avoid all the tourist traps on Pier 39 - they are a rip off

 

Things to do or get:

 

1.) Hire a bike and ride on the cycle tracks over the bridge and down to Sausalito. Stop in the small coffee shop along the way on your RHS in the town - Italian looking place. Over the road is a boutique road bike shop - have a look there. Nice stuff, but all very expensive. Further on up the road is Mikes Cyclery which is a more MTB shop - they have some nice stuff in there, and some wicked specials.

 

2.) Ride all the way to Tiburon (small town at the ferry terminal) and catch the ferry back - its on the above route and you can get maps.\

 

3.) If you are determined to go big you can ride Mt Tamalpais - where all the MTB stuff started - Repack is the major trail of historic significance but it is closed. You can ride other trails there

 

4.) If you are strong and want to ride up hills then go across Golden Gate and left in to the Marin hills - you will climb for a long time up long hills.

 

5.) Depending where you are - if you are near Stanford University around the Palo Alto area go to Palo Alto Cycles - nice shop, with nice stuff.

 

You can score some nice specials at this time of year.

 

General shopping - hire a car and go to the Outlet malls at Gilroy. Its about 80km down the highway towards Carmel, and Carmel is a nice town and is a great day trip. - but be prepared to buy another case if you end up going moggy The prices are ridiculously cheap and everything is great quality - especially clothes. The risk is you go completely bonkers and end up with three suitcases full of gear. And it is all top notch and they have every size.

[Cav']

Some good stuff mentioned.

@ OP you're lucky the hub is filled with cool okes to help/advise.

[Zeffer]

Yo hubbers, lots&lots of awesomeness!!!!!!! From coffee to wine to jeans to Ken Block (gotta hate the the kid 4 his guts) to suitcase-buying-advice

 

Thanks a mill, sooooooo lookin forward now!

 

Wife was not jealous until she read this thread

[Zeffer]

Did you know: The first Critical Mass bicycle ride took place on September 25, 1992 in San Francisco, and has since spread to hundreds of cities worldwide (Wikipedia)

[Flowta]

So jealous, love San Francisco

[Wyatt Earp]

...

Edited August 12, 2013 by Wyatt Earp

[Wyatt Earp]

Take warm clothes, it can get surprisingly cold at night

I cycled up Filbert and then down the 8 switchbacks on Lombard.

It's an awesome city, nice clubs.

Don't miss out on American Cyclery, it's one of the oldest shops in the U.S. with Campy stuff on display dating back to inception, the shop around since the early 40's if I recall.

 

Lot's of fixes and bespoke bikes with oodles of retro stuff from Suntour, Campy, Brooks and the likes.

I am envious, but wish you "what I know will be" a magical time.

I did a Critical Mass ride in 2008 there, I got caught up with a bunch of couriers on fixies and they roped me in, I really did not mind tagging along.

[Jaco-fiets]

Go have some of the crab down at pier 39. Close to the pier there is a pub that makes the best Irish coffee in the world. Think it is the Buena Vista Cafe. I am serious! There is a coffee roaster in SF as well. The coffee is not bad at all.

 

I did not see many bikeshops around. You will not find any bargains anyway. The prices are on par with ours from what I can remember. Just over the bridge is Sausalito. Over the wknds there are lots of cyclists packing the coffee shops there from San Francisco. It is also the town where the zodiac killer had 1 or 2 victims back in the day.Mtb'ing is big in that area. Santa Cruz and Specialized seems to be the bikes of choice around there

 

I love San Francisco! We have a office just 1hr drive from there (Napa). I am trying to get a transfer there.

 

Enjoy! I am jealous!

[Imploder]

Just remember to take lots of Photies and put them up here! We want to live vicariously through you

Have an awesome trip.