Cycling in San Francisco: How to Survive the Mean Streets of the City on Your Bike

I have a hobby that many people would consider strange.  I simply love hopping on my bike and riding around on the streets of San Francisco, especially in tightly packed parts of town such as Downtown, the Financial District, and Nob Hill.  With my sleek road bike, curly locks waving in the wind, and pants cut off just below the knee, I take on that bike messenger persona and go on fast-flying adventures.  Urban cycling can be as relaxed or as intense as you want it to be, but whatever your preference, it can be done safely with the right mindset and a few solid tips.

Mindset is probably most important because simply put, bikes and cars tend not to mix well.  Cars are bigger and faster and their drivers tend to feel entitled to get where they are going as fast as possible while limiting the number of obstacles.  I have found that when a bike "gets in the way," many drivers are personally affronted.  They lash out and altercations are bound to occur.  When I first started riding, I got into altercations with drivers all of the time.  These confrontations typically started out with a driver becoming annoyed after I staked my rightful claim to a lane of traffic (in California, at least, cyclists are allowed full use of the lane, if it is deemed safer than a bike lane or the side of the road).  Invariably, the driver would tailgate me while honking his/her horn.  My usual response was to turn around cursing and swearing before things fizzled with the driver swerving and speeding off.  A couple of times, though, drivers have stopped and exited their vehicles in such situations.  Once, I got punched in the face.  Since then, I have mellowed.  This is why I say mindset is the key to fun and successful urban cycling.