I went for a bike ride with some friends to Sausalito. At 9:30 am, Ryan was waiting downstairs for me and we took off. I was a little shaky at first since I hadn’t ridden my bike in over a year so the clips, gears, and I all had to get reacquainted. We rode along The Embarcadero, through Fisherman’s Wharf, through Fort Mason, and over to the Bangs’ in the Marina. Then we rode up to the Golden Gate Bridge where there was a steep climb to the start of the bridge and then it was smooth sailing over the bridge. It was a beautiful day in SF with the sun shining and slightly cooler temps than yesterday.

Once we got over the bridge, we rode down the hill to Sausalito. It was ALL downhill and I was going superfast…scary fast. At the Sausalito Ferry Station, we met up with Michelle, Jack, and Amy and then headed over to Fred’s Coffee Shop for some brunch. They believe in table sharing so the 6 of us had to share a round table with a pair of two annoying fellas. Fortunately for us, they sat down towards the end of our meal and I had a fantastic meal of pancakes, sausage, and hashbrowns. It was just enough fuel for the ride back.

On our way back through town, I lost my footing while trying to make a curb stop and bailed in the street. It wasn’t my most graceful moment and I guess it’s not a successful riding day if you don’t come home with a little road rash on your knee. At least I wasn’t the only one. Bang actually bailed earlier on our way to brunch and he suffered a harder fall and a bigger boo-boo on his knee. After almost deciding to take the ferry back to the city, I mustered up enough energy and motivation to get myself back up the hill to the bridge. It was a long climb and I made it – bloody knee and all.

Once we got back to SF, the Bangs went home and Ryan and I took off for a second adventure. We rode through the Presidio (yes, more hills) and over to Michelle’s friend’s house in the Richmond District to pick up the car they had been borrowing. That’s where I got a taste of city riding with having to stop at traffic lights and watching for cars. At about 2:30 pm, Ryan and I logged a total of 20 miles and we were exhausted. Taking the car ride home was awesome.

Here are photos from today’s adventure.