Mothers' Day Special Edition Slow Ride: Angel Island - Sunday May 12th, 11:30am
Location: Outside Ferry Building Gate B. (Google Maps)
Meet at: 11:30AM
Roll at: 12:00PM (sharp)
Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/46249736
This Mothers’ Day (Sunday, May 12th)… join us for a Special Edition Slow Ride to a truly car-free space in our own backyard, Angel Island!
We’ll take the 12:15PM ferry which arrives in Angel Island at 1:10PM (after making a stop in Tiburon). Then it’s a short bike / walk from the docks up the path to the Perimeter Road, which is where we’ll be riding. The loop around the island following Perimeter Road is 5.5 miles, which is mostly flatter than any ride in SF but features two steeper sections (one up, one down) which the lead(s) will call out ahead of time.
We will return on the last ferry of the day at 4:45PM, which will arrive back in San Francisco at 5:35PM.
The ferry costs $9.25 each way, so the total cost will be $18.50 for transit there and back. If this cost would prevent you from joining please send a DM to @safestreetrebel on Instagram.
Stuff you need to know:
- Please arrive at Ferry Building Gate B by 12pm at the latest! The ferry doors close strictly at 12:14pm and we want to have some buffer time for any bike shuffling that has to happen.
- Clipper cards work on the Ferry! Be sure to pre-load it with at least $18.50.
- The route is 98% paved, with some gravel and uneven terrain. I was more than OK on hybrid tires.
- There is one ~50 yard stretch that is pretty steep (7% grade). I could just barely make it on my lowest gear on my acoustic bike. So I might walk up next time.
- There is another ~50 yard stretch that is a pretty steep downgrade (-11% grade). I’ll make an announcement as we approach and remind people to dismount, but if you’re confident in your brakes feel free to ride down.
- Even if it’s sunny during the day it *will* get chilly by the late afternoon, so be sure to bring a warmer layer.
- Since we’ll be close to wildlife, we’ll ask riders to keep music off or quiet while we’re on Perimeter Road.
- Dogs are not allowed on Angel Island (except for service animals), apologies to our furry slow riders :(
- We will stop for lunch along the ride, so pack something to snack on! (You can always get takeout from one of the shops in the Ferry Building.)
- Bathrooms on Angel Island will be available at the dropoff/pickup point as well as at our lunch break spot.
- The ferry itself has a cafe and bathrooms.
- Electric bikes are allowed on the island, however BayWheels/Lyft bikes are not allowed.
- The ferry service is run by Golden Gate Ferry. For more details please read through the Bringing Your Bike page of the Golden Gate Ferry website.
- NB: While the website is ambiguous about how many bikes can fit per ferry, when I asked a ferry operator they said they could take up to 100. (First Come First Serve!)
Reminders
Bring:
- Lunch / snacks! We’ll stop for lunch around 2:30PM.
- Water. (There will be spots to fill up on the island.)
- A warm layer.
- Sun protection.
- Rain gear if it might rain.
- Your mom! It's mothers' day!
Don’t bring:
- Dogs that aren’t service animals.
- BayWheels/Lyft bikes. (other e-bikes OK.)
- Road-only tires.
Getting To The Ferry Building
The Ferry Building is right next to Embarcadero BART station.
To find Gate B: when facing the Ferry Building entrance (from the BART station side), take a left along the side walk, and then take a right down the walkway at the North side of the building. You can also walk through the building but it's a little tight with a bike.
Considering The Weather
We'll ride this event rain or shine. If the forecast is calling for severe weather that we think may lead to unsafe conditions then we'll cancel. We'll try our best to cancel 72 hours in advance based on the forecast but of course we may cancel with shorter notice in the event of unsafe conditions. In the event of rain, please remember:
- Go slower and remember it will take a further distance to come to a complete stop. You do not have the same braking traction in the rain.
- Give other riders and road users extra space.
- Bring rain gear! Riding in the rain can be a lot of fun. Installing fenders on your bike can help as can wearing waterproof footwear, rain pants, rain jacket or rain cape, and even weatherproof gloves and socks!