The Wiggle

San Francisco is not  suited for cycling. There are many vertiginous inclines and terrifying descents that make life tough. For us folks living in NOPA, Haight, and beyond going downtown is a breeze – downhill all the way but the prospect of coming home is not so great as all major arteries include big hills. Enter the Wiggle.

The Wiggle is a bike route from Market that leads you through a series of back streets none of which have any perceptual incline until you emerge onto Panhandle Park. What’s more the streets are beautiful, tree-lined with old Victorian and Edwardian houses. Such motor traffic as there be, is deferential to the bikers who churn along the Wiggle and there are areas at Stops where bikes have precedence over cars. All very civilized and courteous.

Here we go

After much research –  I read Wikipedia- it turns out that the Wiggle follows an old stream bed and was one of the major routes through very early San Francisco. Now it stays away from main roads, apart from a short stretch on Fell, and you can tootle along admiring the trees and the architecture. Let’s go from Market to the Panhandle.

The entrance to the Wiggle from Market takes you past the Duboce Bike Mural

Here is part of it

Turn right at Duboce park

Duboce - Head west, Steiner - Turn right (north), Waller - Turn left (west), Pierce - Turn right (north), Haight - Turn left (west), Scott - Turn right (north), Fell - Turn left (west)

Cars can't go into that green space. This is a biker's junction

Yay! Panhandle Park bikeway - Home again. The statue is a memorial to William McKinley whose parents were like me -born in Kintyre.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wiggle