Bay City Bike Rentals and Tours

They give you a good deal on Groupon and will rip you off wherever they can!
We got our bikes late in the afternoon. The GG bridge took us a little longer and we took the last fair. When calling and asking for them to really wait for 8pm they told us to call once we landed — as we did.
WHen landing and calling, there was only an answering machine telling us they close at 7pm and not at 8pm as promised. We arrived at the late return at 8:01PM. No one was there.
The friendly guy next door told us, that this happens quite often.
If you have any chance, GO TO ANY OTHER BIKE RENTAL!

Great company, although I wish they had wider seats available. Those skinny/​narrow seats are extremely uncomfortable that I didn’t get a chance to ride around San Fran all day like I planned.

Terrible company to deal with. We rented 5 bikes & 3 got flat tires which wasted so much of our day. NOT A GOOD EXPERIENCE STUCK ON THE BRIDGE No help, refund or even an apology from them. I wouldn’t recommend using them. We booked a guided tour that was way over crowded and ran out of time… just left stranded to make our own way back !!! TERRIBLE

The guy who set us up was informative, quick, gave us everything we needed to know and had us on our way within MINUTES. I believe his name was Deiter. He had a (German?) accent. If you get a chance to rent a bike, you should hope it’s Deiter who sets you up. He’s fantastic. Funny but gets the important points across so you can get to the fun part. It was just me and my two kids but I left the shop confident that I understood the map, ferry times, what to expect on the bridge, etc. And pretty much everything he said was accurate. When we arrived back to drop off our bikes that afternoon he seemed thrilled to see us and proud we’d completed our journey! (Probably how he greets everybody but it sure made my kids feel good thinking they’d accomplished big things that day!) He had our bikes checked back in, and transactions complete within minutes. Quick but clearly very thorough. His eyes were checking the bikes even as he was providing great customer service… multi-​tasking. Recommend this shop all the way.

Loved the guy who explains everything there. The trip was a few month ago so I forgot his name. The bikes were great and this is a definite must if visiting San Fran.

Hey Denis from the Jones street bike store. You’re the best bro. Fast, super friendly, and knowledgable, and a great deal. We’ve been to SF many times but this is the first time we have biked to the Golden Gate. Thanks for your awesome help!

The service was very nice! He helped us with directions to and from bike shop. Even put money in the meter when we ran out of time because we where still out sightseeing (which was added to bill but hey it helped us out)

Very nice and helpful with convienant location and price ! Great people.

We got a good price to rent four bikes from Groupon or something. It was clear that the employees never bike ride on the recommended routes because often we were riding in the middle of busy traffic. Also, the brakes on the bikes were so bad that we did not feel safe braking down the steep hills of San Francisco. So we had to walk down the hills, making us late for activities planned after the bike ride. Next time I will just take my own bike into the city.

I had a great time renting bikes from here! The staff were very helpful, showing me the path through San Francisco, across the Golden Gate Bridge and to Sausalito and the ferry times. The whole trip maybe took like 3 hours. The bike itself was very good and had a nice bag up front where you could keep your phone and wallet.
I would suggest going earlier during the day and paying $ 24 for the whole day and there is a 2 hour minimum. Remember to show your Unilocal check in to get free water!

My boyfriend and I took the bus down to the Wharf in hopes of coming by a bike rental place. The first place we came upon was nice, but, was pricey and the people there felt very pushy. It felt like with every question we asked, they would say «well why don’t you try and see?» It felt very unfriendly and like they just wanted to get your money and push you out the door.
We decided to take a loop around and found Bay City Bikes. There was one, very nice, woman working and she answered all of our questions without a beat, even the weirdest of questions. She was very calm and patient with us, no pushy-​ness. Each bike comes with a good-​sized fanny pack that hangs off the front (and has a map facing you), a bell, and a U-​lock. There’s also a convenient water bottle holder on the handles. We were pretty happy with the service and the bikes, we even got them at a great rate compared to other places, and we were off.
We didn’t do the usual bike over the bridge/​ferry back plan — instead we took our time, stopping along the bike path, and we eventually went to the Presidio to check out the Mary Blair exhibit. It was great to do some things, park our bikes, hang out, eat a snack. Just kind of hang around and take photos.
While this specific shop closes at 6, one a few blocks over is open til 8. We were able to keep our bikes til then and drop them off at the other location. Overall I thought the prices were reasonable, the location of the shop was great, the service, everything.

Friendly staff and price was reasonable. Bikes worked great! Definately will rent again.

Luckily Unilocal isn’t just for food anymore.
Picking a bike rental place along or near Fisherman’s Wharf is kinda like picking a dancer at a strip club. Just hope and pray that the one you pick has the best equipment with the best service and you came at a good time.
I was lucky enough to come at a good time. There was no wait at Bay City Bike Rental and Tours the time I came, the bikes were fully equipped with the latest silicon, I mean with new tires and they were inflated to perfection.
I used the Unilocal app to find this place and within a few minutes I was on my bike, checked in to get my free water bottle and back and forth to the Golden Gate bridge within 2 hours. Sad to say that I didn’t ride across the bridge, but that wasn’t really that big of a deal for me …
Just being able to spend a day in SF not attached to the car was a lovely experience.
It was 8 dollars per hour or $ 32 for the whole day. I would suggest you just go with the hourly rate because if you go over 3.5 hours, they’ll just charge you the $ 32 day rate anyway. So if you’re anything like me, you’ll be good to go in a couple of hours depending how long the wait is at Ghirardelli on your way back …
You’ll see what I’m talking about.
PS — I wish strip clubs prices were this reasonable and would give free bottles of water with check-​in.

We had a blast renting bikes from Bay City and riding along the Golden Gate bridge (self-​guided tour to Sausalito). Their staff are very helpful in getting you started, providing directions and landmarks before sending you off to enjoy your ride. We booked a reservation online in advance — but there are so many bike rental companies in Fisherman’s Wharf that you really don’t need to.
On the ride to Sausalito, there are well-​marked bike paths all the way there. Lovely scenery and lots of lookout spots to take pictures. There are lots of tourists doing the same (but also a lot of locals «training for the Tour de France» who get annoyed!).
Once we were at the Golden Gate Bridge, for the most part the bike path was easy to navigate. There are a few spots where it narrows, so somewhat awkward when you have Lance Armstrong flying at you. Lots of hills along the way — depending on your comfort level, many walk up the hills — take your time and enjoy the lovely scenery!
In Sausalito, there is plenty of bike parking. We stopped to have lunch, and then took the ferry back to Pier 39.
Such a fun day — I’d recommend it to anyone! Biking is a great way to explore SF :)

My husband and I did the self-​guided tour to Sausalito. He was very surprised I wanted to do this because other than seeing me on a motorcycle when I got my motorcycle license, he’s never seen me on a bike in the 15+ years we have been together. We didn’t make a reservation. We just walked in. We were assisted by an older gentleman with an accent. I can’t seem to remember his name. He was super helpful and made sure we knew exactly how to get to Sausalito. He gave us a few tips and what to do if we had any problems.
The route is easy enough for kids to do it. That’s what made me want to bike to Sausalito. It took me out of my comfort zone because I am not comfortable biking around crowds or traffic, but I had a smile across my face the whole time.
We took our time an took a few pics and took a detour to stop at the fort to use their restroom. We started sometime in the morning and made it to Sausalito for lunch and just walked around.
The bike parking as the gentleman at the shop said would get busy. We purchased the ferry ticket while we were at the shop. The ferry company policy had recently changed when when we were there. We had to stop at the info booth to make a reservation (as originally suggested by Bay City Bikes) and then we were given a poker chip each. Each color of poker chip corresponded with the departure time. If you did not get a poker chip, it was based on availability.
We lined up for the ferry about 30 minutes before our departure after enjoying a couple of hours of sightseeing. Everything went smoothly.
Returning the bikes were easy!
Needless to say, our bike tour was awesome!
I highly recommend this company to anyone wanting to bike to Sausalito from San Francisco.

I read many negatives about these guys. Got mine at the Wharf and had no issues. Rented the standard fair adult bikes and two kid bikes. Guys were pleasant. we switched a couple of kids bikes till kids were happy and got no heart burn. The bikes worked very well. I asked about breakdowns, and they said call and they would come (untested). Asked about returning deposit un-​authorized, and they said that happens except for specialty bikes where they hold the deposit till a technician reviews the bike. And this they did. All in all, good experience, but I was prepared and took a phone photo of the contract.
Scott

Fun full day activity for tourists and locals who are wannabe tourists i.e. me alike. $ 24 with the Unilocal deal, which is kind of a lot considering it’s just a freaking bike (they must make a lot of money), but it’s cheaper than say, going shopping or to a fancy museum. We got our bikes at around 10:30am from the Columbus street location, and returned them before the 7pm closing time at the Taylor street location. The employees seem to really care about making your sightseeing experience the best it can be. Before we left, the guy who gave us our bikes explained routes and bike usage very thoroughly; the man to whom we returned our bikes asked us whether we had found a camera in any of the front pouches, as a couple of tourists had lost theirs the day before. He also gave us $ 7 coupons for «for when we come back next week.» What a joker! I hope they continue to have good business.

One of the most enjoyable days I’ve had in the Bay Area! Thanks to Bay City Bike and the friendly service (super helpful older gentleman with an endearing German accent), a they’ve-thought-of-it-all business model, and the easy convenience of biking all the way across the Golden Gate Bridge and back (clearly communicated hours and multiple drop-​off locations).
Being a trio of biker n00bz, we were deathly afraid of physical injury or worse – getting lost with no sustenance to be had. But Bay City Bike had our backs, providing helmets, ulocks, a water bottle, and a large, laminated map that dangled in front of our noses as we paddled.
Book with confidence!

I’ve always wanted to bike across the Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito, and I finally got to do it!
The guy who helped us had a thick accent, so it was hard to understand him at times when he was going over the route we were gonna take. However, he was very nice and didn’t pressure you into getting anything extra. He offers bike insurance for only $ 4/​bike. I suggest getting one for your group just in case the unforeseen happens. Also, you can buy ferry tickets there if you don’t want to wait in the line at the dock in Sausalito. He charges the same price so I say go for it to save yourself the hassle.
The Unilocal deal comes with a bike rental, helmets (though they are not necessary if you are 18+), bike locks, and maps. Each bike comes with a little pouch in the front for your personal belongings. I suggest traveling light though. You must return your bikes before they close. Bay City Bike actually has 2 locations, so if one location closes first, you can always return your bike at the other one (only a couple blocks away).
I’m so glad my boyfriend is great with directions so that I never had to look at the map. The three hilly parts SUCK. We tried to power through them but gave up towards the end. I really enjoyed the ride. It was a nice, sunny day so the scenic route was extra pretty.
Don’t forget to check in for a free bottle of water! Trust me, you’ll need it.

Staff members were so polite and helpful here! Bay City Bike is a small little shop but on a super busy street so make sure you know what you’re doing when you take off on that bicycle. We decided to do tandem (my first time) and the first 10 minutes were probably the scariest of my life. It’s hard to maintain balance with the other person at first so we ended up wobbling through the streets of Fisherman’s Wharf with death only inches away.
The plan was:
–Take the ferry from Pier 41 to Tiburon in Marin County (50 mins)
–Bike 8 miles (mixture of bike path/​bike lane) from Tiburon to (1.5 hours with brisk pedaling & figuring out where to go)
–Take the ferry from Sausalito back to Pier 41 (30 mins)
An hour and a half seems plenty for 8 miles, averaging 11.25 minutes per mile, but the Disneyland-​like map they give you may be hard to figure out. The scenery is absolutely beautiful. Tiburon & Sausalito were small towns with very friendly people who were very willing to help our lost souls.
I highly recommend spending more time biking (don’t limit yourself to the next ferry ride take-​off time) and eating around the area. Besides, the cost for the bike rental is all day anyway! Bikes are all great quality here. We were comparing our tandem bike to others on the ferry and ours was definitely the newest and coolest looking. We were totally cool, even on a tandem.
TOTAL COSTS
Bike rental: $ 45
Ferry (roundtrip tickets for two): $ 38
Parking in a garage nearby (about 5 hours): $ 28