Giro di San Francisco

Every Labor Day (the first Monday in September), San Francisco hosts a bike race called the “Giro di San Francisco.” Giro is the Italian word for “tour” — in years past, the race went through North Beach, an historically Italian neighborhood.

Once upon a time, the race was known as the San Francisco Gran Prix, and some of the world’s greatest pros came to SF to suffer on the steep hills of Fillmore Street.

The Giro is now a relatively flat “criterium” race (meaning a lot of short, fast laps, which is great for spectators).

The Giro has caught the attention of Funcheap:

http://sf.funcheap.com/il-giro-de-san-francisco-bike-race/

The race promoter’s event flyer is here:

http://www.ncnca.org/sites/default/files/07/14/2017%20-%206%3A15pm/FL_2017-2356-Giro%20di%20SF_OKED.pdf

Lots of folks take video while in the race:

 

 

Get Ready for Fall 2017

The Fall 2017 edition of Speaking of Bicycles is just around the corner. We’ll meet for the first time in our assigned classroom on the Lone Mountain campus at 12:45 pm on Tuesday, August 22.

If you have a bike, feel free to bring it to campus! Because we are an urban campus, there are some special considerations involving security and storage of bikes. Best to email me before you arrive so I can help you figure that out (jonathan.hunt@usfca.edu).

Frequently asked questions:

Why aren’t there any books at the bookstore?

Great question! All course materials (such as readings, videos, etc.) will be available at no cost to you. Many of the materials are “open source” and available to all; others are restricted by copyright and will be available only to students in the course.

Class is four hours long! How will I survive!

Good point! Instead of meeting twice a week or three times a week for shorter class session, we’ll meet for one long session once per week. But don’t worry, it’s not going to be a long lecture! In fact, we often won’t meet in our classroom at all, but instead explore some part of the campus or the city. But still, it’s a long class — hopefully the professor will bring some snacks.

Do I have to ride a bike around San Francisco?

Great question! No — but we will travel around in San Francisco, but there are lots of ways to do that. A bike is probably the cheapest and most efficient way to travel in the city, but other ways work great, too (walking, driving, public transit, taxis or transportation network companies such as Uber).

Because we’re going to be traveling around, it’s best to dress comfortably, with practical shoes, layers, and a backpack or bag that’s not too heavy.

How can I learn more about the class?

You can start by looking at the Syllabus link and other links — Modules, Partners, Policies, etc. (above).