For the fourth time in 2014 I find myself in the USA. Three trips to New York have been balanced by a trip a little further west – I’m in San Francisco with my youngest son Jak.

We are here to primarily  visit to San Francisco Auto Show – which finishes at the weekend. We have done Paris and Geneva – so San Francisco seemed like a good choice for the time of year. Having set off from Blighty in miserable weather (well ‘appropriate’ for the time of year) stepping off the plane into sunshine was a nice surprise.

The forecast is for major change at the weekend so we took advantage yesterday of the weather and hired some bikes – and promptly set off across the Golden Gate Bridge for Sausalito – a nine mile ride. Most people do this one way and get a ferry back. However, it was Thanksgiving and there were no ferries, so we did a round trip.

The three miles out of Sausalito back to the bridge are a little challenging – I am most definitely not ‘King of The Mountain’!

What struck us though – and we were discussing it –  was how, in a city of really bad traffic, they have real respect for cyclists. They give way to you. They freely let you pass – much more so than in the UK. There are bike lanes which are respected (I am yet to see driver in the UK ‘get’ the boxes for cyclists at traffic lights!). There were plenty of cyclists out too.

All was going swimmingly until a drive opened (her) car door on me – I missed it – but narrowly. Perhaps we spoke too soon!

Tomorrow we head to see the guys at The Bay Squash Club and then Saturday is car show day.

It is five years since I was here with the Sheriff’s Commission – I smiled as i recalled some of the places we visited – it was also the start of my blogging!